What a great weekend we had!  May I tell you the BEST news first?  I had the wonderful privilege of sharing the Gospel with a woman visiting our church yesterday, and she trusted Christ as her Savior!  After a week of evangelism training, this was the cherry on top of the sundae!  What a sweet blessing to watch a person turn from saying they have no idea how to have a relationship with God, to 20 minutes later hearing them pray to receive Christ!  Praise the Lord for His work in her heart!

The weather was gorgeous all weekend.  After attending a sweet baby shower Saturday afternoon, I came home and we pulled out our (KY Blue) Corn Hole game and had lots of laughs and a few good shots.  Just look at our view. . .isn’t God good?!

My husband and I were a team against Alli and Andrew.  I’m happy to announce that the older generation took them out! 2-0!

I failed to get a picture of my guests, but Sunday dinner was a gathering of another sweet young couple that just got engaged this weekend!  It was fun to hear their story, and also to talk with them about his new-found faith in Christ.  We had a great time of fellowship around the table.

My menu was my favorite Sunday dinner – Roast Chicken.  Here’s the complete menu:

Future Son-in-law photo bombing the picture =)

Seasoned with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon rind and salt. Roasted in the oven at 250 degrees, uncovered.

For my “Apple Salad, I just used mixed greens, apple cubes, almonds, dried cranberries and blue cheese.  I topped it with my Cranberry Vinaigrette.  I make lots of salads with fruits and we love them.  

I wanted to appease Alli’s longing for roasted potatoes with rosemary, but had to find a way to make them cook pretty fast once we got home from church.  I cubed the potatoes and left them in water.

When I got home, I drained and then dried the potatoes in a kitchen towel really well,  I then placed them on a baking sheet with olive oil, rosemary and salt.  I roasted them for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  It was a nice change from mashed potatoes.

For the Corn Casserole, we had to make up our own creamed corn first (so much better than canned cream corn!)  Melt 1/2 stick of butter then add your corn.  Pour in half and half (I used fat free), or whipping cream.  Cook until slightly thickened.

Creaming the corn

Completed Corn casserole.  So good!

Corn Casserole

 Ingredients
(15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can cream-style corn
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix (8 oz.)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, melted – used 1/4 C
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or your favorite

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. mix all ingredients, minus the cheese, together and pour into a greased baking dish. After the casserole has baked for 45 minutes, or is set in the middle and golden brown, sprinkle with cheddar and put it back in the oven. Let the cheese melt, take the casserole out and enjoy.
We made ours the night before and warmed it up before eating.

Buttermilk Oat Rolls

Buttermilk Oat Rolls – From Cooking Light
Ingredients
3/4 cup regular oats
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
2 1/4 cups bread or all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon regular oats

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until well-blended. Let stand 5 minutes.
Dissolve yeast and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add oat mixture, 1 3/4 cups flour, buttermilk, margarine, and salt to yeast mixture, stirring to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. (Dough will be slightly sticky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), shape each into a ball. Place balls in a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Uncover the dough. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white; brush over dough. Sprinkle dough with 1 tablespoon oats. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

I love these fall plates.  I am always so glad when autumn comes and I can pull these beauties out!

We had a full weekend – in every sense of the word!  How was yours?  What was cooking in your kitchen?

From my country kitchen,

How many times a day do you use your cell phone? How many times do you put your hands on it? How often do you hear a notification, ring or message alert? For most of us, we probably couldn’t count how often we do any of those things; they are too frequent to tally. For that reason, I’m going to turn our attention to our cell phones as an item that could use some refreshing.

This is a picture of my phone, taken using the web cam; hence the backward words and symbols. I recently realized I hadn’t changed the home screen picture for a very long time. So, I changed it to one of my recent trip photos – that of a gorgeous fall tree in Vancouver. It’s amazing to me how doing something so simple can refresh the phone and make it look brand new! I love looking at the new picture! Since we use our phones so much, why not put something on the home screen that we love seeing? When was the last time you updated your screen picture? Maybe it’s time for a change.

The other thing I recently updated was my phone ring. Granted, I did have to get used to the sound to realize, “Oh, that’s my phone ringing!,” but it’s a nice change. I try to use a ring that will also refresh rather than stress other people out when they hear it! Some of those “rings” are OBNOXIOUS! It’s something we should consider when we choose a notification alert. Just sayin’.

The last thing your phone might need is a good cleaning. Wiping the back cover off with a Lysol wipe is a good idea. I use a fiber cloth on the front screen to get rid of all the fingerprints.

Wow! Those simple changes made my look like a new phone! Refresh your phone, then text and tell me so I can look at my new home screen picture!

