Yesterday I had a fresh date…with Lysol lemon cleaner.  =)  Baseboards, walls, and cabinets all got a good wipe down.  Floors were swept and mopped, and the bathrooms cleaned, but later in the day, I looked around and this is what I saw…

Not dirt, just “stuff.”  Things that needed to be picked up and put in their rightful spot.  I took 15 mintues and whizzed around doing just that.

Sometimes your house can be clean, but have areas of clutter that can keep the nice clean home from shining through!  Why not snap a picture from your phone of your kitchen counters, your desk or the sink?  For some reason, seeing it in a picture magnifies the clutter!  Then take 15 minutes and put things away.  Clean that pile of mail off the counter, empty the dish drainer and straighten up your desktop.  I try to do that each night before I go to bed.  When you can get up in the morning to a house that is not only clean, but also mess-free, you’ll be less tempted to pull the covers back over your head!  Freshen up your home and you’ll refresh yourself!

Be refreshed,

I meet you at church or see you going to another church, and I assume you are there because you know God and love Him.  

I strike up a conversation with you on the airplane and when I ask you who Jesus is to you, you say, “The Savior.”  I assume His is your Savior and that you have trusted Him for salvation.

You come to me to talk to me about a weighty issue going on in your life.  Because I know you’re saved, I assume that you have been in the Word of God and are seeking His wisdom about what you’re facing.

You live in the south ~ in the Bible belt, and I assume you’ve heard the Gospel.

You attended a ladies’ conference where I was and I assumed you’re a pro-life supporter, and in favor of one man, one woman marriage.

Do you tend to agree with all these assumptions?  I think if we’re honest, we tend to lean towards these beliefs.  Yet there’s something very wrong with making this hypothesis – probably, more than not, they are not true!  The more people I talk with and bump into, the more I realize that: just because someone is in church doesn’t mean they are believers, anyone can answer that Jesus is a Savior without Him being theirs, Christians are not always in the Word,  our country is biblically illiterate, and pro-abortionists and gay life supporters are unafraid to mingle in a crowd different than their own.

Therefore, we need to ask deeper, harder questions.  I think we want to believe that the stranger believes everything we do and, we’re so relieved we won’t have to witness to the folks I just described, that we never push further.  It needs to be done lovingly, but we really do need to go deeper.  If we really care, we need to gently ask,

The church attender – “What is the best thing you’ve heard at a church service where you attend?”  If a person is saved, they will share something about the Gospel that saved them!

The fellow-plane passenger – Is He your Savior?  Tell me when you trusted Him.

The counselled – What have you read recently from Scripture that has helped and/or guided you in this?

The conference attendee – Where do you get your standards for your personal life?

It’s from these questions that we can take the person to The Word of God.  What we think doesn’t matter – we need to have the Bible as our authority.  

The next time you chat with someone, make sure you’re asking questions so you can know if they know your Savior.  The second question you ask them could open up the opportunity to lead them to Him!  But it will only happen if you don’t make an assumption.  Ask, don’t assume!

Now, let me ask you a question:  it would be easy to assume that because you’re here reading my blog, that you know Christ as your Savior, but are you 100% sure that you’re on your way to heaven?  On what are you basing that?  If it’s your good works, or anything you have done, then you have fallen short.  Romans 3:23  Has there ever been a time when you received what Christ did on the cross as payment for your sins?  All you have to do is call on Him to save you!  I trust that you will do that today so you can have assurance of a home in heaven and enjoy a relationship with Jesus Christ beginning today!

With love,

As I’ve stopped to think about what has been going on in our country home as of late the word that comes to mind is counting.  Yes, counting.  We’re counting the days until the wedding, we’re counting  wedding guests and cookies (a wedding ingredient).  We’re counting costs and numbers of yards of ribbon, streamers, flowers, out of town guests and beds needed.  There’s lots of counting that goes on when you’re planning a wedding!

Counting, calculating and planning are ingredients necessary for most any kind of planning.  You count the hours the meat needs to cook, and what time you should put it in the oven so it will be ready.  You count silverware for the table setting for dinner, the number of children in your child’s class who will need a birthday cupcake, or the number of dollars you can spend when you go to the grocery store.

But then there’s a whole different kind of counting – that not of numbering, but simply stopping to weigh the outcome of the decision you’re getting ready to make.  It, too, is crucial in planning.  When you’re not sure which way to go, you can be pulled between two decisions, not sure which way is best.  I learned some years ago a method to help in this kind of counting; I hope this will help you in the decision you need to make in days ahead.

Join me in counting – then we’ll all be prepared to do what is before us!

From my country porch,

Last week, he began experiencing some jaw pain.  He thought it might be a result of sinus trouble, and lived with it.  Then late in the week, it became more uncomfortable, and he did the unthinkable – he called the dentist!  The hygienist agreed that it sounded like sinus trouble, but told him if it didn’t improve over the weekend to call back.  Monday morning found him doing the unthinkable again!  He called, asking if he could come in and see the dentist and let him take a look.

What makes a person call out for help?
Pain.
Who sends it?  
Our loving God.

Would Dale have called and willingly put  himself in the dentist chair without the pain?  No.  Would we cry out for God’s help if  we’re able to smile and handle life on our own?  Probably not.  God knows that the difficulty we are facing –  a marriage struggle, a financial crisis, a job loss, a physical illness, all make us desperate enough to make a call.  Our “call” is upward, heavenward, to the God of our salvation.  We say, “Ouch! Lord, this is painful!  Help us!”  Our loving Savior is always on call, always has an opening for us, always has an ear to hear and time to listen.

Don’t ignore the pain.  Instead call out and receive the help that is available and sufficient for you today!

The dentist couldn’t get my husband in until later this afternoon.  Who knows?  It may be just sinus trouble, but whatever the outcome, I know he’ll be glad he had it checked out by the one who could help.  Your issue might not be serious either, but the sooner you call, the better of you’ll be, too!  Oh, and you won’t have to wait for your appointment!

With love,

• I pinned a recipe for a Spicy Cuban Flank Steak Sandwich some time ago that I was really anxious to try.  Saturday night supper this past weekend gave me that opportunity.  I got a good sized piece of flank steak on sale at Ingles and I knew the time was right!  Saturday night suppers can be a bit more relaxed, and with a recipe that’s cooked in the crock pot, I simply got the meat seasoned and turned the crock pot on right after breakfast so it could cook all day.  The meat gets so tender, and the beef broth and lime juice keep it moist and delicious while it’s cooking slowly all day.  This was a great meal!  Here’s the whole menu:

• Sweet potato fries are a nice change in a menu.  If you buy them frozen, they can be really pricey.  I made these fresh ones for less than $1.50!  Crispy, sweet, and salty.  What a great combination!  

• Fresh Broccoli Salad
• 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
• 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup (1-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper 
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 center-cut bacon slice, cooked and crumbled (drained) 
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 
  
• Preparation
• Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, sugar, and oil in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine. Pour vinegar mixture over broccoli mixture; toss gently to coat.

This homemade Chocolate Sauce is yummy and quick to whip up.  I haven’t tried it, but I’m pretty sure it would mix well into milk for a great glass of chocolate milk, if your kids are so inclined. =)

Chocolate Sauce
2 cups sugar
4 cups water
 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla
Boil sugar and water 5 minutes to make a syrup; add chocolate, salt, and cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.  Cook slowly and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (5-8 minutes).  Cool; add vanilla.  Keep in jar in refrigerator.

I hope you’ll try these recipes soon!  Goooooood stuff!

What have you cooked recently?

With love from my country kitchen,