The Cotton Apron

The thousand word project: Snow Fun

2012-01-26T15:18:00.000-06:00

Laying Aside Weights - A New Challenge for A New Year

2012-01-24T20:46:00.001-06:00

Do you ever feel like the lady in this picture? Loaded down with too much to carry? This can happen to us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In Hebrews 12:1 we read, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

For a long time I thought this verse was talking about laying aside the weight of sin that so easily besets us. Maybe I heard it misquoted, I don’t know. Then one day the Lord helped me to stop and read the actual words. It says, …every weight (comma) AND the sin which doth so easily beset us… Hmmm. That really says a lot more than just laying aside sin! Do you realize there are a lot of weights that we can carry around that are not necessarily sin yet they weigh us down and keep us from serving the Lord as we otherwise might? Our houses, minds and lives are often cluttered with everything from family heirlooms, toys and piles of books, to thought patterns, traditions of man, emotional baggage, and even people (!) who are hindering us from pressing …toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

You may remember that last year I challenged us all to give gifts from the things we already had as much as possible. I did so-so at that myself. But, I started something that seems like it is improving, and I’m hopeful that I’ll do even better this year on that. :-)

This winter, however, I’ve been looking at blogs, watching videos on Youtube, and now reading a book that have inspired me to not only stop buying so much stuff, but also to get serious about getting rid of stuff I already have (or to actually use it). OK, I had already been inspired to do this, but I’ve actually been really working on it lately. :-) I hope to continue!

I also want to lay aside some of the fruitless mental ideas and thought patterns that are hindering me from getting things done that I’d like to get done. (Oops! Some of those include unrealistic expectations of what I “should” get done!) I’m hoping to eliminate some of the mental clutter that is keeping me stagnant and underproductive.

As I go along, I want to share this adventure with you, and I hope that you will be challenged to participate! :-) I have already been reminded of how liberating it feels to lay aside weights. Imagine how great the lady in the above illustration felt when she put down that load. That feeling can be ours too as we lay aside the weights! The feeling of knowing there is less stuff around to bother with, to organize, or to sort through can be almost intoxicating. It can give you light feeling, like you could “run and not be weary and walk and not faint” for a change! :-) Yes, I know that is a spiritual promise for those who wait on the LORD, but in pressing towards the mark we need to run the race with patience, and it’s hard to run anywhere with a load of stuff – mental, physical, emotional – hanging on you! Let’s make an effort to put it down!

(Please note that I’m not suggesting a “resolution”. As I’ve probably said before, I’m not that interested in making promises or swearing to things that we might not be able to accomplish. Ecclesiastes 5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. But, I think it is good to purpose in our hearts to do good, and this is certainly a good thing.)

To start with, I’ll list some places where I was inspired (not in any order). I probably should divide them into multiple posts, and maybe I will for some, but I want to get this thing off the ground, so, I’ll just give you several here. Please note that most of these people are not Christians as far as I know and I cannot recommend everything they may say, write or do! Some of their ideas are more “the rudiments of the world,” but where there’s good sense, that can be useful to us in our goal of laying aside weights so that we can run the race for God.

First of all is the blog of Nony at A Slob Comes Clean. This lady is refreshingly honest and humorous, which makes it actually seem enjoyable to clean up, declutter (sometimes the same place twice), and “deslobify”. ;-) One significant thing I learned was that there are a lot of things sitting around our house that have faded into the background and I don’t even see them any more! But! I know guests do! Ouch. :-P

The next one that has really helped me with what might be called a mental weight is The One Minute Rule. This is super simple, but what a difference it makes. Basically it is, “If you can do it in one minute or less, do it now!” For a procrastinator and/or “I-have-something-else-to-do” type person (me), this is a very helpful habit to develop. I’ve been surprised how many little things are getting done sooner, rather than later and thus reducing accumulation and last minute rush. And, the great thing is that as you do this, you begin to think, “That won’t take long, I’ll do it now,” even if it’s longer than a minute! [On this one my sister-in-law said for her it should be, “If you can do it in five minutes of less, do it now.” This works well for the slightly longer chores that too often get pushed aside.]

This may sound crazy, but one thing that helped me want to get rid of stuff was this lady’s talk on “Don’t Get Organized!” Yeah, that doesn’t sound right, but point is – get rid of stuff instead of organizing. Organizing can become a crutch to help you keep things you don’t need. :-) (Ouch, again!)

I’m going to stop here for now. Let me know what you think. How are you challenged to lay aside weights this year? I will try to keep making posts on this throughout this year, but since making hard fast deadlines is usually counterproductive for me, I’m not promising when. (Besides, I’m having too much fun going through our stuff and “deleting” things.) ;-)

The thousand word project: Hot Bites

2012-01-20T15:16:00.000-06:00

Be Not Anxious - A Poem

2012-01-15T21:25:00.001-06:00

I cannot change the yesterday when I distrusted Thee,
Though all my fears unfounded proved, and shame me now as then;
I cannot promise that my faith will last throughout the night,
Or that, when Thy tomorrow comes, I will not doubt again.

But grant, O faithful Lord and true, that I may trust Thee now,
Just now, each moment of each hour of this Thy present day;
That, looking backward, I may read the record of the past,
And, forward, see Thy steadfast word light all the future way.

With Memory to guard the rear and Faith to lead the van,
And all Thy tested promises like beacon lights to shine,
How can I dread that demon shape of anxious, faithless fear?
For he shall lose his power when I fully trust in Thine.

Annie Johnson Flint

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God.

The thousand word project: Edible Jewels

2012-01-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

A Question to Ponder: Do you recognize the power of Satan in people’s lives?

2012-01-10T22:08:00.002-06:00

I was working in the kitchen a little while ago, and as I was putting something in the fridge my eye fell on the prayer card we got this week from a missionary to Mexico. There is a verse on it, or rather the first part of a verse - Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God…

I was struck by the marvelous thought of being turned from the power of Satan unto God. This is a wonderful and amazing thing, and in light of things we heard the brother say, it is happening there in Mexico.

But, as my mind meandered along this train of thought, I asked myself in a vague way why it is that American Christians don’t grasp the enormity of being turned from the power of Satan to God for the people around them in their own country and neighborhood. I hope that many see the need for this transformation from the power of Satan to God for people in foreign countries, but why not for the people next door and at the super market and the craft store and at soccer practice, etc.? The thought that came to me was that it is probably because too many of the believers in the U.S. are so immersed in the culture that they fail to see the many things that are really the power of Satan! They don’t see the need for others to be turned from those things because they themselves are following those things or enjoying them also.

Think about it –

How many Christians read books, play games or watch movies and T.V. shows that glamorize death and killing, witchcraft and other satanic things? Yes, I mean Harry Potter, Twilight and other vampire stories, Lord of the Rings, zombies, fairies, Halloween, Warcraft, Mafia based games, etc.

How many Christians are addicted to pornography? How many overlook “soft pornography” as incidental or even normal? Do you realize that what is considered “OK” today in television, advertisements, movies, etc. would have been considered pornography not that very long ago? And, in this vein, how many Christian women are addicted to romance novels, even the ones of the grubbier type? (You don’t believe that’s wrong? I beg to differ. I read one secular writer who classed the reaction that women get from reading those stories as a form of arousal. Think carefully and prayerfully, sister. Also see for yourself how easy it is to stop reading them – or to get your friend to stop reading them. That’s a challenge. I dare you.)

How many Christians listen to music that has words, terminology, ideology, etc. that is wicked or lewd or even satanic?

How many Christians participate in events, listen to music, or read things that include defaming of the name of Jesus Christ, blasphemy of God, and ridicule of Christianity, and enjoy it?

How many Christians think that evolution is true, or at least partly true and thus that the Bible is lying in the first part of Genesis?

How many Christians are caught up in the covetousness of materialism and “the American dream”? How many of us think that if we could just get this or that we would be “happy”? How many assume that we are entitled to certain things in life such as a house, a job, a car, kids, fashionable clothes, the newest technological gadget, etc.? You don’t think you’re entitled? Let someone tell you that you can’t have those things and see how you feel. (Ouch. Yes, that hurts because it’s such a “normal” part of American culture. But God says, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:5 [Emphasis added])

I could go on, but I think I’ll stop there.

Can you see how hardened we often are to the bondage that people are in? We miss the fact that so many around us need to be turned from the power of Satan to God because we’ve allowed ourselves to accept the thinking that all these things are “normal”. We’ve allowed ourselves to believe that so many things are not “evil” because it isn't “politically correct” or “nice” to think so; or, even worse, because we enjoy them ourselves. We’ve been propagandized to think things are “OK” that really are the power of Satan in people’s lives!

What do you think? Can you see ways in which U.S. Christians (or Christians in other countries) have been affected in their thinking, making them blind to the power of Satan in the lives of people around them, and blind to how they have been influenced by it themselves?

The entire verse that I mentioned above says, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Acts 26:18

What a wonderful verse! What amazing love and power! How we need to get our vision back for the needy world around us that needs to be turned unto God and light and be delivered from the power of Satan and darkness!

A Few of My Favorite Kitchen Things – the Steamer Pot

2012-01-09T09:59:00.001-06:00

Every kitchen needs some good tools that really work or help make work easier. I am going to try to give you some reviews on various items that I have found to be especially useful in real life. I say, “in real life” because before I was married I collected a lot of things for my hope chest – some of those things proved useful to me once I started keeping house myself. Some did not. In fact, I got rid of some things long before I ever married because I could see that they weren’t worth carrying back and forth across the country as much as my family moved. Either I didn’t figure I’d use them, or I figured I’d find something when I needed it.

If you already have a kitchen of your own, or if it’s a dream for someday when you have your own home to keep, maybe these posts will give you some ideas about what is useful and what is not. Not everyone has the same needs, but at least you may get some idea as to whether you could use a particular item.

I would call this a steamer-stew pot combination. It is stainless steel (with no non-stick coating). As you can see in the picture, the stew pot part is not invaded by the steamer part, which sits only slightly nested into the bottom. This actually makes it more useful.

We received this as a wedding gift from some friends and it is one of my favorite kitchen tools. At the time that I put it on our registry (we were only registered at Amazon.com), I think that I didn’t really anticipate using the steamer part much since I wasn’t fond of steaming vegetables. I don’t remember if it was the only model that had the size and type of pot that I wanted at the time or what. I just knew I needed a large stew pot for making soups, stews, roasts, etc. for larger groups. Since there are six adults when my family here are all eating together, this is kind of necessary for my kitchen. If I had to get a steamer with it, well, that was OK too.

I used the pot for stews and stove top cooked roasts several times and it turned out to be a good pot. Then I made a great discovery. I could cook meat (and potatoes) in the bottom of the pan and steam the vegetables in the steamer part all at once, thus getting the whole meal cooked on one burner! (Plus it added flavor to the veggies and vice versa.) Wow. What a great idea! :-) That was a real plus.

Then last spring we had an abundance of greens (that was before the real drought hit Central Texas). I needed to help out by processing them for later use since there was too much to eat at the time and the weather was getting hot (not good for most greens). Back in the day when my family still used a microwave, Mom used to blanch greens for freezing by putting them in the freezer bags and putting them in the microwave for some seconds till they got warm and started to wilt. Since we no longer use microwaves, it occurred to me that maybe I could just steam the greens in my steamer and then put them in bags and freeze them. This sounded a lot better than the traditional dipping method.

Well, it worked great! Bringing the water to a boil first, I’d put a batch of greens in and let them steam for a few minutes on one side then turn them over with tongs and let them steam on the other side briefly. Then I carefully put two servings of greens into each bag, let them finish cooling, labeled them and put them in the freezer. I could do several batches of greens with the same batch of water. It turned out beautifully. :-)

(Side Note: The rich broth left in the pan after this is done can be used as a soup base or an “energy drink”. There are a lot of nutrients there, as the color indicates.)

So, a good combination stew pot-steamer is a very useful tool if you:

- cook for larger groups.

- like to conserve energy.

- process large quantities of greens or other vegetables that could be steamed before freezing.

We have used this pot to make large amounts of East African style tea. :-) A pot like this is also handy for canning things like jams or jellies.

Cons -

The only problem I’ve had with this particular model is that the handle on the lid, which is metal, gets hot to the touch. I have to be careful to use a hot pad or over mitt whenever I’m cooking in it. However, I think I can put the lower pot with the lid on it in the oven because all the parts are stainless steel or glass, which could be useful at some time.

The thousand word project: My Great-aunt and her daughter

2012-01-07T15:01:00.001-06:00

Some Scripture for A New Year

2012-01-06T18:01:00.001-06:00

As we go into this very uncertain year and face a future that is clouded with possibilities for trouble, these passages of scripture especially blessed my heart. We need to live above, or outside of, the turmoil as much as possible. With the Lord’s comfort and help we need to strive to make our homes islands of peace and calm in the midst of the storm. We need to resist the urge to participate in the confusion. We need to remember that each of us has a work that God has given us to do and that is more important than all the political and economical turmoil that may occur. We need to remember that our strength and provision to do God’s work is from our Father in heaven, not from man. We need to “be about our Father’s business” regardless of the chaos and fear around us.

Psalms 90:13-17 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalms 46:1-7 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

A few more verses I thought of in this vein.

Hebrews 12:27-28 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Another Holiday Challenge – Number Five: Remember the Poor

2011-12-22T22:45:00.001-06:00

This challenge is rather late, and I apologize for that. Some of you may still have opportunity to put some of these thoughts to use, but perhaps it will challenge you to make changes for next year. At any rate, I’m inclined to say that this challenge is not for the faint of heart.

Challenge Number Five - Remember the Poor

“Have you ever considered how the Lord Jesus Christ would have you "celebrate His birthday"? Be honest. Have you considered what He would do, what He did do when He was on this earth, and the sort of people to whom He delights to minister?”

Thoughts from the Past – In the Wrong Order

2011-12-11T13:20:00.001-06:00

July 20, 2007

In the Wrong Order

Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

We read this verse a few weeks ago in our family Bible reading. My dad pointed out the importance of the order of progression here.

In thinking about that, it crossed my mind how the devil likes to get that turned around backwards. He seems to get a great deal of mileage out of turning things upside down and backwards. He also gets a lot of power in the lives the people who turn things around from the order that God ordained. Think about women taking charge of their husbands and/or churches, children becoming the main focal point of the home, sexual relations before marriage, exalting the pastor instead of Christ, etc. Much joy and peace that God intends us to have by following His order are lost when we turn things around backwards.

In looking at the above verse I started from the end and considered how you can see right from this verse why so many churches are far from the order and peace that God wants for them.

In most Bible believing churches "multiplying" is the emphasis. Pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, pastor's wives, youth pastors, etc. all push for more numbers. "Bring more people. Invite your friends." "Let's see if we can all invite one person to church next week." "We need to have a 'Bring A Friend Sunday' and everyone bring at least one guest to church." And so it goes. [Dec. 2011 note: My dad found out from personal experience that they efforts don’t usually bring desirable results.]

But, according to the verse above, what is lost when the order is reversed and the multiplication is put in first place by man or the devil?

People who are constantly being nagged to increase numbers and attend "visitation" usually don't have much comfort of the Holy Ghost. They are more likely to be living under guilt or a compulsion to push the people around them to perform better. They also tend to live with frustration toward the ones who won't "perform" according the requirements.

Next they usually are walking in the fear of man rather than the fear of the Lord, and the man they fear is usually a pastor or "great man of God."

The saints stop being edified because the emphasis is on increasing the membership role, not feeding the sheep and lambs.

The church most certainly does not have rest. They are usually exhausting themselves and each other with the large selection of “ministries”, “outreaches”,
“visitation”, programs, etc. which they feel driven to perform so they will “grow”.

All this because the multiplying is not put in God's order - last - but in man's and the devil's order which is first.

[Dec. 2011 note: This has been graphically illustrated for us in the “seeker sensitive” churches where what people want has become all-important in order to accomplish growth – multiplying.]

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. 19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Another Holiday Challenge Posted

2011-12-10T13:54:00.001-06:00

Challenge Number Three of the Holiday Challenge is no up.

While I realize that some of these challenges are going to be too late for you to incorporate this year, I still plan to continue posting them till they are done, Lord willing. The one I just put up is about reducing the level of activities that you participate in. After all, if you are supposed to be celebrating Christ’s birth, why not focus more on Him and less on the “festivities of the season”? This is one thing that you may still have time to adjust in some areas.

Challenge Number Three – Simplify Your Holiday Activities

Excerpts:

1 Peter 4:3-4 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

“What is this madness that people get into for a month or more prior to Christmas? They are running to parties, shopping, attending events (recitals, plays, programs, cantatas, practices), shopping, cooking and baking in excess, shopping, etc.? What does all that have to do with the Lord Jesus Christ?…”

“…Maybe it's time to choose a simpler plan for your "celebration". Not only will it save you money; you will also have time to focus more on your family (especially your children whom you claim you must have Christmas for); you will be less emotionally exhausted; and most of all you will have more time, energy and resources to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Wouldn't that be a novel idea.)…”

Running In Vain? - A Holiday Challenge

2011-12-05T15:22:00.001-06:00

If you know what our position is on the Christmas holiday you are likely to think that you know what this is about. Try again. It is not what you think! :-) Please take the time to look it over before you write it off.

Do you claim to celebrate Christmas in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ? Silly question, right? The commercialism and the lack of focus on Jesus Christ is something that has been a particular burden on my heart this year. Consequently, it seemed like a good idea to lay out some challenges to my fellow believers to attempt to get those of you who do celebrate to consider what you are doing, and why. Furthermore, it would be good to give up some of the things that are either contrary to sound reasoning (to say nothing of scripture) or excessive either in cost or behavior. Under the present circumstances worldwide, there is great virtue in simplifying your celebrations and making a point of spending less; or spending in a manner that takes Jesus Christ as the example.

A few excerpts from the introduction:

In Galatians 2:2 the Apostle Paul writes regarding his visit to Jerusalem, And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. This verse was brought to my attention in another context the very same day that I started writing this article. (God is like that, and I love Him for it!) It seems to me that there are so many Christians who, in the area of celebrating "Christmas", are running in vain…

…I urgently desire to see my fellow believers be more purposeful in what they do, especially when claiming that it is to the glory of God. Because of this, I am introducing a variety of challenges so that you may choose one or more that you feel you can truly accomplish. There will be some that are more challenging than others. Please prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you to do…

…You don't want to be like the people Jesus describes in Matthew 15:8, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Continue reading this challenge.

