Wednesdays in the Word - a day later...

Hi Everybody -- I don't know what's wrong with me this week -- I think it may be the heat but I'm just not focused.  I apologize for the lateness of this post.

I've been working on a new song - learning one - not writing one (oh that God would bless me with that talent - but alas...).  It centers around the things we pray and ask God for and how in our "human-ness" we react when God chooses not to answer our prayers according to our requests but instead chooses mercy through our trials.  The question throughout the song is What if? --

As I listened to the lyrics, I found myself wondering if I believe or agreed with them.  I'm not saying it's a bad song or that it's in error Scripturally - in fact, it's just the opposite...I'm asking myself the questions because if I'm going to sing it, I feel like I need to believe it -- or at least agree with it.

Suffering is a part of our walk with Christ.  Sanctification is the process we go through.  Our goodness is as filthy rags apart from the blood of Christ.  I get that.  But do we have to suffer through hard times in order to truly understand His love for us or know Him?  Are we that hard-headed and self-centered that we can't just believe Him and take Him at His Word?  Would we avoid all the hard times if we could do this?  These are the questions that I'm asking myself as I prepare this song...

Sometimes all we want in life are the good times, and sometimes our prayers are merely habits - such as asking God to bless our food, prayers before we sleep, corporate prayers in worship, for example.  Sometimes our prayers are desperate cries for deliverance from difficult circumstances or healing from terrible diseases - either for ourselves or for someone we love.  We pray and believe at whatever level we can -- and sometimes we don't get the answers to our prayers because God has a different plan - a higher plan that we don't understand.

I think that may be the struggle.  Because God created us to have a free will there's just something about us that wants our own way.  He tell us this in His Word - "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him." Isaiah 53:6  None of us wants to go through hard times or be sick or take care of a sick loved one or experience betrayal, devastation or loss.  We wouldn't volunteer to do it - and God knows it.  But He also knows that we wouldn't really have a lot of substance to us if we didn't experience things in life that challenge us at levels we never want to go.  Does this mean that God doesn't love us?  Does it make him mean, unmerciful or cruel?  It feels like that sometimes...but as perfect as He is - our Creator, God gives us such a wonderful illustration of this process in nature.

Look at the butterfly.  It starts life as a worm - ok - a caterpillar.  It is not beautiful it has too many legs and it crawls around on the ground or in trees hiding so that it's not consumed by a predator bird, frog or lizard or spider.  If it survives long enough, it finds a place to transform.  The caterpillar attaches itself to the underside of a branch or on the eave of a house - somewhere where it can go seemingly unnoticed for a season and creates for itself a cocoon.  From the outside it seems there's nothing going on.  This little creature is bound up inside of itself, hiding from the world and not interacting with anyone or anything.  But after a few weeks the cocoon gets a little bit tight.  It's getting hot in there too.  It's painful, uncomfortable and...boring.  What this little caterpillar can't understand is that he no longer fits in this place.  He's outgrown it and is beginning the struggle to freedom.  He moves just a little and the shell cracks - it's still strong though and binding - really binding.  And as he wiggles and fights and moves the shell begins to break away and suddenly he's free!  But wait.  He's bigger, and has these big "things" on his back - they are heavy and wet.  And there are these long protrusions coming from his head - what in the world could they be -- and he's got LEGS!!!  6 of them!!  How in the world do you walk with 6 legs...but wait -- this things on his back move -- and if he moves them up and down and up and down they begin to dry.  And suddenly, a gust of wind comes by and lifts him up off the ground and instinctively - without any training at all - he does a new thing -- He flies -- legs are more like shock absorbers for landing than for walking!  A few short weeks ago he was crawling on his belly or short little feet trying to survive - looking for whatever food he could find and today -- oh today he has reached his destiny.  But he had to struggle to get there -- in fact scientists have discovered that if butterflies do not struggle to emerge from the cocoon their bodies don't produce the kind of strength that they need to be able to carry their wings and they'd never be able to fly if they didn't go through this struggle.  It seems cruel to let this beautiful creature struggle like that but it's crippling if he doesn't...and will kill him in the end.

So it comes back to us - we sheep that we are...God isn't cruel in allowing us to go through hard times.  We live in a broken world and if He rescued us or fixed everything before we met the challenge, we'd be weak and ill-equipped to live here and we wouldn't have the desire or wherewithal to begin to help others who struggle in the same areas we do and we'd certainly never reach our destiny or spread our wings and fly.  Bad things happen because this world is broken.  Sickness comes because our bodies are not made for eternity - they are for this world...and they are born into a sin nature.  The moment we are born - the clock starts until we die...if we never learn to walk, we crawl forever -- this has both physical and spiritual implications -- crawling isn't for grown-ups -- neither is spiritual immaturity.  I meet adults every day who have never stood on their own 2 feet spiritually.  They attend church regularly, read the Bible when they have time, get involved if they want to - but they never grow up spiritually.  They may take a Bible study and attend - but don't read the material - they simply wait on the teacher to "spoon-feed" the material to them.  When the going gets tough they don't have any foundation and their world comes crashing down and they lash out in anger, create trouble or walk away.  Likewise, I also meet adults who have grown callused and hard.  They had a fire for a while but hard times caused them to grow cold.  They gave up living and quit.  Life is merely existence until death.  They just don't care anymore.  They are wounded and weary and don't think it's worth the bother to grow anymore.  They've allowed the cocoon to paralyze them to the point that they may never fly or reach their spiritually destiny.  Both types of these people are spiritual crawlers.  They've become crippled by their growth because the struggle weighed more than they could take.  One is bound by immaturity and the other is bound by past hurts.  The cocoon has choked their growth and they don't have the spiritual strength to struggle out of it. 

I believe we have a choice in this life.  I believe that God is good and that He is happy.  I believe He created us to enjoy this life too - but that's not our primary purpose for being here.  If we give our lives to Him, we are made for more.  We are made to live lives that bring glory to Him.  We are made to be a reflection of Him to others in good times and bad times.  We are made to serve Him and others so that they see Jesus in us and understand sacrifice.  We are made to want more - not material gain - but more of Him.  The enemy will tug at our hearts and make us want to escape the hard times - the struggles - just like that caterpillar doesn't enjoy the struggle to get out of the cocoon.  But if we'll trust God and keep moving when things get tough - what's on the other side of the struggle is something we could never imagine.  I doubt that caterpillars really know or care about their transformation - they just do what they are created to do and don't struggle with sin or self. 

I don't know if our "other side" of the cocoon happens here or not.  I haven't reached mine yet as far as I can tell.  But I do know that we are promised that God knows the plans He has for us - plans to have a hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11) I know that Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly.  (John 10:10) and I know that waiting on the Lord will bring a renewal and will cast us forward to fly higher if we cooperate with Him in the waiting. (Isaiah 40:31).  John 10:10 tells us who is at the root of the bad stuff -- "The thief (satan) comes steal, kill and destroy."  We are promised that life is seasonal - (Ecclesiastes 3) and that what satan means for evil, God means for good. (Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28).

Does this mean that we are always going to have hard times if we follow Christ?  No.  It means that we have hope when the hard times come and they WILL come.  Does it mean that God doesn't love us when He allows hard things to come our way? No.  If He allowed His own Son to suffer and bleed and die, in order to accomplish His will and if we believe Romans 8:28 to be true then in ALL things - both good and bad - God will cause to work out for the good for those of us who are called His children. 

There is a belief system out there today that is full of lies of the enemy.  It's called prosperity gospel.  The basis of this belief is that if we have a good enough attitude and if we believe God hard enough then He will bless us abundantly - meaning with money, success, material gain, fame, etc. etc.  I truly wonder whose god these people are believing.  Jesus was God's only and perfect Son.  No one had the capacity to believe God at a deeper level than Jesus when He was on this earth.  No one could have had a better attitude than Jesus - he knew he came to die and yet he lived fully while he was here.  God didn't bless Jesus with a big home, fancy chariot, a harem, a record deal or book tour.  In fact Jesus didn't even have a place of His own to sleep at night.  If God didn't "prosper" His own son here on this earth - why in the world would we think we could be good enough or believe hard enough to expect those things to happen to us...

