Oh……to allow myself to live with the joy of the front row………that is my desire!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” John 10:10 (BSB)
picturequotes.com
“The season has shifted and changed so I let go of what I am use to and walk bravely into the unknown because I know God is right beside me with each step.” A Modern Day Ruth / Pixabay
“That’s a wrap!” Words often used to signal the end of a storyline or season of a T.V. show, but today they’re words reverberating around in my chaotic mind. Part of MY story, a season of MY life is wrapping up and I’m going to have to wait for the new season to begin to see how things work out. Just so you know; I don’t like waiting……I don’t like change…….and I don’t like not being in control……even when the new season promises to be good, great even!
Our new house was ordered today. I’m packing the remaining odds and ends and we’re moving out this weekend. In six to eight weeks our house should arrive and we’ll begin to write a new story; live a new season! That means in this in-between time we must say goodbye to our old, blue house. In the world of television the time between seasons is full of reruns and it’s no different really for me. This time of farewell to our home of 18 years is sure to generate lots of memories to relive and retell.
I’m not really sure how to say goodbye to walls that protected our family and gave us space at the same time. To let go of bedrooms where books were read, sleepover giggles quieted, bedtime prayers whispered, and goodnight kisses shared. The upstairs porch with its once grand brick-a-brack railing , a place where little girls could get lost in their imaginations, will be hard to see go. Conversations while we ate together, games played, homework done, and Christmas cookies decorated made our dining room the heart of our home. As I sat this morning in “my chair”, a place made for lingering, a place that allows me to gaze out to our majestic pine tree and the bird feeders that hang there, a tightness formed in my chest as I realized that my view will never be exactly like this again.
That’s life isn’t it? We take the familiar for granted and then it’s gone. We get caught up in the day to day and forget we are creating memories. We blink. Things change. WE change. The season ends.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-7 (NLT)
Yes, For now: “It’s a wrap!” It’s time to tear down. However, I’m so grateful it doesn’t end there. It’s also a time to build – build a new house – build new memories – Ecclesiastes 3:11-12 goes on and says:
“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. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.”
We all find ourselves leaving seasons behind and venturing in to new ones. What a wonderful promise that even when we can’t see where they lead; God has the whole beautiful journey planned for us, all the way to eternity! So let’s “wrap” ourselves in that!
Now for this weeks recipe……I couldn’t miss this opportunity to share with you a tasty WRAP recipe!
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“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun.
~Julia Child
What happens when opposites get together? I’m left handed, he’s right. He’s a morning glory, I’m a night owl. I love my music up loud, while he prefers the volume to be down low. My husband and I are completely different in almost every way possible and after 33 years together, we STILL find ways that we contrast each other. Yes, night and day, up and down, left and right, Cindy and JD…..as unlike as can be! It reminds me of Paul when he was struggling with opposites in Romans 7:19:
“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (NLT)
Good and bad, right and wrong, somehow we find ourselves attracted to both! I can’t count how many times I’ve set out to do the right thing and only a short while later find myself doing the reverse. It’s not necessarily the big things that send me in the wrong direction, but rather those little, I know it’s not right but “maybe no one will know”, “what can it hurt”, “everyone else is doing it” kind of things that bring me straight to the same place that Paul was: in deeep “do do”! (do, do not do, do, etc.)
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT)
Thank goodness God knew we’d need help! He doesn’t wait until we’ve got it all right. He met Paul then and he meets us today, right where we are; even if it’s in messy, deep do do. There’s nothing more radically different than our sin and the perfection of Jesus! But….put those two opposites together and We. Have. Victory!
Opposites: Sweet and Sour = Tasty
Like JD and I, today’s recipe takes two opposites, puts them together, and makes something great! I first had this dish while on a girl’s get away to the lake with my mom and sisters. The sweet pineapple, sour sauce, crisp vegetables, and juicy chicken make it a family favorite here! And it’s pretty too! So, remember in people and in food…..different can be good! Enjoy!
