I love to hear about products that other people find helpful, so I’m going to pass along a couple of my favorites in hopes that you do, too!
I have a cat, who like most cats, can occasionally get sick from fur balls. (Sorry for the TMI!) The carpet pays a toll when that happens, but thank goodness there are products that help! I was using a cleaner specifically for these kinds of messes and it was quite expensive. Then I tried this cleaner from the Dollar Tree! Guess What? It works fantastic!!!
It truly lives up to its name and is indeed awesome! You don’t have to own a pet to appreciate this cleaner. It will help obviously help on other stains as well!
I love fresh laundry and I especially love it when it smells like fresh laundry!!! This Snuggle dryer sheet makes the laundry smell amazing! I buy it at Kroger and can usually get a great deal on it. No matter, it’s worth the price because of its effectiveness!
We love our sweet tea in the south, and several years ago I found the Lipton Southern Sweet Tea bags that has the artificial sweetener in the bag. It makes the best tea and you don’t have to add the sugar! I like to use three of the Lipton bags and three Twining fruit tea bags to make a half gallon of tea so easily!
Those are random suggestions, aren’t they?! But they are items I use all the time and I thought you’d like to know!! What random suggestion do you have for me?
We get to meet at church this Sunday and I’m so excited!!! Are you able to attend church where you are?
We all avoid it. We’d rather put up with someone, overlook what might be rightfully ours, or look the other way at a grievance, just to avoid the stickiness a confrontation would bring. While it is wise at times to turn the other cheek, to overlook a transgression for the sake of love, there are times/situations that demand a confrontation.
I was encouraged recently to read what sort of seems like a little side story in the life of Abraham. In Genesis 21 we read the beautiful answer to Sarah and Abraham’s long-awaited prayer request – the birth of their son, Isaac. God “did as He said He would do.” What a God!
Then the chapter moves on to tell about a little “sticky situation” that involves Abimelech the King and Abraham. We read about it beginning in verse 22. See the bold verse to read about the conflict.
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24 And Abraham said, I will swear. 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
Wells were very important because water was scarce because Canaan had no significant rivers. A well had been dug on Abraham’s land. It was rightfully his, but it had been taken away. I find in this passage some good advice when dealing with a conflict.
Approach the situation under the control of God’s Spirit and not in your flesh. Abimelech told Abraham in verse 22, “God is with you in all you do.” He didn’t come with an angry spirit. His attitude made it obvious that he was walking with God. It’s sometimes hard to get our emotions in check, but we will be received so much better if we will be walking with God so that we come with a peaceful, loving spirit.
Ask questions, rather than making an accusation. A question will soften the heart, but an accusation hardens the spirit. It appears that Abraham probably asked Abimelech about the well because of his response in verse 26. Saying, “You always,” or “you never!” will only make a person bristle up and be on the defensive. Asking a question like, “It seemed like this is what you were saying, am I correct?” is so much softer than telling it like you assumed it was.
A loving gesture, such as a gift will pacify anger.Abraham gives a generous gift to Abimelech. He gave sheep, oxen and lambs. The gift was to prove that the well did indeed belong to Abraham. It was kind of like a consolation prize! It sealed the deal they made. The matter was taken care of and this was proof. The gift is not to be a bribe. This is a gesture of love and given with a heart to mend the wrong.
Years ago I had a neighbor who was just a mean-hearted woman. She was offended by my husband by something that was totally innocent on his part. We tried and tried to explain and make amends. Finally one day the Lord put something on my heart that I could do for her and I decided to make one more attempt at breeching the situation. Because she kept her young grandchildren every day, I thought she might appreciate some toys my girls had outgrown. I knew her grands would enjoy these toys that were still in great condition, so I boxed them up, along with a loaf of bread. I crossed the street, my heart pounding. When her husband opened the door I asked if I could speak with his wife. He looked quite surprised, but went and got her. She came to the door in a huff. I quickly offered her the box of toys for the children. She started to resist, but I implored, “I’d love for your grandchildren to have these. They’re all cleaned up and in perfect condition.” She finally did reach out and take them. I assured her that we truly wanted to be friendly neighbors and were here for her, should she ever need us. That was the last time I spoke with her before we moved. Though we were never “close friends,” I’m thankful that the last time we had a conversation, it was a civil one, and that I had done what the Lord prompted me to do in an attempt to mend any offense.
Sometimes the conflict will be mended, as it was in Abraham’s case. Sometimes, as happened in my case, only our own heart will be mended because we did what the Lord required of us in this difficulty.
When it was all said and done, Abraham Called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. One commentator said,
Even through this time of conflict in his family and among his neighbors, Abraham kept a real, live walk with God. Conflict did not drive him away from God, but he allowed it to push him closer to the LORD
Your conflict can do the same thing for you! Just keep walking with the Lord.
When morning rolls around I’m not ready for food. Just hand over a nice cup of coffee with flavored cream and I’m good for a couple of hours. But I know I need to eat, so I eventually do. But what to eat? Scrambled eggs…not my favorite. French Toast? Only once a month…too fattening. Pancakes? I like them but it’s too much trouble and not enough protein. However, I’ve recently been making an egg dish once a week that my husband and I both really enjoy. I call it Hash Brown Egg Skillet. It’s so delicious and is done in about 15 minutes.