Friends, don't buy into the lies.  The enemy wants us to beg God for deliverance from our struggles.  I've bought them lock, stock and barrel more times than I can count and prayed and begged God to remove me from situations that were so very hard.  But just like the butterfly - we must struggle with our own cocoons (our "selves") in order to break out into the fullness of God's purpose and glory in our lives. If we skip this step, we might as well go from being born right into eternity.  God calls us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  (Philippians 2:12) -- in other words, stay the course - do the thing even when it's hard.  We are called to run the course and finish the race for the ultimate goal - to bring glory to God.

I wish you godspeed in your journey.  I know this isn't what you usually get on Tips and Tricks Thursday.  I'm sorry.  My heart just needed to write these things today.  Be blessed dear sister or brother and keep walking!  I love you!  Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Good morning everyone!  I'm sorry we missed yesterday's posting.  I had internet issues Sunday evening and Monday was well... Monday.  I promise to do better next week!

For Kitchen Tuesday I'm excited to share some easy tricks for making better pastas, tea, and to freshen up salads.  I hear more complaints from folks that theirs don't taste like they should and it's really just some simple tricks.

So here goes:

For Pasta -- always start your pasta pot with COLD water.  According to Mario Batalli and Emeril LaGasse, the water from your tap is "fresher" coming out cold.  Hot water sits in your water heater (unless you have an instant heater) for longer and sometimes the mineral deposits can affect the taste.  Always be sure you add enough SALT.  Sea or Kosher salt add more flavor and the water should literally taste like the ocean.  If you will salt the water enough, your pasta will not taste dough-y but will be a great enhancement to your sauces.  Never RINSE your pasta.  Washing all the starch away will prevent your sauces from sticking to your pasta and thus never bring out the full flavor of the dish.  And last, under cook your pasta just a little (it should still have a little "bite" to it).  Your pasta will continue cooking once removed from the heat so under cooking it will help to keep the right consistency and not get gooey.  Follow cooking directions and cut back a minute and that should work.

Tea -- like pasta, always start with COLD water.  Same reasons -- fresher water and less likelihood of mineral deposits affecting the taste of your tea.  If you want sweet tea that tastes perfect every time - make a simple syrup.  This is a 1 to 1 ratio of water and sugar.  (1 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar) -- boil on stove until sugar dissolves and let cool.  After you've steeped your tea, dilute the tea with fresh cold water and add sugar syrup.  Doing this every time will make your flavors consistent.  If you like your teas flavored with fruits or mint, you can infuse these flavors into the sugar syrup rather than letting them sit in the tea.  For mint, crush the leaves to bring out the flavors and add them to the hot syrup.  For fruits, use the zest and a few slices of the fruit you love.  You can squeeze the juices directly into the tea as part of the mixture according to your taste - but don't leave the fruit slices in the tea overnight - the pith (white part) will make your tea bitter.  Of course if you like your tea sweeter or if you're making larger quantities than a large pitcher -- adjust your measurements accordingly -- 1 to 1 is for approx. a gallon of tea.  I adjust mine down just a little because the pitcher is smaller (3/4 cup water to 3/4 cup sugar or so).

Salads -- I love a fresh tossed salad.  But sometimes I just get really tired of the mixed greens and all the sliced veggies and want to "kick it up a notch" - I've discovered that adding fresh herbs to my salads brightens the color so much.  Mint adds a freshness, Basil adds a lemony kick and Rosemary and Thyme add a little Italian flavor that just enhances all that crunchy goodness.  Cilantro added to a basic lemon vinaigrette (juice of 2 lemons, 1/3 cup olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, salt and pepper -- add about a 1/2 tablespoon of herbs) adds a Mexican flavor.  Mint or Basil can be added instead for a crisp and light taste and Rosemary chopped fine combined with thyme will bring that boring lettuce alive.  Try adding nuts instead of those fattening croutons -- lightly toast them and they will add a delicious crunch to your salad that is so much healthier.  Dried fruits make a great subtle sweet addition to salads too.  Cranberries, chopped apricots, raisins and dried bananas are just a few great suggestions.  If you like iceberg lettuce - try making a lettuce wedge salad.  So easy -- wash and quarter a head of fresh iceberg lettuce.  Top with homemade 1000 island or French Dressing (see recipes below) - just a tablespoon or two - don't flood it.  Top with Feta cheese and some fresh crispy bacon and some chopped scallion tops (green onion) and a few cherry tomato halves and you have a beautiful salad that tastes great and has a wow factor in appearance.

Homemade 1000 Island Dressing

1 cup Mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's light)
1/3 cup chili sauce (looks like cocktail sauce but does NOT taste the same)
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Homemade French Dressing

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo (or less if you like a stronger tomato flavor)
1 T. mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together well with a whisk and spoon over lettuce.  This is a mild dressing. 

I hope you all have a great Tuesday!! Here's the verse of the day:

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."  Matthew 6:33

See ya tomorrow!  Amy

Tips and Tricks Thursday

Happy Thursday!! I hope you are all having a good day today!  It's Tips and Tricks Thursday and I think I want to spend some time on some decorating tips for those of you who may be in the mood to simplify your decor or may be planning to sell your home at some point in the future.

If you plan to sell, the first thing that is necessary is to get your head in the game and your heart out of it.  We all get very attached to our dwellings but when it comes time to sell, it's time to make our homes attractive to people so they will allow their hearts to attach to our homes and buy them.  Easier said than done, right?  Well, not really.

The first thing to do is to go look at some homes yourself.  Imagine yourself, your family and your "stuff" occupying that space.  If you find yourself distracted by family photos, and lots of personal items in the homes you look at, then you probably won't remember the home but you'll remember the cute baby in the photo or the pretty cut glass vase or handmade quilt.  It's hard to attach your heart to that home because someone else's heart is still there.  Notice the room colors and the organization of the closet space, kitchen and parking areas -- are they the right size for your stuff to dwell?  How about the neighborhood - is it one where your family will fit in and feel welcome - will your neighbors be a bother or a blessing -- ask questions and listen for correct answers that meet your needs.

Now back to your home.  Having had that experience, it will be easier to understand how a buyer feels and needs to feel when they look at your home.  Begin packing up the personal items and putting them in boxes where you can see them and touch them but resist the urge to put them back out when your home isn't showing. 

The second thing to consider is your room colors.  If you have small children and their rooms are painted in colors that are very juvenile, you might want to consider painting them a more neutral tone and let their bedding and accessories draw color into the room.  The reason for this is that buyers really don't have a lot of imagination.  If they see a baby's room painted pink, yellow, or blue - then they may not be able to move away from that room being "for baby" -- but if they see more mature colors of beige, greens, browns, tans, etc. then they might be able to imagine the room as an office, teen bedroom or guest room.  Try to limit the amount of "stuff" that is out in children's rooms.  These are normally the small rooms of the home and can look even smaller if there are too many toys, pictures, or too much furniture in there.  Sparse is the key!  You want every room to look spacious!

Third, clean out the closets and cabinets.  Take a long, hard look at the collection of items that reside there and decide if you need to keep them, want to move them or if they can be donated or sold in a yard sale.  How many towels can you really use in a week or at the beach?  How many sets of dishes do you really use?  Is it possible to remove the clothes that aren't in season and pack them away to be ready to move when your home sells?  The buyer is going to open drawers, cabinets and closets.  They need to imagine how their "stuff" is going to fit - and if yours are cluttered - theirs will be too -- and they might as well stay where they are or look elsewhere.

Fourth, don't over accessorize.  Too many pictures on table tops, vases, plants, pictures on the walls, and furniture in the rooms can overwhelm a buyer.  They begin looking at your "stuff" and can't imagine their own.  It's ok to leave a tabletop empty.  It's ok to leave a wall without something on it.  There's a balance here though.  If your rooms are too empty they may leave a buyer imagining that their stuff won't fill up the rooms either or the home may seem cold or hard and you don't need to leave that impression with them.  I would suggest taking a look at some magazines that resemble your home's style and try to mimic the furniture placement, window decor and accessorizing by them.  Or call a home stager to help.  Their fees are reasonable and you may be able to negotiate paying them a percentage of your home's sale rather than upfront cash.  Sometimes it's nice to have a "set of eyes" that aren't attached to your home to dress it up to sell. 

Last, put the boxes that you've packed up in a place where buyers can see them.  And have them clearly marked so that your buyers see that it's stuff that you plan to MOVE.  You are sending a message that you are moving whether they buy or not and sometimes this will motivate the buyer to generate an offer.  Have the boxes stacked neatly in a garage or basement - or even an attic or unused room.  As long as they are neatly stacked and marked the message is being sent.

