Last Sunday we passed around a sign-up sheet to help provide meals for a young mom in our church who just had another little one. One of the ladies that signed up is a young mom and is relatively new to our church. When I thanked her for helping with this ministry she said, “Oh, when I had my boys we were blessed with so many people that brought us meals. It was such a help to me that I said then that I would always try to provide meals for new mothers.”

That really struck a cord in my heart. Here is a young mom doing something to be a blessing to another mom because she knows what a help that can be!

We are all to be giving, and giving liberally or generously. This Proverbs goes on to say that when you are a blessing to others you receive a blessing. I know that this young mom stays home with her boys and that keeps her busy all day, but she has found a way to reach out. How needy that is. Home can turn into a prison where you simply care for your own family and fail to realize that there are things you can do, even as a young mom, to be a blessing to others and serve the Lord. Our families are our first priority (after spending time with the Lord), but often we don’t see beyond them to other ways we could be serving, even while in the busy days of motherhood.

Just last night I saw two other examples. One mom of four came to our CARE ministry (visitation/outreach) with her three older children while Dad stayed at home with their one year-old who was getting over a virus. This mom wanted an opportunity to reach out, so after work, Dad came home, they had supper, then she brought the children to CARE. What teamwork!

I was talking to another one of the young moms in our church about our upcoming VBS and she said, “Can I help make refreshments for it?” She, too, is a stay-at-home mom who is looking for a way to serve others outside her home.

Could I also suggest:

• Ask your pastor if he has anyone that needs a card or phone call
• Invite an unsaved lady in your home for coffee
• Serve in your church nursery
• If your husband serves in a ministry at your church, help him with it. One young mom in our church provides muffins or coffee cake each Sunday that her husband substitute teaches their Sunday School class. She’s helping him minister to those members!
• Mentor one of the teen girls in your church
• Ask your pastor’s wife and other staff member’s wives how you can pray for them, then write them a note telling them you are praying. I have a bunch of women that do this for me, and I can’t tell you what a blessing it is!

Let me encourage you young moms to make your family your first priority, but then don’t think you’ve done all you need to do. There’s a world outside your backyard that needs Christ’s love – saved and unsaved alike. What could you be doing to share His love?

With thanks for the amazing young moms at BCBC,

II Kings 4:10

• A chair is a nice accessory, and a lamp over it or beside it for reading.

• A vase of fresh flowers on the dresser is a nice way to welcome your guests.

• Have a light on in the room your guests will be staying in if they’re arriving after dark.

  As for any meals that you’ll be serving, make sure that you know if they have any dietary needs so you can cook accordingly. Here are a few things to make the meal special:

• Try to prepare things ahead of time so you don’t spend all your time in the kitchen. Freeze muffins, cake layers and cookies. Prepare Ziploc bags with the dry ingredients for pancakes so all you have to do is add the liquid ingredients. If you’re having BLT’s for lunch, cook the bacon ahead of time and refrigerate it.

• Have breakfast items available. Either set things out – Cereal, fresh fruit, muffins and a pitcher of milk, juice and coffee and let them serve themselves when they are ready for it. Or if you feel up to it, provide a hot breakfast of pancakes or egg strata.

• Make the table attractive. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, just special. Flowers and pretty napkins are a great addition.

• Have a guest book for your guests to sign before they leave. It will serve as a scrapbook of sorts of all the guests that have come to your home.

Perfection is not a goal for there are no perfect homes, perfect meals or perfect hostesses! Go for clean rooms, filling meals and welcoming hostess, and your guests will be glad they can return to your home again and again!

What has made you feel welcome when you’ve visited in someone’s home?

Happy hostessing,

I am married to a GPS – a global positioning system! Dale can get anywhere and he’s been everywhere! My dear husband has rescued me and my girls from perils on the highway more times than I can count! The amazing thing is that we can call and frantically say, “I’m lost!” and he will always follow that with, “Tell me what’s around you.” “I don’t know – curvy roads, a pasture, a sign to an old church…” His famous last words are, “I know exactly where you are.” He will then proceed to give step by step instructions to get us back on the right road, complete with curves in the road, landmarks, and words of encouragement!

Have I told you just how much I love to cook? It’s truly not a chore for me. One thing I love about it is the variety of foods and recipes to make. I love to try new recipes. A dear friend has given me a subscription to Taste of Home Magazine and I enjoy it so much. This month’s issue was full of good things to make. I have about a dozen ear marked to try this month.

Sunday’s dinner menu was nothing new, but it was pretty much ready when we walked in the door and that’s always a good thing on Sunday! Why does my stomach growl ferociously on Sunday morning and not on weekdays? :0 I served:

I have to share one recipe with you that I tried earlier in the week that was so good! It’s called Roasted Vegetable Salad. I served grilled chicken with it and it made a great summertime meal. You can vary the vegetables – I used what I had. I failed to take a picture of mine, but it’s really colorful and appealing.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered

2 medium ears of sweet corn, halved (I used frozen kernels)

1/2 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, halved

1 med. sweet red pepper, cut into strips

2 medium leeks (I used red onion)

1/4 C plus 2 Tbl. olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 2-in. lengths

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups cubed French bread (I toasted these on a cookie sheet while the vegetables were cooking)

10 Cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Dressing:

1/3 Cup olive oil

1/4 Cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbl honey

In large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place in two greased 15 x 10 x 1 in baking pans. Bake at 425 degrees 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute asparagus in remaining oil until tender (just a couple minutes). Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute longer. Cut corn from cobs; place in a large bowl. Stir in the bread, tomatoes, cheese, asparagus and roasted vegetable mixture. Combine oil, vinegar and honey, drizzle over mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Another recipe I made this week was Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake, not from Taste of Home, but from my Cooking Light Cookbook. You would never know this is a light recipe; it tastes just as yummy as any regular pound cake with twice the fat grams! Be watching for the recipe on my blog this week.

What’s been cooking in your kitchen?

With love,

One day this week as I was listening to Revive our Hearts, I heard Nancy make a statement about the Christian who thinks they can “go it alone.” This is the person who isn’t faithfully connected to a local body of believers. She stressed the importance of being actively involved, supporting and being supported by the fellow believers there. My heart fully agreed!