Thoughts from the Past – He Will Not Remember

2011-12-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

May 24, 2006
He Will Not Remember

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Here is a beautiful verse! The Lord is speaking to Israel here, but we can get in on the blessing of it as it is in keeping with New Testament teaching.

First of all, God says that He blotteth out our transgressions for His own sake. That means that there is nothing we can do to deserve having our transgressions blotted out, but it is for His own pleasure that He saves us. Therefore, it is of no account that we are unworthy sinners in and of ourselves, because He is worthy. It pleases God to do this for His own sake that He might enjoy the friendship of His creation. That is a tremendous thought and I suggest you stop and ponder it!

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Emphasis added]

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Secondly, God says He will not remember our sins! He Will Not! Read that again - He WILL NOT remember our sins. By an act of His sovereign will God chooses not to remember my sins. He chooses not to remember your sins if you have also believed on Christ in faith. For us this act of willful forgetfulness is applied through the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, which cleanseth us from all sin. (1John 1:7-9).

The doubters who wish to question their own salvation or the salvation of others will ask, "But what if He decides to remember?" In the modern expression, "What don't you understand about 'will not'?" It is a promise not up for debate. If God does not keep His word, He's a liar and you shouldn't believe in Him anyway! Romans 3:4 ...yea, let God be true, but every man a liar... Every time man contradicts a plain promise of God, it's man that is lying, not God! That includes your own deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9).

We have no cause to fear man's threats nor ourselves, for nothing rests upon our worthiness or upon us, with out discouraging tendency to sin. The Lord says He will not remember our sins, and that He has blotted out our transgressions for His own sake. Believe it! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 130 ¶ A Song of degrees.
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 ¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thoughts from the Past – Willing to Give Thanks

2011-11-22T11:23:00.000-06:00

Nov. 26, 2008

Willing to Give Thanks

Leviticus 22:29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

I read this verse recently in my Bible reading and it stood out to me since Thanksgiving was approaching here in the U.S. There is a tendency now these days to refer to Thanksgiving as "Turkey Day". This shows an attitude of the heart in the people who do so, and I hope that it is a tendency only in the unbelieving. They are not willing to thank God Almighty for His goodness, mercy and grace to all, so they do not want to call the holiday by it's intended name. (Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.)

The very name 'Thanksgiving" implies an action - the giving of thanks. As the children of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we should be willing and eager to offer thanksgiving unto our God. As New Testament saints, we should have the will to offer the sacrifice of praise.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

This Thanksgiving, may we offer at our own will the sacrifice of praise unto the Lord, "the fruit of our lips giving thanks unto his name"!

Thoughts from the Past – Praise for the Future

2011-11-20T08:09:00.000-06:00

November 14, 2007

Praise for the Future

Another year almost over! Where has it flown to? How amazing it is that a whole year can pass so quickly now! The older I get the faster they seem to go. I've heard older people talk about this in the past, but somehow as I get older myself it is becoming a reality to me more than before. The precious moments are flying away never to return. Things I would have done, could have done - things I should have relished and enjoyed more - they are over and past and it cannot be now. Mistakes cannot be retrieved either. It is all sealed in that unforgiving thing we call yesterday. Thank God that He does forgive sins, though! (1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)

Thanks be unto God that this life is not an end in itself! We who are His children through faith in Christ Jesus have a good hope of the future! Imagine...a thousand years to live on this earth in a perfect, sinless body - and in the company of our Lord and our fellow saints. This is something to look forward to! Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday this year let us thank God for the blessings in store for us. The blessings of the past are great and surely we should thank Him for them, but we have much in the future to thank God for as well. We really are blessed and privileged to know so much about our future with Him!

2Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

-----------------------------

A poem to go with this post:

I Shall Dwell Forever

FYI – Kitchaid® mixer $80 off at Costco

2011-11-19T11:14:00.001-06:00

My Kitchenaid® mixer. Notice how well it matches my canisters which are from the 80s/90s! :-)

Kitchenaid® rebate offer at Costco

Here is a rebate deal that is going on at Costco right now through December 10th. A friend of mine finally bought one of these on this rebate offer and is very happy with it. :-)

This is the same model mixer that I have as far as I can tell, and I can say that it is a very useful kitchen tool – one of my favorites (a wedding gift from my in-laws). This professional type with the lever to raise and lower the top portion is recommended over the type that tips back because the wires are not constantly being bent. Also it is bigger. At 5.5 quarts, the bowl size is large enough to make a batch of bread and to easily double some recipes. It does take up a fair chunk of space (mostly vertical) on the counter, so if you have a very small kitchen or very limited counter space you may want to consider that and go take a look at one in person before deciding to buy.

If you’re not a Costco member you might enquire among your friends as to whether any of them are because, as far as I know, you could buy this item on their membership if you go with them to the warehouse (they have to be present with their membership card, and you can’t pay with anything but check, cash or Discover if I remember correctly). Because of the rebate, it may be required that they pay for the item themselves, so be prepared to give them the money to pay for the item or find out ahead of time so you will know what to expect. Unfortunately, Costco is not everywhere, so this will not be possible for some of my readers.

It matches my sweater and strawberry cookie jars too. :-)

We Rest on Thee– A Poem and Reminder

2011-11-13T13:33:00.000-06:00

We Rest on Thee

"We rest on thee" - our shield and our defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
"We rest on thee, and in thy name we go."

Yea, "in thy name," O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear name, all other names above:
Jesus our righteousness, our sure foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

"We go" in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
"We rest on thee, and in thy name we go."

"We rest on thee" - our shield and our defender!
Thine is the battle, thine shall be the praise
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors - we rest with Thee, through endless days.

Edith Cherry, ca. 1895

2Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Notice how Asa says in this verse, “let not man prevail against thee.” It is a good reminder that when we are standing where God wants us to be, and doing and being what He wants us to do and be, then when the enemy comes against us it is not against us that he is coming but against the LORD God Himself. This is a knowledge we can rest in.

Random Links for A Cloudy, Rainy Day

2011-11-08T11:32:00.000-06:00

My ham and lentil soup.

I haven’t done a link post for awhile, and since I’m a little behind on posts I thought I’d try to put one together today. It’s a cloudy, dull November day here (though not cold yet), but we had a little rain which is always welcome here these days of drought! Praise the Lord for every bit we get!

---------------------

Mommy’s Kitchen – Here is a neat cooking blog my mom discovered and declared useful. I haven’t explored it much yet, but it looks like there are a lot of good “home cookin’” recipes here. :-)

Homemade Soup Recipes – Mmmm soooooup, that warm comfort food that makes a cold day seem a little less chilly.

Did someone say chili? A chili for every taste – more or less.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at TasteofHome.com – Did I mention that I’m getting hungry? I think we need to have some grilled cheese sandwiches soon! Until then they are grilled cheese sandwishes. ;-)

More Grilled Cheese, Please!

Old Time Cooked Banana Pudding – I never met “banana puddin’” till my family moved to the South (Tennessee, to be exact). I’ve only ever had the instant mix, pre-fabricated food type banana pudding and I was not impressed (my apologies to my Southern readers). But, I have to say that this sounds like it would be quite good, plus it sounds like you could or should serve it warm, which seems more appealing to me. I thought there was probably an old fashioned method for this. (Now if I could only find some good vanilla wafers that didn’t have stuff in them that we don’t like to eat.)

An assortment of Winter Dinners.

Apple pie dish – for a yummy winter treat, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Thoughts from the Past – Blood Entertainment

2011-10-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

This post seemed like a good one to put on this day considering that tomorrow is Hallowe’en. This is a subject that Christians need to address.

Feb. 20, 2006
Blood Entertainment?

Some years ago we were visiting in the home of a pastor. I don't recall how it came up, but in the course of conversation with his wife she made the statement that she loved gory movies. I have this recollection of her exclaiming, "I love to see the blood fly!" with a considerable amount of zeal. To be frank, I was shocked. I would have never thought it of this nice young mother of several small children.

Sad to say, bad as it is, this is not the only type of blood entertainment that many Christians enjoy today. Computer/video games, fiction books, and even artificial blood such as that sold at Hallowe'en have all worked their way into Christians' lives. Paint ball wars emphasize the killing aspect very intensely and are very popular among some Christians.

One question we could ask is, "Should Christians find this type of 'entertainment' appropriate?" That may be a good question, though it leans more toward the legalistic side of the issue. To me the real question is, "Does this glorify GOD?" How people feel about it does not really interest me. What does God say about blood?

Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. 6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

In speaking of the shedding of innocent blood and unsolved murders, God told Israel, Numbers 35:33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

The Jerusalem church elders wrote to the Gentiles, Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

1Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Psalm 72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

This is not intended to be an in-depth study. It is intended to get you to start thinking for yourself. Consider the above verses. Does it sound to you like blood is very important to God? The blood of animals, man's blood and the blood of Jesus Christ are all spoken of in a very serious context. Can it glorify God for His children to use blood as a toy or for entertainment? Does it make a difference when it is artificial or "digital" blood? Does it make a difference when it is "only pretend" (as in movies and paint ball)? These are not popular questions and will doubtless offend some.

It is a curious thing that as our cultures degrade and devalue life, they become more and more entertained by the shedding of blood, death and killing. Blood has become a toy, a play thing. It is actually not surprising in the secular world. More often than not, bloodshed accompanies the decline of nations. The Roman empire exulted in violent and perverse blood sports as it sank into decay. But...in the Lord's church how should it be; among God's own children? Is this behavior fitting to ...a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... (1 Peter 2:9)?

I encourage you to study the subject of blood in the Bible. The verses given here are just a small start. God has said some very interesting things about blood. Seek to follow the leading of God's Holy Spirit in this matter. He will only lead you to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Memories of Meals – Some Great Pizza

2011-10-27T14:13:00.000-05:00

We have some friends who have us over occasionally, sometimes inviting all six of us at once (my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and us). You gotta love folks who are hospitable enough to invite over 6 adults for dinner. :-) It’s not as common among Christians as it once was, in my experience. We usually do take something to help with the meal, but that’s fine with us! :-)

Earlier this year when they had all of us over they made some fabulous pizzas! Wow. I still get hungry thinking about them.

They started with their homemade pizza dough and all these great ingredients. They raised the dough properly…

…then they piled on all this good stuff! I see fresh spinach, fresh mushroom, ham (or Canadian bacon?), ground beef (pre-cooked) and the sauce.

This is the second pizza with one end without cheese since one of their family can’t eat dairy much.

The finished product! Was it ever delicious!

All those yummy veggies and meat and cheese. Well, it was a feast, and more like a cross between a casserole and a pizza! :-) (Now I’m all hungry!)

Thanks, M. family, for such a great food memory, and for your hospitality! :-)

Thoughts from the Past – More About Abilities

2011-10-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

Nov. 30, 2006
More About Abilities

Earlier this month I made mention of some comments from a friend regarding abilities and the fact that God does not require of us what we cannot do.

Interestingly, this subject came up again recently for me in my Bible reading in the context of giving.

Ezra 2:68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: 69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments. [Emphasis added.]

Also note that they gave - they did not sell and buy bonds to build the temple.

Notice that here the men gave for the work of the Lord (building the temple in this case) according to their ability. They did not give what they did not have. In other words, there was no "faith promise" involved. They did not give more than they could, as some have done when pressured by sheep skinners (offering takers). They did not piously say, "If I had a million dollars, I'd give it aaalllll to God," despite the fact that they only had $5 to give. They just gave after their ability. Not less. Not more. Not on promise. And, although this was the Old Testament era, they also did not give on command. They offered freely.

Here is a parallel thought in the New Testament:

Acts 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. [Emphasis added.]

So, in the context of the New Testament church where Old Testament tithing is not commanded, we see that giving is also to be according to ability and not according to people's expectations or demands - others or our own.

2Corinthians 8:12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

1Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. [Emphasis added.]

2Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Thankful Anyway!

2011-10-21T20:26:00.001-05:00

Today the world was “possibly” going to end according to Harold Camping. I would be glad if it did. Although I still have a thousand years to live here during the Kingdom reign of Christ , I’d be glad to move on to the next stage, which for all believers in this era includes new, resurrected bodies without the old stain of sin! Even, so, come Lord Jesus.

We also heard again today that the dollar is “tanking”. Again. Whatever “tanking” means. It’s allegedly done this several times already. The U.S. government has made some really bad choices over the last years that have effected the economy and will continue to do so as time goes on. And, we’ll continue to hear both rumors and facts about it.

I agree with what our pastor said a year or more ago - that America has turned their back on God and He has consequently withdrawn their wisdom (remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom), and apparently given them over to strong delusion that they should believe a lie. There are “powers that be” in this country who have been believing some amazing lies and acting upon them for some time now. What the actual end of it all will be is hard to know for sure, but there are plenty of theories flying around and we hear dramatic reports on a regular basis now it sometimes seems.

So….what does that have to do with us as God’s children? Should we be “shaking in our boots”? Should we be living in fear?

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Philippians 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Does this mean that we shouldn’t possibly do some expedient things in preparation for the future?

Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

This is the typical sort of storing that rural people have been doing for thousands of years. Collecting the harvest at the end of the growing season and storing it away by various methods. My mom has been doing this all of my life. Some useful staples are also in order for a “well stocked” pantry (not a massive hoard). But remember the words of our Lord Jesus as well, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:24-34

So, it’s a balance, and a moderating point. Don’t be lazy or a sluggard, but also don’t get so distracted with collecting stuff for the future that you become the servant of mammon instead of the servant of the Lord. Our FATHER will take care of us, and “…he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

My natural, fleshly tendency has been to panic at the possibility of disaster. (Note that I say the possibility, not the actual occurrence, because often it’s the rumors and allegations that frighten us the most. They are much more common in life than actual disasters in my experience.) Consequently, the fear and trembling that is going on around the financial situation in the U.S. frightens me sometimes.

But, you know what? Today was too pretty of a day here where we live to be spoiled by the threat of what’s coming. Besides, my Lord is already there. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He not only knows what is coming, He is already there because He is the I AM – every aspect of our timeline is “the present” to Him. And, He knows all about it. I don’t.

So….by God’s grace and enabling power, I choose to be thankful instead of threatened. Because of His merciful kindness, I choose to trust instead of tremble. Because of His great love wherewith He hath loved us, I choose to rest instead of running.

Tomorrow, or tonight might be different, but that is my desire. So, instead of giving you a long list of horrors to come and enumerating all the possibilities and telling you what you “ought” to do about it, I thought I’d like to share some blessings that I’ve had recently. This post is going to be pretty long, but hopefully it will bring comfort to someone and help you also count your blessings.

I am Thankful for:

A great-grandmother who loved to read God’s word. (I’ve been working on some old family photos and found this one recently.)

This beautiful new Bible that my friend Beth sent me in Sept. It arrived on a day when we were having high drama due to potential natural disaster (wildfires being caused by dry lightening), reminding me that the Lord can and does send blessings in the midst of difficulties.

A new (**quiet**) computer! (Thank you, my dear husband!) :-)
And, for my husband too! (Yay for being married three years minus one week!)

Beautiful, velvety, purple morning glories that bloomed with very little water. :-)

Watermelons. Who knew that they would thrive in intense heat with less water than most vegetables? Yum! :-)

A gorgeous skim of green on our yard after so very, very long a time! (The drought in Central Texas is not broken, but we were highly blessed with three inches of rain a few weekends ago! Thank you, Lord!!)

The glory of green growing things! In our own yard – today! :-)

Cardinals that remind me of so many other blessings – my Gramma, a dear friend now with the Lord, my husband, our pastor, and more. (My husband took this right in our yard from our dining room window earlier this week. There were actually three males and two females.)

My parents who were celebrating their 44th wedding anniversary today! (This is a picture from their wedding.) We were blessed to be able to take them out to eat, and to even eat outside (a rare blessing in Texas, for those of you who don’t know it). :-) Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take a picture at the restaurant. :-P

Sooo. These are few of my blessings. A very few. How many of your own can you add to this list? :-) Are you feeling better? :-) I hope so. I enjoyed putting this together to share with you. God has been so good. He still is, in fact. :-)

Psalms 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Barbecue Sweet Potato Chicken

2011-10-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

I discovered that sweet potatoes taste very good cooked with meat. I have cooked them with pieces of beef roast or steak, but here I cooked them with chicken breast.

This is one of those seat of pants recipes where I don’t have an exact recipe. But, here’s the basic idea.

I cut the chicken breast in chunks, and probably cooked it by itself in oil a few minutes before adding the sweet potato chunks, adding water as needed to keep it moist and not burning. I sprinkled them with onion powder and maybe a little garlic powder too, and added salt to my taste. Then I covered them with barbecue sauce (and maybe added a teaspoon or so of brown sugar to sweeten it up if it was too sour) and cooked till done. (This would also be good with pork, I think.)

I hope you try this out and enjoy it. It was delicious! :-) Try cooking sweet potatoes with beef too. I suggest adding the sweet potato chunks a little after the meat has started cooking. You don’t have to use the barbecue sauce with beef as it has a good flavor with just the sweet potatoes and some garlic and onion.

Thoughts from the Past – According To Our Abilities

2011-10-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

Here is another old blog post that addresses the issue of how we are all different in our abilities before God. This goes well with a post I put up in September: Thoughts from the Past – Meant to Be Different.

Nov. 14, 2006
According To Our Abilities

My friend, Cindy, wrote to me not many weeks ago and shared this very comforting thought relating to a situation that came up for her:

"I made 3 pairs of curtains for [my husband's] dad's house in less than 24 hrs. We picked up a portable machine to sew on at Wal-Mart... Funny thing, Mary, about this is that making these was harder than any I had made before. I was very apprehensive prior to working on them. I happened to read the parable of the talents and noticed the phrase about the 2 who were given talents according to their several ability and got some insight that the Lord gives gifts as He sees fit and didn't give the workers a job they could not do. I had never thought of the parable in that way. It doesn't say inability there. This helped me and God gets the glory for my efforts which turned out fine despite my not knowing ahead of time if I'd succeed at this project."

---

Matthew 25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

I noticed this verse also during our family Bible reading and remembered Cindy's letter:

1Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

This is good news. Our kind Lord will not give us a task for which we are not prepared or that we cannot accomplish with the abilities He has given us. We need not worry that He will give us something "too big" for us, but we also need not fret because we can't do this or that like someone else can.

I have personally had people tell me on more than one occasion that they wished they could play the piano. In at least some cases I know it was not possible for them to have learned that and/or it was not an ability that God had given them. According to what we read above, they can be content that their abilities are just as useful to God as anyone else's, even if they can't play the piano. And, if the Lord wants them to play the piano, He will provide the ability. I once knew a lady who started taking violin lessons at 40! Talk about a challenge.

