Hearts in Service

I Chronicles 16:8-10 ~  Praise the Lord      and pray in his name! Tell everyone      what he has done. Sing praises to the Lord !      Tell about his miracles. Celebrate and worship his holy name      with all your heart. There are so many wonderful and beautiful things to be thankful for this week.  As His children, we are to share that with others.  Don't keep your blessings to yourself.  Give them away!  Celebrate the miracles.  Shout the praises from the rooftops!  When you share your blessings and the ways God has worked than you, in turn, will be a blessing. I have lots of things to share this week! Today, I'm thankful for blessings #1761-1777. ♫ A solid week of productivity. ♫ Apples that smell and taste sweet. ♫ Laughter. ♫ Chatting with old friends. ♫ Rest and refreshment on a weekend retreat. ♫ Hearing how God is working through another person's ministry. ♫ The thinking process of children - so cute!  ♫ An unexpected blessing as someone

Ephesians 3:14-21 (The Message) ~  My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! This

I haven't done a Thrifty Thursday post in a while, and I think I'm due for one.  Things have been tight lately.  So tight I can barely breathe.  You don't get rich from writing books and in fact, because I'm self-published, I might get 2-3 sales a week if it's a good week! :-)   All of our combined income - Dan's job as pastor, as a job coach, and my crafts and books don't even make up one full income in this area so I have learned to be extremely frugal and to do whatever I can to make ends meet.    This week, as I do each week, I've done the following to gather up those remnants and use up every little bit of what I have: ►  Bought split chicken breasts that were on sale (side note: sale prices are not what they used to be!).  There were 6 breasts in a pack.  I made barbecue chicken with four and a half of them and had that for dinner the other night with homemade rolls.  Last night I took the leftover chicken and made rice and made a casserole w

James 1:2-8 ~  Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believing, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. We can often seem like we have it all together.  Our faith is strong.  We trust God.  Our Christian walk is purposeful.  Then, a trial hits.  And we then see exactly how strong our faith really is.  I love this passage in The Message Bible because it states our faith-life sho

I received an email the other day from my son who was struggling with depression over something.  He poured out his heart to me and I could immediately feel that cold grip of anxiety wrap itself around my heart.  My stomach tightened and I felt ill most of the day.  Much of my anxiety seems to center around my family, and especially my children's well-being.  It's rough being a parent.  I long for them to do well - emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  When I feel anxious, I do pray but It's hard for me when they are struggling. Yet, I often find that if I stay calm and just listen, pray, and offer advice SPARINGLY, things turn around.   Later that day, the same child who sent me the email, came home and was happy.  He had worked through his discouragement.  God had provided a very tangible thing for him to see how all would be okay.   And that, my friends, is the way it should be.  So often, I want to run around and fix everything.  I want to relieve my an

Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, His love endures forever! This is one of the songs we sing in church.  I woke up with that going through my head this morning and that alone, is reason enough to give thanks.  Even though things may go wrong and I have bad days, God's love for me still goes on.   Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, His love endures forever! Even when I feel alone and rejected.  When I feel deserted and scorned. Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, His love endures forever! Even when I'm cranky and tired. My feelings and circumstances may change from day to day, but one thing remains. His love endures forever!   Today, I'm thankful for blessings #1749-1760 ♥ A gift of fresh eggs. ♥ Warm days and cool nights. ♥ Apple picking with a friend. ♥ Autumn days. ♥ Beautiful worship. ♥ The wonderful smell of spices. ♥ A daughter who is adjusting well to her new school. ♥  A productive week. ♥  Great discussi

This is going to be one of these weeks where I need to hold tight to my meal plan.  We are very tight financially and I need to make things streeeeeetttttttttcccccccccccccchhhhhhhhh!  So I'm going to plan all breakfast, snack (for Emily) and dinner every day.  Lunch I don't have to worry about because it's just me most days. Monday B - waffles, juice S - Homemade flat bread, capanata. D - Sloppy chicken, homemade Italian rolls, steamed broccoli, apple pie Tuesday B - granola, juice S - Applesauce cookies D - Sausage & peppers, rice, tossed salad, chocolate cake Wednesday B - crepes with spiced apples, juice S - Homemade green goddess crackers, cheese D - Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, homemade biscuits, corn Thursday B - granola, juice S - Chocolate chip cookies D - Cream of potato soup with ham, homemade bread sticks, chocolate pudding Friday B - Homemade bagels, cream cheese, juice S - Cookies D - Baked Ziti, Homemade Italian bread, tossed

