Roses & Chocolate Mint

Hi Everybody!  I hope you are having a good week!  I must say, I'm in withdrawal from the beach!  I've put a picture on my cellphone as wallpaper so every time I look at my phone I see that gorgeous view and my heart longs to be there...

My husband is a member of a group of people who meet each week called "Career Builders" -- it's for people who have been downsized to meet and encourage one another and learn about job search skills, current trends and use each other as a sounding board for ideas concerning career changing, job searching, etc.

Today a man from our local large paper, "The Birmingham News" was there to interview the members of the group and get their input as to what caused each of them to be downsized and how it's affected them personally, professionally and to hear their stories.  This reporter has been with this newspaper for over 20 years, has a family of his own and lost his brother in the attacks on the Pentagon on 9/11/2001 - which seemed to be the beginning of our most serious economic problems. 

As we went around the room today, each person shared their stories, their work history and experience and just a little bit of how they felt about losing their jobs and the impact it's had on their lives.  Most of the people there had a background in health care.  The reporter commented that he never imagined that health care would ever have an issue with jobs being cut.  The stories that were shared were heart-wrenching.  Some were single parents who had not only the responsibility of caring for teenage and college-aged students, but they also had the responsibility of caring for an aging parent with dementia or some other health issue.  One nurse had only worked for 2 hospitals in her career of over 30 years and was blind-sided with her lay-off.  She is solely responsible for the financial care of her family.  Her husband is completely disabled from a terrible accident and her adult son is completely paralyzed.  She has been devastated by this job loss and you can imagine how serious the financial impact has been.  Others shared that they felt their age or salary range was the reason for their unexpected dismissal and some felt it was because they had a high ethical standard that management just couldn't tolerate - in other words integrity caused them to lose their positions.

The one common thread that all these people shared though was voiced from the reporter.  He said, "You know, losing my brother, a solder, on 9/11 was one of the most awful things that could have happened to my family.  We've had other losses, including my wife's father who had Alzheimer's.  But there is one thing I know...I couldn't have gotten through it, moved forward and continued living and keeping my brother's memory alive if I didn't have the Lord."  When he said this, virtually every person in the room nodded their heads.  They voiced that God was their only source of peace and strength during this devastating time. 

I was deeply moved by that.  I know that in other places in the world, outside the Bible belt, a statement like that might be made and one or two people might agree.  But to be in a room full of mostly men and to see them all agree (women included) that God was their strength and refuge in time of trouble, ministered to me in a way that I find hard to explain.

While I was at the beach, the Lord drew me to Psalm 121 because of a new Bible study that I've just started.  The words in that beautiful psalm speak of God's protection and help throughout as if the Lord is almost yelling that He will protect His children when hard and uncertain times come.  In my own life right now, we are dealing with job loss and financial uncertainty.  I know that others who read this blog have been affected by a strained economy and that some have family members who are struggling with cancer or Alzheimer's disease or other devastating situations.  I think that hearing these people that I don't know all that well talk about how God had been so good to bless them with peace in this storm brought me such comfort today because I just got a glimpse of God's faithfulness at a different level.

Christians are being tested and tried by fire right now.  We're experiencing lots of spiritual warfare but we must remember that God allows this - not to harm us but to make us stronger, smarter, and more like Jesus.  This is sanctification.  It's not fun, it's not easy, it's not something we'd choose either.  But when we get to the other side of this, as we are promised we will, we will be all the better for it...even though right now it just doesn't feel like it will ever end.

God showed me today, that His church is alive and well.  He showed me that His people are united in ways we can't imagine.  He showed me that other people have tragic events in their lives that make my stressful situation pale in comparison.  But one of the ladies shared today that all people have problems and none of them is really greater or less than another one, they are just different and important to the ones who are going through it.  I thought that was such a wonderful perspective.  We do need to remember not to minimize the things we're going through nor do we need to overlook the needs of others because we feel ours are just to great to deal with someone else's. 

