communication · God's Love · Prayer

My Father’s Voice

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The radio podcast on my phone was interrupted by an incoming call. I looked down to see the word, “Dad.” I was delighted to see that it was my father who was calling. I always enjoy getting to talk to my dad, but the increase joy in hearing from him was due to being concerned (okay, I was worrying) about a procedure he’d had done at his physician’s office the day before. Fearful of bothering him, I didn’t want to call, so I decided to wait for his initiation. Hearing his voice and him calling me by my nick name in greeting, made my face and my heart smile. I got to ask him questions about how he was doing, then, as is typical of him, he turned the attention to me instead. He encouraged me about some issues I shared with him, and he assured me of his prayers. We enjoyed a sweet conversation and I hung up the phone relieved and thankful for his thoughtfulness in calling. It was a sweet comfort to hear his voice.

Moments after the call had been finished, the Lord brought to my mind that hearing from my Heavenly Father is even more precious. There are so many burdens on my heart right now, and each morning as I open my Bible and my prayer journal to read and then lift those needs before the Lord, it has been so sweet to hear from my Father in heaven.

He comforts me.

He reminds me of the Truth.

He gives me advice.

He listens.

He encourages me. 

I rise from our time together, a smile on my face and in heart. He called and I heard His voice. Thank you, Father.

By fearsome deeds of righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Psalm 65:5

What burdens are you carrying today? Sit down and be still. Open God’s Word and let Him speak to you there. As you sit in prayer, don’t do all the talking. Let Him “call” you. You will hear His voice and He will comfort you.



A Healthier Granola
breakfast · Healthy Eating

A Healthier Granola

RefreshHer6 Comments

How easy it is to get into a breakfast rut! I’m not a huge fan of the typical breakfast foods, so an option with a crunchy granola sprinkled over Greek yogurt and fresh fruit makes my morning happy!

I enjoy trying different granola recipes, and while I love my old standby recipe, my new find from Skinny Ms is a delicious addition to my granola choices! This one has no dried fruits in order to keep it lower in sugar, but I didn’t miss them! I did add walnuts, though it’s not in the original recipe.

This has a nice toasty flavor and a good soft crunch! We love it!

So good over yogurt and fruit!
Continue reading “A Healthier Granola” →
Refreshment in marriage

The Marriage Walk

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On June 20th, my husband and I will be celebrating our 40th anniversary! Here’s a post about marriage that doesn’t give false ideals, but realities in its day-to-day struggles.  I hope it will encourage your “marriage walk.”

As my husband and I were taking our daily walk yesterday, I took some pictures and realized that our marriage is a lot like the walk we take each day.

  • Marriage takes discipline – I make a choice to walk each day, and I make a choice to love my husband. As I add a walking routine to stay fit, I must also make investments in my marriage. Spending time together, planning time away, talking to and listening to one another are all important disciplines.
  • Marriage takes hard work. This first street we walk is a steep hill. Some mornings I think it’s steeper than others – it’s hard work! A good marriage takes hard work. Every day you climb past your own desires and meet the needs of your spouse. Every day you push forward instead of staying where you were yesterday. It might be exhausting some days, but it’s worth the effort!

  • Distance can intrude a marriage – Sometimes we jog a bit on our morning “walk” – that’s why he’s way ahead of me in the picture below! Some days in marriage there comes a distancing – an icy shoulder, a curt word, and the separation becomes greater and greater. When we’re out walking, someone has to take the initiative to wait for the other to catch up, or the slower one breaks into a run to be able to be side by side again. This is getting right in marriage; getting back together. It’s the humbling of one or both that makes that happen. “Only by pride comes contention.” Proverbs 13:10

  • God’s plan for marriage is beautiful – Part of our walk is beautiful. This road is full of views that I never tire looking at! It’s what spurs me out of bed and into my walking clothes! I can’t wait to hear the quiet and see the beauty. Remembering what the Lord desires my marriage to be, and the picture I have of that in Scripture makes me press on. I long for my marriage to be all that God intended. It pushes me to the Word and prayer, because I know in myself I cannot be the godly wife God wants me to be. If I want my marriage to be beautiful, I know I need the Lord’s enablement!

  • We must keep eternity in view – Yesterday we ran quite a bit. I got really tired and I was so relieved to see my home come into view! Keeping my eternal home in view will help my marriage too. It will help me to encourage my husband each day and pray that he will be a godly man. It will make me desire to make it easy for him to serve God instead of resisting what he wants to do in our home and family. It will make me remember that rewards are then, not now. It will remind me to be faithful to this ministry of my marriage.
I thank the Lord for a godly husband who loves the Lord and desires to live for him. I am privileged to be his wife. It’s been a great walk!
What part of “The Marriage Walk do you need to focus on?  Ask the Lord for His help, then strap on your shoes and get moving!

With a thankful heart,

Main dish.

The Best and Easiest Honey/Lime Salad Dressing (and a great salad to put under it!)

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I’m reposting this recipe again because my husband and I recently discovered a Honey-Lime Salad Dressing at Cheddar’s that is delicious and we now always order for our salad. I was so happy to remember that this Honey-Lime Dressing was here on my blog.  It’s a perfect combination with this grilled chicken!  I hope you’ll fire up the grill and try it!

I found this Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad in Rachel Ray’s Magazine and it called my name! It appealed to me for many reasons, but I’m bringing it to you for one reason – IT IS SOOOO GOOD! The kicker for me is the super simple Honey/Lime dressing that goes over the salad. I think I am done buying pre-made salad dressings! Homemade vinaigrettes are just so much better!

I grilled several pieces of chicken at once when I made this (more than I needed), so I could put the meat in other recipes through the week. It makes sense that if you’re going to heat up the grill to cook chicken, do extra and have it on hand for the week! I’ll share my other recipes at the end of this post. But first, here’s the delicious Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad…

Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad with Lime Dressing

  • 1 cup heavy cream or Mexican crema
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, pureed or finely chopped
    This salad is wonderful witihout the Crema!
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh)
  • 2 large ears corn
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbsp.)
  • 2 teaspoons acacia honey or light agave
  • 6 cups chopped romaine hearts
  • 4 ounces Manchego cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler – I used a Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 ripe Hass avocado, sliced and dressed with lemon or lime juice to slow browning
Directions

  1. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high to high.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and chipotle over low, stirring occasionally. Simmer until it thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
  3. Drizzle the chicken and corn with a little oil. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and cumin. Grill the chicken and corn until the chicken is cooked through and the corn is charred in spots, turning occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. (If using a grill pan, cook the corn first.) Invert a small bowl in a large bowl. Place one corncob upright on top of the small bowl. Cut the kernels off the cob (they’ll fall into the big bowl). Repeat with the other corncob. Slice the chicken. Douse the chicken and corn with the juice of 1 lime.
  4. Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the juice of the remaining lime, the honey and 1/4 cup olive oil; season. Toss with the greens. Divide among plates; top with the cheese, chicken, corn, chipotle crema and avocado.

I also used the grilled chicken for this soup (with a few changes). I also cut the corn off the cob before adding it to the soup!

My  husband used the grilled chicken and made us Quesadillas for lunch one day (isn’t he sweet?!). He added the chicken, tomatoes, and cheese and it made a great lunch dish!

So, do yourself a favor and make this Lime Dressing, if you don’t try anything else. Do yourself a second favor and fire up the grill and get some really flavorful meat in your fridge for the rest of the week!

What have you cooked up in your kitchen this week?

With love from my country kitchen,