These things apply to many areas. I suppose we can all think of some ministry or ability that we would "like" to have, and feel weak in areas where we feel "too much" is required of us. We would do well to remember that God gives the abilities and the opportunities to use them. We can rest in His wisdom in this matter.

This is not to say that we should not use discernment in matters. People can and do allow themselves to be pressed into doing things they ought not to do. God will give discernment in these situations too. Remember there is a difference between what He requires of us and what man will try to require of us. We must cast ourselves upon Him for leading in this matter as well, and exercise wise discernment.

Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Quote – Faith Is Rest

2011-10-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

"Faith is rest, not toil. It is the giving up all the former weary efforts to do or feel something good, in order to induce God to love and pardon; and the calm reception of the truth so long rejected, that God is not waiting for any such inducements, but loves and pardons of His own goodwill, and is showing that goodwill to any sinner who will come to Him on such a footing, casting away his own poor performances or goodnesses, and relying implicitly upon the free love of Him who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son." Horatius Bonar

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Kitchen Tip – The Dating Game

2011-10-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

My mom has had a habit of keeping leftovers too long sometimes, as did her mother before her and her mother before her. After one “incident” when this didn’t work out well for my dad, he suggested that we start dating every container of leftovers before we put them in the fridge so that we would know how long they had been in there. This happened before I got married, but I still try to keep up the habit most of the time since it is very useful to know exactly how old something is! You just can’t remember all that stuff if you have any decent sized collection of leftovers.

As you can see from the photo, I use a part of a sticky note and put the date on it. Sometimes they do fall off of some lids because of the texture of the plastic. In the case of glass storage dishes with plastic lids I often put the label on the side of the dish because it sticks better to the glass.

This not only helps you not to feed your family food that is too old, but it also helps you to use up the older things first, thus giving some added direction to the usage of leftovers. And, I admit, upon occasion I have found some things in my fridge that were way too old to be used! :-)

By the way, the sticky notes also work for putting food in the freezer. However, I suggest you use a piece of tape to make sure it stays on, and also add the contents as well as the date with the year so that you know what it is and how long it’s been in there.

Thoughts from the Past – Where Is Our Hope?

2011-10-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

Fruit photo by Elisabeth M.

May 10, 2006
Where Is Our Hope?

A friend of mine sent this in email. It is thought provoking and I thought I'd include it here.

--------------------

I've been pondering this verse as of late. "1Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

The Strong's concordance says "hope to the end" also includes setting our hope COMPLETELY ..on the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Wow. How often my hope is other places! Like, "I hope the weather cools down, or I hope I don't get caught in the snow or I hope bird flu doesn't get to ____." But my hope is to be fully, unto the end, focused on Christ's coming....wow.

--------------------

It doesn't seem like it is wrong to express ourselves that way, but we should always keep in mind where our hope is. In other words, when we say, "I hope we don't get a bad storm tonight," we should not be thinking in terms of chance or luck. Our hope should be in the Lord, and our thoughts should be that we hope He will spare us that, or whatever the situation implies.

Perhaps a better word would be "pray" - "I pray the weather cools down." "I pray I don't get stuck in the snow." And so forth. But, if we are going to say that, then we need to make sure we do pray for those things and not just talk about it! :-) 1Thess. 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin on Calvary.

- Norman J. Clayton

Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Martha and Mary – A poem by Annie Johnson Flint

2011-10-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like there’s just too much to do and that you can’t get it all done? Do you feel like you don’t have enough time for the things that really count? I love this poem. It thrills me at the end, as so many of Miss Flint’s poems do. She had such a way with words and such an order to her thoughts. Thank God for preserving these for us! This one really helps us to re-adjust our perspective and consider the things that are truly needful.

--------------------------

Martha and Mary

Martha was busy and hurried,
Serving the friend divine,
Cleansing the cups and platters,
Bringing the bread and wine;
But Martha was careful and anxious
Fretted in thought and in word.
She had no time to be sitting
While she was serving the Lord,
For Martha was "cumbered with serving,
Martha was "troubled" with "things"---
Those that would pass with the using---
She was forgetting her wings.

Mary was quiet and peaceful,
Learning to love and to live.
Mary was hearing His precepts,
Mary was letting Him give---
Give of the riches eternal,
Treasures of mind and of heart;
Learning the mind of the Master,
Choosing the better part.

Do we ever labor at serving
Till voices grow fretful and shrill,
Forgetting how to be loving,
Forgetting how to be still?
Do we strive for "things" in possession,
And toil for the perishing meat,
Neglecting the one thing needful---
Sitting at Jesus' feet?

Service is good when he asks it,
Labor is right in it's place,
But there is one thing better,
Looking up in his face;
There is so much he can tell us,
Truths that are precious and deep;
This is the place where he wants us,
These are the things we can keep.

Annie Johnson Flint

Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled
about many things: 42 But one thing is needful:
and Mary hath chosen that good part,
which shall not be taken away from her.

(I took this picture in the corner of my mom’s kitchen, and yes those are real amaryllis.)

I love this picture in contrast with the one of my messy, stress-filled kitchen at the top. It is so simple. So beautiful. So quiet. Yet there is strength there as well. It speaks to me of quiet waiting on the Lord and the slow, strengthening growth and beautifying that comes with that. May God help us to seek out the quiet corners of our lives where we can focus on the precious, lasting things.

Thoughts from the Past – It’s Your Job Too

2011-10-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Dec. 31, 2007

It's Your Job Too

1Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

It runs in my mind that I have heard someone quote this verse as if it was the special responsibility of pastors. I have maybe thought this myself. But, in reading it again recently it struck me that this verse is addressed to "brethren", not "elders" nor "deacons" nor "pastors."

This means that all the brethren, and even all the saints, are responsible to do these things. Certainly women should not be teaching nor usurping authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12), but to warn other women may be appropriate and needful at times. Comforting the feebleminded, supporting the weak and being patient toward all men are good things that we all can do.

This misinterpretation is just another example of how Christians in general try to avoid the responsibilities God has given us by assigning them to pastors (or others). Of course, this is highly aggravated by the traditions of men surrounding "the pastor's role." These have led to a lot of false assumptions about what is "the pastor's job" and what us poor peons are "allowed" to do.

The Lord wants all the brethren to practice these things. If we did these things more faithfully more people would be helped and strengthened in the Lord. There would be more accountability to each other as well.

When you stop to think about it, it is not even possible for a few men to do all of this for all of the saints that are on the earth today. How can a pastor know and do all of this that needs to be done even in a smaller church fellowship? It only makes sense that the Lord would extend this responsibility to all the brethren! We are supposed to be brethren after all. Don't siblings in a healthy family do these things for each other? Certainly! As Christians these things should be done in the spirit of meekness, of course, but still they should be done.

Also, notice that this verse does not limit this to "them that are in your local church". The admonition is that we are to do these things, and to be patient with all men. Christians have become so blinded by the teachings on the "local church" that many don't feel the sense of responsibility to other saints in the body of Christ (universal) that they should have. This is laziness, and also gross neglect at times.

These are things to think on and to seek to obey. It may be that God would use you to help someone in one of these areas. 1Thessalonians 5:11, says, Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Kitchen Tip – Covering A Pie

2011-09-28T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here’s one way to cover a pie for transportation or storage to keep things off of it and out of it without ruining the top of it. This is especially useful for pies with soft-ish tops that plastic wrap or aluminum foil would stick to and mar.

This was a cream cheese type pie and I didn’t want the top spoiled, but I needed to refrigerate it overnight (as I recall).

I took some plastic wrap and formed it into a loose ball and placed it in the center of the pie. Then I gently wrapped another piece over the entire pie. The ball in the center created a dome effect. This might not work with meringue or whipped cream toppings. However, whipped cream topping could probably be reworked in the middle. Use your discretion.

Thoughts from the Past – Meant to Be Different

2011-09-25T13:24:00.000-05:00

I was pleased to find this post among my old blog entries because this subject has been a burden to me lately. I have been hurt in my heart to see and hear how women in the Lord’s church are being pushed around by ideologies that require us to all be the same in order to “please God” as “excellent wives”. The unfortunates who don’t fit in the categories that have been prescribed are being stepped on and left in the dust by those who are “super-pious”. Too many of them cry “Grace, grace” yet there is no grace for those who don’t fit – the barren (those with infertility), the single ladies who are out of their father’s home, the women who are forced to work against their will, the women who don’t have men to stand up for them and protect them, and sometimes even the women who weren’t raised in a godly home (and are thus made to feel deficient in spite of being complete in Christ, Col. 2:10). Think what variety and pleasure we would miss if every flower were a rose – or a skunk cabbage. :-) Or what if all fruit were apples, or all grass was crabgrass? Our God loves variety, and He loves it in His children as well as His other creations!

Aug. 30, 2007

Meant to Be Different

Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

It's a common problem in the Lord's church for people to be pressured to be or do everything the same. If you want to be "spiritual" or "right with God", you must do or be a certain way. The impression is given that all who "are surrendered" (not in the Bible) will - go on visitation, teach Sunday School, street preach, participate in faith promise, "go to the altar" regularly, help with the bus ministry, ____________, ________________, _______________ (you fill in the blanks), etc.

[Added September 2011 - Or how about this list of "necessities" to "please God": home school your kids, have lots of children, keep your house in perfect order, bake your own bread, etc. This problem applies in many areas, you see!]

Look at what the above verse says, though, Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us...God intends for us to have different gifts. He doesn't want us all to be the same or do the same work. And, He gives grace according to the work that He intends us to do.

1Corinthians 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

God created the human body with many different functions and abilities. Each is different and special in it's own way, but it is also necessary for those parts to do the job they are created to do. Physically disabled people may train some part of the body to do some other function than normal, such as working with the feet when the hands are missing or breathing with the neck muscles when the breathing muscles are paralyzed, but we marvel at those as a phenomenon and not as "normal" in the sense of what the typical human does. They can survive that way, but we know that was not the original intent for those parts or organs.

How is it then that people in the body of Christ - as it is so correctly called - will try to force others and themselves to all do the same job? Why do we imagine that if we can't do what someone else does that we are somehow deficient? This is not God's mind. It is not the mind of Christ.

We are one body but we are supposed to have different gifts. God intentionally gives grace according to the work we are to do. If we try to force our way into some other work, is it so amazing that we don't accomplish the same things that someone else may in that same area? We weren't meant to do that, nor were we "graced for that work", if you will.

Let us be content with the ministries and abilities that God has given and strive to serve Him in those, regardless of what others say or imply. Let us be faithful where God has put us in the body and not feel diminished because we can't do what someone else does. God makes no mistakes. He wants us different for His glory, for His work and according to His wise and perfect plan.

2Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Kitchen Happenings – The New Stovetop

2011-09-24T19:25:00.001-05:00

Ok, so this post is almost a year late, but last year for our anniversary my husband kindly replaced the old stovetop in my kitchen! :-) The old one was not doing the job well. I had about 2 and a half working burners/eyes – one didn’t work at all, two were slow or temperamental and one worked well. So, you can see that it was a blessing to have a new one!

Here is a picture of my mom cooking on my old stovetop. You can get a pretty good idea of the lay out. Notice that I had all small burners, or eyes. I couldn’t even use a large frying pan or pot due to the size of them. The whole stove was rather small. It was probably a mobile home model.

The new stovetop came from Home Depot.

In order to get it in Peter had to enlarge the opening slightly.

It took a lot of monkeyfuss, as my Gramma would have called it, but he finally got it in and quite even. It was a challenge doing to lower work through those drawer openings!

Ta-da! A beautiful new stovetop that not only works, but also has extra room, takes larger pans and has knobs that correspond with the locations of the respective burners, or eyes. (By the way, check out that cool wood handle he made to replace an old plastic one that broke. This lid belonged to my mom first and he fixed it over 4 years ago, but it’s still holing in there! Great idea.)

And, the first person to cook on the new stovetop…..

Was Peter! :-) This wasn’t calculated on his part, but he installed in on a Saturday and since he cooks breakfast on Sunday mornings (his idea), he ended up using it first. Obviously he wasn’t too sad about that! haha :-)

It has been a real blessing to me and was a great gift. Thank you, hon’!

Thoughts from the Past – IN Affliction

2011-09-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

March 26, 2006
IN Affliction

Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Notice that the Psalmist here does not say he is comforted from his affliction, but rather in it. He is not looking for deliverance from affliction, but he has comfort in it from God's word.

People often mistakenly think that we will "live happily ever after" as Christians. This false teaching was actually promoted in the 1950s or so in various Christian songs (and maybe in preaching). We are never promised this. In fact, we read in 2Timothy 3:12, Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And also, Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Our blessing and treasure is that we have comfort in afflictions. We have the word of God which quickens us and gives us confidence that the Lord is in control. We have the promise that the God of all comfort will work all things together for good to them that love Him.

2Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is our comfort IN affliction, not our escape from it. And, notice that God comforts us in our tribulations for the purpose that we may comfort others also. So, our affliction is not a waste of time. It inclines us be more cast upon the Lord, to look forward to the next life, and it also allows us to partake of His comfort which He wants us to minister to others. Thus, every saint who has been through the furnace of affliction has been entrusted with a ministry to pass on God's comfort to others.

No wonder Paul could say, In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1Thessalonians 5:18

2Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Giveaway at Life In A Shoe

2011-09-16T11:38:00.004-05:00

For my readers that like to sew: There is a giveaway at Life in A Shoe blog going on right now. You can either get a free skirt from marie-madeline studio, or a $50 gift certificate to spend in their store - and they have some neat fabrics and patterns. So, go check out this giveaway and enter to win if you are interested. :-)

Thoughts from the Past – The Land of the Dying

2011-09-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

April 18, 2006
The Land of the Dying

Owen, in his last hours, dictated a short letter to a friend. His secretary had written, “I am yet in the land of the living,” when Owen said, “Stop, change that. Write, I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.” - Selected

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Truly we live in a dying world that is in bondage to corruption. Death and dying are as common as the vegetables and meat on our plates at dinner time.

Not long ago I was looking at a web site that showed a picture of a mountain in West Africa where the jeep two doctors were traveling in rolled off the road and they were both killed. The writer (who later became my father-in-law) commented, "One would not think death could be so beautiful from a distance." And it was a beautiful mountain in a rugged sort of way.

And yet, think of this splendid, comforting thought: In spite of the dying state of the world we live in, how wonderfully beautiful it is! What beauty surrounds us - mountains, seas, skies, forests, plains, and even the austere beauty of the deserts. The ornamental plumage of birds, the fine architecture of seashells, the delicate coloring and structure of flowers all declare the tender care of a wise Creator. How gorgeously the Lord has arrayed this dying world, that He intended to be a living one!

Think then what heaven must be like - the true land of the living! Think what the Kingdom will be like! We are told the desert shall blossom as the rose, Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Think of the new heavens and new earth. It defies the abilities of our feeble minds! Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

As the children of God we are a living people with a living future! We will see what this glorious creation will be like when it is no longer under the bondage of corruption! Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Kitchen Tip – Putting A Cheesecake On A Plate

2011-09-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

Putting a cheesecake on a plate without removing it from the bottom of the pan is perilous because it wants to slip all over the place or even go skidding off. But, who wants to try to move a cheesecake from the bottom of the spring form pan to a plate? Maybe a professional, but I’m not one and probably most of my readers aren’t either. There may be a trick that makes it easy. I don’t know it yet. But, I do know a trick that will help keep the cheesecake from sliding around so much and yet you can leave it on the bottom piece of the pan. Here is what I did, with tolerable results. (I still recommend using caution when moving it or transporting it.)

(This was taken after the cheesecake was removed.)

I tore a piece of bread in half and put it under the pan to fill the area where it didn’t sit down into the bottom of the plate. Then I mashed it down onto the bread as well as I could.

A stickier type of bread, or perhaps a thin layer on jelly on each side might make this method work even better.

This is how it looked after the cheesecake was completely removed from it. Sorry I don’t have a picture with the cheesecake on the plate, or at least I don’t know where the picture is. (If you could see my photo collection you would consider that last part an understatement. ;-) )

Thoughts from the Past – Imitation Glory

2011-09-04T14:20:00.000-05:00

March 2, 2006
Imitation Glory

2Chronicles 12:9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. 11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber. (Also see 1 Kings 14:25-28)

This passage interested me the first time I really noticed it. (You know how you read something many times and don't really notice it, till one day it just jumps off the page at you.) The thing that struck me about it is how Rehoboam, because of his sin, lost the glory and majesty of his father's kingdom symbolized in the golden shields and so replaced them with brass ones. Of course, he had already lost most of the kingdom by this point, but the shields gave a certain prestige and opulence. They must have been really impressive to see in use. Now they were gone.

Rehoboam, instead of just accepting that from the Lord, had brasen shields made to take their place. Brass is much cheaper than gold. It is also more trouble to keep it looking good, which may be one reason they were carefully put away after each use. At any rate, it strikes me as a feeble attempt to retain some dignity and reminder of the past glory which was lost. It was a cheap imitation designed to keep up appearances.

Now the scripture does not say this was actually wrong. It merely gives the account. It is interesting, though, how many people are doing this today in different ways. Preachers and evangelists preach "convicting" sermons and rant and scream to "fill the altar" hoping to give the impression they have "the power" of the preachers of bygone eras. Wives buy "pre-manufactured" meals that "taste just like homemade" to cover up the fact that they are no longer keepers at home and don't have time to cook homemade meals. Parents plan "quality time" with their kids to try to cover up the fact that they don't have "quantity time" for them.

In Rehoboam's case, he could not get the glory back. Really, he was living in denial. In some cases today, people could get the glory back by simply returning to the Lord's ways. In other areas it is not God's will for the glory to be recovered. It would seem that men today will not have the power God gave some in times past, because we are at the end of this age. (Examples: Jeremiah did not have the power of Elijah. Daniel could not return to the land of Israel.) There are some things we must then be content with, and stop putting up "brasen shields" to pretend that "something is happening" when it is not, in fact cannot.

Can you think of other ways this applies today? How could Rehoboam have used the resources that he had more wisely? How could people today?

Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things?...

1Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Freezing Food for Easy Use --- and to Save Money

2011-09-02T08:06:00.000-05:00

Since I usually am only cooking for two people these days, but sometimes for 4 or 6 or more, it is good to have a flexible method for freezing some food. It occurred to me that it would be handy to freeze things like they do for commercial frozen food where you can reach in the bag and grab just what you want, or measure out the exact amount you need. It also means you don’t have to take the time to thaw a large quantity when you are only going to need a couple of servings. So, I started working on it and found some things that freeze well this way and work for my cooking habits.

