“I’m famished!” are popular words at our house after church on Sunday morning. The word famished means to starve to death. Okay, we’re not famished, we’re extra hungry. Probably none of us really know what it is to be truly famished in a physical sense.

However, there is another type of famine that God’s people can be very familiar with, and that is a spiritual famine. Ever experienced one? It is a time of waiting, of want. It can be a very difficult time. Perhaps you’re in a famine right now.

Yesterday I read Psalm 33:18, 19 – Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Note that verse 19 doesn’t say that God keeps us from the famine, but He keeps us alive in the famine. Times of famine are good for us. Here’s what I noted as I studied this passage. A famine will:

• Make me more dependent on my God
• Make me more hungry for the sweet morsels that God gives to me from His Word
• Make me run to Him in prayer all through my hungry day
• Make me thankful for times of abundance when the famine is only a memory
  

Don’t question God’s love for you if you’re in the middle of a spiritual famine. Anything God brings into our lives is because He knows we need it. He promises in Psalm 33 that He will keep us alive during those hard times. He will provide all we need. He’ll give His Word, His presence, His strength, and He will bring it to an end. While you’re in the midst of your famine, pray verses 20-22 to the Lord as you wait for it to come to an end: Our soul waiteth for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Just as God brought Elijah food from a raven to keep him alive, He will feed you, comfort you and provide for you in your famine. Wait. He is enough.

With love,

When the weather turns cool I love to make lots of soups, stews and chowders. A friend shared this recipe with me several years ago for Hearty Corn Chowder. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do!

3 T butter

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

3 T flour

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can (12 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green sweet peppers

2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices (I used sweet turkey sausage)

1 can (14.5 oz) evaporated skim milk

Heat butter, carrots, celery, add onion in large saucepan until bubbly; reduce heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly. Stir in water, salt, celery salt, paprika, pepper and corn. Heat to boiling. Stir cheese into chowder gradually. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add sausage and milk. Heat until hot.

Last summer as our daughter and her co-workers were making their way down the mountain from where camp is located to go to “town,” little did they know the adventure that was awaiting them. Having a dad who is a living, breathing GPS, Alli was armed with written instructions and was positioned in the front seat beside the driver. Everyone was on alert, because the way is tricky. However, about an hour later, it became very apparent that they were not headed to town. They were driving through a wilderness of winding roads that was taking them into very unfamiliar territory.

I brought an old blanket to throw on the table and also a few fall decorations to make it pretty. To keep the soup hot, I put our servings in half pint jars, and popped them into the oven to warm the jars up. I also heated one of those bread warming stones you put into a bread basket, then I wrapped it in a kitchen towel and placed it and the jars into a small cooler. It was piping hot – even after our 35 minute drive to the picnic area!

There was no one around, the leaves were beautiful and the setting was perfect for a great picnic date!

I brought a thermos of tea to drink with the soup, but I knew these cookies call for milk, so I also packed a mason jar of milk for dessert. Mmm!

After our lunch we got to walk along the river a bit before heading back home. It was a lovely get away!

Friday afternoon I put on a pot of Pinto Beans. Whitney and Alli were coming home and Whitney requested Soup Beans and Cornbread for supper – a real southern meal! I always buy a ham bone from Honey Baked Ham to add to the beans. It gives them great flavor. So Friday night we had:

Pinto Beans

Sweet Cornbread & White Cornbread

Fried potatoes

Whitney came home to help me bake cupcakes for her upcoming wedding! She’s opted for cupcakes instead of traditional cake, so we baked up over 100 on Saturday and put them in the freezer until the day before the wedding (December 17th) when I’ll ice them. Do I sound calm? =) Sure I am! How do we know we’ll have enough and not run out? Or will we have them coming out our ears? Will they look presentable? Will they taste good and not taste like the freezer? I’ve done my research, but I’m depending more on prayer!

Saturday was Alli’s choice for supper and she chose chicken stir-fry. She has food prep classes in college, and whatever they’ve been studying is what she gets hungry for, so here is the fulfillment of her request…

Someone asked for my recipe – here it goes:

Stir fry chicken breast pieces in a few tablespoons of oil. When chicken is cooked, remove and add about 3 tablespoons of Hoisin Sauce (or more to taste). Keep chicken warm. Add fresh vegetables and stir fry. I used broccoli, red and yellow peppers, onion, and at the last minute fresh asparagus. When the vegetables are cooked, add the chicken back into the pan. Place on a platter. Top with Cashews or peanuts. Serve with white rice.

Whitney went back to Greenville Saturday evening – wedding dress in tow! She found the dress, as she put it while she was home. I’m thankful we got to be there when the selection was made. Fun times!

Sunday dinner was:

Honey-spice Pork Chops

Cheese grits

Roasted Asparagus

Pear Salad

The Cheese Grits was a new recipe that I tried. I have a more fat-filled version, but this one from Cooking Light is every bit as good! I followed the advice of one person that commented on the recipe and cooked the grits in chicken broth instead of water. That added a lot of flavor. You need to try these – sooooo good!

So, there you have it. It was a busy weekend in the kitchen with lots of good food and for the most part good for you (save the fried potatoes perhaps!). What’s been cooking in your kitchen lately? Tell us about it! Link us up with any good recipes you’ve found!

With love,

WHILE waiting in line at the bank, a man developed a very loud case of hiccups. By the time he reached the teller’s window, the hiccups seemed to have worsened. The teller took the man’s check and proceeded to run a computer verification of his account. After a minute she looked up from her terminal with a frown and said that she would be unable to cash his check.”Why not?” the man asked incredulously.”I’m sorry, sir,” she replied, ” but our computer indicates that you do not have sufficient funds to cover this amount. As a matter of fact,” she continued, “our records show your account overdrawn in excess of $5000.””It can’t be!” he cried. “You have to be kidding!” “Yes, I am,” she answered with a smile, counting out his cash. “But you will notice that your hiccups are gone.”

While we are ever so careful to guard our bank account from being over drawn, I wonder what the records would show on the monthly statement of our marriage? How many withdrawals have you made? Wives need love, affection, attention, compliments, encouragement, dates, pampering, help around the house, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on… Each one of those represent a withdrawal from our marriage account. Now, think back on this past week – what kind of deposits have you made? Not the monetary kind – but the relational kind.

• Have you shown respect for your husband with your words?
• Have you elevated him in front of others?
• Have you thanked him for being a provider for your family?
• Have you done a thoughtful gesture for him? (Bought his favorite candy bar, written him a note, made his favorite meal, took him out on a special date or created one at home- you get the idea)
• Have you spent time doing something he enjoys even though it might not be your favorite activity?
• Have you done something to lighten his load?

These things (and many others) are ways we make deposits into our marriage. There’s a double blessing here – we’re meeting the needs of our husband and rediscovering what a joy it is to be married. It’s fun! It is God’s plan and He can only do what is good!

Take a thorough check into your “account” and make sure you’re not overdrawn! If it’s been a while since you’ve put something into your marriage, you might surprise your husband so much you’ll scare his hiccups away!

See you in church Sunday!

With love,