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

Beyond going to school, I have sat in many other classroom settings. For instance, when I was eighteen, I took a sewing course at a Singer store in our area. I knew nothing about how to sew a straight line, much less how to assemble a garment! I have used those sewing skills my whole adult life!  I’ve sewn many pieces of clothing and accessories over the years as a result.

When my girls were young I decided to take a class in cake decorating. I wanted to be able to make the outside of a cake look appealing enough to entice others want to taste the confection! I’ve made and decorated many cakes since that class!

Over the years, I’ve also taken cooking classes and home decorating classes to keep up on new techniques and ideas. The result has been many meals cooked and rooms embellished.

Since last Saturday I have been in another training class – that of soul winning. I’ve taken a couple of other similar sessions over the years, but I knew I needed to continue to sharpen, not only my abilities to share the Gospel, but also keep keen my awareness of the lost and their need for Christ. I pray that many baby Christians will result from the time invested!

It would have been useless after my sewing class to never enter a fabric store and purchase a pattern and material. After my cake decorating class it would have been a waste to purchase our birthday cakes at the local bakery rather than make them myself. It would also be a waste of this evangelism training if I don’t intentionally reach out and develop relationships with unbelievers so I can share the Gospel with them.

One idea that was brought to my attention is that of having a Christmas open house for our neighbors. We are wanting to meet those that live around us, and what better time than Christmas? This week, we penciled in a time in our calendars in which we can invite our neighborhood over for refreshments the week before Christmas. We just want to open the door of friendship, and have an opportunity to invite them back to do the four lesson Bible study with us. We are excited about how the Lord could use this simple idea to open the door for the Gospel to spread down our street!

What could you do to have an inroad to share the Gospel? Who are you seeking after to give the truths of eternal life? If you need to get some training, go after it! Sharpen your skills in giving the plan of salvation, then make a plan of how you will implement your training. Just think of the wonderful results. . .sinners coming to Christ and rewards in heaven! It couldn’t get any better! 

With love,

Today I’m going to take you off the porch and we’re going to go inside and then upstairs to a place that is very special to me. There’s nothing sacred about this place; there’s no burning bush, but it is dear to me, because it is where I’ve chosen to meet with the Lord each day.

This is a zoomed in picture of my family room. The view is beautiful from my red chair. I sit here with coffee at hand (that’s a necessity in the morning!) and open God’s Word to get my heart right for the day. It’s the most important part of my day. It takes precedence over fixing my hair and my face, and trust me, they need attention! It rules over making the bed or cleaning the bathroom, though they, too, are screaming for attention. I realize that if my heart is not right, nothing in my day will be right. I can’t get here fast enough. You see, I’m a wretch without my Savior!

I get into this little corner of the closet and either sit on this stool, or kneel in front of it and pour my heart out before the Lord. What I love about this space is the quiet I find there. In the devotional book, “Jesus Calling,” the author writes, “Quietness is the classroom where you learn to hear my voice.” In the quiet, I pray. I read this verse yesterday in Psalm 62 and it reminded me that the Lord Jesus wants us to pour out our heart to Him!

By God’s’ gracious hand, I have a lovely home, but my closet is becoming one of my favorite spots because of the nearness of the Lord when I dump it all onto Him. He is near. He hears. He answers. Yesterday after I prayed, I was still. In the quiet the Lord brought the song to my mind, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. I sang it to Him as I knelt. Wow. My literal prayer closet was my sanctuary. How blessed.

I have a friend who has moved for a short while. She sent me a picture recently of the place that she has created for her quiet time. It made my heart smile, because it showed me much more than a space in her house; it showed me her heart. She has a heart that is hungry for the Lord!

Where do you meet with God? Have you created a spot to worship – to read and pray? I bet it’s your favorite place in your home too!

With love from my country porch,

Surgery.  Ugh.  My memory of the room is

                                                                           

My surgeries have been for happy occasions – the births of my daughters. However, the memory of those operating rooms make me shiver. One sweet memory (aside from a sweet baby being placed in my arms!) is when I was taken to recovery; a nurse came in each time and placed a warmed-up blanket over me. It had actually been heated! I could feel myself relaxing under its comfort. Even the chattering of my teeth stopped, and I could rest.

BLAMELESS!Recently while having my quiet time I felt the cold and sterile feeling of isolation; “aloneness,” if you will. I bowed my head, asking God for the understanding of His presence and love. I then opened God’s Word. I was reminded of who I am in Christ in Ephesians 1. Because Christ is my Savior, God sees me as being holy and without blame, before Him in love! I am accepted in the beloved! The Lord brought the realization to my heart that it doesn’t matter what others think about me, or what I could ever be accused of wrongfully. I must remind myself of the Truth about what God thinks of me. He sees me through Christ as…