The first step is to lay the food your planning to freeze out on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. You may skip the paper, but it will be harder to get them off.

[At right is a tray of kielbasa type sausages which we buy in quantity at Costco (a membership warehouse). These can go straight from the freezer to the frying pan or into water to boil. Cook over medium heat till heated through. Raw sausages will take longer to cook than pre-cooked.]

Step Two – Place the trays in your freezer (in such a way that they won’t fall out when you open the door), and leave them there till the food is frozen solid enough to be moved to bags without fusing together again.

Step Three – Move the food to plastic zip freezer bags marked with the content and date and store in the freezer.

Since the food is loose and not all stuck together you can take out as much as you need at a time. This really works well for certain foods and makes a healthy “fast food” “repertoire” for you to choose from.

Here are baby carrots that I froze this way. They may freeze from raw OK, but to speed up cooking I put as many as I want to freeze into a 2 qt. pot and almost cover them with water. Then I bring them to a boil and turn off the burner allowing the carrots to sit in the water till they cool enough to handle. This will partially cook them, but they will still be pretty firm. I spread them on the lined cookie sheet, freeze them and later break them apart and put them into the freezer bag. (I also save the broth from cooking them to drink as it contains added nutrients over plain water. You could also use it for soup base.)

To use these I usually add them to a dish of food that I’m cooking towards the end of the cooking time. By the time they are thawed and the dish is done the carrots are done too. For firmer carrots, add them closer to the end. For softer, add them earlier.

---------

You can freeze serving-size strips of raw meat (pre-cut, or cut by you) also by laying them close together, but not touching, on the sheets. Once they are frozen and bagged they can be used without pre-thawing them as they will cook quite fast. You can remove just the number you need for the meal without thawing a whole steak or roast.

Individual pieces of raw chicken can also be frozen this way for quicker thawing or immediate use in stews and such. (Do not try to bake it without thawing it first.)

---------

Lastly, you can freeze broth for future use by pouring it in muffin tins and freezing it (don’t use the waxed paper for this). It is important to freeze till they are solid! Once they are frozen solid remove by popping them out of the cups one at a time. Only run them under water (on the bottom of the pan) if necessary, being careful to only do one cup at a time and having your hand there to catch the frozen “cubes”. Place them in the bag and return to the freezer as quickly as possible to avoid them melting and sticking together.

You can either do an approximate measure or you can use an actual measuring cup to measure the broth the same way every time so you have an exact idea of how much broth is in each “cube”. You can thaw and add this to recipes or add it directly to soups, stews, etc. when you need more liquid. It is very handy, and it means you can buy broth in larger quantities and not have to worry about using it up before it spoils. Or you can use up your homemade broth without it spoiling. (Homemade broths can be used to make gravy as well, though I don’t recommend this with the store bought broths since they usually lack flavor in my opinion.)

Are Youth Ministries Biblical?

2011-09-01T11:37:00.001-05:00

This discussion is becoming more prevalent recently due to the new film “Divided the Movie”. This is something that my dad started dealing with years ago when he was pastoring a small church in Michigan. During the years that my family was there he stopped the Sunday School and eventually the Youth Group. We had what some would call “family inclusive” meetings, though we didn’t call it that. We called it a more biblical meeting format. The only dividing we did was to take out some of the youngest kids for a Jr. Church type lesson during the actual sermon. We may have stopped that too at the end, I don’t recall now. Anyway, there was one mind in the church fellowship about it, and it was a real blessing to all of us. The way we grew closer together and more family-like in our attitudes towards one another was a tremendous blessing. There was a sweetness about it that is hard to describe to those who have never experienced it. This came about, not from the teachings of some man, but from an examination of what the New Testament church is in scripture.

Here are two links that I think are useful and thought provoking. (Disclaimer on all versions other than the KJV and some content and individuals. NOTE: I in no way endorse the ideologies of the so-called “Biblical Patriarchy” movement nor its’ adherents nor “patriocentricity”. We believe that Jesus Christ should be and is the center of all true Biblical church life and that all believers are members of the family of God and that we should treat each other accordingly. Jesus said, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35 I offer these links because I haven’t yet found others addressing this issue whom I might feel more in agreement with in a broader perspective. As I mentioned above, our church family in Michigan was not focused on dividing up by age, but we were focused on loving one another in Christ Jesus as the family of God.)

Voddie Baucham On Youth Ministries

Divided the Movie (This won’t be free to watch here for much longer from what I understand, so go the web page if you come in later – Here.)

Deuteronomy 31:11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: 13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

Just for Fun – Silly Links About Meatloaf

2011-08-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

Meat loaf is not one of my favorite dishes. The only kind I ever really liked was made in the microwave, and since we don’t use a microwave any more I’m back to the old sort of liking some meat loaf. ;-)

And, for those of you who really like meatloaf:

Crazy Meatloaf Recipe

Thoughts from the Past – For All Nations

2011-08-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

My Gramma and mother with an African woman who learned to read the Bible (probably through Gramma’s help.)

March 20, 2006
For All Nations

Psalm 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

It struck me for the first time recently that this Psalm is truely "international." Notice that it is addressed to all nations and all people.

Thus we see that even in the Old Testament, with the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants in place, all nations and people were still invited to praise the LORD. The reasons are that His merciful kindness is great toward us and His truth endures forever. (We can see in Naaman and Nebuchadnezer that all nations were welcome to praise Jehovah, and believe on Him.)

But, these things are true in any era and under any covenant. They are timeless and eternal. How great they are now through the blood of Jesus Christ which places us in the beloved and makes nigh those of us who were far off! Praise ye the LORD!

Ephesians 2:11 ¶ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

PART 2 – What Are We Feeding Our Children?

2011-08-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Read PART 1 if you missed it.

My sister-in-law with a friend, and no she wasn’t giving him the Coke. :-)

(Note: I do not necessarily agree with every conclusion or idea that these people put forth, but the overall message is sound and we have found it to be true on a number of levels for adults, let alone children.)

Nourishing Our Children – Timeless Principles for Supporting Learning, Behavior, and Health Through Optimal Nutrition – This page has a wealth of information that is essential for the modern parent to know. There are so many lies being put forth about food and what we should eat, and yet children are looking malnourished – their eyes may be more or less sunken looking, they may be super thin or obese, their skin may be pasty looking or they look anemic, they may lack a look of vivacious health even when they are active, their hair may be limp and lusterless, they may have learning disabilities or thinking and emotional problems related to lack of proper nutrition – or, even worse, from the introduction of dangerous additives in their food.

The parents are not always at fault. They think they are feeding their kids a “pretty good diet”, not knowing that the food they think is “good for them” is so processed and stripped of nutrition that, although their bellies are full and they are sometimes even fat, they are not healthy. Only if it gets to the point of serious brain malfunction or physical problems do they realize that there is a problem. It is time to Wake Up, as this page says. There is much information here, but when you stop and think about what they are saying much of it only makes sense; after all, this is the way people did eat in the past before “super-processing” of food came into common practice.

Be sure and read this page at their site for the basics on good-for-kids-and-you foods that are lied about by the present food cartels: Top 10 Facts You May Not Know About Your Diet –

A few to get you interested:

3. Saturated fats and cholesterol are vital for optimum health… (Yes, it’s true!)

6. Modern soy products are dangerous…

4. Foods from grass-fed animals are important for good health…

9. Not all “organic” foods are healthy…

------------------------------------------

By the way, if you can’t imagine how food can make that much difference in a kid’s behavior I’d like to tell you about a cat.

Some friends of ours had a cat that had a nasty temperament - was ornery and mean and probably “violent”. The wife/owner read about the proper way to feed dogs and cats on raw meats and vegetables rather than the highly processed food product sold as cat food, and decided to try it. That cat calmed right down and became a pleasant and respectable member of their pet population. How much more important do you supposed a proper diet is to the development of a human baby and child?

Proper nutrition is really of vital importance for anything to be healthy, and as with animals, small kids and babies cannot always tell you that they don’t feel right. If proper eating could help the behavior issues of a cat don’t you suppose that it might make a difference in some children as well? This is not to say that they will stop being sinners. They won’t. But, there may be things in their diet that are irritating their bodies and brains in ways that God didn’t intend and thus causing emotional disorder that leads to behavioral problems. It is something to think about.

------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION

These things are very thought-provoking, and in light of the present world situation I think it is of interest that there is a grass roots (no pun intended) movement toward growing more of our own food needs; buying local, grass-fed, raw and otherwise more healthy food products; and learning to enjoy less more. World situations make it seem that the Lord’s return is imminent and this turning toward older more simple ways makes me wonder if there is not a desire rising up in some people for the very thing that God Himself will shortly bring to pass. I certainly know that the Kingdom is a time when agriculture will be emphasized and personal ownership of food sources will be the norm. And, that food will be wholesome and pure as God intended it to be! No more GMO, praise God!

Micah 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

If that doesn’t make you want to shout for joy after what you read and heard in these two posts on food, you might want to check your pulse and see if you’re still alive. :-) (Unless you are not a Christian born into God’s family through Jesus Christ. Then you need to go here and do some reading: The Gospel of Jesus Christ.)

PART 1 : What Are We Feeding Our Children?

2011-08-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

An East African boy enjoying traditional Tanzanian food. Original photo taken my by my grandfather, Glenn Hoover.

---------

Is this how meal times in your house sound? Fake, Fake, Fake

Here are some very important links regarding the nutrition of children’s food. Please, please read this if you are a parent or help with the feeding of children in any way! Our food supply has been terribly messed with and corrupted. The babies and children are going to pay the highest price for that because it is effecting their health and their development. You may not be able to make a lot of changes at once, but it is important to know what is good and what is not and to make strides in the right direction in the area of feeding your family and loved ones.

(Note: I do not necessarily agree with every conclusion or idea that these people put forth, but the over all message is sound and we have found it to be true on a number of levels for adults, let alone children.)

What Are You Feeding Your Children? – One woman’s journey from “healthy” junk food to nourishing foods for her family, here is a video discussing the additives and things in food that can actually harm your children or cause allergic reactions. Please consider doing what this lady suggests - changing you family's eating habits gradually for the better. Some people make this process unnecessarily hard by demanding or thinking that all these changes need to be addressed at once. They do not. You CAN change the way your family eats one step at a time. And, may I suggest that, as Robyn obviously did, you include your kids in the process. Tell them why you need to make the changes and educate them so they will understand and hopefully agree! Kids are lot smarter about these things than some parents think. When they find out there is trash and bug killer in the food they may be more angry than you are. Who wants fish genes in their tomato anyway? Make it a family project to improve the diet and find out why. (Be forewarned, though; as one friend of mine found out, the kids may be more diligent at checking ingredients than you are!)

In case you think the kids can't get excited about this subject, check out this lecture on the subject from an 11-year-old homeschooled boy: What's Wrong with Our Food System.

--------------------------------------------

Watch for PART 2 coming soon.

Just for Fun – Links to silly stuff

2011-08-19T13:03:00.001-05:00

Here is a little humor to lighten your day (hopefully). :-)

Texas Style Hot Sauce

Texas Style Doughnuts

Texas Style Salad

---------------

Silly Cakes – Some people have too much time on their hands.

---------------

Baby Blues

The Project

Leftovers?

Table Clearing Dilemma (This reminds me of my brother. haha He thought it was terrible to touch the “gunk” on someone else’s messy plate.)

How to Make Ends Meet

2011-08-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

Here is a good blog post on How to Make Ends Meet. Please read the comments too. At the time that I linked to this there were a few that really added to the article itself.

By the way, this is something that all of us need to think about and there are things that all can put into practice, even those who don’t have such a limited budget at the moment. If you don’t see the need for that you must not know what is going on in the world or are willfully ignorant of it. As it says in Proverbs 23:5, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

1Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Random Meal

2011-08-09T20:10:00.001-05:00

Tonight my husband and I had:

Chicken breast with garlic, onion and sage seasoning.

A few pieces each of homegrown okra – cooked with the chicken.

A few black olives that needed to be finished off – also cooked with the chicken.

Tortillas, warm with butter. (Tortillas were bought raw and home cooked, which is still way better than pre-cooked.)

Sugar baby watermelon – also homegrown.

It was a bit of an unusual combination, but I was busy baking, which overlapped the dinner preparation time somewhat. I really needed to get the tortillas cooked and used up, as well as the okra. The watermelon also needed to be finished off. So, it was a little of this and a little of that. :-) But, it was turned out well. Warm, freshly cooked tortillas and butter are really good together too, by the way.

What was for dinner/supper at your house?

Thoughts from the Past – Sing Unto the Lord

2011-08-07T09:01:00.000-05:00

My brother playing the piano in our old house in Tennessee.

Feb. 4, 2006
Sing Unto the Lord

Psalm 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

In his hymn "Come, We That Love the Lord" Isaac Watts wrote the words:

"Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King may speak their joys abroad."

There are various excuses given for not singing in the assembly of the saints. There are people who excuse themselves with, "I can't sing" and refuse to participate. Some “don’t know the songs”. (Well, if you don’t sing them you never will.) Some consider singing boring.

Some years ago we met an alleged evangelist/pastor who appeared to hate singing "in church." He declared it a waste of time and didn't want more than one hymn, or so, to be sung so that he could get on with his preaching. To him, what he had to say was obviously of much more importance than praising and singing unto our God. The question arose in our minds as to whether a man with that kind of an attitude could even be saved. Only the Lord knows if he is. He surely doesn't show by his obedience to the word in that area. (In retrospect I am inclined to think the man is narcissist, which would account for the self-importance at the expense of praising God.)

As the verse above states, singing praise to our God is pleasant and comely. His saints should find it enjoyable. I've known many saved folks who loved to sing praise to the Lord. Some of them "couldn't sing" either, but they growled or droned or hopped up and down the scale in spite of that and seemed to be have the greatest time - a pleasant time - singing unto the Lord!

Isaac Watts' comment "Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God..." in some way crystallizes the thought here. When people who profess Christ have no desire, no pleasure, no joy in singing praise to Him and His Father, it may be that they never knew our God. I understand that some people really cannot sing for some physical reason, and sometimes for some emotional reason. I'm not talking about that. But what of those who refuse to sing, and who refuse to listen with joy to others sing?

The best we can say for them is that they are saved but not filled with the Spirit nor the word of Christ. Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The "natural" outflow of being filled with the Spirit and the word of Christ is to sing! Have you ever pondered that? Even if it's "only" in our hearts, it's the reaction that God desires. Obviously it is not a proof of salvation or filling of the Spirit since there are those who can fake this quite well. But, God intends for us to minister to each other through music! He desires our sung praise. In the Old Testament we are told that He inhabited the praises of Israel! (Ps. 22:3)

How is it with you? Do you refuse to sing? Do you sing as you go about our work? Do you sing in the assembly of the believers - sing as if you meant it and had someone worth singing about? Those who don't have the greatest voices can hum or whistle as they work. We can all make melody in our hearts to the Lord.

A friend of mine who suffered from years of depression was so thankful when she could again wake up in the morning with a spiritual song or hymn going through her mind. She had prayed for a restoration of that from the Lord, and as she recovered from the depression it came back.

One young man my family knew whistled hymns on his job. A coworker recognized him as a fellow saint and they took turns whistling hymns as they worked together. They were ministering to each other even in the midst of the ungodly! (Ps. 23:5)

These are things to ponder. How can we include music and singing praise to the Lord more in our daily lives? Ask the Lord to show you. He will always aid us in doing His will as revealed in His word.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Thoughts from the Past – Remember God IS Holy

2011-07-31T09:17:00.000-05:00

Feb. 3, 2006
Remember God IS Holy

In reading Psalm 97 recently, the last verse struck me as it hadn't before, 12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

One of the marks of false gods is that they are not holy. Even "the best" of them have some immoral aspect or legend about them. At best they are mere men - creations of the Creator. Most are decidedly UNholy. (All the so-called goddesses are unholy too, by the way.)

The Lord God Almighty is not so. He is holy. There is no sin in Him. There is nothing in Him that we should be ashamed of. This is something we must remember as we watch the unholiness of the world around us. More than that, we should give thanks when we remember that He is holy. And, truly, it is something to be thankful for.

Have you ever contemplated how hopeless it is to trust in a god who is not better than ourselves? Many do. In fact, some gods could actually be proven to be worse than their devotees. How pathetic! Then too, how pointless to worship a god who needs his followers to protect him. The true God never has and never will, despite what some people think. He was there before we were and nothing takes Him by surprise. He is in total control of His entire creation (including Satan, see Job 1-2).

More than that, His holiness is "equal to any occasion," in a manner of speaking. That is, He always will do the holy thing. We never have to worry about Him doing wrong. Have you stopped to think about what a blessing and comfort that is? Many people throughout history, and at present cannot have that confidence in their god. Sadly, many people who profess to worship the God of the Bible do not have that confidence in Him because they do not remember His holiness and they do not believe His word.

Yes, the Lord's holiness is something to remember, not just with reverent fear but also with thankfulness!

Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

History In Food - Mesopotamia

2011-07-28T11:25:00.001-05:00

My family has had an interest in foreign foods for a long time. Here are some interesting recipes that will allow you to eat a little history. The majority are from Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, but there are some others as well. (Note: Disclaimer on some ingredients. If you really want to make the recipe, try substituting something that seems like a good alternative.)

Recipes from Ancient Mesopotamia – “The worlds' most ancient recipe collection was actually found on cuneiform tablets from Ancient Ur. These are currently at the Yale Library. Here are some adaptations.” So, here are some recipes that Abram and Sarai might have eaten, more or less, when they lived in Ur of the Chaldeas! How about that? :-)

Babylonian Apricot Jewels – I’m not sure why these are called Babylonian. There isn’t much explanation here. But, they look and sound good (with some modification), and apricots are an ancient food in that area.

Date Cookies – Why these Mesopotamian/Iraqi cookies are listed at an Asian site, I am not sure, but here they are, nonetheless.

Mesopotamian Barley, Lentil and Tahini Soup

Mesopotamian Fish Salad

Cooking Ancient Recipes – This collection includes two other areas of the ancient times as well as Mesopotamia. Just a word of warning: one of the recipes calls for blood. We, as Christians, have been forbidden to eat blood. Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

I hope you enjoy trying some of these recipes out and learning something about this part of the world that is so important to the history both of the world and of the Bible.