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“He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge..” 2 Samuel 22:2-3 (NAS)
“I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!” Famous words spoken by the Big Bad Wolf in the children’s story “The Three Little Pigs”. (Second Grade teacher at heart and mind, remember?) Each Little Pig had built themselves a house: one of straw, one of sticks, and the last pig built his of brick. As the story goes; the Big Bad Wolf is true to his word and blows the house of straw down. The first Little Pig runs for shelter in his brother’s house of sticks. After a visit from the Big Bad Wolf, the house of sticks lay on the ground and the two Little Pigs run for shelter in their brother’s house of bricks. Ending happily (for the pigs), the wolf huffs and puffs, puffs and huffs, and huffs and puffs again but is unable to blow in the house of bricks. The Three Little Pigs learned a valuable lesson….seek shelter in a solid place!
What about us? Where do we run for shelter when trouble is huffing and puffing all around? I don’t know about you, but I first tend to rush and dwell in my emotions. Whether sadness, anger, disappointment, fear, or whatever I’m feeling, I move in and try to become a permanent resident. In reality, I wallow. Taking longer than I hate to admit, it eventually becomes evident that like the Little Pig in the straw house, staying there while things are falling apart around me isn’t an option.
Where do I run for shelter next? You guessed it. The “stick house” of worry. Ever lodge there? Somehow I, and maybe you too, think that by residing with worry we’ll be protected from all that lurks around us until WE can find a solution. Wringing hands, churning thoughts, spinning stomach, all become familiar roommates and if we stay too long we end up in a heap beneath the weight of our trouble.
I’m realizing that in times of trial, trying to find refuge in emotional “straw” or “twigs” of worry keeps me exhausted and hopeless as I’m battered by what’s raging around me. Surprisingly enough, I’m learning the same lesson as the Three Little Pigs! Stay with me…..Jesus said:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV)
There are always going to be “Big Bad Wolves” knocking on our doors. Even though they’re different for each of us our reaction is often the same…..to run for shelter.
The Pigs learned to seek shelter in a solid place and So. Should. We.
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection, my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 (NLT)
Isn’t it comforting to know that even when we’re still living in places that so easily crumble; we have a fortress: a place of safety, a place that will not fall, waiting for each of us. Just as the Third Little Pig welcomed his brothers, God waits for us to find our refuge in Him. I wish I could say that I’ve left my straw and twigs behind and run straight to the house of brick every time. I’m working on it and reminding myself and you, that OUR happy ending comes when we’re running for shelter straight to the One who saves us!
“Running for shelter” is this weeks discussion at http://www.tsuzanneeller.com
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
Blurred vision. That’s what I dealt with yesterday, after my eyes were dilated at the Optometrist’s office. Note to self: don’t plan to pick up a prescription after an eye appointment! Trying to decipher the small print proved to be a challenge. I squinted, held it out as far as my arm would stretch away from me, and squinted again; it was still hazy. Finally, the kind clerk read to me what I needed to know so I could move on. (We won’t talk about what my signature looked like as I checked out.)
It occurs to me that I was having trouble seeing clearly long before my eye exam. Can I let you in on a little secret? I don’t like to make mistakes, let someone down, not measure up…as if you didn’t already know that. So, when it comes time to make a big decision: change jobs? retire? take on a project? I look at it up close, far away, and from many different angles. When the answer still seems obscured from my view, I want God to send me a sure sign I’m not making the wrong choice and clear the way for me to proceed.
In the midst of all the house decisions we’ve needed to make, I’ve prayed for a sign. Not just ANY sign, mind you. Because our beautiful tree must come down; I’ve prayed: “God, if tearing down our house and putting in this modular is what you want us to do, (1) while we’re not here, (2) create a wind so strong, (3) it knocks over the pine tree, (4) but don’t let it hurt anyone or set the house on fire!”
Did you happen to notice that I didn’t just ask God to show me the way; I told Him where, when, what, and how! Wait! What? I TOLD HIM? Needless to say, our tree is still standing. Tell me I’m not alone in wanting what I want, when I want it! Oh, I can be so short-sighted!
