Prayer

High Five for Prayer

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 RefreshHer1 Comment

Last week Whitney shared the explanation of High Five for Friday. It’s a place where bloggers can list their posts listing five favorite things from the past week. Today I’d like to do a little twist on that and have a High Five for Prayer. I’d love to share with you answers to prayer in my personal life and give God the glory for all He has done!

He has revealed Truth me that I needed to learn. During our recent week of evangelistic meetings, I woke up one morning just feeling out of sorts. I got into the Word and had my prayer time in the morning but still had an uneasiness in my spirit. As I went about my day, it was really troubling me and I asked the Lord, “Father, why am I like this from time to time? What is causing this irritability in my spirit?” It was later that night in the service that God used our evangelist to give me my answer. It came from James 4 – When I’m want something that I’m not getting, I get irritable. It could be I’m not getting my way, or I’m inconvenienced by someone, or slowed down on the Interstate. God showed me so clearly the answer to the question I asked Him earlier. I got it right and I thanked Him that He so graciously gave me my answer so quickly so I could win over this selfishness. My God cares about my growth enough to answer my prayers regarding those very issues!
I believe God brought healing to me. I recently had a nasty lesion on my arm looked at by my dermatologist. Her immediate response was, “This concerns me greatly.” A biopsy was taken and a few days later they called to tell me it was a Squamous Cell Carcinoma and it would have to come off. When I went to have the procedure done, the doctor entered the room and said that the biopsy was inconclusive and she wasn’t absolutely sure it was cancer. When she did the “scrape and burn” procedure, it had no roots and didn’t look at all suspicious. Praise His name!
He clearly directed me in an important decision. When looking for direction about an opportunity to serve Him, I was totally unsure of what to do. As I prayed God began to bring an answer to my heart using the preaching of His Word that I heard on a podcast. I then had no doubt that God was opening this door for me, and I knew that the only way this could be accomplished was through His enabling! He made it very clear that if I trusted Him He would equip me. It’s been a blessing to my heart because I know it is all of Him and none of me!!
He provided a desire in my heart for a material thing I felt was a need. I don’t know what I need, but my God does, so I prayed about something personal that I felt would help me, but there was the financial burden of it. We had the money, but it was designated for other things. I gave the matter to the Lord. I told Him I only wanted His will, and if I was asking for something He knew would not be the best for me, to please not provide. Later in the day my husband asked me if I had made an order. I told him, “No. I didn’t feel like we could afford it. The next minute I looked at my phone to see a text telling me that the price had been reduced by half! It was totally in my range now and it was only by the graciousness of my God. This is a “small” thing, but it’s huge because it was a clear reminder to me that God cares about the little things in our lives. He is a good, good Father. I’m reminded of this verse –If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

And now the best for last…
He allowed my daughter and son-in-law to finalize the adoption of their two sons this past week! I’m officially a Gigi!! (In case you’re not aware of the situation, I wrote about their foster parenting journey here .) It’s been two years of praying, waiting, (yes worrying!), then praying some more! It’s been up and downs, questions with no answers, paperwork and endless visits and appointments, but this past Friday the adoption was official! Perhaps you saw Whitney’s post about the party we had last Saturday. It was certainly a time of rejoicing!
The Lord has shown Himself so wonderfully in this whole process. I’m reminded that He was at work even when we could not see. His hand was caring and loving those little boys and providing for them when we wondered about their future. He loves them even more than we do. God has made my own spiritual adoption become a doctrine that is richer than I ever understood it to be before these boys entered our lives! I am so thankful for this rich answer to prayer!

Psalm 3 is a passage I have recently memorized and it has become so very precious to me. Let me share part of it here –

What are you praying for? Do as the psalmist and cry aloud with your voice. Call. Ask. Then He will give you sleep, too. You can awaken knowing that He is at work doing what only a loving, omniscient, sovereign God could do! Don’t give up. Keep on praying!

Do you have an answer to prayer? I’d love to hear what God has done in your life recently!