Links – It’s All About Snickerdoodles

2011-07-28T08:08:00.002-05:00

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies. They are not only delicious, they are nostalgic for me. My Gramma made them. Maybe both of my grandmothers made them. My mom has made them. I have made them for my own family and have probably made them for my husband.

But, why limit them to cookies? Just for fun I thought I’d see how many different snickerdoodle recipes I could come up with and here’s the results! :-)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Snickerdoodle Cake

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Snickerdoodle Chex® Mix

Snickerdoodle Cheese Cake

Snickerdoodle Pie

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Dip

Snickerdoodle Pie Crust (This recipe calls for gluten-free packaged cookies. Use your own snickerdoodles if you don’t want the packaged ones.)

Snickerdoodle Trifle (This recipe is full of poison, er, I mean dangerous chemicals with all the sugar-free ingredients and Cool Whip. However, with a few changes – regular pudding mixes and real whipped cream – I think you could make it more health friendly instead of diet friendly, whatever that is.)

Toffee Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles

Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles

Peppermint Snickerdoodles

Gluten-free Snickerdoodles (That should make someone happy!)

And, last but not least, my own Gramma’s recipe:

Gramma Hoover’s Snickerdoodles

A Little Home Maker In Training

2011-07-25T15:15:00.001-05:00

Today is my niece’s seventh birthday (on U.S. time), so I thought it would be fun to put up some pictures of her. She is an eager learner of cooking, along with other home making skills. These pictures were taken at various ages and stages over the last few years.

Cooking

Hospitality

Tea time for brother and friend.

Child Care

Housekeeping

Ironing her dolly’s clothes.

Cleaning up the kitchen with her brother, Danny, and mama.

Making Home Pleasant

Growing in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Happy Birthday, Dolly! :-) May you be a happy little home maker to your family again this year.

Peppermint Road Fudge

2011-07-15T17:56:00.001-05:00

I made some alterations to a recipe for Rocky Road Fudge and came up with this. It is a nice way to use up candy canes. Since we don’t celebrate Christmas, I bought mine at a dollar store marked waaaay down after the holidays. I don’t remember the price, but it was something like 70-80% off as I recall – a really good deal. Striped peppermint sticks of any kind are so pretty crushed and used for decoration on top of deserts – especially chocolate. :-)

----------------------------------------

Peppermint Road Fudge

2 1/2 C. chocolate chips (I use bittersweet)
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp. mint or peppermint extract
1 C. crushed peppermint sticks (candy canes or other)
1 10.5 oz. pkg. miniature marshmallows
(Extra crushed candy canes for garnish.)

In a heavy sauce pan over low heat melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter, stirring often. Meanwhile measure candy bits and marshmallows into a large bowl. Add mint extract to choc. mixture when melted and mix in well. Pour choc. mixture over candy and marshmallow mixture. Stir until marshmallows are coated, but not until they are falling apart. Spread in a waxed paper lined 9x13 cake pan. (Sprinkle with extra candy bits or sprinkles if desired.) Chill till firm. Remove from pan and cut into pieces.

Note: Stir in extra butter if the chocolate mixture seems too thick to mix into the marshmallows.

----------------------------------------

Yes, I know. This is not the healthiest recipe. But, it must be better than fudge made with powdered sugar, right? I hope? :-)

Breakfast Rambling – Are You Glad Today?

2011-07-04T07:55:00.000-05:00

(This item comes from my Bible journal from some time back, but it seemed appropriate for this day, with a few additions.)

Psalm 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

Too many American Christians get their heads so full of politics and conspiracies they echo this cry, “Who will shew us any good?” They forget that our hope and source of good and gladness is the Lord, not the restoration of the United States, and not the preservation of our liberties! Our hope is not in some man (or woman) who is a “conservative” politician with a promise that they can “fix” this country.

The increase of corn and wine (prosperity) makes them (the worldlings) glad. We should have even more gladness of heart from the Lord and the blessing of the light of His countenance, which is not dependent on outward comforts or man-made documents such as the Constitution.

As Independence Day is celebrated across the U.S.A. today, what are you dependent upon for your gladness? Does it come from a feeling of prosperity, or a hope in man’s feeble abilities to “restore” this country? Or maybe you are discouraged and asking how anything good can possibly happen. The only safe place to find true and abiding gladness and goodness is in the light of God’s countenance!

…there is none good but one, that is, God. Mark 10:18

Psalm 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Thoughts from the Past – A Bold Foe

2011-07-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

This photo is from my grandpa’s collection and I assume he took it. It was a lion in a zoo.

Jan. 3, 2006
A Bold Foe

Over the weekend we had a guest - a fellow believer from California. Last night we showed him one of our lion documentaries (The Lions of Etosha, filmed by Des and Jen Bartlett). In discussing the hunting habits of lions they showed two different sequences in which the lions, in the process of their hunt, did not even bother to hide themselves. Half of the strategy was to panic the prey by their very presence. The prey knew they were being hunted and could plainly see all or at least part of the lions. The fear factor in this panicked the prey into going exactly where the lions wanted them so they could catch one to devour.

I was again reminded that this is one of the tactics of our adversary the devil who is also described as a devouring lion. 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Sometimes the devil, or his minions, will actually hunt for the saints, as it were, in our plain sight. The idea is much as the lion's - they desire to panic us into bolting or walking into their trap.

It is amazingly easy to be panicked by this tactic, but the Lord has not left us helpless and not knowing what to do. The passage continues, Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 1Peter 5:9 Steadfast resistance in the faith is the key. Unlike the helpless prey of the real lions, if we in faith steadfastly resist being panicked we can overcome the devil and his helpers.

We read in Proverbs 28:1, ...the righteous are bold as a lion. We are righteous through Jesus Christ, Who is the lion of the tribe of Juda (Rev. 5:5). Another section of the video showed a confrontation between two male "stray lions" (lions not belonging to a pride), and the two big males of the pride. At first, the lone lion from the pride ran from the intruders, but when his friend - his brother - came to support him he turned around and confronted the intruders. There is strength in the support of our fellow saints, but ultimately our support is Christ, the lion of Juda. With Him no spiritual predator can overcome us. Our confidence and faith must be in Him, not ourselves; and thus we must resist the urge to panic when the roaring devil shows himself. Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Super Simple Side Salads

2011-06-29T14:49:00.000-05:00

Sliced papaya and kiwi fruit with a garnish of fresh mint make a very pretty side salad for a nice dinner.

No dressing required, but you could drizzle the Creamy Citrus Dressing over it if you wanted to.

---

Another pretty but simple fruit salad: fresh mango, strawberries and kiwi fruit – cut and arranged in a white bowl.

---

Lettuce, tomato, grated cheese and a drizzle of dressing looks colorful too, as well as being easy. (Leftover taco toppings make this a breeze.)

---

And, the easiest side “salad”? A bowl of canned fruit, of course. :-)

In a pretty, contrasting bowl it looks very attractive.

Fresh Green Bean Salad

2011-06-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

This is a refreshing, delicious salad for a hot summer day. If you have garden fresh beans, so much the better! I don’t have measurements. I don’t think we ever used any. We just made it with however much was available. It is easily adjusted for special diets too.

Fresh Green Bean Salad

Fresh green beans
Tomatoes, chopped or sliced
Whit onion (optional), diced
Crumbled Feta cheese, or cheese of your choice
Italian salad dressing, or vinegar and oil dressing of your choice

Parboil or steam beans just till tender crisp. Remove from heat and drain immediately and rinse in cool water. Refrigerate till ready to make salad. Arrange beans around the edge of a large plate or small platter. Place tomatoes in center. Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Pour salad dressing over the top. Serve.

Note: You could substitute green or red onions or chives for the white onions. Also, if you have fresh basil or oregano, it would be a nice addition snipped and sprinkled on top.

------------------------

Make this recipe dairy free by leaving out the cheese. Make it gluten free by using gluten free dressing and cheese.

Salad Dressing – Creamy Citrus Dressing

2011-06-21T13:05:00.001-05:00

Due to health issues and concerns we try to avoid a lot of things in our diet. It is necessary that we avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate), which is in many store bought salad dressings. We also make a point of avoiding high fructose corn syrup, which also appears in many store bought foods. My mom made a lot of homemade dressings when we were growing up (probably because they are cheaper), so it wasn’t a big challenge to us to make all our dressings at home when these things became an issue.

I enjoy inventing my own dressings. They may well be repeats of other people’s efforts, but that isn’t surprising since there are so many thousands of recipes available on the internet now! :-) I hope to post some of my recipes for salad dressing here this summer since summer is a the time of year for fresh fruits and veggies. Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------

Creamy Citrus Dressing

1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. mayonnaise
Buttermilk or yogurt if needed to thin
2 Tbl. toasted sesame seeds
Sugar or natural sweetener to taste
1-2 Tbl. lemon or lime juice (fresh is best)
2 Tbl. orange juice
1/2 tsp. ginger paste

Mix all ingredients till smooth.

This dressing is especially good on lettuce salads with fruit in them – think strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, etc. It might also be good on a fresh fruit salad.

You can sprinkle the sesame seeds on top if you prefer. It is prettier this way. :-)

Thoughts from the Past – The Whole Armor of God

2011-06-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

Nov. 16, 2005
Whose armor are we wearing?

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We are supposed to take the armour of God. It crossed my mind in thinking of that how many different man-made armors Christians try to use instead of taking that of God's own making.

Instead of ...having your loins girt about with truth..., they are often girt about with the traditions of man - a useless support that feels good but adds no strength.

Instead of ...having on the breastplate of righteousness..., it is too often the breastplate of self-righteousness and selfish good works designed to "earn" salvation or indulgences from God (which are both impossible). (Hosea 10:1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself... )

Instead of ...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace..., it is the preparation of the gospel of church attendance and "getting more people out" ("nickels and nose and butt every 18 inches" as they used to describe it in pro-wrestling).

Instead of ...taking the shield of faith..., it is the shield of church membership. Where "going to church" keeps you out of trouble and protects you from the pastors and the "church goers" who judge "rightness with God" upon church membership and attendance. (It doesn't protect from the fiery darts of the wicked, though.)

Instead of taking ...the helmet of salvation..., the helmet of philosophy and vain deceit is taken (Col. 2:8). Man's reasoning answers the questions of life instead of the sound mind (1 Tim. 1:7) of a sure salvation. God's salvation protects and secures the head which then governs the whole body so that the salvation is lived out in daily obedience. Man's philosophy leaves the mind unprotected and even vulnerable to injury.

Instead of ...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..., the butter knife of human scholarship is taken - a useless weapon that only causes doubt and defeat before the enemies of the Lord.

Can you think of more substitutes people use instead of God's armour?

Is it any wonder that so many Christians are losing the battle? Let us Put on the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Post Script - Please notice that it is a command to take the whole armour of God. If we choose not to obey this command, we do not have the armour on. It is not automatically put on us. We must take it. For those struggling with especially hard things, may I suggest that you start each day by reading through this list in Ephesians 6 and "putting on" God's armour in prayer? I did this myself when I was suffering from acute anxiety, and I know others who have done this for other reasons, and it is a great help in the battle! God keeps His word!

Caramelized Pecans

2011-06-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe on the internet and then made my own adjustments to it. It was a hit with my family!

1 Tbl. butter
1 heaping Tbl. brown sugar
1 tsp. white sugar
3/4 C. pecans
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
A pinch of salt

Pre-measure all ingredients. You will need to add the sugars, nuts, etc. quickly before the butter browns.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, cinnamon and nuts and increase heat to medium-high. Stir constantly until sugar loses its grainy appearance – about 5 minutes. Pour nuts onto sheet of aluminum foil and let cool about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

These nuts are very good added to a salad of lettuce and fresh strawberries with a sweet-sour dressing!

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

2011-05-30T07:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, really! Pudding without a mix. Boxed pudding will never taste the same! :-) And, it’s so easy. The only really “hard” part is stirring it till it’s ready.

Chocolate Pudding

3/4 C. white sugar
5 Tbl. cocoa powder
1/3 C. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/4 C. milk
3 Tbl. butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla OR almond extract

In a large saucepan stir together dry ingredients. Mix in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (this is very important). Cook and stir till the mixture thickens and just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter and flavoring. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve warm. Or, chill in the fridge till ready to serve.

Note: If you don’t want a “skin” to form on the top while it’s cooling or being refrigerated, I suggest covering the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap. If you don’t wish to cover it with plastic, then serve it with the skin and find out which one in your family doesn’t mind it, or even likes it, and let them have the skin whenever you make it. :-)

This pudding can also be used warm over ice cream to make a “hot fudge” sundae.

To give it a richer chocolate flavor I use 3 Tbl. of regular cocoa powder and 2 Tbl. of Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. It’s guaranteed to satisfy a chocolate craving. :-)

This recipe is gluten free. If you also need to make it dairy free you might try making up some coconut milk from powder and using that in place of the milk. Almond or rice milk would probably work fine too although I don’t know about their heating qualities.

A Breakfast Rambling that grew: Royal Wedding – A Shabby Affair?

2011-05-26T17:58:00.001-05:00

2Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

This started out to be a Breakfast Rambling in a way since this verse that got me started was from my morning Bible reading. However, as I wrote it turned out to be so long, I had to move it to the web site where it seems more appropriate. :-) This item will probably stir the waters a bit, so try to go into it without wearing your feelings on your sleeve. ;-)

Here’s the start of it:

“It is wonderful the way God uses His word to direct our thoughts. After the big hoopla over the Royal Wedding on April 29th I was quite disturbed about how some Christians responded to it. It made me sad, and frustrated in a way. I couldn’t understand entirely why they were so eager to participate in the media feeding frenzy, and even to go so far as to grant some approval to the wedding.

First of all, let me say that my grandmothers were both ‘royal watchers’. My mother was for a while as well, but she laid it aside years ago. At one time I was a Diana worshipper. Yes, you read that right. It was idolatry. I admit it and call it what it was…”

Continue reading: Royal Wedding – A Shabby Affair?

Thoughts from the Past – Looking for Good Things

2011-05-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

Nov. 21, 2005
Looking for Good Things

In reading through Paul's epistles over the last months, several things stood out in particular in the way of themes. I would challenge you to notice these three things in particular the next time you read through these books.

1. Paul's love and care for the saints (regardless of whether they deserved it or not), and how much he expected and received joy from them.

2. The fact that Paul's authority was to edify and not destroy, even as an apostle. (2 Cor. 10:8)

3. The crucified life.

It is a great blessing.

Mother’s Day – Something from the Past

2011-05-07T22:05:00.001-05:00

Here is a picture of my mom learning to be a mom from her mom. I love this picture. :-) It was taken in East Africa where my mother and her brothers were born and mostly raised. This was how the African women carried their babies.

I don’t think Gramma normally carried her babies this way, but it is a sweet picture, and she taught my mom a lot about taking care of babies over the years! :-) She was a huge help with my youngest brother and sister, especially since we lived closer to her when they were small.

One of my earliest memories is being in Ethiopia and sitting with my mom while she wrote to her mom. I was filling a piece of paper with scribbles and wanted Mom to send it to Gramma. She couldn’t because she was using an air form and wasn’t allowed to enclose anything. Interestingly enough, I always enjoyed corresponding with people by mail. I think that love was passed on to me from this early experience and the “specialness” that was conveyed to my thinking of my mom receiving and sending letters to Gramma who was far away. :-)

I thank the Lord for my mother! She has been a tremendous blessing in my life. She has prayed so much for me and been such an encourager. She also is a close and dear friend.

My Gramma was also a dear friend as well as a helpful grandmother. She made time for me and we talked about so many things. I value that very much. I love and miss her and look forward to seeing her again soon in Heaven!

God bless the mothers and grandmothers who strive to instill in their children and grandchildren a love for the Lord and His word!

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness…28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Adding Color to the Kitchen

2011-05-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

Here is my mom brightening up her former kitchen (in Tennessee) with her smile and apron. :-)

You can add color to your kitchen by making some colorful aprons to wear and/or hang on the wall, or by dressing up some of your towels with ribbon or fabric. Here are some links to help.

French Country Apron and Matching Headscarf

Tea Time Appliqué Half Apron

Fabric Trimmed Towels

Ribbon Trimmed Towel

Ribbon Accented Tea Towels – Wouldn’t this look cute with some fruit themed fabric between the rows of ribbon. I might try this if I can find a good price on plain tea towels.

Here are some cute oven mitts too.

There are lots of possibilities with these patterns/ideas. You can use any cotton print or color that would go with your kitchen. Plus, these would make some cute gifts – maybe something quick for Mother’s Day. :-)

Here are some of our homemade aprons hanging in the kitchen where we lived in Arizona. :-) I can see at least four different aprons there. I love the homey look of aprons hanging in the kitchen, whether they are used or not. I have a friend who pinned an antique apron on a wall of her kitchen just for decoration.

Red Lentil Ham Soup

2011-05-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

This is a very easy soup to make. Dried, split red lentils (really they are orange) cook very fast compared to most dried beans or lentils. I think this is because they don’t have the skins on them. I don’t know what the price for them is in a regular store. We usually buy ours at an Indian store where they are called Masoor Dal.

-----------------------------

To make the soup:

Cook in a 2 qt. pot:

Chicken or vegetable broth
Lentils (I used at least 1 cup, probably more)
One ham bone
Onion
Garlic
Diced Carrots

Bring to a boil and simmer stirring at regular intervals till the lentils are almost done. Remove meat from ham bone and discard bone. Return the meat to the pot. Finish cooking. (The lentils are done when they are soft.)

Add salt and black or red pepper to taste.

Lentils are very absorbent, so use plenty of broth or water. If you are unsure of how much to use start with a little less. You can add more as you go along. Lentils will stick to the bottom of the pan (especially when reheating), so do be sure to stir it regularly.

-----------------------------

Depending on the ham and broth you use this meal could be made gluten and lactose free. If you can’t find safe ham, try some pre-cooked meat of your choice. The taste will be different, but it will still be tasty. You could add Cajun seasoning if you use another type of meat to make a very tasty soup!

Thoughts from the Past – A Family Resemblance

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

Dec. 3, 2005
A Family Resemblance

In family Bible reading this week we read 1John 2:29, If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

The thing that struck me is that doing righteousness is a "family trait" of those that are in God's family. We know that ...we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6 But, in Christ Jesus and through Him, we can do the righteousness of God. In this there should be a family resemblance.

