1. Prepare
   

   Preparing will keep you from worrying. Put the house to bed at night. Clean up the kitchen, run the dishwasher. Know what you’re having for breakfast. Know what’s happening with the family. Know what’s for dinner tomorrow night. Make lunches for tomorrow. Have the keys in their place and phones charged. Run a load of laundry overnight, then put the clothes in the dryer in the morning. Set the table for the next meal. Plan backwards. Decide what time you need to get up to be the woman God would want you to be. Be the woman who isn’t frazzled; know what you’re going to wear.

   The next morning prepare your heart with the Lord. Spend time in the Word and in prayer. When were are alone with God, taking from God, we receive everything people will be wanting to take from us the rest of the day. If you have something to give, people will come to you. Meet with God quietly and let your life be polished by Him. This is where you get your instructions for the day. We’re all busy, we all have lots to do, but before things get hectic, prepare yourself for your day by time with the Lord. There is no substitute for that.

2. Plan
   

   Have a schedule for the day and also for the long-term things. Be working on getting things done. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Divide up the big jobs into bite-sized pieces so that little by little they get done.

3. Pray
   

   We don’t do anything without praying. Pray over the schedule. This is where you give it to God. We want Him to manage it. Lay it on His altar. This is Plan A. If someone calls and wants you to do something with them and you know it would interfere with what you had planned, graciously ask if there is another time you could do that. Never say no without saying yes. “No I can’t today, but how about tomorrow?” Give God plan A and you’ll know when He interrupts it and changes it to Plan B. It will be best because it will be His plan. Pray over your day and you won’t be frustrated because you’ll be on the lookout to see what God is going to do – answer and act. You won’t be frustrated. You’ll be looking for what He wants you to do. Make sure that you pray – it’s vital.

4. Proceed
   

   It’s easy to plan and prepare. Prayer is a little harder, but then finally it’s time to do something about it all and step into your plan. Don’t be anxious about tomorrow – deal with today. It’s time to step into that day. A day is like a pearl. At the end of each day you want to be able to put your head on your pillow and slip a pearl onto a strand because it was a day that you handled the interruptions; you didn’t get frazzled.

   Every day is a little life. Our whole life is a single day repeated. Even in physical activity, Elizabeth’s challenge is not to look at the whole mountain that needs to be climbed. Take one step at a time. So in our daily lives, we must take one step and proceed into God’s will for this one day. God will provide for us. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: II Peter 1:3

Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip said, “I used to try to take each day as it came, but my philosophy has changed, I’m down to half a day at a time!” So whether it’s your half day or your whole day, live it for God and let that help you win over worry.

With love,

I happened upon this lovely book/magazine recently at our local Ingles book section. I didn’t buy it (yet), but I have put out a serious hint to my oh-so-thoughtful hubby. =)

I literally “ooohed” and “ahhhed” over every page. It starts out with Thanksgiving decorating ideas, then moves on to Christmas. There are food and decoration ideas. Victoria Magazines are always so special, but this Holiday issue is off the chart exquisite! This is a must see, ladies!

What magazine do you love so much that you can’t wait to get the next issue? Tell us about it and tell us what makes it special on Noteworthy Wednesday.

On my way to Ingles,

Okay, Maybe I should say what was cooking in the parsonage? Sorry I missed posting yesterday, but it was a busy weekend with a migraine added in just for fun, so something had to give.

I didn’t cook on Sunday because we were being spoiled at The Wilds couples’ retreat. The food they serve is unbelievable – I should have had them be my guest blogger! If you’ve never visited The Wilds, you need to put it on your “To Do” list! The retreat was such a blessing. The weather was perfect and the Word of God dug deep into my heart.

I have been cooking though, and I recently made an old favorite, and tried a couple of new things.

This was my own little dressing, but to make a vinaigrette, you generally mix 1/3 part vinegar to 2/3 part oil. I then added in maple syrup for a little sweetening. The salad was a mix of greens, red onion, Craisins, and apple slices.

I tried a new recipe – Pasta with broccoli and peppers. It was a nice side dish from an old Southern Living Cookbook. (Recipe to follow.)

I’ve made these for years – Salmon Sour Cream Puffs. They are really yummy and a step up from traditional salmon patties.