The people in this group also remarked that coming to this group weekly had built their strength to move forward and that they were so grateful for it.  That's how our churches should be to us as well.  We should never try to navigate through this world alone.  We need each other.  We need to build one another up through prayer, encouragement, truth, accountability, laughter, praise and shoulders to lean on too.

I serve as a ministry leader in my church specifically geared toward planning and implementing Bible studies for women.  Women are great at encouraging one another.  We talk, cry, laugh, vent, and share our lives with each other.  Men on the other hand aren't quite so readily willing to do this.  I find that to be sad.  Men need each other too.  We, as women should really encourage the men in our lives to have other men friends who love Jesus and build each other up in Christ.  Likewise, couples should encourage other married couples, parents should encourage other parents...we NEED each other.

I will close today by encouraging you, my friend.  Be strong in the Lord and of good courage.  The Lord is with you and will guide your steps along these rocky pathways.  He will be your protector and ever present help in time of trouble.  His grace is sufficient to provide for you.  His mercy is everlasting and He has left His Holy Spirit to comfort, guide and dwell within us until He comes again.  He has given us spiritual gifts to use to build one another up - this doesn't mean just using our gifts inside the walls of our physical churches - this means to use them to bless others in Jesus' name - especially our brothers and sisters in Christ -- why?  because we are a family.

Here is the beautiful Psalm 121 (NIV)...read it and believe that the LORD is where your help comes from....be blessed in Jesus' Name....

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Sunflowers & Sweet Tea

Hello Everyone!  I'm wrapping up my "retreat" tonight at the beach and I've been trying to figure out what I'd write for this portion of the blog...since it's usually for helpful hints and tips with a little spiritual tie in...

I have sat by the pool most of the week during the morning and have observed not only the beautiful beach, water, birds and cute little lizards and of course did some people watching too.  One thing I noticed about people is just how attached we all are to our cell phones.  People would bring all their pool and beach gear down and get their "spots" all set up and then they'd sit down and the first thing they'd do is get their phones out and either text, talk or check email.  It seemed as though they were more interested in what was going on in those little handheld machines than the beautiful surroundings.  One particular afternoon a handsome senior adult couple came down to sit beside the pool and enjoy the weekend that had been given as a gift to them for her birthday.  They weren't there 5 minutes before the husband called to the wife to hurry and get out of the pool because her phone was ringing.  And for the next 15 minutes or more, she had a conversation with someone and all of us who were by the pool got to hear it...and she was sharing some pretty private family information.  For a moment it made me just a little sad.  We go to the trouble and expense to plan a wonderful get-away and then we don't "get away"  - we bring it with us by phone.

Tonight I spent the last few hours of my retreat in the pool by moonlight.  A sweet young security guard walked by and as he was returning the chairs to their perfect positions, he smiled and asked how I was doing.  (I LOVE the South - we ask everybody that question!)  I told him I was fine but asked if he could tell me what time it was.  He didn't look at his watch -- he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and we began to talk about how much freedom we've lost because of those brilliant pieces of technology. 

Do you ever feel as though you are a slave to technology?  I do.  Even now as I write this blog, I'm reminded that I need technology to do so.  To find out about the hurricane's path, I need technology.  To listen to music, I need technology...It's invaded our lives so much so that the common things we used to do, like looking at a watch to tell the time are becoming obsolete.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology.  I enjoy the convenience of it and the amazing ways we can communicate these days.  I think it just kind of makes me sad that the most beautiful beach in the world can't capture our attention like a text message can.  We are almost to the point where printed books will no longer be needed - we'll just pull out our electronic reader and punch in a button that will instantly take us to the Scripture we need or the page in our book. 

Are we really better off?  Is it more convenient?  Do we really need all this convenience?  Can we even remember what it was like to drive or go to the grocery store with out being contacted by phone?  Can we still appreciate writing a note by hand or hearing the sound of pages being turned in our Bibles?  Are we still able to have meaningful conversations face to face or do we communicate better with our thumbs?

I think sometimes we just need to pause and remember that our best memories won't come from typing out emails or playing "Angry Birds" on our phones.  Our best memories come from spending time with people we love and in places that make our hearts skip a beat.