Nothing gets me more motivated to cook and bake than the changing of the seasons.  The weather is cooler and I don't feel like I'm going to faint away by turning on my oven in an already hot house.  The colors and smells are amazing! Here are a few of my favorite things. Gorgeous apples and pears. Beautiful jars full of hard work. Flavors melding together into one delicious tasting dish. The smell of roasting peppers. Warty gourds in bright colors. Good thing I'm in the mood to cook because I've been living in the kitchen!

  I'm feeling blessed today.   Mostly because my dear friend, Kate Megill, has posted a wonderful review of my new book on her blog - Teaching What is Good. As a young girl, I always dreamed of being an author and writing a book.  However, I always imagined it would be a novel or some sort of piece of fiction.  I never dreamed God would use both my passions, writing and teaching His word, and combine them in this way.  My desire is to encourage others to read God's word and also to let them know they are not alone in their struggles.  The Bible isn't just an ancient book.  It is God's living word that is applicable to any situation you face today.  And you don't have to wait until you have it all together to turn to the Lord.  He accepts us right where we are and that is wonderful news! You can click on the picture above or the link to read the review.   Kate is also offering a wonderful giveaway with lots of neat prizes in honor of her 1,000th blog post. 

Autumn brings to mind so many wonderful sights, smells and sounds.  It one of my favorite seasons and it engages all five senses. Vibrant colors make a patchwork quilt on the hills.  A blanket in various shades of red, gold, orange and brown cover the arms of the maple and oak trees, who are beginning to feel a chill. The sun is warm on my face and yet, the air is brisk.  It is a reminder that colder weather is on the way.  Warm sweaters feel soft on my skin. The smell of dry and dying leaves mix with the distant smell of wood smoke. If I pick up a leaf it crackles, crunches, and disintegrates at the touch of my fingers.  Ulike the smooth and springy feel of fresh, green leaves, it is rough and sharp.  As I walk through the woods, I hear the scamper of squirrels as they gather nuts for the winter.  I hear the swish, swish, swish of feet through piles of browness. Autumn brings to mind the tartness of apples and their sweetness baked into pies.  Cinnamon, nutmeg

I Peter 3:3-4 ~ "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." I stood in front of the mirror, wondering how many people had noticed the six inch hairs growing out of my chin in the past few days.   Then in the glaring light, I also noticed that the clump of silvery-gray hair that used to be on the right side of my temple seems to be spreading.   I happened to look at a picture that someone took of me and then gasped at the spreading waistline and my extra “flap” of flab and skin hanging down from my upper arms.   Yikes!!!    What happened to the thin, young girl that used to look back at me from the mirror and photos? As a society, we are obsessed with how we look. Advertising companies have spent millions telling us what type of clothes to wear

One of the blog hops I participate in on a regular basis is my friend, Kate's, Women Helping Women.  Her question today was, "Do you pray over your children?"  This is something that I can say we have done on a fairly regular basis.  There is always room for improvement, but prayer is something that we've taught and done as a family from the beginning. One of the values of our denomination is that prayer is the primary work of God's people and yet, there are so many people who find prayer to be difficult. Philippians 4:6-7 ~   Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. It is only through praying that we will find peace in the middle of difficulties.  Prayer is as simple as talking to a friend.  I think the problem comes when we think it needs to be eloquent

