A Look Through My Lens

July 8, 2016July 7, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

It’s unreal how much activity goes on in one week, isn’t it? I look through my photos on my camera and am shocked at how much we did in the last seven days! Let me give you a look through my lens:

On Friday night we hosted our church teen group at our home. They are led by Alli’s husband, Andrew who does a great job! The teens love both Alli and Andrew, and it was fun to see them interact that evening. They played volleyball, and a new version of football. Oh, and they ate. A LOT! Which means they loved it, and that makes me happy!Their meal was a simple one of grilled hot dogs and the fixings, but I can’t wait to tell you about the dessert we served. Here’s a little peek, but I’ll share the details with you on Monday.

On Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a sweet young mom, expecting her first baby. You can tell by the pictures that she’s expecting a girl!

A friend at church did the food, and it was amazing.

Another gal does the cupcakes for our church showers. These are White Chocolate Raspberry. Oh my goodness!! The little size makes it completely safe to try without feeling too guilty! Also check out the waffle bowls filled with fresh fruit; those were so good!

Saturday night my husband and I went with Alli and Andrew to Carter’s Fold to hear Fiddlin’ Carson Peters, a talented 12 year-old who plays fiddle with his father and two other instrumentalists. It was such a fun night! The music was great, the setting was country and perfect!

Sunday morning we had the blessing of seeing two little girls who recently accepted Christ as their Savior get baptized, or as one of them called it, “Bap-ti-tized!” It always brings tears to my eyes to see these young ones trust Christ, then declare their devotion to follow Him all their lives!

It also always makes me so thankful to be married to the pastor who gets the privilege of baptizing, and pouring into their lives the Truth of God’s Word. He always gives a personal challenge to each one, and it’s so sweet.

Sunday evening we did not have services at church. My husband and I took special care to spend time together and also to rest. We sat on our front porch rockers and played Farkle while several of our neighbors put on quite a firework display.

We had front row seats and never had to leave home!

Even Liza got to enjoy some time outside. That’s a great treat for this indoor kitty!

Monday’s Fourth of July celebrations took us to Cherokee Lake to friends’ home. We had a wonderful time. It included a feast of picnic foods, a boat ride, and fellowship with new friends.

This barn was on the dead end road that took us to the lake house. What is it about old barns that makes them so beautiful?

My pantry got some further organization when I finally found a couple of Lazy Susans at TJ Maxx. These will make finding my canned goods so much easier!

vzm.img_20160705_202919.jpg

Lastly, I harvested some of my herbs a few weeks ago and had them drying in small bundles in our hot, dry garage. This week I pulled the leaves off and got them stored in small jars. They’re so fragrant and I can’t wait to use all three – Thyme, Dill and Oregano.

God is good to give sweet blessings that we get to enjoy each day. He also gives grace for the difficult things that come, but God is always good!

How have you seen God’s goodness to you this week? Do you have a favorite photo from this post?

Stay refreshed,

Denise

Christian Life · trials

A Refuge for the Storm

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 RefreshHer1 Comment

Last night a storm rolled through East Tennessee. I made a dash out to the back porch to rescue the pillows on the swing from being carried to Virginia! The wind was blowing so hard and the rain had begun to fall in sheets. I didn’t stay out on the porch any longer than necessary, but quickly made my way back to the refuge of my home.

I then gathered my Bible study books and Bible and curled up on the sofa to read and pray. I opened a new favorite book of mine, “Praying Through the Names of God” by Tony Evans. The name for the day was “ELOHIM MACHASE LANU” ~ God my Refuge. How appropriate was that on a stormy evening?!

As I read the Scriptures that use this name for God, I was reminded of how often I run to other things or people before I run to my Refuge. It’s sinful to allow something else or someone else be my Refuge when God is the One Who will do what none other can do!