Here are the recipes:

Pasta with Broccoli and Peppers

1 (7.5 oz jar) roasted peppers, drained and cut into strips

2/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil (I used much less!)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 bunch fresh broccoli

1 12 oz. pkg. small shell pasta – I used what I had on hand!

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a skillet; cook over medium heat until nuts are golden brown, stirring often.

Trip off large leaves of broccoli, and remove tough ends of lower stalks. Wash broccoli thoroughly, and cut into pieces. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to pkg directions, adding broccoli the last 2 minutes; drain. Add roasted pepper mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients. Toss and serve immediately.

Salmon Sour Cream Puffs

1 15.5 oz. can Salmon, drained

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

1 8 oz container sour cream

2 eggs, separated

2 Tbl chopped chives

1/4 tsp salt

Dash pepper

1 – 1 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds

Vegetable oil (I used cooking spray)

Lemon wedges

Remove skin and bones from salmon. In large bowl, combine salmon, crumbs, sour cream, egg yolks, chives, salt and pepper; mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into salmon mixture. On large sheet of wax paper, sprinkle half the almonds. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of salmon mixture onto almonds; sprinkle remaining almonds over top. In large skillet, heat oil; lift puffs with spatula into skillet. Brown on each side. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings.

Will you try any of these? What have you been cooking?

With love,

ATTITUDE. Ever have one? You know what I mean. It’s that annoyed reflection of something in your heart. Someone pushed the wrong buttons, pushed you once too many times, or pushed you harder than you cared to be pushed and then – the attitude happens. It’s not pretty.

I know of which I speak because I can be the Queen of Attitude at times. I hate to admit it, but if I’m honest I have to tell you it’s true. I had one just this week, and guess what it was over? Ministry! I got tired of carrying other people’s loads, of doing “more than my share” (who decides how much is more than my share?), and being pushed to the limit. Oooo – that button got pushed and out the attitude came. The good thing was that the Lord convicted me and after a time of stewing, I made it right. However, the Lord wasn’t done teaching me the lesson He wanted me to learn.

Yesterday in my devotions, I was working on memorizing the last two verses in Philippians 2. The background of these verses is that Paul had sent a man by the name of Epaphroditis to the Philippians and Epaphroditis became sick to the point of death. Why was he so sick? Verses 29-30 tell us: Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. Epaphoditis was taking up the slack of the Philippians; doing what they hadn’t done and became so sick while ministering that he almost died!

Paul says in verse 29 to “hold such in reputation.” Hold a man like this in high regard. At that moment in my quiet time the Lord brought the truth to my heart that this was a man who worked and ministered so much that he was at death’s door! My work took me nowhere close to that kind of sacrifice! I see no sign of an attitude in Epaphroditis here either! It says that he was full of heaviness because they learned he had been sick. He was probably the kind of man who tried to cover his weakness, work through whatever pain he might have been experiencing because there was a cause here – the love of Christ- and that constrained him to keep on.

I was very convicted by this man’s life, and repented of my sin and my attitude. There is a balance to strike, and I asked the Lord in my quiet time to help me hit that balance – work, rest, respite. It’s necessary so that we don’t burn out.

As you serve in any capacity, whether it’s full-time or as a layman in the church, guard your heart against the “A” word. Let’s make sure we’re serving the Lord with a sweet spirit; the kind in which the Lord would “hold us in reputation” like Epaphroditis. His work was “the work of Christ.” Too often my work is “the work of Denise” done with an attitude and won’t be rewarded in eternity. “Oh, Lord, may my ministry be Your work, done in Your strength, and done for your glory!” Ahhh, there’s the right attitude!

Lovingly,

How adorable are these little cookies? Round sugar cookie, chow mien noodles for hair, chocolate chips for eyes, licorice for smile, candy corn nose and sugar wafers for a hat! Those would sell like hot cakes at a fall festival!

This post gives the instructions for the mobile and says that the next time she’d use tacky glue instead of hot glue, which sounds like a good idea for little ones anyway.

These tin can luminaries would be adorable hanging in a tree or on a hook outside the door… Have you done a fall craft edible or not? Share your good ideas with us!

With love,