This week has been that time for me.  I've spent the week in solitude but not alone - I've spent this week with my LORD.  He has spoken to me through His Word and in the beauty of His creation.  I've prayed, I've worshipped, I've sung, I've rested in Him.  Yes, I've had my phone and my computer by my side.  And yes, I've enjoyed the convenience that they offer.  But it's truly been such a pleasure to be able to go back to the basics and just "be" for a little while.  To close my eyes and listen to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore or to open my senses to the smell of the sea air and appreciate the beauty of lightning in the distance over the water.  I've enjoyed watching the dragonflies hover as if they are checking me out...watching a lizard chase an insect and stop to stare at me for a brief moment never daring to come near but just stopping by to see if I'd notice...and I did.  (I love lizards - they eat mosquitoes -- true friends indeed!). I've enjoyed watching people and all their quirkiness and I've enjoyed learning to truly relax and float in the pool...

I think the best tip I could give you for this week is to take a break from technology occasionally.  Find a place where you can just "be" for a little while.  Observe a sunset, the stars in the sky, a beautiful garden...get outside and enjoy God's creation in person not just through the eyes of a slide show on Facebook.  Pick up a Bible and flip through those beautiful pages and feel the words on the pages.  Listen to the birds sing, the crickets chirp or whatever you enjoy. 

Don't be afraid to turn off your phone or let a call go to voicemail.  You will survive it - I promise!  Give yourself a mini-vacation occasionally - if only for a few moments.  If you can find time to do this, you'll be all the better for it.

I'm going to close our time today with one of my favorite Psalms - Psalm 8 -- May God bless you this week as you seek Him in His creation...

Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith.a A psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly being and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.


O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Roses & Chocolate Mint

Good Morning from the most beautiful place in the world...Orange Beach, Alabama!  I'm so blessed to be able to spend some time here on a "retreat" to pray, write, study, and rest in God's presence and His Word in a place that truly brings peace to my soul.

What is it about the beach that draws us out of our routine to enjoy the splendor of nature...the sand, the waves crashing, the children laughing, seagulls diving and playing in the water?  Dolphins jumping, sandcrabs scurrying, sunsets, people walking up and down the beach searching for that adventurous shell that has journeyed from the depths of the sea to the edge of the shore...

I awakened today with a song on my heart..."Great is Thy Faithfulness" -- read these words and let them flow into your soul...

Great is Thy Faithfulness, Oh God my Father! 

There is no shadow of turning from thee. 

Thou changest not, Thy compassions - they fail not. 

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy Faitfulness

Great is Thy Faitfulness

Morning by Morning new mercies I see!

All I have needed Thy Hands hath provided

Great is Thy Faithfulness - Lord unto Me...

Summer and Winter and Springtime and Harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above...

Join with ALL NATURE in manifold witness

To Thy Great Faithfulness, mercy and love...

Great is Thy Faitfulness

Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Morning by Morning new mercies I see

All I have needed Thy Hands hath provided

Great is Thy Faithfulness - Lord unto Me...

Pardon for sin - and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear shadow to steer and to guide

Strength for today - and Bright HOPE for tomorrow

Blessings all MINE with ten thousand beside!!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Morning by Morning new mercies I see!

All I have needed Thy Hands hath provided

Great is Thy Faithfulness Lord unto me...

Great is THY FAITHFULNESS!! Lord unto me....

Those words!  Can't you just hear the waves crashing on the shore behind them!  Can't you just feel the troubles washing away in God's awesome faithfulness? 

Troubles come and go - seashells wash up on the shore and wash out to sea - but God is always faithful - always constant - unchanging in His amazing love for me... for you...

He tells us in His Word that if we will seek Him, we can find Him -- if we knock, the door will be opened...How beautiful!  We never have to worry about God getting lost from us or hiding from us if we look for Him...even when it seems as if He is.  We never have to worry about calling on Him and getting a message that says He's unavailable at the moment or worse, He's moved away with no forwarding address...