Refresh your prayer life with praising Him for His answers,

Three Rules That Keep My Home Presentable (not perfect)

February 20, 2019July 6, 2025 RefreshHer6 Comments

summer mantle 3

I’m one of those women that has to have things in order at home to be able to think straight. I feel so unorganized and discombobulated when my house is messy! Are you like that? But life is busy and it’s easy for things to get out of whack in a flash! Here’s what I try to do to keep things presentable at my house.

#1 – Have a routine.

My best friend in relation to keeping things presentable is one word – Routine. It’s not so much that I clean the floor on this day and dust on that one (though I try to do that), my greatest routine is with the daily things that happen. Let me explain. Every day when I get up, I have a routine that goes like this:

Feed the cat then sweep the laundry room floor (where Liza’s things are)
Empty the litter box
Throw in one load of laundry – On the days when there aren’t enough clothes for a load, I try to wash kitchen towels and pot holders or the throw rugs. This is another way to keep things presentable! In the spring it will also include one room of curtains.
Make the bed – Let me just stop here and say that this is HUGE to me. The bed takes up so much of the room. If it gets completely made with the comforter smoothed out and straightened up, pillows in place, and accent pillows arranged, the whole room takes on the look of being clean!
Clean the bathroom. I do this as I’m finishing up getting ready. I actually have a little way that I challenge myself to get it done quickly each day. Other days I’ll deep clean it, but it generally takes me about three or four minutes to wash out the two sinks, the tub, shower and toilet. Everything is shiny and smelling clean when I walk out!
Empty the waste baskets. When I bring the dirty litter out of the laundry room, I immediately empty the trash in the rooms upstairs and set the bag at the top of the steps to go down to the trash can.
Put away any clothes or items that are in the bedroom or bathroom.

With all these things done, when I go downstairs and start my day, the upstairs has been touched and cleaned so that it’s all presentable. It might be dusty or need a vacuuming, but it’s straightened up and clean! I love that.

I have another rule of thumb that I say to myself often:

#2 Don’t put it down, put it away.

This little rule keeps my morning routine much easier. That way there isn’t a lot of things that are lying here and there that need attention. That means I immediately put away

my jewelry when I take it off
my shoes
any paper items
mail
devotional books/prayer journal
make up
coat

#3 Have a place for everything.

I keep all like things together and have a place where they are stored when purchased or not in use. For instance:

Cleaning products
Paper products
Books
Shoes
Coats
Medicines
Extra toiletries
Purse

Which of these three rules are the most difficult for you? Make one little change at a time, if necessary, until you get your house to a place that makes you feel rested. That’s when you know it’s also presentable, because no one else matters but you and your family!

Refresh your home with three little rules!

denise a

Easy recipe · Valentine's Day

My Husband Cooked Valentine’s Day Dinner!

February 18, 2019February 17, 2019 RefreshHer12 Comments

I married a guy who has learned to handle himself in the kitchen at breakfast time with great variety and expertise. I’ve been the recipient many times of his French toast, scrambled eggs or egg sandwiches, but to expect that he could make a supper beyond grilled hamburgers was beyond wishful thinking!

However, this past Monday night I got a text early in the morning,

Valentine’s Dinner will be served tonight at 5:00 in front of the fire place. I will be wearing jeans and a jacket.

What?! I could hardly wait for suppertime!! I went out in the afternoon to run some errands, and when I came home, this is what I found waiting for me ~

Valentines 2019 3

His menu came from Food Network and were Ree Drummond’s recipes.

Steak with Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Frites with Easy Hollandaise
Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
Toasted Bread

You can find the whole list of menu items and the recipes he used here.

I’m telling you, a restaurant meal couldn’t have touched what my husband made! The steak, the potatoes, the salad…it was all absolutely delicious! Be sure to check out the simple recipe for Hollandaise Sauce. It made those potatoes out of this world (and I even dipped my steak bites in it!). Wow. So good!

Valentines 2019

The pitcher below was full of that delectable Hollandaise Sauce!! (There was lots left over!!) Valentines 2019 2

What steakhouse could do better than this Wedge salad?