We expect to see similarities between parents and their offspring in looks, actions, and attitudes. As spiritual children of God, joint-heirs with Christ, we should be showing a resemblance to Him. But, it is not possible unless we are born of Him for it is a family trait, a resemblance that is passed on only through blood relationship. Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

It is also our calling.

1Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

[Emphasis added.]

We should ask ourselves these questions regularly: Do I resemble Jesus Christ? Would others know from my life that I am related to Him?

National Pretzel Day

2011-04-26T12:41:00.001-05:00

My husband loves pretzels – soft or hard. Since today is National Pretzel Day, I thought it would nice to share some photos of the pretzels he made for us last Thanksgiving.

For the past two years Peter has made a point of taking time to bake yeast bread on Thanksgiving weekend. This is his annual baking fling, since it’s the only weekend in the year when he feels like he can take a real vacation and do something as time consuming as baking bread. :-) And, the best part is that he is a good baker!

This past Thanksgiving weekend he made some yummy whole grain bread for our Thanksgiving meal (which we had on Friday) as well as the soft pretzels to share with the family on Thursday evening.

He wants to perfect his pretzel technique sometime and alter the recipe slightly. Since I don’t know for sure what recipe he used, I won’t post it at this point, but I’m sure you can find some online that you might like to try. My mom declared them the best soft pretzels she ever had, despite Peter’s hesitance. :-) They were very good!

Here is a picture of the whole grain bread he made also:

By the way, I’m going to try to remember to bake some frozen soft pretzels to go with dinner tonight. They are not homemade, and not as good ingredient-wise, but Peter likes them and they taste good, especially with some butter on them. :-)

A Blessed Resurrection Day to Our Fellow Believers

2011-04-24T06:18:00.000-05:00

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions

Matthew 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

He Arose

1Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Garlic Spread

2011-04-22T16:31:00.001-05:00

In rummaging through some recipes in my pile I ran across this recipe from a friend for Garlic Spread. Garlic Day was the 19th of this month so it seemed appropriate to share it here.

Garlic Spread

8 oz. goat cheese (feta)
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves

Process all in a blender or food processor till smooth.

Serve with pita bread, chips, or garlic toast bites.

--------------------------------

You may wish to add some fresh or dried herbs to this as well. Basil or oregano would make a nice addition. If you use dried herbs you may want to allow it to stand for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.

What Is Easter to them? Is It About the Resurrection or A Carnival?

2011-04-19T14:09:00.002-05:00

Easter and Christmas are said to be the two biggest church going events of the year. Consequently a lot of churches will put forth extra effort to get people to come to them on these “holidays”. We received an invitation to a church in our area this week in the mail. They sent out a colorful flier that looks a lot like a business advertisement but is supposed to help us “find reasons” to go to their church this next Lord’s Day. Their very “Christian” slogan is “Hop Over This Easter”. (I hope you realize I’m being a bit sarcastic there.)

Among the enticements they are offering to get the crowds in are:

Live music --- Hello? Don’t church services usually have some form of “live music”?

Coffee bar --- Hm. That’s a nice enticement. Hopefully it will keep the people awake through the following:

A “relative and inspiring message” --- Um… Yes, you read that correctly. :-) I’m not exactly sure if that “relative” is a mistake or not, but it sure gave my husband a laugh.

Easter Egg Hunt --- Of course. This ancient, non-Christian symbol is an old standby for pleasing the crowds on “Easter” day.

A space just for the kids filled with interactive games and videos --- You see where I get the carnival idea.

Family Portraits --- Really?? How thoughtful of them. Now the once and twice a year church goers can have some concrete evidence to show whoever they think they are going to impress that they were actually at church on Easter 2011. Somehow I don’t quite think those pictures are going to make it to heaven with them. They certainly would not impress God, especially considering the probably lack of reverence at this particular event! (I’m sure the idea is also to show off those lovely new clothes that are another man made tradition and vain show of the flesh that is common for “Easter Sunday”.)

In the paragraph on the left of the card we read that people are finding reasons to go to “_________ Community Church”. The reasons given are:

Real relationships --- To whom?

Relevant teaching --- About what?

A meaningful spiritual experience --- What kind of spirituality are we talking about here?

This very personal invitation addressed “To Our Neighbor”, lacks some very important things.

There is not one reference to God anywhere on it. Not one. This is supposed to be a church, and yet nothing is mentioned about why they meet, who they worship or what kind of “spiritual experience” they are imparting to those who come.

John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

There is not one reference to the Bible. What foundation do they have for their church? What do they reference for their authority in communicating a “relevant teaching”? They claim to offer us next Sunday a “relative and inspiring message”. Relative to what? Inspiring in what way? If they have no final authority or inspiration higher than themselves why should we want it?

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Finally, there is no reference whatsoever to Jesus Christ or His resurrection. None.

Now, I realize that Easter, as many people know it, is all about bunnies, eggs, flowers, candy, etc. It is not a holy day to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. There is good cause for that relating to the history of Easter and the date as the Catholic church chose it. (That is a topic for another time and article.) This is why my family have distinguished the first Sunday after Passover by calling it Resurrection Sunday. We feel this name strongly clarifies whom we are honoring and reverencing on that day.

This mass mailing invitation shows, I think, why this is necessary. These people, though they claim to celebrate “Easter” as a “church” in a “Christian” context, put the whole emphasis entirely upon self-fulfillment of the attendee. The Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead so that He could conquer the last enemy for us eternally (1 Corinthians 15:26), is excluded, set aside, unmentioned.

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no salvation.

Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ we have no justification.

1Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ Christianity is a farce and we have no hope of the future. Without it there is no point whatsoever in having “church”. We might as well stay home and eat chocolate and play golf.

1Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. [Emphasis added.]

I’d like to ask the people that would seek a “spiritual experience” in a place that, in inviting others to their services, does not mention God, the Bible or the Lord Jesus Christ,

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?”

Luke 24:5

What about you this Resurrection Day? Is Jesus Christ the center of your thoughts and preparations? Is the day Holy and wholly unto the Lord with you? It is something well worth considering.

------------------------

Footnote:

This post by my sister-in-law, Clara, goes very well here:
Are You A Consumer or A Follower?

Thoughts from the Past – Lonely but Loved

2011-04-17T15:12:00.003-05:00

Another post from my old blog.

Dec. 10, 2005
Lonely but Loved

Psalm 63
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 ¶ Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7 ¶ Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

This Psalm was written by David when he was hiding in the wilderness from Saul. He was an outcast of society, so to speak, and he was unable to worship God in the sanctuary because of this. He longed to see the power and glory of God as he was accustomed to see it there.

Yet, we see that he was not in fear for his spiritual safety nor did he live in terror because he was unable to visit the sanctuary. He knew God still loved him. He still praised God and blessed Him. He was still satisfied with God and joyful in Him. He did not forget the Lord and continued to meditate upon him.

As more and more of the Lord’s children are finding themselves “outside the camp” in these perilous times, this Psalm is very refreshing and encouraging. David, who was under the old covenant that required sacrifice at a physical tabernacle (sanctuary), still felt God's love and care. Though circumstances had kept him from obeying the commands to worship God at the tabernacle, yet he rested in the knowledge that he was still loved, and rejoiced that he could still worship even where he was.

Notice that he was following God out there in the wilderness. He still loved the Lord and thought upon Him. He had not gone out there because he wanted to, or to escape the worship or knowledge of God. He was there of necessity, and saw the hand of the Lord upholding him in that.

Let us take hope and comfort in these words. Rather than feeling guilty or angry, let us remember to rejoice in the Lord, to praise Him and to rest in His care and love for us even though we are "stuck" in the wilderness as it were. Though others may try to destroy our faith and our souls, yet by the grace of God they will not succeed, and their lies shall be stopped. There will always be Sauls who lie about us, and Nabals who believe the lies (1 Sam. 25), but God is bigger than their lies.

Like David we must follow hard after the Lord and take comfort in the knowledge that we are in His hand.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Random Meal

2011-04-16T21:24:00.001-05:00

Tonight we ate dinner with the family. Over the last months we have been eating together more as a family here on our joint 10 acres. Sometimes it’s only 4 of us, but all 6 of us have been making the effort to eat together more than we used to. I think this is a good thing. (In case you don’t know, there are 3 couples – my parents, my husband and I on our 5 acres; and my brother and his wife on the adjoining 5 acres. And, yes, we live in three separate houses, so we have family close, but we all have our space.)

Tonight we had:

Roast beef (grass fed) cooked in my parents’ new Sun Oven.

Tomato pipe wafers cooked by me in my sister-in-law’s newish deep fryer. (It’s a very nice one, and this was the first time I used it.)

Mashed potatoes – with the skins in.

Cooked carrots.

Salad with homemade dressings.

Water and decaf iced tea.

Homemade No Bake Cookies made with Special Dark cocoa powder.

And, as usual around here, lots of conversation! :-)

Thoughts from the Past – We Would See Jesus

2011-04-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

Nov. 26, 2005
We Would See Jesus

When I was playing the piano the other day I played the old hymn, "We Would See Jesus" written by Anna B. Warner. As I followed the words with the music, the third verse (in our book) struck me.

We would see Jesus; other lights are paling,
Which for long years we have rejoiced to see;
The blessings of our pilgrimage are failing;
We would not mourn them, for we go to Thee.

For my parents' generation, and for some of my own generation, we remember a time when real Christian friends, sweet Christian fellowship and better Bible teaching were much more common and available. We have memories of a time before and at the edge of the great coldness and dimming that has come over the Lord's church.

But, thinking over the lines of that song, I was reminded that we should be looking unto Jesus. We should be looking ahead to Him instead of looking back and mourning over the past. Our future is with Jesus Christ, and if the lights of this pilgrimage are failing, what of it? Our Light from heaven will never fail! Let us keep our eyes on ...the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 And, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Revelation 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Stained Glass Windows

2011-04-09T14:44:00.001-05:00

This recipe came from my Gramma. She really liked these and was famous for them. If you are looking for a sugary, yummy, “non-sensical” treat that includes chocolate, marshmallows and coconut this might just be the perfect fit. :-) (Be sure to check my added instructions at the bottom.)

-------------------------------------

Stained Glass Windows

Melt in large pan:
1 12 oz. pkg. dark chocolate chips
1 stick butter

Cool till medium warm.

Add:
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)
1 sm. pkg. colored miniature marshmallows

Form into log and roll in powdered sugar and shredded coconut. Wrap in waxed paper.

Refrigerate and slice when hardened.
Best kept in fridge or very cool place.

------------------------------------

These instruction are a bit minimalistic, so I’ll add some comments here.

First, you want to cool the chocolate till it’s not so hot that it will melt the marshmallows while you’re mixing them in, but not so long that it starts to thicken up.

Secondly, it’s a challenge to “roll” this mess in powdered sugar and coconut. What I do is sprinkle the powdered sugar and coconut generously onto a sheet of waxed paper and then spoon the mixture along one (short) end and form it into a log. Then I try to carefully roll the log across the waxed paper, lifting the paper to make it “go”. You don’t want to roll it into the waxed paper until you have it rolled across the sugar-coconut otherwise you’ll end up with the sugar-coconut rolled into the waxed paper, which is a waste. It won’t get much on the roll that way. :-) If you’re having trouble getting it well covered just pick the sugar-coconut mixture up in your fingers or with a spoon and sprinkle it on the bare spots. Once you have the log fairly well covered, wrap the waxed paper around it and pop it in the fridge. One word of advice: lay it on a relatively even spot or you’ll end up with a curve in you log. ;-) Also, I find a bit of tape helpful in keeping the side and ends shut.

I make smallish logs and usually can get two from a recipe. You can store the extras in the fridge for quite some time. I can’t remember now if I’ve ever frozen them. I think I have.

Irish Soda Bread

2011-04-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

Here is a recipe we got from my Grandma Van Nattan. She and Grandpa were missionaries in Ireland for some years.

This bread is pretty easy to make, and since it is a non-yeast bread it goes quickly, even though it is kneaded briefly. You may change the spices to suit your own taste also.

This batch was made with part whole wheat, raisins and a Middle Eastern sweet bread spice for which I do not know the proper name. I did not bake it in this dish, but put it there to store it as the dish has a sealing lid.

-----------------------------

Irish Soda Bread

4 Cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 Cup sugar (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom or coriander (optional)
1/4 Cup margarine
1 egg
1 3/4 Cups buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, soda, sugar, and spice. Add margarine and cut in until crumbly. Beat egg slightly and mix with buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients and mix until blended. Turn out onto floured board and knead until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Divide dough in half and shape each into a round loaf. Place each in an 8 inch cake pan, or both on a cookie sheet. Press down and make several 1/2 inch deep slashes in the top with a sharp knife.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Variations:
1. Omit spice and add 2 Cups of raisins and 1 1/4 teaspoons caraway seed.
2. Substitute 2 Cups whole wheat flour for 2 Cups white flour.
3. 2 Cups of raisins or chopped, pitted dates can be added.

Thoughts from the Past – A Place to Belong

2011-04-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

I have decided to republish some of my posts from my former blog, “A Sort of A Blog”, that I used to keep at The Home Maker’s Corner. I have not kept that blog up. Maybe I should have moved it to a proper blog site, I don’t know. The posts that I have there are not organized on the web page in the best format for being found and read now so, since some of the old posts seem like they may be helpful to someone here, I thought I’d pick some out for this blog. I hope that someone will be blessed or edified. I may do some editing of the originals as well.

---------------------------

Dec. 29, 2005
A Place to Belong

As people we have a natural desire to belong - family, tribe, nation, etc. This was given to us by our Creator. As Christians we have a supernatural desire to be part of a church and to belong to a group that bears the name of Christ.

In these perilous times, those who desire to live by the word of God, rather than man's traditions, too often find themselves being shouldered out of churches and fellowship with other believers. Our Lord Jesus said, Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Luke 6:22 If we know that our "offense" is following Christ above all others, then we can rest in this promise of the God's blessing. This is comforting, but there is still a painful side to being cast out of the church (John 9:22, 3 John 9-10).

There is a sweet promise given to the Philadelphians in Revelation 3. This was the church that kept Christ's word and did not deny His name (v. 8 & 10). While this was a real church in John's day, and also an era of church history, there is an application today also for those who strive to walk as Philadelphians. Their rewards are available to all saints who overcome according to the Lord's promise.

Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

This verse really blessed me the first time I noticed the significance of it and the application for those of us who have been cast out of the synagogue, so to speak. There is a human desire to have a building associated with the church. Human nature also wants a name - a denomination, if you will - to describe itself and associate itself with. It usually wants a tribe or nation to claim as the best or "God blessed" ("God bless America," national flags in "church", tribalism and nationalism in the church, etc.). In short, we want a place to belong. Something that can be seen, felt and understood with the natural senses.

By faith, which ...is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11:1; we look ...for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb. 11:10 By choosing to associate ourselves with the unseen rather than the temporal, we have the promise of all this and more. But look at what God promises to the Philadelphians who overcome through the end of the Laodicean era: We will have a building - the temple of God Almighty. We will never be cast out again! We will have a "label" - the name of God Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ. We will bear the name of a city not to be ashamed of - the new Jerusalem.

What JOY. Here is a place where where man has no authority to decide if we "belong." Here is a place where one name is sufficient for all. Here is a place where we are saved ...out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Rev. 5:9 (emphasis added).

Christ Jesus does not ask us to suffer more than He did. Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. By the grace of God let us be willing to go forth unto Him without the camp in this life, bearing His reproach for His sake, so that we may rejoice greatly in time to come when we lay hold on a name and an eternal place where we belong!

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Dark Pfeffernusse

2011-03-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

This is my dad’s all time favorite cookie. A batch of these will last him a good long while since he made a habit long ago of eating them very slowly in order to make them last as long as possible. :-) They are German in origin and Daddy used to receive a box of them every Christmas from a Mennonite friend in his home church. He says he could usually make them last till Easter.

If they are hardened properly they will last a very long time and stay fresh. Consequently, these would probably be good cookies to send to troops overseas. They are also best eaten with a hot drink such as tea or coffee if you don’t happen to like gnawing hard cookies. My husband calls these “dog biscuits”. :-) They are not quite that hard, but they can be pretty “firm”.
This particular batch was made with candied citrus peel in it that Mom and I made recently. It made the cookies moister and they never did get really hard.

Dark Pfeffernusse

Mix:
1/2 C. shortening
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 C. molasses
mixture of 3 drops of anise oil and 1 Tbl. hot water

Mix:
3 1/3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. white pepper
(Increase spices if you like a stronger taste.)

Mix dry ingredients into wet gradually with hands. Knead dough until right consistency for molding. Roll into strips and cut into bite-size pieces with scissors. Bake on greased baking sheet at 350 degrees about 8 minutes. If you want them hard allow to sit out till hardened.

Food Safety – Should We Eat Food from China?

2011-03-26T15:03:00.001-05:00

There a lot of people concerned about the safety of food produced in the USA. This is a legitimate concern and something that should be addressed. However, I would like to suggest that if you are worrying about the level of contaminants and additives in American made foods but are still eating Anything from China and other east Asian countries, you need to re-evaluate your eating habits.

Here’s why:

The Great China Milk Scandal – Milk powder for babies, etc. is tainted with melamine to a toxic level. At least 269,000 children fall ill from ingesting it. Some die. Over 1000 fur animals fed the product die. Two men were actually executed for producing this milk. Chinese milk products are pulled from shelves all over the Asia and beyond. The melamine is also found in eggs. (Note: This is partly a problem with China’s aversion to breast-feeding. People do sorry things to their children whenever they refuse to use the natural method of feeding children that God created and intended.)

Bessie or Mama? Genetically modified cows in China give “human” milk. – OK, this is rather weird. Some people will find it very revolting. I kind of “get it” in some ways (not approval!!!) because I’ve read and heard a fair bit about China since my Gramma was born there to missionary parents. The Chinese have had customs for centuries that seem very strange, even revolting, to Westerners. While their civilization in some respects was very advanced at an early age – building of cities, gun powder, art, language, etc. – some of their habits and customs have been extremely primitive or vulgar right into the modern era. I remember reading about things like how they used human dung to fertilize their fields, thus spreading contamination and disease; foot binding; atrocities of various types, etc.

So I read this quote: “In ancient China, only the emperor and the empress could drink human milk throughout their lives, which was believed to be the height of opulence. Why not make that kind of milk more available for ordinary people?” And, that makes sense in a Chinese sort of way. Disgusting, but not as shocking as it might seem when viewed in context.