There will be times in our walk with Christ where we "feel" as though His presence is far from us.  There will be times in our walk with Christ where we "feel" as though our prayers aren't being heard...but it's in those times that we can't rely on our feelings - because they are rooted in self -- and will lie just like a GPS in the Smokey Mountains!  (see previous blog posts on that subject)....But God's Word never lies.  He tells us to seek Him in order to find him -- LOOK!  Open your eyes!  See His majesty in nature, His Creation, all around us!  No, we may not find the solution to our problems there, but we can certainly find God...who is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble...our Comforter, our Provider, our Source....our everything!  But if we're caught up in believing our feelings, we miss Him.  We can't see Him.  We can't hear Him. We can't "feel" Him...oh that's profound!  If we're wrapped up in our own feelings - we cannot feel God...WOW!!!  That's a word to somebody today! 

Today, I challenge you to seek God...whatever you are facing - a cancer treatment, a broken relationship, a job loss, unanswered prayers, stresses at work and at home...seek God in His Creation not just in your thoughts -- listen to a bird singing, look at the wings of a butterfly...the hands and feet of a newborn baby.  Allow yourself to get caught in the miracle of that creation for a moment and see if you can "feel" God's presence there....take a deep breath and journey outside the natural and into the spiritual and seek Him...

When you find Him there - allow your heart to open and speak the pain and hurt of your day and situations to Him.  Lean into Him and feel His heartbeat in the sound of the wind and rain, or in the rhythm of your own heartbeat...

And then trust Him to answer in His time and in His way.  People are trustworthy to a certain point - but God is ALWAYS trustworthy...believe me - I know about trust issues - Test Him and see if His promises are true - He will not let you down.  You may not get your way - but His ways are so much better.  His ways may not be easy in the process, but getting to the other side will bring you closer to Him...

Cast your cares on Jesus...trust...Great is His Faithfulness....Lord unto YOU....and me...

I love you so....be blessed today....Amy

Sunflowers & Sweet Tea

Hi Friends,

Well, I've been cranking out the canning kitchen again this week.  It's been jalapeno jelly and tomato week around here.  Thanks to Carol and Bob W. for the wonderful peppers - they are sa-mokin' HOT!  But oh so good!

I tried two recipes for the Pepper Jelly this time...one made kind of a pepper butter (that sounds strange doesn't it) and the other made beautiful jelly! 

The first doesn't use packaged pectin - rather you use Granny Smith apples. -- Basically you boil 4 pounds of apples, 1 big bell pepper, and 5 or 6 hot peppers in a pot of water, a little vinegar and a touch of salt until the apples are soft.  Then you strain it either through cheesecloth or just in a strainer if you want some of the pulp in there and then put the juice/pulp mixture back in the boiler.  Add 7/8 cup sugar per cup of juice and boil till thickened or at 220 degrees.  It takes FOREVER!  But what turned out was really tasty.  It's not jelled like traditional pepper jelly, but has a good flavor and a little bit of "heat" from the peppers.  I added a little red food coloring just to enhance it and I think it will be a pretty addition to cream cheese or maybe even over some grilled meat (fish, pork, chicken) at some point.  Might even be a good ham glaze too....I'll get creative and let you know - or you can let me know.  It was a recipe off of http://www.allrecipes.com/  -- I adapted it a little bit for my own taste because I firmly believe that recipes are just suggestions!  :)

The other one turned out so pretty.  For this recipe I chopped up about 10 jalepenos, I left the seeds in because I LOVE hot pepper jelly.  Put them in the food processor and grind them coarsely.  Then I added about 6 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups white vinegar to the boiler.  The recipe called for ground red pepper (cayenne) - but I had fresh so I just dropped about 12 whole cayenne peppers in the boiler along with the rest.  Brought it to boil and let roll until it got to 220 degrees.  Added the liquid pectin and stirred and brought back to boil for 5 minutes.  Added about 3 drops of green food coloring to this mixture.  It's so pretty!! It's a pale clear mint green and it looks like confetti with the seeds (stayed white) and the flecks of green peper and then I dropped 1 whole red pepper down in each jar for added color...so festive!  OLE'!!  

