God's character · Prayer

God Grants Our Desires

One of my husband’s ways to engage in sharing the Gospel when we’re at a restaurant is to ask the waitress how we can pray for her as we thank the Lord for our meal. It is always so interesting to hear how people answer that question. So many say something like,

“Everything’s good right now. I really don’t need anything!”

To them, God is like a genie in a bottle, waiting to grant their whims and wishes, or to fix the current financial or physical crisis in their life. Those issues are often God’s way of drawing us to Him. We realize how desperate we are without Him when a crisis comes. I recently came across a verse about prayer that reminded me that, as our heavenly Father, He loves to answer our longings when those longings are from a righteous heart (a heart right with Him) – not merely a heart that wants some thing.

Proverbs 10:24b

The desire of the righteous shall be granted.

As we walk with Him, and allow him to direct our desires (Ps 37), our longings will be things that please Him, and that He delights in answering because He is a loving Father!

Psalm 73:25, 26 

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

The happiness of the righteous will never end. Our God will never disappoint us or let us down. He always wins. Because He wins, we win. Don’t be downhearted.

If Christ’s desires are your desires He will grant them.

Wait.

The answer is first in coming to know Him. Don’t look at Him as a god who grants wishes. See Him as your heavenly Father who delights in You as you delight in Him!

dessert · Fall · Fast dessert · pumpkin

You Will Love These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Last Monday I shared a savory pumpkin recipe, so I thought we’d go sweet today. These pumpkin sugar cookies are perfect this time of year!

pumpkin cookie 1a

These Pumpkin Sugar Cookies caught my eye on Pinterest. They whipped up really fast. Even with adding the icing, a half batch took me less than an hour from start to finish.  These are called Sugar Cookies, but they’re fluffier than a traditional recipe, so keep that in mind when you pull the little clouds from the oven.  They are fluffy in the middle and have a little crispiness on the edges.  Yum.

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Marriage

Three Signs of a Healthy Marriage

We all pray for a good report at our yearly check-up at the doctor, don’t we?  We go with the desire to stay on top of health issues that may be a concern.  Early diagnosis is best they say.  That way things can be treated.  

How about our marriages?  Do you ever take a good hard look at your marriage to make sure it’s healthy?  It’s best to find problems before they get deep roots.  So, let’s take a look at a few symptoms that your marriage is indeed thriving!

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Family life

The Importance of Family Mealtime & Worship

I know I say this often, but “one of my favorite episodes of Andy Griffith is” when Aunt Bea is out of town and Andy and Opie are bachelors.  The chicken burns to a crisp, filling the kitchen with smoke.  Just when everything is at its worst, Peggy (single, attractive Peg) drops in.  Andy’s afraid she’s trying to wedge her way into their lives to become his wife, so he is reluctant to accept her offer to cook them something decent for supper.

Andy – “Oh, we wouldn’t want to impose.”
Peggy – “You’re not imposing!  It would be fun for me.”
Opie – “Let Miss Peggy have some fun, Pa.”

The episode ends with a lovely meal fixed by Peggy in an atmosphere that creates a desire for talking and music – unlike the bachelors had had before she stepped into her apron in their home.

This episode reminds me how much our presence does for our home.  We create an atmosphere there.  That atmosphere is what most homes need, and it happens just because you and I are present.  A man can light a candle or cook a meal, but it’s usually the woman who sets the tone and setting at mealtimes. If she’s not there it’s just food.  If mom’s there, it’s an event.  

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Main entree · soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup – A Different Angle on Pumpkin Spice!

I am not one who has jumped on the “Pumpkin Spice Everything” Bandwagon!  I like pumpkin just fine in a few things, but I’m not even crazy about the pumpkin spice creamers that most are wild over.  

So, when I saw a recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Soup in a Southern Living magazine, I was quite skeptical.  However, once I looked over the ingredients, I could tell that the pumpkin was not the main flavor in the soup.  It has chicken broth  that smooths out the pumpkin flavor.  And rather than the spices that make pumpkin pie, the spice added is the heat of a chili pepper and adobo sauce.  

The little bit of heat makes it perfect!  It also has smoked sausage, which I love, and black beans added to it, to round it out.  The result?  A lovely, creamy, soup that doesn’t shout pumpkin spice at you!

Here’s the recipe from Southern Living.

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