You can burn candles, bake cookies, make your house smell like a bakery -- or you can leave it clean.  Clean is going to sell much better than fresh baked bread.  Pick up the dirty clothes. Make sure the dishes are out of the sink and if in the dishwasher, they are clean.  Put away clutter, toys and make sure that there are some fresh flowers or plants somewhere.  Your home needs to feel warm and inviting as if you have prepared for a special guest -- and your potential buyers are just that -- very special guests who have an interest in purchasing your home....and that's $ in your pocket!

So, even if you aren't planning to sell right now, these tips are great for the person who may need a jump start in simplifying the decor of their home.  Less is more, larger accessories and less of them are better and easier to manage and packing up unused items either to sell, store or donate is always therapeutic.  Don't put family pictures everywhere - cluster them in certain areas -- places that you dwell and can see on a regular basis -- guests enjoy seeing them but they'd rather see you live and in person.  Limit your wall hangings too -- your home can look like a store or museum if you get too much on the walls.  Give your eyes a break and have a blank wall or two.

Walls need paint about every 5 to 6 years on average.  Paints fade and color hues change in trends -- a fresh paint job is one of the cheapest decorating tricks you can do.  Crown molding is also another inexpensive trick to give your home a dressier feel. 

I hope these tips and tricks have helped --- have a great Thursday and weekend!  See ya next week!  Amy

Wednesdays in the Word

Hi Friends!  I hope you are having a good day.  I have to tell you that the last couple of days have really been a stretch around here.  I don't know if it's something in the wind or if the nuts are coming out of the woodwork but whew! it's been interesting around here.  Makes me wonder if "Men in Black" might have some truth to it - that not all that walk the streets around here are human...there are aliens among us!  :) haha!! Wouldn't surprise me!

Ok -- to get to our Word for today.  I love Psalms and Proverbs.  The writings of David and Solomon truly speak to my heart in ways that I cannot fully express.  I'm leading a group of precious ladies in a study called "Fool-proofing your life" by Jan Silvious and in this study, Jan draws from both of these books a good bit.

God's Word has a lot to say about people who live and act foolishly.  One particular passage puts into a nutshell how people are affected by the company they keep...take a look...

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

We really need to be thoughtful and prayerful when considering people we spend time with these days.  We can be selective and not be snobs, we can be careful and not be clique-ish, we can be smart but not become know-it-alls - and in doing so honor the Lord by using the wisdom that He teaches in His Word.

Sure, we're commissioned to love our neighbor as ourselves and to go into all the world and teach all nations -- reaching the lost.  But that's not what I'm talking about - nor is that what this verse is referencing either.

There are people who will come into our lives that enrich, bless, challenge and motivate us to be better people and grow deeper in our relationships with them and with the Lord.  These are few and far between.  There are people who will come into our lives who may befriend us and for a short term it will be a healthy relationship - but then our energy begins to drain, or there are words said or impressions given that tell us to move on and let these people go -- and yet we don't.  Suddenly we are entangled with one who is a fool.  There can be all types of traits who fit this description but at the heart of them all is that these people are "joy-stealers" -- they have no desire to grow deeper in a relationship with Christ and therefore, drain us rather than inspire us to be better people.

We have the freedom to be selective in our relationships -- we don't have to open our lives to everyone we meet....the only thing God asks us to do is to share Him with others - by living, speaking, and letting God love them through us - letting our lives be living examples of His grace, mercy, peace and forgiveness.  This doesn't mean that we have to be their best buddy. 

Christians have the most amazing blessing of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.  We have access to Him to guide us in the relationships we develop -- if we'll truly listen to Him and ask Him to direct our paths and relationships.  The problem lies in our part of the equation. 

Maybe there's a member of your family who consistently acts foolish and makes foolish decisions that affect not only themselves, but you and the rest of the family too.  Maybe it's a spouse who just can't seem to get it together -- whether it's an addiction, discouragement, fear or emotional instability - it's become a difficult situation.  Maybe you have co-workers, a boss, long time friends, fellow church members, or any number of others who make bad decision after bad decision and in doing so, it affects so many others around them...these are not "bad people" but they have made some very foolish mistakes and can't see what they are doing or how it has affected your relationship with them.  Then there's the abusive spouse, neglectful child, addicted neighbor, prejudiced co-worker, immoral parent - the tried and true fool.  Ask God for wisdom in not becoming entangled with the issues these people have but to give you freedom according to His plan and will.  Don't stay in a relationship for any reason if your life or reputation are at stake or if they are involved in any illegal behaviors....be wise and get out if you can and do so quickly.

Maybe it's bad habits, behaviors, or thought patterns that go on in your head constantly.  Maybe you've allowed others to tell you how to behave or think for so long that you can no longer think for yourself. 

Well, look back at the verse -- "He who keeps company with the wise, grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm."   Dear friends, the company we keep matters.  It can make or break us -- and has more influence on us than we can possibly imagine.

Let me encourage you this week to first keep company with God's Word - wisdom will come from feasting on it daily.  If this is new to you - start with the book of John and then read Matthew, Mark and Luke -- and then venture into Psalms, Proverbs and go back to Genesis and go from there.  These books are great to jump start your journey into wisdom.

Second, take a long look at the company you keep -- try your best to spend the bulk of your time with people who challenge you to grow spiritually, physically and mentally healthy.  If you must be with people who drain you, limit your time with them and pray for God's protection over your mind when you are.

Third, when you are faced with a situation that doesn't involve developing a relationship but maybe communication (customer service, shopping, working with others, etc.), remember that it's only temporary and will not affect the outcome of your life.  Take a deep breath and remember Who you represent and don't enter into the ring of emotional conversation with someone who is a fool.  Remove yourself from the situation as quickly as you can and never sacrifice your appointment as ambassador to win a battle...it's not worth it and won't be ever.

Last, make time to pray over the relationships in your life.  Whether they are life-long commitments, short term commitments, or quick social encounters - ask God to speak through you and to grant you favor of His blessing over any encounter with the foolish of this world and the people who are seeking Him but haven't found Him just yet.  It's great to ask others to intercede for you - but really, friends, the Lord wants to hear from you directly...

Accept the fact that some weeks will be better than others and that seasons eventually change (I'm telling myself this a lot right now), and that life as we know it right now, is only temporary.

I pray that your week will get better (if it needs to) and that your hearts and minds will grow wiser and stronger as you seek Him in all things and know Him intimately.

Much much love to all of you - Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, friends!! :)  I hope today is a good one for you! 

Since it's "Kitchen Tuesday", I'm gonna jump right in and give you some good recipes for this week.  I'm going to include a few grilling tips too since July 4th is just around the corner.  If you're like me, the grill is a great friend in the summer because it's so easy, quick and doesn't make the kitchen hot....nice!

Grilling tips first -- be sure your grill is hot before putting any meat on the grill.  If you can't hold your hand over the heat for 5 seconds it's hot enough.  Doing this will be sure that you sear your meat and it won't dry out. 

Flipping meat too much on the grill is a no!no! -- place it on the grill -- cook a while and when it lifts easily, it's ready to turn -- if it's holding on, just wait, it will tell you when to turn it.  Turn meat once and let it grill on the other side.  Don't press meat, you're letting out those wonderful juices -- and don't cook meats to absolute well done on the grill -- pull them off just before they are at your favorite doneness level and let them rest covered in foil for about 5 minutes -- no worries -- it won't get cold...the meat will continue cooking and you should have a perfect piece of meat after 5 about 5 minutes.

Be sure to brush fish and shellfish as well as veggies with a little oil before placing on the grill -- otherwise you're going to have a sticky mess to clean up. 

Chicken - will be juicier if you grill it bone in.  Grilled filets are prone to dry out and over cook if you're not careful.  I've found that closing the lid on bone-in pieces will help with cooking them all the way through -- also, don't rush the cooking process -- chicken on the bone takes longer to cook.  If you grill filets, don't close the grill -- leave it open or you could have a very dry piece of chicken.  Brush with marinade, oil or sauce at the beginning and end of cooking time -- too much and you'll have lots of charred sauce and a bitter taste.

Corn - yum yum!! brush with a little butter or olive oil, salt and pepper and throw the cobs on the grill -- done in NO time!! this is a house favorite!