Tomorrow I'll finish up with one last round of salsa...and maybe one more batch of pepper jelly -- it's so pretty I can't resist!  :)

I think I'm a canning addict! 

I went to see "The Help" this past Sunday afternoon with my beautiful friend, Ginger.  We laughed, cried, got mad and got entertained -- it's a great movie.  One of the trailors shows a scene with Abilene and Little Mae in her nursery and Abilene looks at Little Mae and says, "Remember this - you is good, you is kind, you is important."  And Little Mae says it with her (she's about 2 or 3).  I'm not going to spoil the movie by telling you why that's such a great line, but for anyone who feels unappreciated, unloved, unworthy or insignificant, these words are so encouraging.  And this beautiful little girl needed just that reminder and it would carry her throughout her life even though we aren't told of her adult life in this movie.

Are there people in your life who encourage you?  Are there people who would miss you if you were gone?  Are there people who pray for you even when they don't know what to pray?  Are you one of those people to someone else? 

My other post for this week talked about how mean this world can be at times.  We need people who encourage us and they need us to do the same.  Sometimes we get swallowed up by our circumstances, challenges, stresses, and people who drain us beyond hope.  Sometimes we feel isolated and alone and as if we have no one to turn to...

But God teaches us in His Word that He will never leave or forsake us.  He tells us that He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  He tells us that "all people have sinned and fallen short of God's glory."  He tells us that He loved us so much that He gave His only Son - to die, and live again so that we may have life everlasting."  He says, He came so that we may have life more abundantly than we can hope for or imagine."  In other words, He tells us - We is good, We is kind, We is important -- not because of what we have done but because of His Son who is perfectly good, perfectly kind and the most important...

I hope that I'm a person who makes others feel good, kind and important.  I posted that line on my profile on Faceback and was brought to tears with the kind words spoken to me by my friends.  We never need to get too busy to remind people that they are important to us.  We never need to get so high tech that we can't communicate a real hug, a kiss on the cheek or a grasp of a hand to someone who needs it most.

Thank you my dear friends for reminding me that I am good, I am kind and I am important - not of myself - but because of Christ who lives within me...

I'll post Jelly pictures...just you wait -- you're gonna love 'em!

You is good, You is kind, You is important...to me...I love you!  Amy

Roses & Chocolate Mint

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 ESV)

Today the Bible study group I lead finished a study called "Fool-proofing Your Life" by Jan Silvious.  It's a study that isn't about changing the people in your life who act foolishly but rather it's a handbook that pulls God's words regarding wisdom together and gives a Christian tools for survival in this crazy world we live in. 

I don't know about you but sometimes and some days this world just seems to be meaner than others.  Sometimes, I feel as though I'm swimming in a pool of sharks who are ready to eat me alive.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm the fool and that everyone else around me has been given information that I just don't have or maybe that I speak a completely different language than other people....Do you??

Tonight a young friend, Hope, posted this beautiful Scripture on her profile on Facebook.  It's one of my favorites and the story of Joshua is one that gives me hope in the face of a fierce storm of spiritual warfare...

Another devotional writer commented on this passage of Scripture and drew out that God was telling Joshua - YOU be strong -- because Joshua was the man to take the Israelites into the promised land and it wouldn't be easy. 

Have you ever considered that God may be telling you to be the strong one in your situation?  Have you ever considered that you may be the only one who is listening to Him?  Have you ever considered that God may be preparing the way for you to lead others into a promised land of His choosing?

I'm asking myself these questions, too.  I wonder why things happen that I don't understand -- and I most definitely wonder if I'm the foolish one at times.   The truth is, though, that God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts - so there are things that will happen in our lives that are unpleasant and people who cross our paths who will hurt us deeply but if God encourages us to be strong and courageous, then He is aware that we will face these things...and wants to be the source of our strength, comfort and courage.

