Author: RefreshHer

Suffering At Christmastime?
Comfort · Coronavirus

Suffering At Christmastime?

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This is a re-post from 2012 when my mother-in-law was suffering with cancer and under Hospice at Christmastime. I know so many people who are dealing with difficult things right now, and thought it was appropriate to post this again. You can also listen to the podcast of this post here that has more detail and encouragement.

The hissing of the oxygen concentrator is steady, and lulls my mother-in-law to sleep.  I slip in and pull the sheet over her shoulders and turn off the light.  Then lying down in my bed, the monitor in both our rooms in the “on” position, I hear the machine’s hissing, and also her breathing and frequent cough.  I whisper a prayer for her comfort and a good night’s rest for her.  These are the sounds of Christmas in the parsonage this year. 

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What’s for Lunch? Chicken Tostadas
Easy recipe · Lunch

What’s for Lunch? Chicken Tostadas

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Coming up with what to have for lunch is the most difficult meal decision I make! I need protein, but don’t want to fix something huge for the noon meal, nor do I want to prepare something that’s going to take much time. I try to keep it simple, but filling.

For that reason I try to always have cooked chicken breasts in the freezer. I put the prepared meat in small ziplock bags so I can thaw it quickly in the microwave. One day recently I pulled a bag of chicken out and said, “Lord, what can I make for lunch with this meat? (How awesome is it that we can pray about everything?) I then remembered that I had tostada shells in my pantry. Bingo! That would make a great, fast meal! Lunch was ready in 15 minutes!

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What To Do On Those Sleepless Nights
God's Presence · Rest · worry

What To Do On Those Sleepless Nights

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You can listen to this post here on Refresh Her podcast.

Her disheveled hair and dark-circled eyes made it obvious that her Insta-story on Instagram had been made in the middle of the night. A female author I follow there posted a few minutes of herself talking about her struggle to sleep…again. It seems her nighttime fitfulness has become a regular part of life for her. Her hopeful remedy was going to be a series on television and a hot beverage. She asked her viewers who else was struggling to sleep. She said – I think it’s all this unrest around us. So much sickness. So much change even during the Christmas season. I just don’t know how to cope. Then she asked her viewers a question – Please tell me how you cope when you can’t sleep.

I gladly answered her question then, but then I got a fuller answer from the Lord just a couple days later.

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3-Ingredient Healthier Queso
Comfort Food · Healthy Eating · Uncategorized

3-Ingredient Healthier Queso

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With the holiday season upon us, fattening foods are always lurking, ready to destroy any thought of healthy eating. Am I right? I have a great recipe for you that’s good enough to serve at a party, or for your snack craving tomorrow that will give you a healthy indulgence!

Last summer a friend told me about a “Cottage Cheese Queso” that she said was amazing and so much healthier. I was a little skeptical, but always looking for a way to cut calories and still eat delicious food, I wanted to give it a try. I’m usually slow to jump on the bandwagons of recipes that fly around the Internet, but this recipe has been on my radar ever since my friend’s suggestion. I tried it just a couple weeks ago. I’m sorry I waited so long!

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Grace Upon Grace in Marriage
Marriage

Grace Upon Grace in Marriage

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You can listen to this post here on Refresh Her podcast.

The grace of God is appropriated to all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  So many songs are written about God’s grace.  A newer one is “The Lord is my salvation”. It starts out – 

The grace of God has reached for me

And pulled me from the raging sea,

And I am safe on this solid ground

The Lord is my salvation

We are so thankful for God’s grace to us in our daily lives, aren’t we?  Grace forgives, helps, equips, guides, and restores. It gives to me what I do not deserve.

John 1:14, 16, 17 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Recently my grandsons were at our home for dinner.  When it was time for dessert, I brought out three different flavors of ice cream and asked the boys what kind they would like.  One of the boys answered with, “I’ll START with the cookies and cream.”  That clearly meant that he was not going to stop with one bowl.  He would have one scoop and then he would have another.  That’s a visual of grace upon grace at Gigi’s house.  

Christians receive grace and then more grace—grace served on top of grace—grace and then, in place of that, more grace. The point is that Christ is full of grace, and those who know Him get showered with grace.

What’s abundantly clear is that, when we come to Christ, He dishes out grace in heaping, huge servings.

Our marriages are to be pictures of the Gospel.  What would grace in marriage look like?

Grace in marriage would mean giving to my spouse out of my unselfish love what they may not deserve. 

Here are ten ways to show grace to your spouse ~

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