It was a simple request, and one I could easily and gladly fulfill ~

“Mom, I’ve been asked to bring pie for Thanksgiving dinner.  Will you make my crusts for me?”

I started with, “Sure!”  Then I thought better.  “Well, how about if you come over and we’ll each make crusts?  I can show you how as I make mine.  I’ll help you if you need it.”

And so, on said night, we pulled out the flour, Crisco, salt and ice water and we worked side by side.  I worked, she watched.  She worked, I watched.  The result?  Four beautiful crusts, ready for Thanksgiving dessert!

Some time later, I was talking to someone about why God doesn’t always just answer our requests immediately.  The picture of my pie instruction to Alli came to mind.  God our Father is able and willing to answer any request we bring to Him.  But in His wisdom, He knows that it’s sometimes better for Him to pull us up alongside Himself and instruct us while we’re waiting.  We watch Him. as Alli kept her gaze on me. We listen to His voice, as she waited for my instruction and guidance.

Is He withholding because He wants to remind us of some past sin?  Does He want to make it hard on us just for the sake of making it hard?  What does Scripture say?

Matthew 7;11 – If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  

God delights in giving to His children, but sometimes He waits that He might instruct us.
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Keep praying about the desires on your heart.  But while you pray and wait, draw near to your Father Who longs to instruct you and teach you.  Then when He does answer and provide, you’ll be far more ready to receive His perfect gift!

Look at the results Alli got!

Now think of your request…How much MORE shall your Father give good gifts to you who ask!

With love,

Okay, you might have turkey on your mind with Thanksgiving a few days away, but once you tire of the cold turkey sandwiches, dressing balls and  Turkey Cassoulet, you’ll be ready for something wonderful.  So, bookmark this recipe and you’ll be ready!  You’ll thank me later!

 There are just days when a craving for a particular food is so overwhelming that my original menu plan gets ditched, and I go with my taste buds’ longings!  I hadn’t made fried chicken in a very long time because we try not to eat fried foods for health and weight reasons, but after seeing a cooking show featuring this delicacy, I wanted some fried chicken in the worst way!  What is a girl to do?!   I pulled out my Cooking Light Cookbook and sought for a replacement!  Ta-da!  I found exactly what I was looking for!  I found a recipe for “Fried” Chicken that’s only fried in a tablespoon of oil.  Oh.my.goodness.  It was wonderful.  For a side dish, I added homemade Mac and Cheese, also done light.  Yum.

 Take a look…

“Fried Chicken”
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt; lightly coat both sides of chicken breast halves with cooking spray. Dredge in Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side.  Place on a baking sheet and put into a 400 degree  oven  until center juices run clear (about 10 minutes).

This chicken was tender and juicy with a slightly crispy coating.  It was perfect!  

Mac and Cheese done light-  I put milk into a saucepan, and added a couple tablespoons of flour no butter added, as you usually would).  Using a whisk, stir until it begins to thicken.  Add salt, pepper and  a little nutmeg.  Thicken.  Add grated cheddar cheese.  Pour over boiled macaroni.  I serve it immediately, rather than baking it.  I love the creaminess it has at this point.  

How about seeing if you can find a lighter way to fix an old favorite?  You don’t have to compromise the taste!  What are you craving right now?

With love from my country kitchen,

Christmas baking season is just around the corner!  Can I hear an “Amen”?!  One way I’ve started getting ready for that is by pulling my cookie cutters out of their hiding place and putting them in a pretty jar for easy access.

I love jars – they just make baking so much easier.  I have lots of them ~ brown sugar, powdered sugar, and corn starch ~ they’re all in jars.  It makes baking soooo much easier!

I was keeping my cookie cutters in a cloth bag in the cupboard above the stove.  I had nowhere else to store them, but not now!!!

I got this adorable jar at Big Lots for $6!  The minute I saw it, I knew I’d found the perfect container for this cookie cutter task!  After Thanksgiving I’m planning on adding a festive ribbon around the neck of the jar, but for now, its red lid goes perfectly in my kitchen and adds a lovely touch to my baking corner!

So, where are your cookie cutters?  Refresh your baking by pulling them out of the depths of your kitchen drawer and pile them into a large, clear jar so you’ll have easy access!

Stay refreshed,

The Word of God is my favorite Book.  Oh, how I love it.  My Bible is a treasure to me.  Its worn, marked up pages and loose binding are all precious, and I wouldn’t take  a million dollars for it. I mean it.

Now, let me tell you about my second favorite book.  It’s my prayer Journal.  I began using this almost ten years ago.  It has been to the “hospital” many times.  I’ve had to make new pages and add paper reinforcers.  I’ve had to remove pages to make room for more requests, more answers to prayer, and more notes from my morning Bible reading.

When I look at its pages and see the check marks, which reveal an answer to prayer, my heart leaps with gratitude and joy at my wonderful God.  It’s a reminder to me that God answers prayer!  It keeps me coming back day after day, moment by moment to cry out to the Lord for the burdens and needs in my life and the lives of others I know.

Corrie Ten Boom referred to prayer as our steering wheel.  I’ve likened my prayer journal to a car.  Without the car, the steering wheel wouldn’t have direction or a place to go! Of course you can pray without a journal, but in my experience, before I began a serious prayer journal, I prayed, but I really didn’t have a prayer life. A life is the period of existence, activity, or effectiveness of something inanimate, and without the direction of my journal, my prayer life really wasn’t that effective.

Using the imagery of a car, let me explain how a prayer journal can help your prayer life.

It’s great to have a glove box (pocket) at the front in order to hold verses of Scripture that you can pray.

The radio being on, (you singing a song of praise) is a great way to start your time alone with God.

Every car needs a clean windshield (heart), and it’s helpful to have windshield cleaning fluid (a time of confession of sin) ready to do the job necessary to have a clean heart..

It’s time to start the engine (petitioning) when you specifically ask God for the requests before you.  Have a seat for everyone (a different page for each family member).  List their needs for each day of the week.

What a blessing it is to look in your rear view mirror (at the past) and see how God has answered your prayers!  Be sure to make a check mark beside that request and write how God took care of that request.  It will increase your faith and cause you to pray more fervently in the future!

If you have a trunk (back pocket) in your binder, put your prayer bulletin there, missionary prayer cards, or other tools that will help you pray more specifically.

Park the car (sit still and alone) while you pray.  Don’t let the engine idle (don’t have distractions around you).  Be all there so you can pray and then listen to God.

Rosalind Goforth, missionary to China in the late 1800’s wrote a book, How I Know God Answers Prayer.  She had to have a method of recording His answers in order to write a book like this.  Could you write a whole book of how God has been at work while you’ve prayed?  It will only happen as you record it, otherwise you will forget.

I challenge you to get a journal of some model (kind) started.  See how it will change your prayer life!

Do you use a journal when you pray?  What’s keeping you from starting one?

With love,

A Peek Into My Life This Week

These were her inspiration.

 I love making my own cards because then it says exactly what is in my heart!

Another day this week, I took time to update my chalkboard.

It’s so much fun to change it each season!

And isn’t this verse soooo true?!  God is so good to each of us!

What blessings are flowing out of your cup today?  You’re one of mine!  Thanks for stopping by to read!

Have a cup of something hot and yummy and count your blessings!

With love from my country porch,