Spiritual Leftovers

December 27, 2016December 27, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

refrigerator

I spent a good deal of time early this week cleaning out the fridge – not one of my favorite jobs to do. After the fridge being crammed to its limit with all the Christmas dinner, plus extra cheeses, whipping cream container, refrigerated desserts, etc. there was a lot to contend with. There are crumbs to be wiped out of the drawers, shelves that must be wiped down from dripping this and sticky that, and then the leftovers that have to be dealt with. Why didn’t we just eat the whole ham on Christmas day? Oh, yeah, I bought an extra big one because I wanted leftovers. The blessing is that I can make several good meals with those leftovers I came across. Why one evening we had ham biscuits using the last of the Angel Biscuit Dough and ham pieces. Yum! The ham bone is safely tucked into my freezer ready for soup beans in the future.

My spiritual life is nothing like my refrigerator. “Duh!” you say. You didn’t need to read this blog to figure that out, right? But wait – don’t we often act as though they are similar? Let me explain:

We get filled up with good things on Sunday. We hear a great Sunday school lesson and a sermon that stirs our heart. We may even walk to the altar and make things right with the Lord. We return on Sunday night and are challenged by testimonies and the Word again. Our “shelves” are full.

We get up Monday morning and rejoice in all that we heard on Sunday, and know we need to be in the Word, but we slept in a little longer than we’d anticipated, and now we’re short on time if we’re going to make our morning appointment.

Tuesday finds us on the Internet with our morning coffee, then putting in a load of laundry, and before we know it the morning is gone with us trying to just live off the leftovers from Sunday.

By Wednesday we’re spiritually hungry, and those crumbs on the shelves are getting more and more crusty and dry. When we return to prayer meeting we have no testimony to share because our cup hasn’t been filled all week. We sit and listen to others and wonder what happened and why God doesn’t speak to us like He does to Mrs. So and So.

Living off of the leftovers cannot make one spiritually healthy. We need fresh manna every day, just like the Israelites. They had to gather that heavenly food each morning; so must we.

So, how’s your fridge? Is it full of yummy leftovers? You’ll enjoy some good meals! Just remember you can’t live off of spiritual leftovers – they’ll never satisfy the longing in your heart.

With love,

(L)Oven Monday – Comforting Soup

December 26, 2016December 25, 2016 RefreshHer9 Comments

Hapy Monday and the Day after Christmas! I trust you had a wonderful time of celebration! I’ll share about mine on Friday when we hit the highlights!

potato-soup-3a

Often after all the rich holiday foods, a simple meal of a comforting, homemade soup is just the thing to have for supper. One reason I love this soup is because it’s so incredibly good, but it’s also really simple.

The recipe is for Baked Potato Soup, and it’s from Cooking Light, but I’ve tweaked it a bit. Baking the potatoes makes it easy to assemble, and I also think it makes the soup so much better than boiled potatoes chunks. This also means there’s no peeling or cutting necessary! Just wrap the potaotes in foil, pop them in the oven, and in an hour you’ll be ready to make supper. The baked potatoes make fine shreds of potatoes that give the soup a creaminess that is irresistable and comforting!

I had some holiday ham left over, so instead of topping it with bacon, the chunks of ham added the perfect flavor. So, you add what you have, bacon OR ham, and I think you’ll be delighted with the results!

Baked Potato Soup

4 Baked potatoes
2 Cups milk
1-2 Cups Chicken Stock
3 – 4 T. flour
Salt & Pepper
Sour Cream
Bacon or ham
Cheddar Cheese

Let Baked potatoes cool slightly, then scoop out the potato flesh from the skins and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat milk in a saucepan and slowly add flour, whisking in to combine. Cook until slightly thickened. Add Chicken stock, stir to combine. Add potatoes into mixture. Cook until thickened. If using ham, add it at this point. Cook until heated through.
Remove pan from the heat. Stir in 1/2 Cup Sour cream.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon, (if you didn’t use the ham) and shredded Cheddar Cheese.

My husband declared that this was the “best Potato soup ever!” Try it and tell me if you agree!

Enjoy!

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baking · breakfast · Christmas · evangelism

Friday Favorites- Countdown To Christmas

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

In this week before Christmas, I was blessed to do some things that I LOVE. Let’s start with the pictures in the left column below:

My husband and I got to go to Abington, VA to the Barter Theatre to see A Christmas Carol. Before the play, we went to a favorite restaurant, Rain. We shared a bowl of their fabulous Butternut Squash Soup, and their Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Outstanding.
We picked up our tickets and made our way to the play. Abington is a charming town!
This fountain is across the street from the theatre. What a fun date this was! My husband, who isn’t a book or movie fan, really wasn’t sure he’d ever read or seen the story we were about to see, so he saw it all through new eyes. One of the young actors is a member of our church, so it was especially fun to see him on stage! He did a wonderful job!
Having a daughter who lives in my town and goes to my church is a blessing! Sometimes our lives are so busy that we don’t get to spend a great deal of time together. We made a lunch date this week in our little town and caught up on one another’s lives. She makes me laugh. She encourages my heart, and she always picks the best desserts for us to share!
Now the pictures on the right side:
Liza cuddled up on my lap one morning this week while I was having my Bible study. That’s a special treat from a normally not-so-cuddly kitty!
I had a baking day that included making these Cream Cheese Danishes. The recipe makes four at a time, plenty for us and for sharing. The dough is soft and sweet and the filling makes them irresistible. I like to also add a little bit of fruit preserves to the cream cheese filling. Mmmm, these will be good for breakfast this Christmas weekend! You could ask my husband who already enjoyed a couple slices when they were warm from the oven. He washes most all of my baking dishes, so I’m happy to give him a taste of anything I’ve baked!
We went caroling Wednesday night. It’s a blessing to sing the songs of Christ’s birth and wish the folks at the door a Merry Christmas. We are singing the Gospel and it doesn’t get any better than that!