I believe that God sends us signs all the time; unfortunately, like me, we are often looking for something of our own making or understanding.
“But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12 (NIV)
I’m pretty sure that those waiting for a sign that the Messiah had arrived, never expected it to be cloths covering an infant! In a manger yet! They were watching for grandeur and might, kind of like a giant pine tree falling to the ground. Because of their “blurred vision”, many missed God’s greatest gift. How often are we too, blind to the signs that lead to His gifts for us?
My sight returned to normal later the evening of my exam and I’m beginning to “see” a little more clearly today, too; that life is going to constantly be full of different kinds of decisions. We may not always be able to perceive the way to go, but when we focus on the most important Sign: the Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths; we can trust, that with “20/20 vision” He’ll guide us to the cross, through life, and all the way home.
Joining others looking for “Signs” this week at http://www.tsuzanneeller.com
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun.
~Julia Child
Today I’m lost without ever leaving home. My sense of direction, dulled; I find myself aimlessly floating between the past, present, and what’s yet to come. Wayward, I drift on the rising and falling tide of “what ifs” and “why nots”…. leading me only farther from where I need to be.
Yes, I’m adrift on the sea of woe is me. Ever been there? It’s a much too familiar place where my blessings feel obscured, as if swallowed by the fog. And my wants? They seem far out of reach; just minute dots on the distant horizon. Sucked into the whirlpool of my own churning thoughts, the me I want to be, is missing.
SEND OUT THE LIFEBOAT!!!!!
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind but now I see.” John Newton, 1779
Join me in singing those words over to yourself a few times. They remind me that whenever we feel lost…lost in grief, in sickness, in conflict, in worry, in fear, or even in our own self-centered thoughts; Grace. Is. Our. Way. Home.
Sometimes, like today for me, it feels like the person we want to be is nowhere to be found. Isn’t it reassuring that we’re not navigating this journey alone? We have each other to hold on to, inspired music and writings to keep us on track, and the amazing assurance that we’re never too lost that we can’t be found by the One who leads the way!
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he finds it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.” Luke 15:4-5 (NLT)
Days like today just require comfort food so I’m sharing with you one of my very favorites!
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Comfort at its best! Yummm!
This is my Grandma Stevens’ recipe that we tweeked by doubling the crunch. It works well with apples in the fall, too! Serve warm with ice cream or my preferred way….with milk! Makes any day better! Enjoy!
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
I’m a sucker for a happy ending. Whether it’s a Hallmark commercial, a video of a soldier surprising their family, or a sappy movie; you can bet I’ll cry. Last night, there was no doubt this is true. Curled up on the couch, I got lost in a movie I’d recorded. In the last minutes of the story, all the problems were solved, the characters were going to live happily ever after, and tears trickled down my cheeks gathering at the corners of my mouth. Their brininess remained on my tongue even after I’d visited the tissue box. Why do you think God filled our tears with salt? I don’t know what the answer is, but it did get me thinking. (Oh boy, hold on!)
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
Mark 9:50 (NLT)
Have the “qualities of salt”? Now that’s something you don’t hear everyday! What are they? Do I have them? Do you?
One thing I know for sure about salt is – I love it! Probably too much…. but it just makes almost everything taste better! So, maybe we need to shake things up by adding good flavor to a world where many things are happening that leave a bad taste in our mouths. By infusing God’s love into every relationship, situation, and challenge; we have the opportunity to enhance each experience and maybe even cause others to want more!
Thinking back to my days teaching Second Grade, our Pioneers unit was always a highlight. In that, we learned that having no refrigeration meant the people who lived long ago had to salt their meat to keep it from rotting. Salt not only adds flavor to things, it also preserves them. It makes sense then, that we are to act as a “cure” that protects traits like common sense, respect, honesty, kindness, and integrity. I don’t know about you, but everywhere I look today, whether on Facebook, TV, Twitter, or in the newspaper, I see a world in decay. Instead of worrying or ignoring what seems overwhelming, like salt; we need to make it our goal to season the world with peace, prayer, and the Good News of Jesus as a way to lead others to the One True Way of preservation.