I've learned through lots of pain and hurt in my own life that God is truly the only source of comfort that is dependable.  I'm learning that to try and please man is really a useless endeavor.  People are fickle and can be so self-serving even in the name of Christianity.  I'm also learning that trying to serve two masters is completely impossible -- as God says it is -- to try to please God means to trust Him, love Him and place Him first in all things -- to try to please man means to avoid upsetting them, feed their egos, or become something you're not to be who they want you to be...and even that won't be good enough in the long run -- so it's really impossible to do long term.

Yes, we should be kind.  Yes, we should love our neighbors as ourselves and forgive those who hurt us.  Yes, we should strive for excellence in all that we do.  Yes, we should be good stewards of the gifts we've been given.  And yes, we should be aware that part of the process of becoming more like Jesus involves suffering rejection from man....

The key is to be strong in the LORD - not in our own strength...Be of good courage ...in God's faithfulness...Do not fear man....revere God who is all powerful...and do not be dismayed....God is our source...and He will never leave or forsake us -- His children....

Tonight I particularly needed to read those beautiful words in Joshua 1:9....and in writing about it, my soul was encouraged -- by God...

Father, I pray as this world gets meaner, that we, your children, will find our strength and courage in You alone.  As people lash out in their own frustrations and issues, may we, your children, remember who we are and how You see us as your beloved.  As circumstances war with our souls, may we find peace in knowing that this isn't home and that Heaven awaits us for all eternity.  May we seek You and find You and trust You with the outcome of our situation...for You are the Author and Finisher of our faith....In the Holy Name of Jesus...Amen.

Sunflowers & Sweet Tea

Hello Friends!! I hope you have had a good week thus far!  It's been a whirlwind around me.  Some days I wonder where the time goes -- it just seems to fly by!  So this week, I've been playing catch up on all the things I missed last week during "SALSA WEEK".  And at the end of this week, we'll be participating in an area wide evangelism explosion called "Ignite '11" -- check it out on Facebook or at their web site - http://www.ignitepellcity.com/.  There's a great lineup of artists and it's FREE so if you have a chance to come on out - please join in on the fun -- it will crank up at Avondale Park around 1:00 pm on Saturday. 

Speaking of Ignite '11 -- my assignment for this event is to make brownies -- so I decided to make some delicious Peanut Butter Brownies.  These have become my favorites because they resemble my favorite chocolate treat "Reese's cups" and they have that wonderful sweet/salty taste to them.  They are beautiful and simply not light on calories by any stretch of the imagination!  But ohhhhh so good!

Here is my secret recipe:

1 box of Milk Chocolate Brownies (you can use the other kinds but this one is the best)

3 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups smooth/creamy peanut butter

2-3 T. self rising flour

1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar

Mix Brownie Mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl by hand.  Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Hint: you can cross line the dish with foil (lay foil vertically and horizontally and let lap over sides) and lightly grease -- this will aid in easy removal and helps with clean up as well.

Put Peanut Butter in a medium bowl and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds to melt.  Add flour and sugar and mix well.  Mixture will thicken but remain smooth.

Using a large serving spoon drop big "glops" of peanut butter on top of brownie batter...all over the pan.  Use all the mixture - it will seem like a lot but it's well worth it.  When all mixture is in the batter, use a knife or flat spreader and swirl peanut butter thru the batter making big figure 8s all thru the batter.  This will evenly distribute the peanut butter through the brownies for a marbling effect.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.  Don't over bake, but be sure the middle is not gooey -- this is important.

Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove from pan (of cross-lined) or cut into even squares.  I make even squares by cutting in the horizontal middle first (short side to short side) and then divide the pan into quarters, then eighths and down to roughly 2" squares.  Larger than this and they are a little bit rich...but it is very possible to consume an entire pan in one sitting!  (I personally haven't done that, but would if I didn't have any measure of self-control!)

I'm sure once you try these you'll never go back...but please send me your comments...I love to hear what you think about my recipes.