As I mentioned with the melamine contaminated milk, when people reject the methods of life and living that God has ordained in His creation (in this case breastfeeding their children), they run into all kinds of problems and foolishness. Genetically modifying cows to produce “human” milk will undoubtedly have an unforeseen and undesirable consequence – besides revolting Westerners.

I for one propose not to eat any Chinese dairy products wittingly! Who knows what might be contained in them.

By the way, we have recently learned that un-homogenized, un-pasteurized cow’s milk, in other words raw cow’s milk, is the closet thing to human milk in nature and the most easily digested by humans. It contains more pro-biotics and other good-for-you things, and probably retains the protein that they’ve actually reduced in the GMO Chinese cows. No surprise for the Bible believer. The land of Canaan was called “a land flowing with milk and honey” no less than 8 times in the scriptures. (Probably a combination of cow, goat and possibly sheep milk.)

That Nasty Oriental Shrimp/Tilapia Pond, among other things. – (Not recommended to be read while eating.) Several years ago a friend of our brought a National Geographic magazine to my family’s house to show us the picture of a shrimp pond in China where shrimp for export was grown. It was an ugly, dark looking cesspool – not a place where you’d want to find your Food. I think she even mentioned at the time that the Chinese were feeding the shrimp chicken manure as part of the their diet. If you read this link, from Ghana in Africa, you will find that it’s far worse than that. Personally, think I’d rather eat partially hydrogenated oil and GMO corn than this stuff!

By the way, I’d like to know how many of you heard of all the health dangers that were addressed by US and EU government agencies that are listed in this article. I had only heard of a few.

Another look at imported seafood, including other countries besides China. – In relation to this article I would like to mention that I have heard that a certain amount of contamination by certain types of bacteria is normal in food. The problem is high levels of contamination in these things, and lack of proper cleaning or cooking. The presence of things like disinfectants, pesticides, animal and insect droppings, additives, and antibiotics is disturbing because they were introduced, on purpose in some cases, from unnatural sources.

The most important quotes to me in this article are:

“Just Wednesday, the agency issued an ‘import alert,’ which is like a hazard warning to its port inspectors to detain shipments from specific companies until tests conducted by the importer indicate that the food meets FDA standards.”

“The loads were seized until the company could supply proof that the shrimp were safe.”

“Obtaining the clean bill of health raised more issues as FDA found the company had been ‘shopping’ for private labs that would and did produce an analysis declaring the shrimp was salmonella-free and safe to sell and consume. The FDA didn't buy it and the shrimp were kept off the market.”

[Emphasis added.]

Hello!? Are we going to trust the companies and importers who are trying to pawn this filth-polluted food off on us (as the consumer) to test the product and prove that it is ~~safe~~? Doesn’t that sound just a bit unlikely? And, what if the FDA doesn’t catch them at their “lab shopping” shenanigans next time?

Have you ever eaten any shrimp or other seafood that just didn’t taste quite right? It was kind of tasteless or even had a nasty after or “under” taste? I really wonder about that now!

And, remember “Less than 2 percent of foreign seafood is even eyeballed, let alone analyzed in a laboratory.” For the first time in quite a while I actually feel kind of sorry for the FDA. How can they be expected to deal with the enormity of this problem?

Conclusion

I think that we, as consumers, can make a difference by what we buy and don’t buy. This has been proven recently by the fact that more and more companies are removing hydrogenated oils, MSG, and other allergens and additives from their food products. When all else fails, let’s insist on clean food at the cash register! This is where the local sellers will feel it and they will be “inspired” to make changes in what they stock!

Breakfast Rambling – Free To Serve

2011-03-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

Psalm 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; 45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

After recounting so much of Israel’s history as a nation, particularly the deliverance from Egypt, the writer gives the purpose that God did this for them (plural) as opposed to the fact that He did it for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (vs. 6, 9-10, 42) individually (so to speak). God delivered them from bondage so that they could “observe his statutes, and keep his laws.”

When the Lord delivers us from the bondage of sin and the devil it is so that we may serve Him with reverence and godly fear. It is so that we can obey His word in the church age context.

Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

When we don’t obey we tend toward the same problems Israel had – a lust for the old “pleasures” and a return to bondage, both old and new. The “freedom indeed” that we have in Christ is not freedom to do our own thing, but freedom from bondage so that we might serve God acceptably.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another… 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

No Bake Chocolate Caramel Butterscotch Cookies

2011-03-19T21:07:00.003-05:00

These are some of my favorite cookies, really they are more candy than cookie. To quote the modern expression, they are “seriously good”. I have liked them for years, but I never was able to make them well – until now! For the first time recently they turned out for me. This is a milestone in my life. :-)

Thus, I would like to dedicate this post to:

- Mom, because she had the recipe first, and could only make them somewhat better than I could.

- my sister who could make them quite well every time.

- my brother, who after tasting my new version of these cookies, declared they were 1/8th of an inch from being as good as cheese cake (high praise from him). He nearly went delirious when I suggested using them as topping on cheese cake.

- my sister in-law who wanted the recipe so she can make these for my brother.

- Sarah P., who never made good biscuits till her 10th wedding anniversary when she finally stopped following the recipe. That memory helped me break out of this recipe and finally get them to turn out, after years of futile efforts that ended in either dry crumbs or gooey “spoon cookies”.

:-)

-----------------------------------

This is the original recipe, which may turn out just fine for you if you have my sister’s touch. :-)

---

No Bake Caramel Cookies

Combine in sauce pan:

2 C. sugar

3/4 C butter

2/3 C. evaporated milk

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and add:

1 4 oz. pkg. instant butterscotch pudding mix (may be 3.5 oz.)

3 1/2 C. quick-cooking rolled oats

Mix thoroughly. Cool 15 minutes. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined tray.

Makes 5 doz. cookies

------------------------------------

This is the way I made them when they finally turned out for me, and the ones which my brother about swooned over. ;-)

No Bake Chocolate Caramel Butterscotch Cookies

3/4 C. of butter

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 3.5 oz. pkg. cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

3 1/2 cups mixed quick-cooking rolled oats, old fashioned rolled oats and unsweetened coconut

2-3 handfuls of bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Place butter in heavy sauce pan and heat over lowish heat till almost completely melted, stirring often. Add sweetened condensed milk and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat stirring constantly. (This is important as it will start burning quite easily.)

Remove from heat. Add butterscotch pudding mix and stir well. Add oats and coconut and mix well. Allow to cool about 5-8 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir briefly. Do Not stir them in well or they will completely melt and your cookies will be something a little different – the butterscotch will not be as distinct of a flavor.

Drop on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls. Allow to cool completely before serving. I recommend putting them in the refrigerator or freezer for a while, especially in warm weather.

Store in frig in a sealed container with waxed paper between layers. I put some in the freezer, but I don’t know how they will turn out when thawed. Probably they will be fine.

--------------------------------------

If you try my version of this recipe please let me know how it turns out for you. I’m hoping this may be a more foolproof method that will turn out well with more consistency, at least for those of us who don’t have the “magic touch”. :-)

Random Kitchen Shot and Some Thoughts On Using “Treasures”

2011-03-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

Here is a random photo of my kitchen. This was taken a year or two ago. It’s before I got my new stove, so I know it was before the fall of 2010 anyway! :-)

A little description might be in order. As you can see I have a dishwasher (praise the Lord), but I still use a drainer as I do some things by hand. I also use it for drying fresh fruit and vegetables that I wash.

The dark hole above the sink is not something out of The Time Zone. Actually, it was a window before the living room was added. The people who did this left the opening, put a board on the bottom (apparently for serving food into the living room, as it’s quite wide) and removed the glass panes. The reason it looks so dark in the living room is that the shades and drapes are all shut (probably it was a hot day – we have a surplus of those in Texas). The light is coming from the window which is across from the sink.

On the counter I see – coffee grounds waiting to go to the mulch pile, breakfast dishes, milk thawing (we buy ours at Costco and freeze what we can’t use right away), the toaster, a “cookie” jar (that’s the old one that now holds garlic), peanut butter, etc.

Using Those Treasures

Notice the little decorative pitcher up on the window ledge. That is an “heirloom” from my grandmother. I use it to water my house plants. Yes! You can use heirlooms for something useful! :-) They don’t need to just sit on a shelf and collect dust – making work for you.

One of my grandmothers was especially bad about saving things for “special” occasions. Unfortunately, those occasions seldom came and she had little opportunity to enjoy actually using her nice things (and some clothes). I am trying to learn from that that it is OK to use my nice things and not to just keep them shut away or in the china closet for “special” occasions. Any occasion can be special if you use a cherished and lovely item! :-)

Take that little pitcher – I use it and I have the added pleasure of seeing it sitting right on the ledge every day. Otherwise it would probably be stored in some dark corner out of sight!

These plates I probably only ever saw when my grandparents moved and when we cleaned out their house for the last time. Isn’t that sad? They are so nice! My husband and I use them as everyday plates. They went very nicely with our “eclectic mix” of blue and white dishes. :-)

Four Salads

2011-03-11T17:20:00.000-06:00

Do you get hungry for salad in the spring? I do! I think our bodies want the fresh green lettuce and veggies as part the clearing out process after winter. That’s my theory, anyway. But, I know that the fresh fruits and veggies taste extra good in the spring time, especially when you have homegrown lettuce! :-)

Here are four salads that I especially like. Three are very simple. If you sometimes forget or struggle to eat fresh fruit, three of these salads might be some help to you.

Blueberry-Melon Salad

This is a summer salad and probably my favorite. I love the colors and the fresh berries!

As you can see, it only has three ingredients – leafy green lettuce, blueberries and cantaloupe. I usually serve it with a sweet-sour dressing, honey-lemon is the best. (I will try to share some dressing recipes later.)

Festive Banana Melon Salad

This salad is quite pretty. It isn’t much different from the one above. It has bananas instead of blueberries, and a maraschino cherry is put on top to decorate it. This, of course, is optional. (It’s hard to find maraschino cherries here that don’t have high fructose corn syrup in them.) I serve this with similar dressings as I do the blueberry one.

Another variation of this is to leave out the bananas and add plain cooked chicken breast. This then becomes a “main dish” salad.

This was an interesting one, but it was actually quite good. As you can see I sprinkled some toasted sesame over the top of the sweet-sour dressing. This would be so refreshing on a late winter day, I think! :-)

Chef Salad

This is two servings.

This salad is the not-so-easy one. But, it is almost an entire meal. All you need to add is some carbohydrate of some sort – bread, chips, biscuits, etc. How about croutons?

When I make this I layer it. Lettuce on the bottom. Next some mixed veggies – cucumbers, carrots, etc. Then the “julienned” ham slices and the grated cheese. On that I sprinkled some black pepper. The tomatoes (cherry or wedges of a larger one) and quartered boiled eggs look decorative around the edges. Black olives rings would make a nice addition to the top as well. If you don’t eat ham, try turkey or roast beef deli meat. It’s good served with a savory dressing – Ranch, bleu cheese, Russian, Italian, Thousand Island, etc.

By the way, with attention to the ingredients these can all be made gluten free. :-) Just use a safe dressing and adjust some things in the Chef Salad.

Cooked Oatmeal Cake

2011-03-07T09:05:00.000-06:00

[After I’d created this post I looked at the calendar and discovered that today is National Cereal Day. How appropriate is that?! :-) ]

I hate wasting leftovers. I always feel like I’m throwing away money! Here’s a great way to use leftover cooked oatmeal. If you don’t usually have leftovers and would like to make this cake, then make some extra next time! :-)

Cooked Oatmeal Cake

1 1/2 C. cooked oatmeal
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter (1/2 C.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1 1/3 C. flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Mix in oatmeal. Add and mix in soda, cinnamon and flour. Pour into a greased 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

-------------------------

Mom and I made this together recently with some leftover oatmeal that my husband had cooked. He’d put in dried cherries, so we reduced to the sugar (to the amount given above) and it came out really well. We also omitted the cinnamon and put some almond flavoring in instead. Then at the last minute we added chocolate chips! It was really good, and not too sweet. We substituted white whole wheat for part of the flour as well, but I don’t remember the proportions we used.

Anyway, this is a quick and easy cake, a nice way to eat leftover oatmeal, and quite versatile! Use it for breakfast, for coffee cake, for dessert, tea, lunches, or just for a healthier sweet snack. Try your own variations too. As you can see in the picture, the batch I’d made there had raisins or cranberries in the oatmeal.

From My Kitchen Window – Snow from Last Year

2011-03-03T16:18:00.001-06:00

Last winter we had some snow here in February. It lasted more than a day which is very unusual here. I managed to take some pictures of it from my kitchen window. I just thought I’d share some with you. :-)

I love to watch snow fall when there is not strong wind with it. It is so peaceful and restful. But, I don’t enjoy dealing with slippery roads and long winters, so I’m just as glad to live where we don’t get much. :-)

Here is some of the accumulation on the ground. Just the right amount. :-)

This picture was obviously not taken out the kitchen window.

Snow is so beautiful! Have you ever looked at it close up? Next time it snows a fine snow where you live take a magnifying glass and dark piece of fabric (a coat, a blanket, a towel, etc.) outside. (Note, don’t take something from the warmest part of the house or it will take a few minutes for it to cool off enough not to melt the flakes almost instantly.) Lay the fabric out and allow it to collect some flakes, then look at them through the glass. They are gorgeous even with out a magnifying glass. I enjoy photographing them if I can.

Job 38:22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

(Note: In the context of the passage this is taken from it seems to me that the treasures of the snow and hail are storehouse type treasures. This is an interesting thought to me. God uses gold for street paving and treasures (stores up) snow and hail. We humans sure don’t think like He does! Isaiah 55:8-9)

That snow “storm” in February 2010 was a good excuse to make hot chocolate at my parents’ house. My sister-in-law has a dandy machine for this that works really well. She brought it up and made some for those of us who were home at the time. You just add milk, chocolate chips and maybe a bit of sweetening depending on how dark your chocolate is. Turn it on and in a short time you have yummy hot chocolate.

She still had melted snowflakes in her hair when I took this. :-)

New Uses for Everyday Items

2011-02-07T14:40:00.000-06:00

A teapot I used as a vase.

New Uses for Serving Pieces – Appropriate those little used serving pieces for other jobs.

101 Uses for Everyday Things – A number of these items are technically “kitchen” items. Some of the uses I question, but some are really useful.

50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Items – Some non-kitchen things again, but a lot of interesting ideas. (Note: I don’t think the stores would appreciate people collecting paint chips [or cards] for the purpose of making place cards. I’m just saying…)

New Uses for Things In the Dining Room – There’s a little repetition here, but some good ideas too. As regarding using a quilt as a table cloth, I suggest covering it with a piece of clear heavy vinyl cut the size of a table cloth. You should be able to find this by the yard at a fabric store or Wal-mart.

Random Meal – A lunch

2011-02-03T15:16:00.002-06:00

Just for fun I thought I’d try to post an occasional meal “menu”. :o)

My lunch – Fried egg cooked with leftover chicken noodle stew (it was too thick to be soup ;-) ) made with whole grain pasta; baby carrots, and a slice of mozzarella with homemade orange marmalade on it.

My husband’s lunch – Cheese and home grown lettuce on whole grain bread, peanuts and raisins (or maybe it was dried cranberries), and a homemade granola bar.

What's for lunch at your house?

Snow Ice Cream

2011-02-03T13:19:00.004-06:00

This seems like a really appropriate recipe to post right now due to the heavy amounts of snow around the U.S. The only drawback is that if you don’t have the ingredients on hand you probably won’t want to go out for them! :-)

What you will need:

Warm clothes
Mixing bowl
Serving bowls
Fresh, clean snow
A level surface for working outside

Ingredients:

1/2 C. half/half or whole milk
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
4 C. clean snow

Here is the instructions as given on YouTube by Tawra Kellam of Living On A Dime.

Note: I took these photos of snow when we were living in Tennessee. The car was “decorated” by my brother, Dan. :-)

Note: One friend pointed out that our air is not necessarily clean (at least in most areas). So, wait till you've had several inches of snow before you collect and then try setting out a bowl as Tawra did and catching only the fresh stuff. Or, you could carefully scrape off just the very top of the snow. If your area has had a lot of snow recently you're probably safe anyway on the air pollutions. As Tawra mentioned, don't collect snow where chemicals have been used - such as yard and garden sprays, etc

Making Meals Pretty – The Food

2011-01-25T16:23:00.002-06:00

It isn’t hard to make a meal look attractive, but sometimes it’s easy to forget if you don’t keep it in mind. My great-grandfather had no sense of taste, so to him the appeal of a meal was all visual. Consequently, if it didn’t look nice, he didn’t really enjoy it.

My mom and sister both took home economic courses that taught them to make food look attractive by using different color combinations. It isn’t really that hard to do most of the time. But, it does take a bit of thinking ahead, and I admit that my efforts are sometimes haphazard. Sometimes I think about what I have on hand or what sounds good, only to discover when I serve the meal that it’s very unappealing visually. Here are few examples and illustrations to show what I mean.

Here is a meal I made that is balanced, but not attractive. It is all brown, beige and white. Though some people think these are lovely colors because they are neutral, neutral colors are neutral because they don’t say anything! They are blah, or perhaps I should say mute.

This next meal, which I made on another occasion has two of the same components, but with a colorful vegetable mix and drink (grape juice), it makes a pretty picture.

Notice the difference in these next two pictures where a pan full of food is dressed up with a small addition of color. It is not particularly striking, yet it really does look better.

To both the pasta/herb mix and the zucchini was added a sprinkling of shredded cheese (maybe parmesan?), and to the zucchini was added just a few black olive halves and some bits of tomato. But, it looks so much tastier to me! :-) Of course, melted cheese has the tendency to make a lot of things look yummier by virtue of the anticipated taste, but its’ color can be useful as well.

Here are some items that will add color interest when added to various and sundry dishes:

Tomato
Black or green olives
Carrots – slices, shaved or shredded
Green leafy vegetables, including lettuce
Sour Cream (for a bright white)
Cheese – especially orange cheeses
Green herbs
Frozen peas (I recommend adding them at the last minute so they keep their color and fresher taste)
Chives
Various fruits
Colorful peppers of all kinds

Even some flowers are edible and can perk up a salad. Just be sure not to use anything that has been treated with a systemic poison or something that isn’t safe for consumption.