Have you ever thought about all the ways salt can be used? I hadn’t until now. It reminds me of summers, when I was growing up. They were filled with swimming in the lake, catching fireflies, and making homemade ice-cream on the cottage porch. We took turns churning. It took a while and it wasn’t easy, but it would have taken a lot longer if it weren’t for the addition of salt to the ice to help it melt more quickly. And, at least around here; salt is put on winter roads to keep them from freezing and becoming dangerous. Let’s face it, we don’t always get a happy ending. Life. Is. Hard. It often leads us down the slippery slope of despair and that can lead to icy, cold hearts. Maybe as “the salt of the earth” we are to find ways to make life and hearts just a little softer. Smile more. Give more. Help more. Listen more. Love more. Pray more.
I definitely don’t think I’m salty enough… yet. I’ve got some work to do. So, maybe that’s the answer I’ve been looking for. Why did God make our tears salty? To remind us, in good times and bad, to continue to become a person who possesses the qualities of salt, to live in peace with one another, and to freely pour out our flavor wherever we are. If everyone would do that, it WOULD be a happy ending! (cue the tears…)
Linking up with #livefreeThursday (I know, late again) . Suzi’s prompt this week was “salt”. You can read more here http://www.tsuzanneeller.com
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun.
~Julia Child
I’d like to talk about toilet paper…..well actually, the lack there of! I don’t know why it is, but it seems every time I’m in need of some, the roll is empty. Upstairs in the middle of the night; two squares barely covering the cardboard roll. Downstairs when I first wake up; one lone sheet dangles precariously. And Sunday? Out to lunch after church, waiting in line for the ladies room. One occupant emerges, another goes in. She emerges, I go in. WHAT??? Another empty roll! Can’t anyone but me fill the toilet paper dispenser?
As usual, this got me to thinking….that’s right people, toilet paper…. about being empty and getting filled. I hate to admit this but my faith often wears thin and I feel I can barely cover all that I’m facing. At other times I worry, am fearful, or discouraged and feel as if I’m left to dangle on my own. More times than I’d like to admit, I’ve looked to others to do something I’m obviously suppossed to do but am low on confidence and afraid I’ll fail. In each situation a change is in order. Trying to do everything; face everything on my own just leaves me empty, spinning, and unable to get the job done. I need to be filled!
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know that surpasses all knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV)
Being unwound and empty is a human condition. One I’m all too familiar with! Have you been there? “Strengthen, power, love……fullness.” “Dwell, rooted, grasp…..filled“. How amazing it is that we don’t have to stay that way! God is waiting for our invitation to have Him fill our empty places with that wide, long, high, and deep love and not just fill but give until we’re overflowing!
So the next time I’m face to face with a cardboard tube instead of a full roll, (and I’m sure there’ll be a next time), I’m going to try and whine less and remember Who it is that I can count on to fill me up as many times as needed!
Now, speaking of being filled; if you remember last Monday I vowed to try some healthy recipes. I usually associate “healthy” with leaving me hungry and needing more to fill me up. Not so with this healthy, (even though bacon is involved) easy, chicken skillet meal. I think I’m on a “roll”! Get it?
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Agape Science Lab nearing completion.
This is the fifth in a series of miraculous true stories about Living Hope High School in Bungoma, Kenya. Stories that share the divine inspiration and dedication to helping students of poverty, who once had no hope, reach their full potential.
“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT)
Marilyn and her students settled into a daily routine at the “cave school”. A breakfast of milk tea and a boiled egg or porridge began their morning. Classes were held throughout the day with a short break for lunch. In the evening traditional meals of thick grits and greens cooked in a spicy sauce, beans and rice, or corn and beans were prepared for dinner. Each meal was cooked outside as there was no room for an inside kitchen. Outside, there was no space for the children to safely play a game of soccer or even run off some extra teenage energy. It was obvious they already needed more space. Marilyn had also recently discovered that for a school to be recognized by the Kenyan government it had to have grades 9-12 with at least twenty students per grade. She knew without a doubt that this was her calling and so the prayers to find a larger, permanent place for her school began.