Since Sweet/Salty seems to be my theme for today - I wonder - how many times do was scowl at the sweet/salty days that come into our lives.  Maybe we have a good day, but we get an annoying phone call.  Maybe we sleep well, but wake up with a nagging ache or pain...Maybe we are experiencing a stressful time in our lives but God sends a friend to encourage us or we hear a song on the radio that brightens our day...We love the flavor of sweet/salty but when our lives are flavored with unexpected seasoning, how often do we react with objection rather than enjoying the possibility that God may be working in us to perfect our faith.

We are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13) - if the salt loses it's flavor, it's no better than sand and should be thrown out -- How do we keep our flavor?  Our faith should be a reflection of the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15) - a pleasant aroma to the God of Creation...how do we produce a pleasant aroma?  Our lives should bear fruit (John 15:5)...how are we pollinated in order to do so?  By counting it as joy when we face trials - because the testing of our faith produces endurance (James 1:2) -- By remaining in Christ - leaning on Him when the trials come our way -- by asking God to help us to see us and our circumstances as He sees them...

If we can do that, our lives will bear much fruit - spiritual fruit.  It will draw others to Christ.  We will experience joy regardless of our circumstances.  We will bring glory to God and please Him as we become more like Christ in enduring the trials and suffering in this life.  It will make us stronger, more faithful and able to face this life knowing that this isn't home...Heaven is our home -- so that gives us hope.

One aspect of Heaven that a lot of my friends and I who enjoy food, love to talk about is that in Heaven their won't be any fattening foods....in other words...it won't matter what we eat because we will have glorified bodies...created for eternity - so no worries about diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and all those food related illnesses -- but what will also be absent is stress related cravings too -- Imagine being able to eat because you want it not because you need it to deal with that unreasonable boss.  Imagine being able to enjoy chocolate without the guilt of tighter jeans.  Imagine being able to talk to God about how He created such wonderful things as avocados, tomatoes, chocolate, olives and olive oil, and all those wonderful things that satisfy our taste buds...

Heaven is going to be wonderful -- the saltiness of our lives here is annoying at times. But if it keeps us from being boring, worn out saints and keeps our senses keen and our faith rich and strong - then let's endure it for the Glory of God...and be thankful for the opportunity to serve Him.

We are His people - the sheep of His pasture -- enter into His presence with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise....Be thankful in all things -- not just the good things --  all things are important and relative in our lives...let's not miss an opportunity to praise Him -- especially for the wonderful combination of chocolate and peanut butter -- the sweet and salty deliciousness that are these brownies!!

Enjoy your day, dear friends...I'll write again soon!!  Blessings!  Amy

Roses and Chocolate Mint

Did you think I'd disappeared??!!??!!  I'm so sorry -- Last week was SALSA WEEK!  And the house as we know it shuts down during that week.  The stove is steaming tomatoes and jars and lids and I'm chopping all the goodness that goes in it.  By the last day, I'm "whooped"! 

This year I had some friends to encourage me to sell some, so I bit the bullet and put it out there on Facebook - and my dear dear friends purchased just about every jar of the mild -- almost all of the hot -- and quite a bit of the medium!  I'm so grateful and blown away!  You guys are the BEST!

I'm taking a week off from the canning stove and will cook some meals now.  I miss homecooking.  I'll be back to the canning kitchen to can tomatoes and make pepper jelly in a week or so.  I'll take some pictures and post recipes when I'm done -- how's that sound?

I've had a new round of stress in the last couple of weeks too.  But as with most things, God is so good to send a great lesson or opportunity to humble me and remind me of how much He loves me (and you) and this past week was exactly that.  The week started with a precious sister - a single mom of 2 beautiful girls - sending me a text with a prayer and physical need.  I shared that need with a few friends who agreed to pray and offered their resources so unselfishly to meet the need of this dear one.  I had the opportunity to share this blessing with another dear sister, a lifelong friend and she reminded me of an object lesson that I hadn't considered.  I'm not a mom of children (mine are furry) - and so to pray for the needs of my children would be unknown to me - even though I've prayed for neices and nephews and the children of friends - I know that from a parent - to see a need and have no idea where it will come from is somewhat foreign to me.  So in sharing this story with her, she reminded me that this dear sister who had this need had been praying over this for a long time - her text to me was the beginning of God's Hand moving to meet her need.  God heard her very first prayer over this - but He waited to answer it on His time because He knew who'd be available and ready to meet it and the timing of it came during the "tax free" weekend in our state...thus saving some money at the same time...being better stewards of the resources provided.  I was reminded of so many things that I've prayed over that have gone unanswered and yet, in my spirit, I know that God is faithful and that He will answer - but I'd never given much thought to the fact that God's timing on my prayers may not have come into fruition - and it's not that He won't answer - it's just not the time yet.  Does that even make sense?