Valentines 2019 5

These cute salt and pepper shakers were a gift to me from Dale several years ago. I thought it was so sweet that he put them on the table.

Valentines 2019 6

The chef himself…

Valentines 2019 4

After supper we played a game of Take 2 – a shortened version of Scrabble.

Valentines 2019 7

Valentine’s Dinner at home is the best! Why?

You get that “good table” by the fireplace
It’s quiet
It’s cost effective!
You get to pick the music that’s played
You can sit and relax at the table as long as you want without being glared at by a waitress who’s ready for you to leave!
You get to eat the leftovers the next day!
You get to spend time together unhurried and reflectively to play a game and just chat.
You get to see that your husband is an outstanding chef AND that there are great sites out there to help any fledgling cook!

This guy sure surprised me! Who knows? He might start a recipe page on his blog! Just kidding, but I’m sure proud of his loving efforts. It’s just proof that if you really want to learn to cook, you can! He said the Food Network instructions were easy to follow and helped him make a successful supper!

I just had to brag on my sweet husband. Thanks for letting me share our special time together. What’s keeping you from learning some new tricks in the kitchen?

With love from his country kitchen,

denise a

Crock Pot · How-to Video

Make Good Use Of a Leftover Chicken Carcass

February 13, 2019February 12, 2019 RefreshHerLeave a comment

I just hate to see good food go to waste! That’s one reason I’m the Queen of the Freezer! Leftover baked potatoes get scooped out and frozen for future pots of Potato Soup. Leftover Chicken Carcasses get cooked in pots of herbed water so we can enjoy homemade chicken stock.

Last week when I used five chickens to feed a group of people, the Lord brought a spiritual truth to my mind. Even greater than wasting good food that can be used for a future meal, how tragic it is when I waste a lesson He has taught me. It’s so crucial to journal the truths that I’ve learned by means of a trial, sickness, or difficulty so I won’t forget them – this would be the boiling of the chicken bones! I need to get down to the bottom of what I’ve learned. That takes prayer, quiet and then time to write in a journal.

The next step is pulling it back out and reminding myself of the Truth on days when I need it. Preaching to myself is something that happens frequently because my mind likes to dwell on things other than truth (ever been there?). I’ll flip back to my journal and reread what God did in my life, what He taught me or how He answered a prayer request and provided a need and I have food to go on for that day! This is the freezing process of the stock making lesson. I can pull that frozen stock out and make a meal with it such as Chicken enchiladas, pot pies or Golden Winter Soup . I’m always so thankful that I took the time to make the stock! I’m doubly glad to have that truth hidden away to encourage my heart.

Sometimes I also get to make a meal for someone else with that stock! I love to give other people good food. The spiritual application here is that sometimes I get to take the lessons God has taught me and share them with others. When I do that, I’m giving them Divine view point rather than my human view point. That will help them so much more than my feeble words ever could!

If I threw that chicken carcass in the trash I would be wasting something good. If I finish a time of trial and simply breathe a sigh that it’s over, I’ll be wasting those precious lessons God has graciously given to me. It wasn’t a waste of time in my life, so I should value it enough to hold fast to it so I can benefit from it in the future!

Here’s a simple video and pictures of the process I go through to make my own stock. It helps you make good use of the whole chicken, plus it’s a real money saver, considering that a can of broth is a dollar or more and you get less than two cups in each can!

Do you ever make your own stock?

What spiritual lesson has the Lord recently taught you that you could share with others or remind your own self of in the days ahead?

Don’t waste it!

denise a

Dates · Dinner · Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day Pizza At Home

February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 RefreshHer2 Comments

Since Thursday is Valentine’s Day, I know most are thinking about recipes for all things chocolate, right? If you want a yummy treat to bake up for your sweetheart, you can go here to find some yummy treats, a couple that do indeed include chocolate!

But there’s more to any special day than just the sweet things! I’m talking about recipes for savory dishes you could indeed serve for Valentine’s Day, or any supper meal when Continue reading “Valentine’s Day Pizza At Home” →