Ok -- recipes:

Quick Corn Salad adapted from Ina Garten's recipe on www.FoodNetwork.com:

5 ears of fresh white corn - blanch in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then shock in ice water to stop cooking process.
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion or 1 shallot finely chopped
1 cup of fresh basil - julienned (roll into cigar shape and chop into fine ribbons)
1 garlic clove - chopped finely
handful of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes halved

salt, pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

With a very sharp knife, hold ears of corn in hole of a tubed cake pan and slice kernels off cob.  Cut close to cob to remove all kernels easily.  Pour into large bowl.

Slice jalapeno finely and add to corn along with cherry tomatoes, onion (or shallot) and basil.

In a small bowl whisk olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together and pour over corn.  Mix well and let sit.  (if you don't like raw onion and garlic - feel free to saute' it in a little oil and toss into mixture). 

This recipe is great for grilling too -- just put all ingredients except vinegar in large cast iron skillet and place on grill -- cook until lightly browned and warm -- delicious!

Here's a recipe for Roasted Crock Pot Hen that I made yesterday -- my goodness it was so good in tonight's dinner --

Wash and pat dry hen (be sure to remove giblets and neck from cavity - save for making homemade stock if you'd like to -- it's great and so easy).

Into the cavity of the hen, salt and pepper generously, and place 1 quartered lemon, 1 quartered onion (no need to peel), 4 halved garlic cloves and some fresh herbs (I use a branch of rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley).  Using cooking twine, tie legs over cavity and tuck wings under breasts at the top to hide tips.  (this is to aid in overall cooking quality).

In crock pot, place 1 quartered lemon, 2 or 3 quartered potatoes, 1 quartered onion (no need to peel) and about a 1/2 cup of broth, water or white wine (your choice).

Place hen on top of vegetables.  Top hen with a combination of salt, pepper, red pepper, dried poultry seasoning, or some Cavender's Greek seasoning.  Coat heavily.  Top with lid, then cover with foil to seal top.  

Cook on low for approximately 4 to 6 hours.  Hen will be so tender the meat will fall off the bone!

Let the hen cool and then remove to platter.  Strain the drippings and save to make dumplings, soup, stew or save for other recipes.  Discard veggies from bottom.

After hen cools, it will be easier to slice -- I chilled mine to serve the next day.  I was able to remove the bones so easily and was able to serve it quickly by adding the meat to a delicious pasta dish called Becker's Pasta (check out www.kellyminter.com/livingroom and click on recipes for more information)  SO easy and SOOOOO good!  You can make anything with this roasted chicken and serve many meals from it -- so give it a try -- most definitely another house favorite!

I'm trying to add more fruits and vegetables to my diet -- so I've gotten a little bit creative in doing so.  Here's a delicious recipe for baked apples.  Again, using the crock pot...easy breezy!

2 large red delicious apples - halved and cored
1 lemon halved
2 T. dried cranberries
3 T. quick cooking oatmeal
2 T. brown sugar
pinch of sea or kosher salt
1 t. each fresh nutmeg ground, and ground cinnamon
2 T. chopped pecans
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
4 t. grape or huckleberry jelly (Thanks, Becky!)
4 dried apricots, quartered
1/4 cup water

Place apple halves in crock pot, cut side up.  Evenly divide cranberries into the cored area of each apple half.  Quickly combine oatmeal, brown sugar, salt, spices and pecans in food processor and add pecans to rough chop.  Evenly divide over each apple half.  Thinly slice butter over tops of each apple half.  Top each with quartered apricots and then add the jelly last.  Gently pour water into bottom of crock pot.  Cook on low for a couple of hours until tender.  This is great with pork chops or as a light dessert when topped with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.  Yummy!!  I feel sure you can cook these in the oven too -- probably on 350 F. for about 45 minutes -- just check for tenderness.  I haven't tried them in the oven - only the crock pot.

Verse of the Day -- Proverbs 20:15 - "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,

but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel."

Be blessed this day and always -- see ya tomorrow!! Amy

Meaningful Mondays

Happy Monday!!! Hope you had a restful, peaceful and enjoyable Father's Day weekend.  No doubt it's summer in the South! 

Today we'll continue our look into spiritual gifts.  I want to post the link once again to one of the best spiritual gifts inventories that I've seen.  It's a questionnaire that is completed online and then the results are compiled immediately with commentary.  So good!  Here you go:  http://www.churchgrowth.org/.  If you haven't had a chance to find out what your gifts are, take a minute to do so, you'll be glad you did!  :)

Ok, so we've covered a number of gifts already -- Administration, Service, Mercy, and Exhortation (encouragement).  You can review these by searching the blogs under Spiritual Gifts or Meaningful Mondays.

Today I want to take a look at the gift of Hospitality.  Ever meet someone who just had a way of entertaining, making you feel more welcome in their home or business than you feel in your own home, or had what seemed to be a supernatural ability to meet a stranger and make an immediate friend?  If so, you may have encountered someone who has been given the gift of Hospitality by the Lord. 

The gift of hospitality is such a special gift.  If you can imagine the body of Christ as a human body - this person might be the arms of the body -- embracing the stranger, putting their arm around a friend or preparing for a great feast or party where all are welcome.  In the church, these folks make great greeters, visitation committee members and truly enjoy decorating, cooking, preparing for a great gathering of God's people.  They also love having people into their homes and might host a missionary family, a visiting evangelist, an exchange student or a friend who might be visiting from out of town.  Their homes are the places where the kids gather, where the food is plentiful and the fun always makes a great memory.  They are fine with surprise visits and while may feign embarrassment about an unkempt home, would much rather visit with people than to maintain a spotless home.  There's always something cooking on the stove or fresh cookies coming out of the oven and anything they do for entertaining just seems effortless and doesn't really need a whole lot of praise for doing so - although the praise seems to just flow because their abilities are truly supernatural.  There's a seemingly inborn knowledge to have the right amount of food and appropriate decor for the festivities.

The gifted host/hostess is happiest when they are using their hands to serve others and make them feel welcome.  But when operating outside the spirit, may become withdrawn, hermit-like, and uninterested in opening their home or being a part of any festivities. They may avoid welcoming a stranger and feel like a stranger at times if operating outside the spirit and will almost always resent any lack of gratitude for works done if in this state of spiritual condition. They also can get so focused on the tasks at hand because of perfectionism or passion that they forget the reason and the One for whom they should be working.   A wounded host/hostess will recover quickly if embraced and encouraged to use their gifts according to God's plan for unity and purpose in reaching others.

Like encouragers, those with the gift of hospitality enjoy people more than most anything.  They are able to focus on the guest as most important and top priority and they expect nothing in return for doing so.  There is also a very deep value for community in the heart of one with Hospitality as their gift.  There's no desire for personal promotion when this person entertains, embraces a new friend, or assists in putting together an event.  It's an unselfish act that overflows from the heart of one who is passionate for serving Christ in this way.

They are good at working in groups or individually as long as people are at the heart of the reason for working.  By profession, someone gifted with hospitality should consider public relations, catering, culinary, floral, event planning, missionary work (of course, must be called to this), host/hostess work, entertaining, food service, hotel/hospitality management or work, and possibly nursing or nutrition counseling - because of the "people orientation". 

Poor career choices for someone like this would be any type of work where there is isolation or just mental work.  Some hands on activity will keep this person interested and motivated.

In the Bible, Martha (sister to Mary and Lazarus) was gifted with hospitality and Acquilla and Priscilla found ways to minister unto Paul using their hospitality gifts as well.  They befriended Paul and assisted him in ministry in both Rome and Corinth.  I'm sure there are others who had this blessed gift as well - it would appear that some of the churches that Paul ministered to were much better equipped to meet his needs and make him comfortable in his visits than others were -- it's very likely because those gifted with hospitality were being good stewards of their giftedness and God blessed them and Paul for doing so.

If you are gifted with Hospitality, the more you use this gift the more fulfilled you'll be.  The following verse would be a great life verse for you and is one that I have adopted as one of my favorites!

"Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for His Kingdom is a waste of time or effort."  1 Corinthians 15:58.

Here are a few more:
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."  Hebrews 13:1-2

"Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."  Rom. 12:13

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Pet. 4:9-11

I hope you have a great day today - embrace your gifts and use them to God's glory and to bless others in His Name.

See ya tomorrow!!! Amy 

Tips and Tricks Thursday

Hello Everybody!!! I hope you are having a good day today!  We got a storm last night!! I hope that if you did, all is well.  I usually write the blogs the night before but our internet and satellite went down so I'm here this morning. 