I think what it did for me was to renew my strength -- Isaiah 40:31 -- "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings as eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." -- I was weary in my prayer life - didn't have anymore words really - and so in the humility of this dear sister's request and the wisdom of another dear sister - God renewed my strength to keep trusting and going knowing that He has heard me and will act when the time is right according to His plan...and in the meantime, He blessed me with dear friends, generous friends, and beautiful vegetables to focus on...and chop my stress away making something wonderful!

My second lesson came in the form of these beautiful tomatoes.  I was amazed that every box I opened had tomatoes that from the surface appeared to be all the same shape, size and color.  They were beautiful, they were perfect and they were exactly the right ripeness to reach their destiny - my salsa jars!  But as I began to select them as individuals, I began to notice that they were all different.  Some were perfectly round and red, some were kind of long and might have a different top or bottom, some were juicier and some were not completely ripe - and needed to wait on another day to be processed.  Isn't that just like the church - the body of Christ?  When you look at us from a distance, we all worship the same God - we acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to be saved and we long to introduce others to this wonderful miracle and blessing of eternal life based on grace and mercy and the love of God and God alone.  But when the camera zooms in, we're all different.  We may worship differently, we may have subtle differences in our approach to the gospel, we may be plumper, thinner, smaller in number, quiet or talkative, creative, analytical or organized...but somehow when we're all put together, something so beautiful and perfect comes out of it...why?  Because of the unique way in which we've been put together.  In going back to the lesson of the sister with the need -- each of us had different levels of resources to help her - some committed to pray with her, some encouraged her, some met physical needs and so on...and when it came together, it blessed not just this sweet Mom, but her beautiful children and so many others that she's told.  In looking at my jars of salsa, some combinations produced a spicy product, some were sweet and mild and some were somewhere in between...but the outcome was all amazing.

So many times, we're quick to think that we aren't blessed with a great gift - we are so quick to feel as though we have nothing "special" to offer - but what we miss when we do this is an opportunity to cooperate with others in a blessing - and maybe even a long awaited answer to prayer.  If I hadn't added peppers, onions, salt and garlic and cilantro to my salsa - it would have been just stewed tomatoes.  But in adding those other things, it became something special.  Not to mention the tools helped relieve some stress too!  Chopping veggies, really is a great stress reliever!  None of us could have met the needs of this dear sister alone - God could but we couldn't -- but together we were able to be His hands and feet and mouth and ears...and arms to hug too! 

I guess in writing this tonight, I'm just feeling a sense of awe that God would use me not only to be an answer to someone else's prayer - but that He would use my dear salsa to show me yet another object lesson that I am privileged to share with you.

Sometimes the enemy will make you feel as if you have nothing to offer - sometimes people will accuse you of being something you're not -- sometimes we stumble and fall -- sometimes we soar and sometimes we swim -- but at the end of the day - we really never should try to walk alone.  We need each other -- especially in these trying times.  We need to be willing to be used of God in any capacity - whether it's to be the strength, the words, the resource, the fire or the calm not to benefit ourselves, but to cooperate with others and with God.

Dear friend, I pray your week will be filled with object lessons and that you'll be blessed with an opportunity to participate in being an answer to someone's prayers -- the reward for that is completely indescribable...but you can bet the applause of heaven is deafening....God sees and knows and is storing up treasures in Heaven for children who cooperate with Him here....

I love you so much --- thank you for blessing me with reading this blog...Amy