You could tweak this recipe to add what you like, but for our tastes I use onions, shredded hash browns, Canadian Bacon and eggs. As the recipe name says, it’s all done in a skillet on the stove. One pan – one great recipe! Here’s how you make it:
Hash Brown Egg Skillet
1 -2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Hash Browns
2 Tbl. chopped onion
3 slices Canadian Bacon
2 or 3 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Place Olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion and frozen hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, brown potatoes on one side, then flip over and brown other side. This is when I add my Canadian bacon, just to warm it up. Before they get completely brown, make small wells in the potatoes. Crack egg and pour into the wells. Lower heat to low temp and cover with a lid. Let eggs cook until they are they way you like them. I go for sunny side up because we love the yolk runny. I check to be sure the yolk still jiggles after the white is cooked. Using a spatula, divide the portion for each plate and serve!
I served it with sour dough toast and fresh fruit sprinkled with Chocolate-raspberry granola. (The granola is Love Crunch) Yum!
This is a great Sunday breakfast when dinner usually comes later than normal. It’s also a healthy meal and fits into my WW menu plan nicely! I hope you’ll try this! It’s so good…even for non-breakfast lovers!
Are you a breakfast lover or do you eat just because you have to?
The winter blues are a real thing and I find it crucial in the middle of these winter months to make special effort to stay encouraged. Simple pleasures can go a long way in perking up my dreary spirits. Here’s a sampling of some of my recent winter day activities that helped beat the blues.
The best way to defeat being down is to have my heart lifted up through the Truths of God’s Word. This year I’m reading through the Bible using a chronological plan. Already I’ve seen new truths, been comforted about God’s care and presence, and have been reminded that God always has a plan for every person in every situation. That means right now in 2021, during a pandemic, on a dreary winter day, He is at work!
My husband and I played a round of Rummikub on Sunday evening. It was a cold night, so we set up a small table in front of the fireplace and enjoyed the warmth of the fire while we played. It was warm, it was fun, and we had time together!
We had a sunny day this week and I was determined to make the most of it. This was my radio recording day, so I headed out early so I could get my Jeep washed and also do a little shopping beforehand. It was a needed morning out!
I’ve been working on redoing our family room since September and the last piece of furniture I need for that room is a love seat. I’ve been looking for months and just couldn’t find what I wanted. We took a drive to Greeneville, TN to Robert’s Furniture Store and I found this lovely piece that is going to be perfect in my newly decorated space! It will be delivered later this week and I can’t wait. I am going to paint a wall, then I’ll be anxious to make a reveal here on my blog! If you’re in East Tennessee, you need to visit Robert’s. It’s a locally owned business with the sweetest people and quality furniture. I can’t say enough about our experience with them!
Doing what we love, my husband and I took the scenic route through the country to go to the furniture store. The views are so pretty and the drive just made my heart smile! The sky on the way home was gorgeous…
I also spent some time in the kitchen this week. I’ve made several new recipes for supper, baked some bread, made more Rice Krispy Treats (for our small group) and also some Chicken broth in my crock pot. It feels good to be productive in the kitchen!
I pray that your winter days are being filled with blessings that you recognize as gifts from God’s hands. He’s the giver of them all.
P.S. I mentioned my radio recording – in case you don’t know, I do a daily broadcast on a local radio station. My church has all the recordings on their website. I linked it earlier and I’ll link it again, here, in case you’re interested. There’s a plethora of subjects from character traits to homemaking advice. Each broadcast is 15 minutes long. It is aired each week day on WHCB at 2:30 (recently changed) and on Saturday at 3:45. This is a ministry that the Lord placed in my lap, and I feel like the most unlikely person to be on the raido! There are days I wonder if anyone hears it, but I j ust know that I’m obeying the Lord in His direction in my life. So there you have it. If it can encourage you, than I’ll rejoice!
Tell me about one of your activities that helped you beat the winter blues!
There it is again – the pain of that longing. It’s the reminder of the greatest hurt in your life. It’s a void you wish to have filled, but it feels like a chasm in your chest.
For Sarai, it was the desire for a child. Genesis 11:30 records the issue…
And Abram and Nahor took for themselves wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
We could think, Oh, great. Tell everyone! While everyone else is having babies, there it is in black and white…it blurts out the pain that Sarai was childless!
But when I read that fact in Scripture, it reminds me that a loving God noted that Sarai was barren. He saw her aching heart. He heard her cries. He knew…and He had a plan. Oh, it wouldn’t come to fruition when Sarai thought it should, but it would happen in a way and time that He would get the glory for it.
If you know the story, you know that she schemed and planned while she waited for God to answer. She told Abram to marry her handmaid that she might bear a son through her. Sounds ridiculous, right? It was a ridiculous for her as it is for me to come up with a plan to “move things along” in getting whatever it is I’m getting impatient for! We have to remember that God loved Sarai and He was doing something behind the scenes that would be so much better than she could ever dream up!
Thirteen years later God chose to allow 99 year-old Abram and 90 year-old Sarah to have a baby! Surely that’s an answer neither of them could have dreamed up! All the time that the statement was ringing in Sarah’s ear, And Sarai was barren, God was loving, working, and planning to do amazing things for them. Don’t you wish Sarah had trusted God? Don’t you wish she had never hurt her handmaid by putting her in the middle of her personal struggle? Oh, but wait ~
I must ask myself…
What ache is in my heart that I’m forgetting God sees?
What is causing me to be most anxious and fearful today?
Am I remembering that the Lord hears, knows and has a plan concerning that issue?
Am I quietly waiting and trusting my loving God? Philippians 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Not only did God give them a son, but his name is found in the lineage of Christ! Sarah could not have planned that. Friends, you and I will miss out on God’s peace and joy when we have tactics instead of trust and worry instead of wonder. God loves you and He cares about that one thing that is plaguing you today.
Today remember 90 year-old Sarah, holding a tiny son named Isaac. You can choose to smile rather than scowl. God has a plan.
