Ever wish you could hide from everything?  The people that are irritating you, the work load in front of you and the burden inside of you?  I was at that point last week. If you’d have seen me last week I was calm on the outside, but weary on the inside. Pitiful.  Sad.  Tired and worn.  

Then Sunday came.  I went to God’s house where we stood and read the Word of God together as a congregation.  I read verse 14 out loud, “The Lord upholdeth all that fall,and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.”  That was me.  Bowed down.  Wanting to hide, but so happy and joyful to be reminded that Christ will hold me and lift me up!  As the service continued, a sweet friend stood and sang this song and it made my heart flow over with peace.

This is my prayer closet – my place to Hide Away

Hide Away

VERSE 1 
Come, weary saints, though tired and weak 
Hide away in the love of Jesus
Your strength will return by His quiet streams 
Hide away in the love of Jesus

VERSE 2
Come, wandering souls, and find your home 
Hide away in the love of Jesus
He offers the rest that you yearn to know 
Hide away in the love of Jesus

BRIDGE 
Hear Him calling your name 
See the depths of His love 
In the wounds of His grace 
Hide away

VERSE 3 
Come, guilty ones weighed down with sin 
Hide away in the love of Jesus
The freedom you long for is found in Him 
Hide away in the love of Jesus

VERSE 4 
Come, hopeless hearts, do not despair 
Hide away in the love of Jesus
For ten thousand joys await you there 
Hide away in the love of Jesus

How do we do that?  How do we Hide away in Jesus’ love?  It sounds wonderful, but do we know how to do it?  It requires an intentional effort to indeed “hide away.”  The first thing in the morning we get to a spot alone with Him.  We run to Him with our burden.  We talk to Him.  We spend time with Him.  We read His Word.  We spend more time saturating our thoughts and our mind with Him than we do the world.  We turn off the noise and we reject all that is opposed to His Truth.  

As I’ve spent time with my Lord this week, my heart is indeed strengthened and my head lifted up!  Oh how sweet to Hide Away in Jesus!

How/where do you hide away to be with the Lord?  Are you carrying something He needs to carry for you?  Hide away with Him and lay it at His feet.  Be intentional.  That time will make a difference in your day, your walk with Him, and your influence on this world that so desperately needs the Lord!

Hidden in Christ,

I love all my pins on Pinterest for springtime, but realistically I know I can’t buy or make everything on that board.  What I do is look for inspiration.  I’ll take what I have, move it around, and come up with my version of that look.  Here’s what I’ve done so far…

That little bunny was found at the Dollar Tree! I’m borrowing the candlesticks until someone gets a home to put them in! Thanks, Alli!

This adorable tray was in another room, but for now it’s on my dining room table, along with my sweet little birdcage and my potted herbs.

The entryway

I borrowed this greenery from another room and added the bird’s nest that had been abandoned a few years ago.

My chalkboard signs – Jesus lives within my heart.

This is on top of the fridge

The only thing I purchased was the dollar bunny!  I love that!  Shopping at home is fun and fulfillling!

I also have a couple pictures on my phone from window displays at the mall I was at this week.  I’m hoping to use one of the ideas for my Easter table! 

Where do you get your decorating inspiration?  

From my country porch,

A sad truth – I did not cook Sunday dinner yesterday.   A Lovely truth – my husband took me out for dinner!  We only do that occasionally on Sundays because it’s just so much nicer after a busy morning at church to come home to the quiet of our own home than enter a noisy and busy restaurant.  However, due to a migraine yesterday morning, it was easier to grab a bite out.

When I woke up not feeling well, I was really glad I had made something the day before for us to eat for breakfast!  These muffins are simple and fairly healthy, but extremely moist and delicious!

I tweaked another recipe and came up with these lovely morsels.  Using frozen strawberries make them convenient and also a little different.  It’s normal to have blueberries in muffins, but sweet red berries make them extra special.  They smell SO good and taste even better!  I’ve been buying the big bag of frozen strawberries at Sams Club.  They’re more economical than the fresh ones (when they’re not in season) and they are really nice berries!  You could use fresh berries, too, if you have those on hand.

Strawberry Streusel Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup strawberry yogurt (I used Dannon fat-free yogurt)
2 cups frozen chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons flour (for berries)

Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Instructions

Muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with muffin liners or grease muffin cups lightly.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, salt, and baking powder.
In a separate large bowl, add vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and yogurt and whisk to combine.
Add flour mixture from step 2 to the liquid mixture in step 3 and mix just enough to combine.
In a separate medium size bowl (the one you used in step 2), combine strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flour. This is supposed to prevent berries from clumping together and sinking. Fold in the berries into the batter from step 4.
To make the topping:
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until you have crumb-like mixture.

Fill muffin cups with the muffin batter about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel topping over muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes in the oven.

Strawberries, brown sugar topping….mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Someone in my house ate three at one sitting.  Yeah, they’re that good!

Have you tried any new recipes in your kitchen lately?  Think you’ll try these?

From my country kitchen,

Well, this was supposed to be published for Tuesday, April 8, 2014, but was posted on Monday…

Last night when I looked out my bedroom window and saw the sky pictured above, I was reminded of my awesome God who created what I was looking at.  The clouds kept changing as they glided across the hillside. It was breathtaking.  Had I painted on a canvas a picture of a sunset with clouds, it would have resembled a kindergarten rendition of the hills lopped together in the middle, little puffy clouds, and a half sun between the slopes.  Pretty lame.  I cannot reproduce what my God can do.  He is awesome!

While viewing the brilliant sky, my next thought was about the answers to prayer that God had wrought that very day!  Not one, but two specific answers to prayer in one day.  Huge requests.  Huge answers. Long-time requests!  The day before that, God answered another one that I’d prayed about for months.  He indeed is an awesome God who is alive and at work in our lives every single day.

Sometimes we question His working because we cannot see.  The clouds we see in our sky aren’t so beautiful.  As a matter of fact, the sky is dark and dismal.  The sun isn’t shining anywhere – not in the sky; not in our hearts.  “Where are you, Lord?  Do you not hear?  Do you not see?”  Then one day we look up and we can hardly believe our eyes.  The answer has come.  We bow in humble adoration, and also shame that we did not trust.  All the time we were doubting, our God was at work doing what we could not see so that He alone might get the glory.  It’s amazing.  It’s perfect!  It’s done very unlike we would have accomplished it with our Kindergarten crayons.  God answered in supernatural ways because, after all, He is a supernatural God! In my situation, I watched Him answer in the things which “I knew not” (Jer. 33:3).

I’m praising God for my answers to prayer.  There are still many for which I’m waiting for the Lord to take care of, but I know He will – and in marvelous ways.  Why?  Because He promised and because He’s an awesome God!

Keep praying. Keep waiting.   Keep watching.  

Are you praying about a need?  I’d be happy to pray with you. I don’t even need to know the need.  Are you rejoicing in answered prayer too?  I’d love to hear!

Because of our awesome God,

My view while swinging

We have had the most wonderful and welcomed springtime weather this week in East Tennessee!  It was in the high 70’s for several days.  I loved sitting out on the front rockers and the back swing while breathing in the sweet spring air!  However, that sunshine also shows the grime of winter that is lingering in lots of places!  To get ready for springtime may I suggest to you some things I’ve been inspired to freshen up?  Mind you, this isn’t just a list of spring cleaning chores; these are things that need refreshing.

There’s lots to do in a house when the warmer temps arrive!  Hope this inspires you to get started!

Be refreshed!