mind your manners

I had the idea a while back that my Acteens would enjoy attending an etiquette class to learn the basics of etiquette....or brush up on what they already knew.  So I asked Mrs. Sandra (our pastor's wife) if she would help out with this endeavor.  Not only did she teach Home Economics in school, but she used to have her own catering business.  She has been in charge of some of the most beautifully decorated events at our church....like our yearly ladies conference.  I'm so glad she so willingly agreed to help.

She decided she'd like to do the class in two parts.....one class at our regular meeting, and one in an actual restaurant. 



discussing the proper way to place your napkin in your lap

 She also had handouts for the girls to look at while she explained the purpose for certain place settings.

The girls were put into groups and each group was given a sample menu.  They were to look at the menu and put together a place setting that would be appropriate for that particular meal. 

Mrs. Sandra went around to each group and made suggestions if needed and answered questions.

As you can see from the pictures, we didn't use real china for this!  We even had some paper cups on hand.

To allow the girls to put their knowledge to work, she treated us all to a special dinner a couple of nights later at Daphne Lodge....a local favorite near our community. 


my beautiful niece, Autumn is one of the Acteens



A couple of the girls couldn't attend the dinner, but the rest of us met at the church to head out to our special dinner with Mrs. Sandra.  Of course, we had to have a few pictures made for the parents dropping them off!  It's Prom season now, so getting dressed up in semi-formal attire was alot of fun for them :)

My sister, Suzanne (far left), myself, and Melanie (our youth pastor's wife on the far right) joined them for a picture too.

Here we are at the restaurant just before going in. 

Daphne is a family owned business that has been in existence since 1952.  It's located near Veteran's Memorial State Park near Lake Blackshear.  They have been featured in Southern Living magazine as well as papers like The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Check our their website here.

our table

our menu

Here's another group picture.  The second person from the front, on the left is Mrs. Sandra.  I wish I had taken the time to get a really good picture of just her.  She's a beautiful lady - on the inside and out!

It was a fantastic evening and I am so glad that it was well attended.  I believe the girls really enjoyed their special night out...maybe we should make it a yearly  affair? :)

beauty...inside & out




FBC Acteens with Jessi Lynn Young

 At our meeting this month, our Acteens had the pleasure of having Miss Jessi Lynn Young come spend some time with them. 

Jessi is America's Homecoming Queen and the reigning AutoZone/Liberty Bowl Queen

I was delighted when she agreed to come speak to the Acteens and share her faith in God and how He has been with her each step of her journey.

She also did an activity with the girls to help them learn to see the beauty they have on the inside.

She encouraged them to be who God made them to be and to put Him first in their lives.

After she spoke, we shared some delicious refreshments and fellowship.

Thanks again, Jessi for allowign God to use you.  We definitely saw Jesus in you!



Valentine's for widows

I am so proud of my Acteens! 

At our January meeting, I asked them to come up with our next monthly project.  They decided to make something for Valentine's Day for the elderly in our church.  From there, it was narrowed down to the widowed ladies in our church family. 

So at our February meeting, we got together and they made the cutest cards and goody bags for 10 widowed ladies in our church.

The bags were filled with decorative tissue packs, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, nail files, and candy.

The cards were decorated with Bible verses about love, ribbons, and cute little bows :)

They handed out most of the bags the Sunday before Valentine's Day at church.

Others were delivered to the homes of those not in attendance.

Their thoughtful gifts were very much appreciated and put smiles on the faces of those sweet ladies.

Never underestimate how the simplest of ideas can have such a HUGE impact on someone's life.

chai tea and teacakes

At a recent Acteens meeting, I talked my girls into trying some chai tea.  I've made it from 'scratch' before, but this particular blend was Oregon Chai from Walmart.....and surprisingly, they really liked it! 

I also made up a batch of 'Lottie Moon Tea Cakes' to go with it.  (You can get that recipe here). 

Because we had recently collected money as a church for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, I thought sharing a little more about the life of Lottie Moon would be of interest to them. 

Lottie Moon was definitely not a boring person!  Our monthly literature was full of information about her childhood and how she came to know Christ and eventually become a missionary. 

Now....I just need to find out if Annie Armstrong is known for any particular recipes ;)

Acteens thankful for teachers

I have the privilege of leading our Acteens group at FBC Rochelle.  This mission organization is made up of teenage girls, 7th - 12th grades. 

I shared with you earlier about our first project during the month of October, Care vs. Cardboard.  In November, we decided to show our appreciation and thanks to their school teachers.

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, we met at the church and baked some delicious cookies for their grade teachers.  I found a picture of some apple cookies online (so perfect for teachers, no?) and recruited the help of our friend, Toria Brown to create these sweet treats :)

Toria has her own baking business and shares her talents by baking sweet treats for many of our church occasions.  We couldn't have completed this task without her!

rolling out the dough

Thankfully, we have two of everything in our kitchen at the church, so it was easy and convenient for the girls to spread out.

They were so easy to cut out!



apple cookie cutters

Having fun in the flour!

Toria made these cute little mice and acorns for the girls to enjoy. 

She also made cake balls on sticks!  I brought what we needed to make our own cappuccinos for them to enjoy in their spare time while waiting on the cookies to finish baking.



Lots of laughs :)

mixing up the icing

Now the detailed work begins!

Aren't they adorable?!

We packaged them up in clear bags so the cookies could be the main decoration.  I made cute little tags for each one that said: "Thanks to you, I feel like one smart cookie"

Cute....even if I do say so myself!

I'm looking forward to other fun projects with this special group of young ladies :)

Care vs. Cardboard

Care vs. Cardboard is a project inspired by a young lady attending college at Georgia State University.  She is a friend of my son, Dillan, and an inspiration to me...although I've never met her. 

As students, they see countless numbers of homeless people on their way to class.  There is a park in the nearby area that they pass when they walk down a certain street.  Because this park is public property, the homeless people in the area are allowed to stay, but they do not have shelter of any kind to protect them from the elements.  This young lady has been moved by God to do something about this.  Knowing that winter is not far away, she is collecting blankets, sheets, pillows, and other such items to give to these people in such great need. 

I was so moved by her compassion to help people she doesn't even know that I wanted to do my part to help with such a worthy cause. 

This is a great project for Acteens!

I was excited to be asked to lead the Acteens group at our church this year.  This group consists of young ladies from 7th - 12th grades. 

If you're not familiar with Acteens, it's a missions organization designed to teach young ladies about missions and how they can minister to others - not only in their communities, but in their country and around the world. 

This year's theme is: G3: The Power of a Girl to Change the World

I thought the Care vs. Cardboard project would be a great way to share how they can help with missions in their own state.  From now until this Sunday, October 28th, we have a collection box at First Baptist Church in Rochelle.  If you'd like to donate items for this worthwhile cause, please drop them by the church.  I would also be glad to pick up items if you are not able to deliver them. 

I ask that you remember these students  involved in this project...that God would use them in great ways to show Himself to those in need.  It doesn't matter what your age, young or old, God uses those who are willing.