Today feels like a very mopey Monday.  I didn't sleep well.  I woke up cranky.  It's raining.  And everything feels blah! However, I know the more I continue to focus on how I feel, and on the negative things in my life, I'll just continue to spiral downhill into a major crank-fest.  So, on this rainy, dreary Monday I'm going to focus on the good things.  I'm going to give thanks for the blessings.  I'm going to be thankful no matter the circumstances. So here goes!   Today, I'm thankful for blessings #1737-1748 ♥ A small, intimate worship service yesterday.  We were few in number but the Spirit was still there. ♥ Being able to help a friend with her party on Saturday. ♥ Seeing our church filled to the rafters for a memorial service on Saturday afternoon.   ♥ Being able to speak at a luncheon at a local church this afternoon. ♥ Just enough at just the right time. ♥ A daughter who doesn't feel well, and yet with maturity, still gets up

I feel very uninspired today so I'm struggling to come up with a menu.  There are going to be quite a few meatless meals because meat was outrageously expensive this week!  I generally try to spend less than $2 per lb. for meat.  It was next to impossible to find anything at that price. Anyway, here is what I came up with. Monday - Honey baked lentils, rice, steamed broccoli Tuesday - Stuffed peppers, homemade biscuits, steamed green beans, apple pie Wednesday - Homemade hot pockets, salad, chocolate cake Thursday -   Indian-spiced potatoes & chickpeas, rice, tandoori cauliflower, homemade naan Friday - Homemade pizza (pepperoni or veggie), tossed salad Saturday - Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, steamed corn, cherry cheesecake Sunday - Leftovers

Sigh.  What a difference 4 1/2 years makes!   My baby is growing up and turning into a beautiful young woman.  She has survived her first week of high school and a new school.  She went from a school of one last year (homeschooling) to a school of 3,300 students and is doing beautifully! She is making some friends and adjusting.  She did tell me last night that she was stressed out with trying to find her classes (the school is huge), get there on time, and remember everything.  Apparently she has a very anxious time yesterday when she left her biology book in one of the classrooms by mistake. But she is one tough cookie and very, very determined.  I knew that stubborn streak would serve her well.  LOL!!!! I'm very proud of the compassionate, beautiful, smart, and determined young woman  she is turning into. 

Joshua 24:14-15 ~ “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.   But if you refuse to serve the Lord , then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord .” I have heard comments from quite a few people in our church lately.  They go something like this, "I think God is going to do something big here."  "I've gotten the sense that something good is going to happen."  "I can feel God moving here lately."  These comments warm my heart tremendously.  For the past year,  Dan & I have been praying that the Lord would rattle people and shake them up and open their eyes to Him. We've been praying that He would revive people's h

Yesterday, a friend had invited me to come pick from her garden.  She had canned all the tomatoes she needed and had a large number ripening on the vine.  What a blessing that was to me!  I already had two bags from someone else so when all was said and done, it ended up being about 50 lbs. I got my handy tomato presser out and set up.  Have you ever seen one of these?  The tomatoes go in the top.  You crank the handle and the skins and seeds come out the side onto the pan and the sauce runs down metal trough into the bowl.  It can be messy.  My kitchen always looks like a tomato bomb exploded in it.  Juice flies everywhere.  But it's quick.  It's easy and cleanup isn't that bad.  It's certainly better then standing there for hours peeling, de-seeding, and juicing tomatoes. As I was squishing the tomatoes yesterday, I thought about how much our Christian walk can be like this. The pressure of trials and struggles and this world are overwhelming.   I

This was a week of many blessings; some small and some big.  It was also a week of mistakes; again, some small and some big.  I'm so thankful for this opportunity this week to look back and give thanks and I'm also thankful for a Lord who forgives me and encourages me to move forward. This week I'm thankful blessings -  #1717 - 1736.   ♥ Warm hugs, reminiscing and prayers with a friend who lost her sweet husband. ♥ Tears of thankfulness welling up as she told me to thank my son for working diligently on her husband until the ambulance got there. ♥  Incredible strength in the midst of grief. ♥ Blessing a friend by making memories from the favorite shirts of an aunt who recently passed away. ♥ A wonderful visit with an international worker, talking about his work. ♥ Hot apple pie. ♥ Seeing how stepping out in faith can move mountains. ♥ Enthusiastic teens helping to lead a song. ♥ Smiles on a Sunday morning. ♥ Laughter. ♥ Emily excited for a new a