When I stepped out into the storm to rescue my pillows wouldn’t it have been foolish if I would have run out to the arbor in the backyard for refuge from the howling winds?
What if I decided to make a run over to the neighbor’s house to protect me?
Or what if I just grabbed a bag of Oreos and munched away while standing in the pouring rain?
All these are foolish, and trust me, I didn’t think of anything but getting inside to the refuge of my own home – the closest thing to me!

But how often do you and I look to someone else – perhaps our spouse or our pastor or church leader to be our refuge when a storm hits?
Perhaps food is a source of comfort and we use it as a crutch to get us through. We may think – “Another cookie, chocolate bar or bag of chips and we’ll be just fine.”
Maybe medications are the balm we use to calm us down and keep us from really noticing how difficult this storm really is.
List making and trouble-shooting could be another replacement for running to the One Who is our eternal Refuge. He has the answers we need, and we will only hear those answers in His Word and in prayer.

We must do what is wise – head to the Door – straight to our God, ELOHIM MACHASE LANU, our Refuge and know the safety, the love, the protection He is. He must be our first source as a Refuge. Just like my house was the closest refuge, God is nearer to us than even our trouble is! Running to anyone or anything else is sinful and foolish. Let’s get out of the presence of the thunder’s rumble and run to our Refuge where we’ll find all we need.

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God (Elohim) is our refuge (Machase Lanu). Psalm 62:8

With love,

dessert

Add Some Sweetness to a Tart Situation

July 6, 2016July 5, 2016 RefreshHer4 Comments

I have a favorite recipe to share with you today ~ it’s my Lemon Loaf that I made a million times when I had my home baking business (not really, but it seemed like it!). It was a much loved recipe by my customers and my family.

The bread has a pound cake texture and it’s topped with a lemon/sugar glaze that gives it a crispy, tart crunch. It’s wonderful!

I recently made this to take to my parents when I visited them in Kentucky. It makes great hostess gift, welcome home from vacation gift, get-well wish, or “I love my family” gift! Add some blueberries or strawberries on top and you turn it into the perfect summer dessert

Here’s the recipe:

