When you were learning to drive, what was the first thing you father, mother, or instructor showed you?  Was it the ignition? I doubt it. The accelerator?  Hardly!  It was probably the brake!

Waiting.

Some have been waiting for it to snow.

Our “good” snowfall that we’d been waiting for came yesterday!

I was one of those “some.” I call these winter weather days we’ve had since Saturday “Delicious.” I don’t mean that I’m stuffing down toasted marshmallows and other luscious comfort foods, though this kind of weather begs for it! What I’m saying is that these days just are delicious all in themselves. They are meant to be enjoyed and savored, just like an exquisitely prepared meal.

How did I relish these days? I have had the pleasure of staying in bed a wee bit longer, wrapped in my down comforter, the warmth of the fireplace at my bedside. Delicious. Normal routines that would have called for busyness and flurry were replaced by the luxury of being in no hurry whatsoever. Delicious.

Yesterday while it snowed out here in the country, plans for the day were changed. So instead I:

David’s situation had become onerous. Sin was enjoyed for a season, now came the reaping of it. The consequences were fair, but difficult. Nathan the prophet told David that he would not die, but his infant son would. What would you do? I can see myself hanging over the side of my baby’s crib crying my heart out, but what does David do? II Samuel 12:16 tells us that David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

He prayed and fasted. He knew that prayer was the thing that mattered the most; not crying, pacing, shouting at the Lord…praying. That was what would make the difference. And it did.

Wait! You might say! The child died! What good was it to pray? The evidence of the impact praying did is in David’s response to hearing that his son had died:

But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshiped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

What are you attempting to do today?

Have you prayed about it? Then and only then will you have a right response if things don’t go the way you’d hoped (or even prayed) they would! You won’t fall apart. You won’t accuse God. You will be able to bow your head, and with a hurting heart whisper, “Thank you. I accept this from Your hands. I worship You.”

Prayer. It’s the only thing we must do.

With love,

Here are the recipes. I know you’ll want to try them during this cold snap most of the country is experiencing.

Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour Note – I reduce this to 1/3 Cup!
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Super Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
 1/2 cup chopped onion
 2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
 1-2/3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
 1/4 cup ketchup
 2 tablespoons brown sugar
 1 tablespoon white vinegar
 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
 1 tablespoon steak sauce
 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
 1/4 teaspoon paprika

 8 to 10 hamburger buns, split

Have you tried any new soups this winter? I seriously hope you’ll make this soup and sandwich!

From my country kitchen,

Let’s pretend that a poll is taken in the city or neighborhood in which you live.  The question asked each person who lives near you is, “What do you know of (place your name here)?”  What would the consensus be?

She’s so…

Whether we realize it or not, people really do know what we’re like, and they could probably sum it up in one word. In the sweet story of Ruth, we remember that Ruth, her mother-in-law, and sister-in-law had all lost their husbands. Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law drives her to return to Bethlehem to be near Naomi, and to be enabled to worship Naomi’s God.

As Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz, he addresses her and tells her what people knew of her. In Ruth 3:11 Boaz says, “all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.” How did they know that? Ruth hadn’t been in Bethlehem for very long. Ruth 2 says,

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

There are so many wonderful lessons in the book of Ruth, but stopping to think about our own reputation could change the way we spend today. Take a moment and consider the way you treat others, your work ethic, and the way you treat your mother-in-law.  What improvements do you need to ask the Lord to help you make today?

May all in the city know that we are virtuous women.

With love,