Of course, try to match up the flavor of the things you add for color with the food you are serving. Chunks of watermelon hardly belong in potato soup. :-)

Anyway, this is just to encourage you (and myself) to try to dress things up just a bit with some color. It will make your meals more appealing visually, which is good for the artistic part of us. (Yes, we all have an artistic side – we are created in the image of God and He is the ultimate artist and master of color!) It doesn’t take much. If nothing else, serve some sliced tomatoes, carrots or apples along with the meal.

Fast Method Baklava

2011-01-24T12:47:00.001-06:00

Here is a recipe for baklava that does not require the tedious method of layering butter and fillo dough sheet by sheet. This is the only kind I’ve ever made and it always turns out well. It is a family favorite!

I recommend making the syrup ahead of time, but if you do not remember, be sure to let the baklava cool completely before pouring the warm syrup over it. Either the syrup or the baklava should be warm, but never both according to what I read. For large batches of baklava it is recommended to let it cool first and put the warm syrup on later. I have done it both ways, and they both work.

Some recipes call for unsalted butter, but I’ve used salted most of the time and it tasted fine. The recipe below is actually a combination of two different recipes. This is approximately how I made it the last time.

--------------------------------------------

1 pk. of fillo dough (about 20 – 30 sheets)

1 lb. butter, melted and with the solids skimmed off the top

3 - 4 C. ground walnuts (or pecans or unsalted pistachios)

1/2 C. sugar

2 Tbl. melted butter (I just take this out of the amount melted above.)

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Honey Syrup

Preheat oven to 450F. Brush 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan with butter. Place half the fillo dough in the pan (about 10-15 sheets). Spread all of filling mixture evenly over it. Cover with remaining half of fillo sheets. Cut into diamond shapes* using a good, sharp knife. Spoon the melted (or clarified) butter over it making sure to get it in all the cut lines and around the edges. NOTE: Do not use the milky stuff in the bottom of the pan – only the clearer, golden colored part that looks like oil.

Bake in 450F oven for 8 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the baklava in the oven for 45 more minutes. Do not open the oven during this time.

Remove from oven and spoon cooled syrup on the hot baklava making sure to cover all areas including around the edges, as with the butter. It may be necessary to re-cut the baklava before removing it from the pan.

Honey Syrup

2/3 C. honey

1/3 C. sugar

3/4 C. water

Juice from 1 lemon

3 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long

Mix honey, sugar, water and spices in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and cook for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool completely. Remove cloves and cinnamon before spooning over baklava.

You may increase or reduce the syrup based on your preferences.

------

*To cut baklava into diamond shapes, cut straight lines across the 9” width of the pan. Then cut diagonal lines from the end of one horizontal cut to the end of another on the opposite side of the pan going in a straight line. Here is a link to a page that shows a slightly different cutting pattern, but it’s the same idea, and hopefully it will help. If you don’t feel confident of this, just cut it in smallish squares.

The diamond pattern tends to make some rather large pieces, so recently I’ve cut mine into triangles and squares instead. If you do triangles try not to cut them too small as it can make them hard to handle when you remove them from the pan.

=========================

Note: If you do not have whole cloves or cinnamon, you may put in ground. The cloves would probably be about 1/4 tsp. and the cinnamon 2 tsp. This is an estimate since I haven’t done this. But, it will make your baklava darker. The point in using it whole is to get the taste without the color. It’s mostly an appearance thing, I think.

If you want to buy whole cloves or cinnamon but the price at your local grocery is prohibitive, I suggest checking out an Indian grocery store or food shop. A lot of larger cities have them, and we have gotten whole cloves and cinnamon at such places for much better prices that can usually be found in regular grocery stores. You may find other herbs and spices that you use cheaper there as well. Also, if you have an electric coffee grinder, you can easily grind up the whole cloves or cinnamon into powder if you want to later. Just be sure to clean the grinder well after using it for spices or herbs. (My mom actually keeps two – one for coffee and one for herbs and such. She watches for coffee grinders at second hand stores.)

A Modest Proposal – Rethinking Gift Giving for the New Year

2011-01-19T08:54:00.000-06:00

Do you have a lot of stuff? I don’t mean the things you use on a regular basis, or that are there to make your home look pretty. I mean the stuff that is lurking in the garage, under the bed, in closets, perhaps in the attic or basement – the things that fall out on your head, keep you from finding the back of the closet, and make it impossible to park the car out of the weather. I mean the things that you don’t use any more, that are not family heirlooms, and maybe you don’t even remember that you own! That’s the stuff I mean…

A Modest Proposal

Go to my web page to read the rest of this article. It got too long and I wanted to develop it too much to make it work well for the blog, so I moved it over there. :-) I hope that it will interest you. It should help us with our organizing efforts at the same time! It’s always great to kill two birds with one stone.

Is It Food?

2011-01-18T12:42:00.000-06:00

Did you ever wonder how to tell what is good food and what is not at the grocery store? Or, have you ever had trouble deciphering the label lingo? Here’s a clever flowchart to help you determine what is really edible on the grocery store shelves. :-)

Is It Food? [Flowchart]

Get Organized!

2011-01-15T16:28:00.000-06:00

Here are some links to help us get organized. There is some good advice here and some plain talking. These ladies aren’t trying to sell us a product that will “help us organize”, they are just giving some good common sense. If you’re like me, you probably don’t need more space, you just need to eliminate or store the non-essential and clutter items that are going nowhere and doing nothing to improve your life or home. (And, by the way, if you have a reasonable size house to start with, you don’t need a storage unit to put this extra stuff in. Get rid of it or give it to someone who will use it! Why pay to store things you don’t truly need? And, if you really, really can’t part with something, buy a small portable shed – used, if possible – and store it yourself. It will save money in the long run.)

Stand Up and Move – Toss and Store – This isn’t the actual title of this article, but it’s the part I like best; maybe because it applies to me! :-)

Get Organized Part 1 – Who knew that getting organized could improve our quality of living so much?

Get Organized Part 2 – Where the rubber meets the road. Telling us what we need to hear. (The author has CFS, by the way, so she is not unsympathetic toward those who have genuine disabilities and encourages us to work in small increments.)

--------------------------------

After reading some of these I got inspired to clean out under my bathroom sink and discard or give away anything that I wasn’t going to use or didn’t need, and to move at least one thing to a more logical location for storage. :-) That area had been bugging me because it was too full and cluttered. Since I want to move to more natural cleaning products it was a good time to eliminate things that I wasn’t likely to finish up. Too bad I didn’t take some “before” and “after” pictures. ;-) Later I may show some other projects I’ve been working on (the sewing room) or that I want to work on (the back bedroom).

And, lest ye think that my mess can’t be as bad as yours, here are a couple pictures for proof. (Don’t look at these in the evening. They might give you nightmares.) :-)

The back bedroom – dumping ground for various and sundry and sorting area for boxes not yet unloaded since we moved here. Though the pile has somewhat improved, it is still difficult the move around in there…

The sewing room (before the desk and machine were set up in there). This mess actually got somewhat organized and some of the things were put away or tended to; but, believe it or not, the mess in there is actually worse now than it was in this picture! Ack! (More later on that.)

Why We Don’t Celebrate Christmas

2011-01-12T10:29:00.001-06:00

Some of my readers may wonder why it is that there has not been any Christmas stuff on here – no recipes, no references, etc. We do not celebrate the holiday, and here is a page explaining why for those who might be interested in the reason (no, we are NOT Jehovah’s Witnesses):

Why We Don’t Celebrate Christmas

If you are interested in reading more information on this subject I have further information posted here:

Christmas – Holy or Profane?

If you are not interested in making a decision between righteousness and unrighteousness on this subject please don’t go to these pages. It is not a matter to be treated lightly nor with the attitude that “it really doesn’t matter that much”, and “I have the liberty to do as I please”. Once you are informed on this subject you will answer to God (not me or us) for your decision.

I waited to post this article here till after the holidays were over so that readers could have some time to digest it before the next “holiday season” rolls around. Some people become very sensitive and defensive if this subject is addressed just before the “Christmas season”, and thus refuse to think biblically and graciously.

I am not posting this to start a debate. I don’t wish to argue with anyone about it. Our convictions on this subject are not up for debate. If you don’t agree, fine. It’s your choice. But, anyone who sends a comment that is intended to make me feel guilty or uncomfortable about this can be assured that it will not be posted. :-) I don’t dislike people because they celebrate Christmas, nor do I disrespect them. All I ask is some respect and Christian grace in return. We used to celebrate Christmas ourselves. I know that it is not easy to make the separation on this. But, if you set out to destroy my conviction or to make me feel “ungodly” for this choice, I can’t answer for that.

Lamentations 3:35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

A lot of people will quote Romans 14:12 to justify their choice to continue celebrating, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” They don’t seem to stop and think about the fact that this verse works two ways – if they have chosen wrongly to defend and maintain the Christmas tradition, they will answer for that as well as if they were doing the right thing; and they don’t seem to think about the implications of answering for such a large matter as celebrating Christ’s birth in a pagan context.

On the other hand, they don’t seem to think much about the fact that those of us who have chosen *not* to celebrate this holiday also will give account of ourselves before God, and therefore, they have no right nor business to try to convince us to defile our consciences in returning to something that we know and are convinced is ungodly and even blasphemous. I find it ironic that, for those of us who abstain, the consequences of being wrong seem much less fearful than for those who insist on continuing to celebrate. If we are wrong, there is no scripture commanding us to celebrate Christ’s birth, and on the contrary there is much scripture instructing us not to mix idolatry with the truth. If those who observe Christmas are wrong, though they are not forbidden to celebrate Christ’s birth, they are certainly commanded not to mix righteousness and unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 6:14 …what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?…

Selah.

Loaded Chips and Cheese

2011-01-08T22:01:00.001-06:00

You can make chips and cheese into a fully balanced meal! This is one of the great things about it – that and melted cheese. What cheese lover can resist that? :-) (Note of our foreign friends – the kind of chips used for this are corn chips, just in case you don’t know that.)

To make the loaded chips and cheese pictured above I fully cooked some chicken breast strips and seasoned them with Mexican type seasoning (garlic, onion, red pepper, cumin, oregano) and salt. Then, after spreading the corn chips on a baking sheet, I added the chicken, sliced black olives and grated cheese. I may have added some more spices to make the entire batch more flavorful. I baked it in the oven (350F-375F) just till the cheese melted and then sprinkled it with fresh, diced tomatoes before serving it. Supper in one pan! :-)

Pinto or black beans (rinsed and well drained) could be used here in place of the chicken meat, or added to it to “stretch” it. You could also use cooked, drained ground beef.

Other toppings you could use to make a complete meal of it:

- pepperoni; fully cooked, crumbled sausage (drained and patted dry with paper towel); mushrooms; olives and other pizza toppings (use the sauce for dip if you want it, or sprinkle basil, garlic and oregano on top of the cheese before baking).

- thin sliced steak (fully cooked); chopped, canned artichoke hearts (well drained and patted dry); sautéed garlic cloves (drained) and fresh chopped tomatoes. Season with herbs of your choice – maybe fresh, chopped basil? Mmmm.

- fully cooked, drained ground beef (drain on paper towel); garbanzo beans; pitted kalamata olives; lightly sautéed garlic; crumbled feta cheese. (I recommend using mozzarella with this combination so that the feta really shines through.) Top this with fresh, shredded lettuce, chopped cucumber, and/or tomatoes. You could also spray the top lightly with olive oil before to add flavor.

Note: Anything you want fresh needs to be added after removing from the oven, obviously.

I have not tried all these toppings. I’m just thinking these through as I write. Be adventuresome and think up some of your own that sound good to you. Just remember not to use anything very wet or the chips may get soggy.

Also, using safe cheese and other ingredients, this recipe can be made gluten free.

Recycle – Reuse : “That old thing?” – The Cookie Jar

2011-01-04T15:00:00.001-06:00

Most of my “recycling” efforts really fall under the category of reusing. I grew up in a “poor country preacher’s” home. The churches my dad served were small and generally not able to offer a lot of financial support. So, my dad worked on the side, and my mom made everything go as far as possible. Both my parents did. They were also both efficient at finding bargains and getting to them “before the hoarders got there”, as their little joke went. You see we were the “hoarders” in those days. Not because we were afraid of the future or just wanted stuff, but because when we found food we used, needed or especially liked at a rock bottom price we bought in quantity and froze, stored or canned it. This is how my mom managed to feed a family of six on such a low income. In fact, we ate quite well considering our “economic bracket”! But, they couldn’t have managed at all if God hadn’t been so gracious to them. He helped them in these endeavors over and over in so many ways! It was truly amazing and we praise Him for it!

My parents and grandparents were all missionaries in Africa as well. This made for an interesting life of making do with what they had. Back when the first ones went out (before W.W. II) things were still quite primitive in some places they lived. It was not “pioneering missions”, but they really roughed it sometimes. They all learned the value of reusing things in a big way, believe me. This was not always to the best advantage later as some things that were saved as really useful on the African mission field were not particularly useful things to save in the U.S. – such a tin cans, which in East Africa were at one time traded for eggs, but here were almost useless except for some very particular situations. (Note: Large coffee cans with sealing lids can be useful for some purposes, but lets not save every single one!) An important part of reusing is learning where to draw the line and not go overboard.

I would like to share a few of the things I’ve been able to “reuse”. The posts designated “That Old Thing?” will primarily be for the purpose of showing how “old” or “useless” items can be reused or rejuvenated to serve another purpose. (At least that’s the plan at the moment. :-) )

First of all, I’d like you to see a cookie jar I have.

Some people might think it’s pretty nice, but in fact it has some cracks and is showing it’s age. Even in this picture you can see a couple of the repairs on the lid (done by my dad or a former owner). Also, I am pretty sure that someone used it for potting a plant at some point because there was dirt in the bottom of it when I first got it and it was quite dirty.

My dad actually gave this to me. He bought it somewhere second hand to resell since it is a 1950’s era “real McCoy”, but it was not in great condition. The lid may be from another cookie jar even. He knew I like strawberry stuff, so he offered it to me, very kindly. :-)

Anyway, what do you use a cookie jar for that has been used to pot plants? Ugh.

It took some work, but I finally got the years of caked on grime pretty much scrubbed off. Since I had a newer, cleaner cookie jar in a similar shape, I didn’t really need it for cookies. I ended up storing garlic in it. It isn’t air tight, so the garlic can “breath”, and it’s former “life of grime” is not an issue. :-) Reused!

(Note: The other cookie jar actually serves as a cracker holder – packaged crackers that won’t be effected by the air leaks. I don’t consider these kind of cookie jars to be that great for storing cookies, unless they have a rubber seal, since the cookies tend to go stale quicker. I store mine in sealed containers. Just for what it’s worth.)

The End of the Year

2010-12-31T21:58:00.001-06:00

As the year ends tonight, I find this poem to be very encouraging and wanted to share with you. For those of us who are the children of the eternal God through Christ Jesus, our lives have only just begun – no matter what age we are at the moment! There is a hugeness about God that we can rest in, trust in and live in as the short years of our earthly life roll by. Praise God!

------------------------------------

The Measures of God

His wrath the seven vials hold,
The seven trumps His judgments sound;
But what can span the love of God,
And what His goodness bound?

The seven woes shall have an end,
The seven plagues His hand shall stay:
But when shall His compassions fail,
His kindness pass away?

The dust of earth He measures out,
He numbers all the stars of space,
His mighty scales the mountains weigh;
But what can weigh His grace?

His fingers spread the heavens forth,
He cups the seas within His hand;
But who His mercies can compute;
Unnumbered as the sand?

The wickedness of men shall pass,
And death shall die, and wars shall cease;
But still His covenant shall stand
Of righteousness and peace.

And when men's measured thread is spun,
His finished tale of days is told,
When all earth's numbered years are done
And Time itself grows old,

Then shall God's long eternities
Their unmarked course have yet to run,
And His uncounted eon-hours
Be only just begun.

Annie Johnson Flint

Psalm 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

1Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Some Links of Interest

2010-12-27T09:27:00.000-06:00

Just a few interesting or odd cooking links. Enjoy! :-)

(Note: Use caution in reading other pages on these sites. I have not read all of them, and in some cases I know that other pages are not worth looking at.)

Homemade Sausage from a homesick Texan. Making your own sausage is not as difficult as you might think. Also, it doesn’t have MSG, which is sometimes hard to avoid in the store bought kinds! (If you don’t have the red pepper and cayenne, try adding a few shakes of Tabasco or a similar hot sauce.) If you don’t eat pork, try making this from ground turkey or chicken. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! :-)

Medieval Vegetables – This may seem a bit strange. I have no interest in reenactments, but I do find the historical value of this page interesting. Eating history could be a great way to learn, both for adults and kids!

Three Possum Recipes – I have never eaten possum myself, but I’ve eaten raccoon. I would not eat it again unless I was starving. But, you never know. These recipes might come in handy sometime. I don’t recommend the last recipe at all, unless you have house guests that forgot how to go home. (Ahem.) No, not really. ;-)

How to Cook Snapping Turtle – Here is a recipe for cooking a snapping turtle. If you are brave enough to try to catch one, the instructions on cleaning and cooking it are here. I have eaten turtle before. It was pretty good for wild meat – a whole lot better than raccoon!

Breakfast Rambling – Not unto us, O LORD…but unto thy name give glory… A brief study of Psalm 104

2010-12-24T13:34:00.001-06:00

This post got so long that I decided it should be a Bible study on my web page. Please read it here:

Not Unto Us, O Lord

After you have read this please answer this by leaving a post below: What can you say in worship and praise to God today that does not reflect upon your own needs or blessings?

Danish Butter Cookies

2010-11-29T16:37:00.000-06:00

After I’d expressed a desire for homemade cookies several times, one evening my husband suddenly decided that we would make some (despite the lateness of the hour). Was I ever glad he did! We chose this recipe since I didn’t have any brown sugar at the time. It is quite simple, but doesn’t make a lot of cookies. One warning – once you’ve eaten these homemade Danish butter cookies you’ll probably never really like the store bought variety again!

Also, you might try adding some shredded coconut or dipping half of each cookie in chocolate coating to make them a bit fancier or to offer variety. I think that you could refrigerate them and put them through a cookie press as well to make prettier shapes. They taste great without any of this, though, so it may not be worth messing with! Simpler is often better in my opinion. :-)

--------------------------------------

1 C. butter
1 egg
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla)
2 C. flour (or 1 C. white whole wheat and 1 C. white flour)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and almond extract and mix. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add a little at a time to the butter mixture until it is all mixed in.

Roll into walnut size balls, place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork or spoon. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Bake at 350F for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly on the sheet before moving to a rack. Completely cool before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies freeze well.