The last picture above is a weekly event at my house- Bible Club. What a blessing to pull out my flannel graph (yes, it’s an antiquated teaching tool, but the kids love it!) and remind the children of the reason for Christmas, starting with the fall of man. They had fun adding the flannel graph pieces as I told the story. My heart is full as I pour into my young pupils each week the Truth of God’s Word. They are like sponges, listening, asking questions and responding with tender hearts. I thank the Lord for this rich privilege!

Now here we are at the end of the week, just days away from Christmas. Our whole family will be together, and I’m excited to celebrate with my girls and their husbands! There will be worship together, lots of good food, laughter, more laughter and probably some music!

I pray that your Christmas will be simple, special, and full of talking about and worshiping the Savior. He came to die for each of us, and that makes every day worth celebrating!

John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world.

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas · Encouragement · memories

It Will Be Christmas Anyway

December 22, 2016December 21, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

garland-1

It’s “Crunch Time” for Christmas, and maybe you’re sitting in your comfy spot in your comfy clothes, coffee in hand, staring at the Christmas tree that doesn’t look quite like it did the night you put it up, thanks to the “help” of little hands or a burned out strand of lights. You turn that side of the tree towards that wall and know that it’s okay; it will be Christmas anyway.

The gift wrapping station is staring at you with a smirk, knowing you haven’t even opened that roll of wired ribbon that you bought with such high ambition, much less wrapped a package to put that imagined bow on. You pull out a pack of self-adhesive bows and pop one on gift bagged-wrapped present, and you know it’s okay; it will be Christmas anyway.

Your high hopes of gingerbread making, sugar cookie rolling and Pinterest crafting also got left behind the Flu wagon – the same place where that stack of dirty sheets are lying. You pick up a tray of cookies at the grocery baker and breathe a prayer of thanks that everyone is finally well.You know it’s okay; it will be Christmas anyway.

Perfect Christmases never happen. Plans and promises must often be rescheduled or put on hold, but no matter, Christmas will still be Christmas because,

**
Christ did come
God’s plan was perfect
God completely kept His promise
Christmas is history that will continue
until Jesus comes again to get His children in the rapture
Amen

The most important thing that must get done is for you to celebrate Christmas in your own heart. Read God’s Word about the birth of Christ. Revel in this lavish gift of God’s Son for your sin. Spend time in prayer, thanking God for His redemptive plan. Then wipe your tears and head out to greet your family with a fresh glimpse of your Savior. Your heart will be right, and so will your attitude. A renewed focus makes us realize that perfectness isn’t the goal, it’s worship, it’s memories, it’s time together, it’s about eternity and what will matter then.

You’re free now to go get out the frozen Sarah Lee Cheesecake, stuff the gift bags full, opt for a drive through the neighborhood to see the lights, turn on the Christmas CD in the car and sing and celebrate, knowing it’s all okay; it is indeed Christmas anyway!

Merry Christmas, my friends,

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accessories · Christmas · Christmas decor · Gifts · Home decor

Dazzling Ideas for the Holidays

December 21, 2016December 20, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

Every now and again I get a good idea! I thought I would share three of those with you today that might help your holiday, too!

1. I keep two of those “under-bed-storage” boxes filled with my wrapping paper, ribbon, bows and tape. The other day while wrapping gifts on the floor, I realized that the top of one of those boxes would be the perfect place to lay the package and wrap it. I placed a fabric cutting guide on top to make it a flat surface, and it made it the perfect “table” for gift wrapping. So not only is this the place that is the central location for all of my materials, it is also the wrapping station!

2. I love the Wet and Wild nail polish, especially the mega last. I love it because it REALLY does last! I recently bought a glittery nail polish for the holidays, because Christmas and New Year’s need a little glitter!

I layered the glitter over the color just to add a little sparkle. It was just enough without looking over the top. If you’re looking for a way to dazzle up your look a little, add some sparkle in your nail polish! It’s a fun addition!
The colors shown here are: (the one in the back) Undercover – I love it because it goes with pinks or reds. The Glitter doesn’t have a color, the only thing on the bottle is “Shine,” but the bar code is 77802 54803.

3. My last idea was concerning decorating my bedroom mantle. I didn’t want greenery and all that kind of Christmas decor, but just some winter touches. I changed it, then changed it again, and then again. I think I finally have it in a way I love. Here’s what made a difference –

Grouping my Willow Tree collection together on one end. If you scatter a collection, they get lost; grouping them together shows off their beauty.
Adding a pop of red also gives the mantle that effect. It needed something on that end, and red roses are perfect for Christmas!
If something doesn’t look right in your decor, keep “fluffing” until you love it. Group like things together, let the heights vary so your eye moves up and down. Add a pop of color.
Oh, and add a cat in the room and it will ALWAYS be the perfect touch! =^..^=

I hope one of my “dazzling ideas” inspired you! I’d love to hear if they did! Now carry on with your Christmas preparations!