God answered Marilyn’s prayers in 2013 when she chose an eight acre property that included a long hut similar to their “mud cave” and a small mud house. Neither were much to look at but that didn’t stop Marilyn from seeing the beauty and potential there. It would take a huge amount of work and they would need vision and help…..lots of help, and constant prayer!
It took time to jump through the governmental hoops AND most of the money Marilyn had left in her savings to purchase the land; but it now belonged to them! Reaching out to the surrounding villages, Marilyn was able to find the twenty freshman she also needed. What started as a seed of an idea, had been planted and nurtured, and now Living Hope had become an official Kenyan High School. In the years leading up to this moment God had provided everything she’d needed just as He’d told her that fateful day back in her kitchen and she was already seeing His continued provision as she took this next step in her journey.
It was a challenge in the beginning. There wasn’t enough building space in either place so the 45 students traveled between their rented mud classroom and the dormitories on the new property. The journey was a precarious one as they hiked the mile and a half each way and like tightrope walkers, had to balance on a single log that lay across the rushing river that separated the two locations. That wasn’t all. Acutely aware of her dwindling funds and determined her kids would not “go to bed hungry”, Marilyn decided she needed to reach out to her sisters for help. Through their commitment and dedicated work God began providing sponsors for the students, salaries for staff, and donations for needed furniture and supplies. Hope was alive and well!
Living Hope High School has thrived since the days of the first rudimentary buildings. The school still receives no funding except through the generosity of sponsorships and donations The property today is close to ten acres, has five classroom buildings, an assembly hall, a computer lab, kitchen, eight dormitory cottages, and a science lab is under construction. Each building is constructed of bricks, hand- made by the students. A deep well was dug to provide running water and electricity has been connected to the computer lab, kitchen, and office. The students tend a 2 acre garden, take care of milk cows and chickens, and play on their own soccer field. This past year the students at Living Hope High School earned the highest test scores out of the 291 schools in their district! The 13 teachers and all the students work very hard and take nothing for granted. It isn’t always easy; the budget, sharing textbooks, the ongoing battle against Malaria and Typhoid, the unpredictable weather, and the political climate all pose challenges for Marilyn and the school; but without hesitation, she will tell you of the miraculous God who through the generosity of others, provides just what is needed to help one teacher, who answered His call, share an abundance of “Living Hope” with others.
copyright Living Hope High School, Bungoma, Kenya
As we continue Marilyn’s story you’ll hear more God designed, miraculous events that have happened to her, the students, and the school since its beginning. For more information on Living Hope High School go to www.livinghopehighschool.org or call Marilyn’s sister, Helen Markwell at 304-567-2254.
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook–try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun.
~Julia Child
It’s my grand baby’s birthday today! One year old! Just imagine all he’s experienced in those twelve months! Some good, some bad, and all the in-between! He’s learned so many new things! Walking, chattering, picking up small objects; just to name a few, and he’s becoming more independent by the minute. I’m still waiting to hear his sweet voice say “MiMi”, but when his little hand reaches out to me, my heart melts.
Of course, we had a big celebration over the weekend with balloons, streamers, presents, lots of food, and cake, can’t forget the cake!
Carson vs. cake. Carson wins!
Summer is just around the corner so our party food was typical summer fare: hot dogs, hamburgs, potato salad, and baked beans. Everything was delicious but I must tell you the baked bean dish was clean when the party was over. They were mighty fine if I may say so myself! So, somewhere in the midst of the good, the bad, and all the in-between of life celebrate by taking a little time to enjoy a picnic meal with family and friends. Reach out your hand to let someone know they’re appreciated by inviting them for a summer feast or if you need a dish to take along to a poolside get together try this easy recipe for baked beans! And DON’T forget the cake! Enjoy!
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