Lemon Loaf

First, be sure to line the loaf pan with waxed paper. I always do this when I’m making any kind of sweet bread. It’s no fun when you go to the effort to make something special and it sticks to the pan! Whether the directions say it or not, just do your nerves the favor of lining it with waxed paper or parchment paper.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
~~~~~~~~
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Grated rind of 1 lemon
~~~~~~~~
1/2 cup milk
Juice of half a lemon
~~~~~~~~
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Cream the shortening and 1 cup sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift the dry ingredients over this. Stir in lemon rind. Add the milk and juice of half a lemon. Beat together until well blended. Bake in a greased (and lined!) loaf pan in a 325 degree oven 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Mix the juice of half a lemon and 1/4 cup sugar and spread over the top of the hot loaf. **Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Cool well before slicing. **Because I line my pan, I’m able to cool it just a few minutes, then remove it from the pan and set it on a baking rack with waxed paper under the rack. Then I spread the glaze over the loaf.

This sweet/tart recipe reminds me of the need for sweetness in a difficult situation. Without the sugar in this cake, it would be a disaster! It needs some sweetness! When there is a relationship or person that is “lemony,” it’s up to us to add the sweetness. When someone does exactly what pushes our patience to its limit, it’s up to us to add something sweet. It’s not the time to throw lemons back at them, instead, if we give the soft answer, Scripture says it will “break the bone.” To a thirsty enemy, we give a cup of cold water and heap coals of fire on their head. Do something kind, say something gracious. Can I remind you that often that “lemony” person/situation is right in our own home. Guard your heart from throwing tart words and actions back at those to whom you should be showing the greatest love!

Don’t be the lemon in a situation – you add the sweetness! Now go whip up this loaf for someone! =)

With love,

Godly Character Traits · Uncategorized

The Picture of Discernment

July 5, 2016July 4, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

About nine years ago our church graciously gave my husband a 40-day sabbatical (a period of paid leave) that started on Christmas Eve. During the first week of January we went to a lovely mountain home in South Carolina to rest. This home was located high up in an area known as “The Cliffs.” We were staying in a section of homes at the end of the road. We could look out the large windows in the house and see the tiny lights of the houses far below us twinkling in the darkness.

The weather was quite blustery. The wind was howling when we unloaded our belongings from the car and the snow was flying. After we got our things moved into the house, my husband headed back down the mountain to go get our younger daughter who had been staying the week with her sister. He would be gone about an hour and a half.

While he was gone, I made supper and then put it in the oven to stay warm until they returned. I then decided that this would be a good time to snuggle into the comfy sofa with a cup of hot tea and work on a Bible study I was doing. The wind continued to howl outside the windows as I studied, banging things against the house and making all kinds of imaginary people stomp right outside my doors! Then the wind got so strong that the power flickered, then went out! I put my hand up in front of my face and couldn’t even see it! It was pitch black! I grabbed my cell phone and hit the power button to activate the light, then ran into the kitchen to look for a candle and matches. Aha! Here was a lovely scented candle up on the counter. Matches…matches….? Nowhere. Then I remembered that the stove was gas. I got the wick lit at the burner, then made my way back over to the sofa, relieved at the light this little candle brought to my very dark situation!

That illustration is what discernment does in our lives – it brings light to an uncertain situation. Discernment is the ability to distinguish between two things using the wisdom of God’s Word. Discernment allows us to see issues clearly. We so desperately need to cultivate discernment so we will know light from darkness, truth from error, best from better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from defilement and principles from pragmatics.

How does a person get discernment? You ask God for it, and go to His Word to find it. Ask Him for it before you get into a crisis. It would have been better for me if I’d have prepared for the storm before the lights went out! If only I had gotten the candle lit prior to the crisis moment of darkness I wouldn’t have been so frightened. We can’t plan for a crisis in our lives, but we can prepare ahead of time by seeking God’s face for discernment from His Word. We must store it up in our hearts so it will be ready when those moments come that threaten to shake us at the very foundation of our faith. Proverbs 22:3 tells us that a prudent person looks ahead and sees the possible danger in a situation and they do what they can to avoid it, but the foolish person plunges ahead and suffers the consequences.

One wise way to prepare ahead of time is to memorize Scripture. We will all face death at some time – in the life of a loved one, or our own. What Scripture do you know by memory that will sustain you at that time?

If you’re married you know you need God’s wisdom to be a godly wife. What passages are you meditating on when it gets hard to love your husband?

We are all tempted to fly off the handle and “give so-and-so a piece of our mind.” What do you tell yourself from God’s Word when that temptation comes?

Ladies, storms are coming. We must prepare ahead of time so we’ll have the Light for the darkness!

In I Samuel 25, we read that Abigail responded to her husband and to David in a way that was so wise. She didn’t fall apart, come unglued, or go have a crying spell. She acted in a wise, discerning way. Her husband Nabal never changed, and the fool in our life may never change either. But we can remain a pure, courageous, discerning woman that glorifies the Lord even in the midst of a crisis.

By the time my husband and daughter got back to our mountain retreat, the lights had come back on, though they continued to flicker often. But now there was nothing to fear because there were lit candles throughout the house. I wouldn’t be caught unprepared again! I pray that I’ve learned that same lesson in my spiritual life!

How have you recently seen a woman display discernment? How are you preparing to be discerning yourself?

With love,

Side dish · Uncategorized

Fourth of July Salad

July 4, 2016July 3, 2016 RefreshHer2 Comments

July 4th.jpg

I hope you’re getting to spend some time today with family as you celebrate our great nation! We’ve been invited to join friends for a picnic lunch. I’m taking my watermelon salad. This is really refreshing on a hot day! I’ll add blueberries to this and call it a Red, White, and Blue Salad!

Could I encourage you to make sure to spend some time in prayer for our country? Let’s ask God to help us to be brave as we hold the standard of righteousness in our personal lives, our cities and our country!

What are you cooking/grilling/baking or churning up today?

With love from my country kitchen,