So...Tips and Tricks Thursday -- my good friend, Leisa, got herself in a bit of a quandary this past week with a bag of grits.  She was in a hurry to get supper on the table and had decided to make a delicious meal of Steak Biscuits and Grits...the steak and biscuits were doing just fine on their own but when she picked up the bag of grits there must have been a leak in the bottom of the bag because grits went everywhere!  She said to her beloved cat, Prissy, "Well, let's see what Mrs. Tips and Tricks Thursday" has to say about getting grits up off of everywhere!"  hahahahahahahaha!!!

She tried the vacuum and the fan blew them everywhere.  She tried the Swiffer sweeper both dry and wet to no avail and the broom really didn't get them all either.  I would imagine that a mop would make them sticky and for us Southerners, we know that if it weren't for the grainy texture of the grits - they could stick most anything to the wall - including wallpaper!

So, Leisa, for you today, I've done a little homework and here are some tips and tricks for you for your grits issue (and really any type of grain that falls on the floor).

A damp but not wet floor sweeper (the kind for hardwood floors) or a damp towel folded over a swiffer mop head would pick up the residue.  You'll probably have to chase them around on the floor a little bit rather than sweeping into a pile but that might be the answer.  If you'd rather get on your hands and knees you could use a damp - not wet - cloth to get them up.  (Leisa, I'm certain you are going to do that! haha!)

The key here is damp.  Wet will make any grain gooey.  Dry won't hold it to the material and will blow away.  Wetting the floor will make them swell and the glutens (I'm guessing) will activate thus making them sticky (them, being grains).

So....maybe that will be helpful to more than just Leisa and myself.  I'm sure I'm going to have a grits catastrophe too sooner than later.  In the South, a grits bag is just gonna get a hole in it from time to time!

Ok here's a gardening tip -- if you've got tomato vines getting tall and no baskets to put around them or stakes to put them up -- don't buy any -- get some bamboo.  If you have access to any in your yard or near water, the young stalks make great stakes and look pretty in the garden.  You can also make tee pees for your beans to grow on out of the bamboo too.  Just simply cut 3 stalks of bamboo at the height you prefer and then wrap the top with rope.  Sink the ends into the ground so that the wind won't blow them over and your vine plants will begin to grow over them in no time.  They won't get as hot as metal and you'll be using a renewable resource too.  If you need bamboo - call me!  I have plenty!! But it can be found pretty easily around water or in the woods.  If you don't have access to bamboo, consider using old broom handles or even the straight limbs of trees that have fallen in the recent storms. 

And finally, my eye doctor gave me a wonderful remedy for those of us whose eyes seem to be the victim of allergies in the spring and summer.  My eyes will sometimes itch, burn and get a glaze over them that kind of blurs my vision a little -- it's actually a little bit of makeup residue and can become a nuisance to tear ducts if I don't keep it in check.  Quick solution - baby shampoo.  I've been using it to wash my eyes and face for a couple of years - and my skin is so healthy and it truly does clean the makeup residue off my eyes so easily.  It's great for sensitive skin and doesn't dry it out.  My skin tends to get really oily in the summer time, and this is such a refreshing face wash.

Keep that sunscreen on folks -- enjoy this hot weather and tell someone you love them today!!!

Hope you have a great weekend!  Blessings and love!  Amy

Wednesdays in the Word

Hi Friends!  It's hard to believe it's already Wednesday!  Where in the world does the time go?  I had the wonderful blessing to spend yesterday with two of my most precious friends in the wonderful city of Tuscaloosa.  We enjoyed ourselves so much - we shopped, ate, laughed, saw some of the devastating storm damage, shopped and then ate some more.  I must admit, I'm exhausted!  Guess I truly am getting older - or was it the heat??

Today, as we journey into God's Word, I'd like for us to go to the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.  Please read below:

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season,a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

The Injustices of Life

16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” 18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[a] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.

This is such a popular passage of Scripture.  There was a folk song written by Pete Seeger with these verses as the lyrics back in the 60's and recorded by The Byrds.  The song includes the words, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "it's not too late" in the lyrics and is one that has become a classic hit from that era. http://www.jango.com/music/The+Byrds?l=0


As we were driving through Tuscaloosa yesterday, I found myself marveling at how selective the damage was.  In certain neighborhoods and commercial areas, there was absolutely nothing left, other buildings were terribly damaged, picked up off the foundation and moved and others had very little damage and then in one small direction to the left or right of the path of the storm there'd be no damage at all.  There were people who lost everything including their lives, people who lost everything but survived, people who lost some things but nothing significant, and there were people who didn't lose a single thing except maybe a few days at school or work.

The city was hustling and bustling and people were back at work, enjoying the parks, seeing the sights, dining in the restaurants and so forth and in the damaged areas there were construction workers who were in the process of cleaning up and putting things back together. 

It was just such an interesting "life" example of this passage of Scripture.  To everything there is a season, a time and a purpose under Heaven.  God has everything in His view, His plan, His sight and His control.  No one has the ability to take their life or plan their days beyond the scope of His Master plan.  There is good and bad, prosperity and poverty, happiness and mourning, sowing and reaping and so on.  King Solomon summed up this writing by saying (my interpretation), we get one shot at this life - we should make the best of it while we're here and enjoy it as it comes no matter what the season. 

That's so true.  Time is short, beauty is fleeting - we truly should enjoy our lives one day at a time, the people who cross our paths, the good, the bad and the ugly of it.  All of it has purpose, none of it is wasted in God's economy and if we'll cooperate with Him, He will direct our paths so much better than we can on our own.

I'd like to close today by encouraging you not to fret over the future.  It's ok to plan and prepare - but to obsess over it, worry about it, try to predict it won't really change the outcome.  The greatest way we can honor the Lord is to live our lives each day looking for ways to serve Him using our gifts and talents, and to live a life of gratitude, knowing that He has specifically numbered our days according to our purpose under Heaven.  And when times get tough (and they will), remember Jesus' words to us....

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33


Have a blessed and joyous day!! Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!  The one thing I LOVE about summer is the fresh veggies.  Everything just tastes better when it's farm fresh. 


We have a little garden this year and this past Sunday I made some Swiss steak with tomatoes that I canned last year and some baby bell peppers from our garden.  I served it with freshly baked potatoes and some hot cornbread!  It was so good.


Here's are the recipes -- quick and easy!


1 package of lean cubed sirloin
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bell pepper or 2 baby bell peppers, sliced
1 Vidalia onion (medium to small) sliced
sea salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 jar chopped tomatoes w/juice - I used homemade canned - stewed tomatoes would be good for this recipe if you don't have home-canned - just chop before adding to recipe.
olive oil


Preheat oven to 375 degrees and preheat an iron skillet on your stove.  When skillet is hot, drop a round of olive oil in the pan to lightly coat (not much - you can add more if needed, but this should be a healthy dish - not oily at all).


Season side 1 of each sirloin and place seasoned side down in pan.  Don't crowd the pan - you can do this in steps.  Sear the seasoned side and season the up side while the lower side is cooking.  When you have a nice brown crusty sear, turn the steak - it should release easily for turning -- if it doesn't, it's not ready to turn.  Sear the other side. (this should take about 5 to 7 minutes per round if you are working in steps.  Remove steak from pan and repeat process until all are seared. 


Put just a little more oil in the pan and drop the bell pepper, onion and finely chopped garlic in the pan.  Saute lightly and then place the steak on top of this and pour pan juices back into skillet.  Pour tomatoes/juice over the steaks and let it begin to simmer. 


Cover and place in oven to continue to cook.  Check after 15 minutes to be sure that liquid hasn't evaporated.  If it does, add a little broth, water or white wine to deglaze the pan.  You should have a light sauce at the end of cooking time.


Dish is ready when meat is fork tender and veggies are tender and caramelized...about 30 to 45 minutes


Serve over raw baby spinach with a side dish of rice or baked potato -- also good with mashed potatoes too!  I chose baked potatoes as a low-fat choice.  This is a beautiful dish!!


Quick Baked Potatoes --


Select your favorite russet or yukon gold potato -- wash and slice in half
Brush with a little olive oil salt and pepper - all over.
Place on baking sheet cut side up.
Cover with foil and place in oven when you begin to prepare meat.  Potatoes will be ready by the end of the steak's cooking time.  Easy Breezy!! :)  When done, top with a small brush of butter and serve hot!


