Oh Nuts

  The other day at my job, a coworker taped a note to the office door with " 3 boxes of pink lemonade, had wrong attachment to the hose" written on it. I don't know if anyone figured out what it was supposed to mean, but I thought it sounded like a funny short story prompt. Since I sporadically poke around at the AI stuff, I decided to put it through ChatGPT to write a story and what I was given is below. Photo by Jarritos Mexican Soda on Unsplash Once upon a summer afternoon in a small town, a cheerful lemonade stand was set up by Lily and her little brother Sam. They had three large boxes of pink lemonade ready to quench the thirst of their neighborhood. The stand was brightly decorated, and the lemonade was chilled and ready for customers. However, an unexpected hiccup occurred: the hose meant to dispense the lemonade had been accidentally attached to the wrong boxes. Instead of connecting to the lemonade boxes, it was attached to a couple of old water tanks that had

I don't remember what website I originally found this recipe on, but I wanted to share it here. So far, I have only made this recipe once, but it is very easy to make. The cookies are amazing, and I haven't made more yet.  Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash Italian Christmas Cookies YIELDS: 30 | PREP TIME: 10 mins | TOTAL TIME: 45 mins FOR THE COOKIES 2 c. all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened 1 c. granulated sugar 8 oz. ricotta 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional) 1 egg FOR THE ICING 1 c. powdered sugar 2 tbsp. whole milk 1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional) Sprinkles Directions Step 1: Adjust an oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, c

  Here are 5 lessons from the book Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That's Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurst: 1. Forgiveness is a journey , not a destination. It takes time to heal from painful memories and to let go of resentment. Don't be discouraged if you don't feel forgiven right away. Just keep moving forward and trust that God is working in your heart. 2. Forgiveness is not about excusing the other person's behavior . It's about releasing yourself from the burden of anger and bitterness. When you forgive, you're not saying that what happened was okay. You're simply saying that you're not going to let it control you anymore. 3 . You don't have to forget in order to forgive. In fact, it's often helpful to remember what happened so that you can learn from it and grow. But you don't have to dwell on the past or let it define you. 4. Forgiveness is a gift yo

  Too often, we get caught up in this need for perfection. It comes to a point where everything has to be in specific spots or look a certain way. With every I dotted, and T crossed, with every strand of hair in place. If that doesn't happen, then it is considered disorganized and messy. But what we forget is that there is no such thing as perfect.  Because of our need for everything to be perfectly ordered, we forget that it is okay to have things get messy. When we have everything in perfect order, it can often feel like a sterile environment where nothing wants to grow. Leaving the occasional mess by the kitchen sink or toys thrown across a bedroom floor is a sign of life.  Oftentimes, I think constant perfection is also a need for control. Because if we can control the environment around us, we can live the way we want. But what we need to do is r elease the need for control. Life has its own set of twists and turns, and not everything can be controlled. We need to embrace spon

  Have you ever been told not to read a certain book because it might influence your thinking? Or have you been discouraged from reading a particular author because of their controversial ideas? If so, then you may have encountered a common fear that many people have: the fear of thinking. Photo by Laura Kapfer on Unsplash In reality, books should be celebrated for their ability to challenge our beliefs and broaden our perspectives. As the famous quote goes, "If you're afraid that books might change someone's thinking, you're not afraid of books. You're afraid of thinking." The truth is that reading books that challenge our existing beliefs is crucial for personal growth and intellectual development. Exposing ourselves to different ideas and perspectives makes us more open-minded and capable of critical thinking. We learn to question our assumptions and opinions and become more empathetic towards others who may hold different views. Of course, it can be uncom

  Growing up, we are often taught the importance of respecting those around us. This is because respect is vital to building strong and healthy relationships. It is crucial to treat others with kindness and understanding; in the same way we want to be treated. By practicing respect, we can create a more harmonious and peaceful world, even when it seems challenging, or someone appears unworthy of that respect. Integrity is another critical aspect of building strong relationships. It means being honest and truthful in our words and actions. When we act with integrity, we earn the trust and respect of others, and our relationships become more meaningful and enduring. Therefore, striving to act with integrity in everything we do is always important. Having courage is also important in life. It means having the strength to face our fears and take risks, even when difficult. When we have courage, we can accomplish things we never thought possible. So, we should not hesitate to step out of ou