Thanks for watching! Now tell me, is it just easier to read a post than watch this? I may do this every once in a while if it’s not a hindrance. Thanks for your input.
With love,
Month: January 2013
A Peek Inside the Parsonage
A little more than a week ago was my husband’s birthday. As is our tradition, he got breakfast in bed! I fixed one his favorite meals – Eggs Benedict, set it on a tray, then snapped the picture above and posted it on Facebook with my birthday greetings to my parson. It wasn’t long before a friend sent me a message saying,
“I see many devotionals right in this one picture Denise, for instance…
the cup that HE would like not just one you thought was pretty.”
I had to smile when I read that because the thought about the cup did indeed pass through my mind. We have a “Happy Birthday” mug that we always pull out for the birthday honoree’, and I remember lifting my hand up to the cupboard where that mug was stored, but then stopped short, thinking, “I know he’d much rather use his new UK mug than that little cup.” I withdrew my hand from the cupboard and instead, poured the steamy liquid into his favorite mug.
It’s just a little thing, but isn’t it all the little things that can add up to big things? It’s the little irritants that can drive a spouse to distraction, and likewise, the little gestures of thoughtfulness are even more important. I wish I could say I do that consistently. I don’t. It takes each of us mindfully thinking,
- What would he like?
- How can I serve him today?
- What is his favorite (food, leisure activity, movie, dessert, restaurant, gift)?
The world makes us believe it’s all about me, but that’s not what the Scripture says. Instead we are to, (Let each) esteem others better than themselves. Phil. 2:3
These are just little things, but they can change a marriage. So, what can you do today to show your husband that you care more about what he wants than what pleases you?
From the parsonage windows,
Are You Snowed Under?
Michigan snows came plentifully in my childhood. The depths were overwhelming, often measuring more than a yard stick. Stepping off the porch of our house, I would take a step forward, lifting my booted foot high in the air to take the next stride. Snow would slide down inside my boot, sending silvery shivers from my heel to my toes. One winter the snow was so plentiful, that my sweet dad made a tunnel in one of the drifts; creating an igloo out of the depth of the icy precipitation.
These are the kinds of winters that you could call being “snowed under.” It was plentiful; it was all around us. We could not escape it. It hid the green earth for months. It was our world until the warmth of springtime finally emerged.
Have you ever considered the idea that you might be “snowed under” the focus of a wrong ambition? Everywhere you turn, This is on your mind. This is what drives you. This distracts you from the real goal: – obedience to the Word of God and eternity.
C. S. Lewis said,
“I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.”
You cannot watch someone die without doing a lot of thinking about your own life, and what awaits you, personally, after this life is over. I don’t want to get “snowed under” so that I’m not realizing that this life is preparation for the next. Whatever I put my hands to today should be influenced by the understanding that just as spring is coming soon to the Michiganders, heaven and eternity are just beyond for us. It is healthy for us to think about heaven – our future home on a regular basis.
As I watched my mother-in-law living out her last days, I asked the Lord to help me to make my days fruitful for His honor and glory. I want my life to count for the Lord, not so I can gain an entrance into heaven, but because I have His promise that I’m going there some day, and I want to lay up treasures there for His honor and glory. I don’t want to get “snowed under” all the other stuff of this life and lose my perspective.
Our Sunday school teacher put it this way last Sunday –
Don’t fear failure. Fear being successful at something that doesn’t really matter.
- · Young woman, don’t spend more time pouring over your phone, Facebook and Pinterest than you do God’s Word.
- · Moms, don’t care more keeping a spotless house than you do teaching your children about the God that loves them and has a purpose for their lives.
- · Ladies, don’t sit and worry about the hurts and heartaches you’re facing – go find someone to pour your life into.
- · Friend, make today count for eternity.
Don’t get snowed under!
With love,
What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?
I have some ham on hand, so I ran to Pinterest to find some recipes using this favorite meat.
I thought I’d share a couple of recipes I’m going to try this week.
I like this one because I have everything on hand! What a great lunch idea!
English Muffin Individual Pizzas
Ingredients
1 English muffin, cut in half
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pesto – (I’ll use paste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small red onion, sliced
2 to 3 button mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 slice ham cut into pieces, optional
1/2 cup ready-grated mozzarella or grated cheddar cheese
Directions
Toast the muffin until golden and leave to cool. Preheat the broiler. Mix the tomato paste and red pesto and spread over the muffin halves. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion, mushrooms until softened and golden.
Add the seasoning and then divide the vegetables between the muffin halves and scatter the ham and mozzarella or Cheddar over the top. Place under the broiler and cook for 4 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
In the wintertime, I enjoy having breakfast foods for supper. Here’s an interesting looking recipe from Bon Appetit that I’m looking forward to making!
Ham and Cheese Waffles
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large egg whites
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup soda water
Non-stick vegetable oil spray
1 cup thinly-cut strips of ham
3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
Maple syrup
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300°. Heat waffle iron until very hot. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until medium-soft peaks form. Whisk egg yolks, melted butter, buttermilk, and soda water in a medium bowl; gradually whisk into dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites.
Coat waffle iron with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Pour batter onto iron, spreading it into corners (amount of batter needed will vary according to machine). Scatter 1 rounded Tbsp. ham and 1 Tbsp. white cheddar over each waffle. Cook until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep waffles warm in oven between batches. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.
What do you do with leftover ham? I’d love your ideas!
From my parsonage kitchen,
Freshen Up Friday: Shopping Target Clearance
Happy Friday! Whitney here…
One of the most obvious ways to freshen up your home is with new decorations. I am freshening up a new (to me) house bit by bit with new things from Hobby Lobby (love) and Target!
You can always find something on sale at Hob Lob, and if you download their iPhone app, you’ll always have a coupon to use on regular price items. But back to Target…
When I go to Target, I always look on the ends of the aisles for their clearance end caps. I recently learned a trick to reading Target’s clearance tags, and I’ll share that in a second. But first, check out some incredible bargains I’ve scored…
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- Top Left: 2 matching lamps, “online items” meaning they are only sold online, but were returned to the store. Since they don’t belong in the store, Target marks online items WAY down. I got those lamps for $5 each (see tag on the top right).
- Bottom Left: A set of suede-ish turquoise accent pillows for my navy couch, $8 (Photobomb by my sister’s oh-so-cute kitty).
- Bottom Right: Super cute gray and yellow twin sheet set, 50% off at $7.98.
Here’s the secret I learned from reading a blog post about Target’s clearance process: the little number in the top right hand corner will tell you how much the item has been discounted. For as long as the item stays on the shelf, it will be marked down every two weeks. The discounting goes from 15%, then 30%, then 50%….then 70%….and even to 90%! I’m thrilled if I find something marked down 50%, like the gray and yellow sheets. That’s a significant savings!
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| This item has been marked 75% off…see the little number up there? |
Target marks down several departments in their store each day, so the clearance is always changing. This is a great excuse to run into Target whenever you have a chance! =)
Happy Shopping!
Whitney
RefreshHer 