Cornbread --


I honestly never make cornbread from scratch.  I've found a mix that I love and have adopted it into my "go-to" box as the best cornbread I've been able to make and find.  Here's my secret...


1 bag Cotton Pickin' Cornbread mix
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix


Stir to combine these mixes thoroughly


Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup water plus 1 egg (whisk all together) into the dry mix. Let stand for 10 minutes or so.  (This will allow the liquids to absorb into the cornmeal and will also activate the leavening agents making a lighter, fluffier bread).


Melt 1/2 to 1 stick of butter into a large cast iron skillet on the stove or in the oven.  When melted, stir just a little of this into the batter mix and then pour all into the hot skillet.


Bake in hot oven for 15-20 minutes - until golden brown on the top.  I have cut back to 1/2 stick of butter and it seems fine.  Go with your instinct on this - and if you can cut back do so, or not! :)  The great thing about using butter for this recipe is that you don't really have to butter the bread after it's done.  The flavor is just terrific and the texture of the bread is great.


If you want to add cheese, jalapenos, or anything else to this recipe - it seems to work just fine - just be careful if you add creamed corn to make Mexican cornbread - this bread is already very moist - so cut back on your liquid if you add corn. 


I experimented with my most recent recipe by adding some Chia seeds.  Chia seeds are great to add to your diet to get Omega 3 fatty acids as well as to help in reducing dehydration in the summer months.  They added a nutty flavor and looked like poppy seeds in the cornbread -- they also add another layer of protein so they will reduce hunger and cravings and blood sugar spikes if added regularly to your diet...


Product of the week...if you have access to John's Slaw dressing - please buy some and use it as a salad dressing -- OH MY GOODNESS!! It's so good!  I served it on a fresh icy lettuce wedge with some feta cheese, scallions, cherry tomatoes and a few (very few) bacon crumbles -- I think this may be one of my favorite summer salads!


And....watermelon for dessert!  So so good right now....wonderful and so so healthy too -- full of lychopene -- major cancer fighter!!  YUMMY!!

Verse of the Day....Proverbs 9:10  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understand."

Meaningful Mondays

Hi Everyone!  I hope you had a safe and happy weekend.  I know there were some surprising storms that popped up in our area with some damage that was worse than the storms of April 27.  I'm so glad everyone is safe though.

As you know, my birthday was on Friday -- turning 48 wasn't the best birthday I've ever had.  It's funny how stress affects people.  It makes us say things we don't mean and hear things that weren't intended.  I think it's all a matter of managing our emotions a little better and speaking with words of encouragement rather than tearing others down in an effort to be humorous.  I'm glad this birthday has come and gone and I look forward to the coming year -- my best present was the gift of rain from my Father....thank you Lord!

We've spent the last few Mondays on spiritual gifts.  Today, I'd like to share some characteristics of the encourager.  The gift of encouragement is sometimes called the gift of exhortation.  To Exhort means to empower others, urging them sometimes with force or power - to motivate with the truth of God's Word.  Encouragement means to inspire with courage, spirit and hope.  This is the essence of the person who is gifted in encouragement.  It's more than just speaking a kind word or having a positive attitude.  Encouragers are able to see the bright side in any situation and are able to find good in others when it would appear there is none.  They exhort others to press on, move forward, do the right thing -- they make great motivators, counselors, teachers, and speakers.  They typically enjoy people and are comfortable in small or large groups.  They are often the "life of the party" and don't mind being the center of attention.

When operating in the Spirit, the encourager has supernatural ability to speak the truth in love to others in areas that can be uncomfortable.  They can motivate groups to go forth into battle - and keep going when times get tough.  Outside the Spirit, though, the encourager may battle depression, narcissism, selfishness and a sharp tongue that can do great damage if not seasoned with self-control.  Encouragers who don't refuel can become exhausted and one of the key ways to know if this person is running on empty is to listen to the way they talk.  If they are negative, down, selfish or hurt, burnout may be the issue.  Encouragers are also sensitive and may be artistic.  Because of this they are highly intuitive to their surroundings and may sense discouragement when it's not intended.

Careers for the spiritually gifted Encourager can be broad in scale.  Sales, teaching, motivational speaking, counseling, media personalities, politics, public relations, etc. may be great options for this type of person.  Encouragers can be introverted or extroverted but at the core they are always able to see the positive outcome and have a strong need to work in positive environments.  Poor career choices for the encourager would be those away from people.  While encouragers do well independently, they are people oriented and aren't complete unless they are using this gift both in the church as well as outside the church.

In the church, the encourager is a great person to have around the pastoral staff. They are good teachers, but may not use Scripture references as often as they should, even though they truly believe every word of it is true and meaningful for all of life.  They make wonderful counselors because they usually have a lot of life experience and can make practical application from Scripture naturally to most any situation.  They love to talk and laugh and can lighten the mood in tense situations.  Because of their light-hearted nature, encouragers and administrators sometimes don't mix well.  Administrators can be very serious-minded where the encourager prefers a jovial atmosphere.  It's not that the encourager isn't able to be serious when necessary, it's that a room full of serious-minded individuals might not appreciate the levity in a stressful or serious situation.  Encouragers can feed off of distracting conversation and can get an entire group off track if given the stage.  But they are so important to the church body to empower others with the truth of God's word in such a way that even difficult subjects will be accepted more smoothly and in difficult times, the encourager can truly brighten the mood.  They are often gifted performers who are able to add to any worship service and the room lights up with encouragers are present.

Barnabas was a great encourager to Paul.  Peter, James and John were great encouragers to Jesus.  David was an encourager to himself and to so many during battle and his reign as King. 

Paul said of the church of Philippi - "I thank God every time I remember you" in Philippians 1:3 - this church was such an encouragement to Paul and provided for him in ways that weren't just physical -- they were mature believers who were passionate about the Gospel. 

If you have the gift of encouragement, please use it to encourage your pastor, ministerial staff and church family.  Be a voice of unity and harmony and not division.  In your workplace and family, use your gift to lift up others who are hurting or down-trodden - even yourself at times.  Find wisdom in the Truth of God's Word and share it with others when you have the opportunity.

Find humor in day to day living and enjoy life one day at a time.

May this day be a blessing to you -- see ya tomorrow! Amy

Wednesdays in the Word AND Tips and Tricks Thursday!!! arriving on FRIDAY!!

You GUYs!!! I am SOOO sorry!! I have been in Project Central for the last few days and haven't touched the computer until very late each night and by that time it was email, a little facebook and bedtime! 

So, today I'm combining 2 into 1 on the day I told you I wouldn't be sending a blog post....call me what you will -- I understand! 

Let's start with tips and tricks and I'll end in the Word - hope that's ok with y'all....

Well, today is my birthday.  I'm 48 and have decided to do something good for me and make a pledge to myself and to the Lord to get healthy this year.  No, I'm not going to go on some amazing spa diet and no, I'm not joining a gym and no, I'm not having any radical surgery -- been there done that and nothing worked long-term.  I've just decided to find ways each day to move more, find ways to add more fruits and veggies to my diet each day and subtract more junk and to let being healthy because it honors God to take care of my "temple" better.  If I am blessed with a smaller clothing size that'd be great, but my primary motivation is really to feel better and have more energy and truly to honor the Lord with a healthier body.

So, rather than giving you guys tips and tricks, I'm asking you to give me some.  If you have some great ways that you've discovered to get healthier that actually have stayed with you long term, I'd love to hear about them.  Believe me, I've tried all the diets there are that are out there and for a short term, they've all worked...but I want to hear your "go to" things that make you stick with a lifestyle change long-term and ways you live "normally" and stay on track. 

So, go ahead....I'm listening -- let me hear from you ladies and gents....help me make this change for the long-term - the get-go - the whole shootin' match - the big kahuna...I need you!

Today's devotional is going to come from the Ten Commandments....Exodus 20:3-7

"You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."

Kelly Minter has written a Bible study entitled "No Other Gods".  I'm sure that I've referenced it before in this blog.  It's one of the most Scripture rich studies that ties the seriousness behind God's commandment to have no other gods before Him.  In her study, she talks about how good things can become idols, defined as "functional gods" when we allow them to take our attention away from a life lived to worship and glorify God.  For the committed Christian, it's not necessarily the cares of the world that get us off track.  It's the good things...ministries we are committed to, spouses and children that we adore, churches we attend, our homes, our families, our bodies, our jobs, or friends, and the list goes on and on.  In the name of our commitment to the Father, we commit our attention to these things and it's the things that end up holding our attention.  It's not that we bow down and worship them, it's that they own more of our hearts and minds than they should. 

Maybe we love them more than we love the Lord, maybe we worry about them too much, maybe we want them to be perfect, maybe we enjoy being with them more than we enjoy being with Christ, maybe we spend more time thinking about them than we do God's Word, maybe we are afraid to surrender them to the Lord because we are afraid to trust Him with them....see how quickly our attention can be diverted.

In my own life, I believe now that food has become an idol to me.  It's been a place of comfort when my emotions aren't balanced.  It's become a place of success when my career or my life haven't felt so successful.  It's become a place where I can take out my frustration on a bad day, entertain serve my family and challenge myself to do something new on a tight budget.  But what I've discovered through the study of these verses is that God doesn't mind if I enjoy his bounty and provision.  But when I use it as a means of escape from my troubles, I'm substituting it for Him - He wants me come to Him - to seek Him first in all things. 

It's great to have hobbies and to enjoy doing fun things.  It's great to eat and enjoy good food and good friends.  It's wonderful to have the ability to do things like sing, dance, lift weights, karate, cook, run, play sports, sew, paint, and so on, but when we use them as a means of escape or as a way to feed our souls, then these good things are serving as functional gods - idols.

God gives us our spouses, children, families, friends, jobs, talents, gifts, homes, cars, gardens, etc. and he wants us to enjoy them.  But if we find ourselves trying to "fix" the people in our lives or maybe we're holding on just a little to tightly - then what we're saying to the Lord is that we can manage them better than He can.  Not true, dear friend.  We must trust God as first and only God.  We must open our palms to the things we hold on to so tightly and let Him have them.   This is the "grass roots" of trust. 

If fear controls us, if distrust controls us, if our emotions control us - really anything controls us then we have issues with trust.  A dear friend shared with me when I was at my lowest point that when she was at her lowest point in her own life she began every day saying to the Lord, "Lord, I'm going to trust you with the outcome of this situation."  And she would do that every time she felt afraid or out of control or angry or at a loss.  She did it on days when she didn't believe it - and she did it on good days when things were going well.  Little by little, she truly began to trust God more and more with every situation.  Today, her life is an amazing example of restoration, grace, mercy and healing. 

In my own life, I am learning to trust and relinquish all things to God.  The first thing He has blessed me with for being obedient in these this is peace.  I have bad days, sure, but my situation hasn't really changed - but the peace of God has covered me beyond explanation...a promise that He has fulfilled...Phil. 4:6.  I'm learning to give Him my troubles and to let Him work them out.  I'm becoming bolder in sharing my faith.  I'm becoming more able to hear His voice and heed His instruction.  I'm learning that prayer doesn't have to be formal or wordy -- it's conversation with my Lord and can happen anywhere, anytime.

Dear friend, I urge you to take a deep look into your heart today.  Ask the Lord to show you if there are any "functional Gods" in your life that may be causing you to stumble in your relationship with Him.  It's really a big deal to Him - if it wasn't - it wouldn't have been the first commandment He gave to Moses....and it wouldn't have been the first commandment Jesus shared when the disciples asked Him which commandment was the most important - Matt 22:37.

And when things get really tough, shout to the Lord - "Lord, I'm going to trust YOU with the outcome of this situation." and say it until you believe it and whether you believe it or not...

May you be blessed, not stressed and may this weekend be one that draws you closer to the Lord....

On Monday, I'll be a little older .... and hopefully a little wiser too!!  See ya!  Amy

Kitchen Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!! I'm so excited to share this recipe with you today!! I made it for dinner on Monday night and it was absolutely delicious on this hot summer day!

I know you have probably tried thousands of different chicken salad recipes but I must say, this is one that surprised me...

Here goes....

Hearty Roasted Chicken Salad

3 bone-in chicken breasts (skin on)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, pepper

Heat oven to 350 F and place chicken breasts on a pan.  Rub both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper and put in oven -- roast until skin is crispy and juices run clear.  Let cool and remove skin and bones and shred chicken with a fork into bite size pieces but large enough to tell what meat it is.

Put chicken in a large bowl and to them add the following:

1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1/2 cup of sliced red grapes (add more if desired)
2 handfuls chopped walnuts (don't you just love my measurements!)
1/2 cup sour cream (may use regular, light or fat free)
1/2 cup mayo (may use regular, light or fat free (I used Dukes light)
1 T. soy sauce
Juice of 1 whole lemon

Stir together gently making sure all ingredients are blended.  When combined, toss in about 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions and lightly mix in.  Taste to see if salt and pepper are needed...chill for about 30 minutes.

To serve:  Make a plate with thinly sliced cucumber, fresh strawberries or melon, a few cubes of cheese and some crispy crackers or toast points and serve. 

Delicious with a glass of icy cold lemonade or tea....

Healthy, filling and yet light and cool and ready in a flash with very little chopping or effort....my kind of summer supper!  Hope you enjoy it too!!!

Verse of the day:  Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Meaningful Mondays

Happy Monday!  I hope it's going well and that you started off the week with worship!  I had to wonderful blessing of worshipping out at Chapel in the Pines and sharing the special music of the morning yesterday.  It's so beautiful out there!

Well, today continues our journey to discover more about our Spiritual gifts and how they can be used to produce fruitful, faithful lives that glorify the Lord.  Today, we're going to take a look at the gift of mercy.

I must admit - this is a gift that I've not been blessed with abundantly.  Mercy is defined as "compassionate treatment of or attitude towards an offender, adversary, etc., who is in one's power or care; clemency; pity".  The spiritual gift of "mercy" is one that gives supernatural ability to feel and express unusual compassion and sympathy for those in difficult or crisis situations and provide them with the necessary help and support to see them through tough times.  One who has the gift of mercy doesn't just feel or care - they have the ability to get in the trenches with those who are hurting - to walk in an other's shoes as such.

The good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37 is probably one of the greatest examples of someone with the gift of mercy in Scripture.  Jesus spoke about mercy on many occasions.

Those who possess mercy as their primary gift will be drawn to others who are hurting, grieving, sick, needy, poor and helpless.  Needy people readily sense this gift and gravitate to the person with the mercy gift.  Mercy-givers feel fulfilled after visiting with those who are sick rather than depressed about the situation.  They will look for ways to help others and naturally seem to "know" what to do and do so without judgement or self-gratification.  Mercy-givers enjoy care-giving and sense a great deal of compassion for those in their care. 

Mercy-givers who move away from operating in the Spirit, can become very needy, depressed, selfish and uncaring - the direct opposite of their natural tendencies.  Mercy-givers must be very sensitive to giving out and becoming over extended, and must work hard to re-fill their own tank from time to time, both spiritually and physically.  An exhausted mercy-giver may become ill, either mentally or physically (or both) if not encouraged to let others be involved in care-giving - especially when this involves a loved one.

By profession, Mercy-givers make good counselors, foster parents, health professionals, personal care-givers, special needs, elementary and preschool teachers, geriatric care-givers, physical and occupational therapists, customer service representatives, and massage therapists.  Mercy-givers are great listeners but must realize their own limitations with regard to giving help to those in their care.

A parent with a strong mercy gift will be compassionate and caring but may lack in the ability to discipline and enforce house rules.  They are patient and loving but can be manipulated if not careful. 

Jesus referred to mercy givers in His Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:7 - blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy...it would appear in this verse that the mercy gift is a gift that keeps on giving - an endless supply that runs over...and when the gift of mercy is used to glorify the Lord - He refills the tank to give and give and then give mercy again.  In showing mercy to those who in need of any kind, the Lord gives more mercy to give again and shows mercy to those in need (sinners) through His death and resurrection...a beautiful picture of grace...and mercy on all of us.

The gift of mercy is a treasure, one to be shared with others.  It's not one to be kept or used to gratify "self".  If mercy isn't given away, it's really useless. 

I affectionately call mercy-givers "nut-magnets".  My mother and a dear friend have the gift of mercy as one of their primary gifts and I'm constantly amazed at the people who gravitate to them.  They can be standing in line at the grocery store or post office and without saying a word, the person next to them will begin to pour out their heart of the troubles that they are carrying for that day or season.  They are both precious people who use their gifts to glorify the Lord - but I've seen them both be taken for granted and used at times as well.  They can be gullible and will believe a "sob story" and give the benefit of the doubt much more than they would ever pass judgement and walk away.  They both have a sense of humor about it, but are so thankful to have others to hold them accountable and to be another set of watchful eyes for a scam.

In the church, mercy givers work well with the elderly, home-bound, missions, children, special needs classes and assistance, disaster assistance and charity drives, counseling ministries and the like.  They may take a leadership role or a serving role depending on their other gifts, but mercy givers are essential to the backbone of the church's outreach to the community and missions projects.  Their passion will drive the success of these endeavors.

If you are a mercy-giver, you will be happiest when you are busy helping others.  Find a place to help and your life will take on more meaning and will bless other in ways you cannot begin to imagine and in doing so you will fulfill your calling and will reap the reward of a never ending supply of mercy to yourself and to those you care so deeply for.

Be blessed today -- See ya tomorrow!  Amy

Friday's Freebies

Hi Friends - well, it's Friday and you know what that means!! Freebie Day!!!

I've taken a look at last month's statistics and it appears that Monday thru Thursday are your best view days.  So I'm going to let this be the last Friday blog for a while.  I'm cool with that for the summer at least because most people are so busy and trying to get ready for the weekend.

For today's freebie I'm just gonna touch on some easy stress relievers...this heat has really raised my stress level so I'm guessing you might be experiencing the same thing.  So here are some ideas to manage stress on these hot days:

1.  Drink plenty of fluid.  Whether it's water or your favorite iced tea or some fresh lemonade, fluids help to keep your body's temperature regulated and therefore, will keep your heart rate at a regular rate...just watch the caffeine!

2.  Touching your forehead, wrists, back of your neck and bottoms of your feet with an ice cube can quickly lower your body temperature.  It's quite relaxing if you have just finished up with exercise too!

3.  Candles scented with vanilla or lavender will lower stress.  These scents are familiar and comforting and will help you relax after a long day or stressful trip home in traffic.

4.  Make some cinnamon toast and munch.  Mix sugar and cinnamon and then spread butter on some whole wheat bread.  Sprinkle cinnamon mixture generously over the butter and toast to your preferred crispness.  This is a great comfort food and quite relaxing!

5.  Give yourself a foot massage.  Using a tennis ball, roll back and forth with your foot.  The ball will give the muscles in your foot enough resistance to relax them.  Do this for 2 or 3 minutes per foot.  When finished massage some lavender scented lotion into your feet and prop them on a comfy pillow...I hear you saying, "ahhhh!" now!

6.  Epsom salts, essential oils and baby shampoo make a great bubble bath.  Pick your favorite essential oil and add 1 cup of salt, a few drops of oil and a little baby shampoo into some warm but not hot water.  Soak your troubles away while reading a good book - nothing stressful -- try a magazine or light-hearted short story.

7.  Pet your pet...studies have shown over and over that pets help to lower our stress level.  Spending time with them is absolutely what they love and petting, brushing or playing with them will both relax you and them, too!

8.  Take a long walk near water.  There's something about being near water that takes the stress away.  If you can go to a park or near the ocean where there's a ready source of water, it may still be hot, but the water focuses your attention away and before you know it, the stress begins to melt away.

9.  Do a repetitive task.  I know people who iron clothes, cook, sew, knit, etc. who say that it's a great way to let the stress go.  They play music they love and sing along or sway while doing the repetitive motion of the task...it's worth a try...it might be the thing that works for ya!

10.  Dance!  Turn on your favorite music and wiggle.  Whatever the style - make sure that you move.  You don't have to be good at it - just wiggle -- before you know it -- all the achy muscles, fatigue and ill mood will be gone...

Lastly -- spend time with those you love.  Laugh, play cards, games, cook out - whatever you enjoy the most - surround yourself with those people -- it's the BEST way to unwind after a tough day, week or month.  Make time for this -- you'll never regret it!

I hope you have a GREAT weekend!  See ya Monday!!!  Amy

Tips and Tricks Thursday

Happy Thursday Y'all!  This short week is just about gone, isn't it!!

Well, it's Tips and Tricks Thursday -- I think I'm just gonna give y'all a few quick tips for flower arrangements...

The easiest arrangement to do is to use just one type of flower in bulk.  This is an elegant bouquet and you don't have to do anything except trim the stems.  If you purchase or pick all of 1 color or type of flower, and put them in a simple vase - your table will be just gorgeous without much effort at all. Pitchers, mason jars, coffee mugs, vinegar bottles and oil bottles make great vases.

If you want to work with a variety of flowers, I'd like to suggest using the rule of 3's.  If you will use 3 of each stem, your arrangement will have balance - trim the stems in graduated lengths for variety and insert them into the arrangement in chunks rather than individual stems -- this will give more balance to your arrangements.

Never put flowers in ice cold water or in hot water.  It will shock them and they will not live as long.  If you want to condition flowers, put them in tepid (tap water at room temp) and them place them in the refrigerator.  This will allow the flowers to adjust to cooler temperatures gradually rather than shocking them.  You can do this overnight for arrangements that need to last a long time or if you have blooms that need to open slightly.

Try using herbs and veggies in your arrangements.  If you have small cherry tomatoes that can be cut by the stem, put them into your arrangement - same for peppers - cut parsley, sage or rosemary for added greenery -- you can "stem" vegetables like carrots and cucumbers and put them into styrofoam for added interest.  Grapes, berries, lemons, limes, and apples make great arrangement additions as do artichokes and larger peppers.  A kitchen arrangement filled with fresh vegetables and fruits makes such an attractive enhancement to your decor.

Filling clear vases with one type of fruit is a great easy arrangement idea.  Tall cylinder type vases filled with whole oranges (or any single type of citrus) and sliced rings placed against the sides at the top can add a pop of fresh color to any table or counter top.  Any citrus fruit will work for this project. This type of arrangement won't last more than 1 day though - so keep that in mind - the water will get murky.

If you need a quick fix of something interesting - put different types of lettuce heads in a large punch bowl or lined basket filled with ice water (if you use a basket put the ice in ziploc bags and place on towels inside the basket).  Just lay them on top of the iced water and pack full.  You can add in red cabbage, savoy cabbage and even some celery bunches (trim off any discoloration) -- talk about a pretty arrangement -- mist with water to give a fresh picked dewy look!  Or if you won't have the arrangement out for a long time, make it look like a fresh bowl of "salad fixins" and just tuck whole tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, radishes, etc. into the lettuce leaves.  You might need to use a few wooden skewers to make them sturdy - wouldn't advise using them on the tomatoes.  After your event, these products can mostly be eaten.  Just be sure to wash them and store them properly.

Some of my favorite arrangements come from my "yard flowers" -- if you have a pretty bunch of flowers, pick them early in the morning and place them in fresh water as soon as you can after cutting them.  Mixtures of zinnias, oak leaf hydrangeas, daisies and tiger lilies are so striking with their bold colors and lacy petals. 

Another simple idea for arrangements would be to fill a large basket full of potted plants.  Purchase an assortment of brightly colored annuals (begonias, sweet potato vine, verbena, dusty miller, vinca and some herbs and arrange them in the basket lined with newspaper.  You can even let a little of the paper hang over the edge for a market fresh look.  Brightly colored napkins would be a good liner too.  Arrange them according to height and color and in no time you'll have a re-usable arrangement that you can plant in your yard later.  So so cute!

If you like melons, why not purchase a few and make them your centerpiece.  Slice cantaloupe in half and leave the seeds and lean the halves against other whole melons.  Watermelon could be halved and then quarter one half and then cut into large chunky pyramids.  If you place this on a rimmed platter covered in hydrangea leaves, you can tuck fresh daises around for a really interesting "edible" arrangement.  And the aroma will be heavenly!  Just use the rule of odd numbers and purchase either all of one type or 3 varieties (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), adding in other fruit for interest (a combination of berries, bananas, melon, citrus, tropical and shaped fruit (pineapple, star fruit, ugly fruit, etc.) might be interesting in a basket - some cut, some whole. 

The point is - use your imagination - purchased arrangements are convenient - but with a little thought and planning, you can personalize your party and make it interesting and fun for you and your family and guests.

Keep it simple, don't put too many different types of anything, and cluster your combinations in chunks rather than scattering them - and your arrangements will look beautiful.  Don't be afraid -- give it a try -- you might just surprise yourself!

Have a great Thursday!! Be blessed...not stressed!  Amy

Verse of the Day:  Jeremiah 33:3:  Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.