Rahab leaned in as her friend cupped her hand around her mouth and said in hushed tones –
“Have you heard the news? The Israelites have finally been freed from their slavery in Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of them left…in the middle of the night! They say that when they got to the Red Sea, their leader, Moses, lifted up His rod and the water parted, and those people crossed on dry land! But when the Egyptians tried to go after them the waters crashed down on them, and not one soldier was left alive! I heard it was their God that cause all those plagues to happen beforehand, and that He was the One that made it possible for them to cross the sea safely. I wonder if they’ll try to come here to Jericho? I’m afraid of what will happen to us if they do!”
Rahab sat back, wide eyed and disbelieving at first, but then nodded as she remembered other things she had heard about the Israelite’s God.
It was 2:30 am and I had done more tossing and turning in my bed than a two year-old in a church service. My heart was anxious.
Plans had been changed, circumstances were upside down causing my heart to fret instead of rest and sleep.
I finally decided the best action would be to rise and head to my Quiet Place. Odd how different this place looks in the darkest time of the night. I turned on the lamp beside my chair and reached for my Bible. How comforting to just hold this book in my hands. I turned its crinkled pages to my daily Bible reading for the day and found that I was on a familiar and loved chapter – Jeremiah 29. It was God’s voice speaking to me like a parent rocking their child in the middle of a thunderstorm.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Finding my pen and my journal, I wrote,
“I know the thoughts that I think toward you. (God thinks on me!) Thoughts of peace (calming my turmoil) and not of evil (He is a good God who can only do good); to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). In this I can rest.”
I closed my journal and my Bible and talked to the Lord, thanking Him for this promise. I gave Him the situation that had me anxious. Then I snapped off the lamp and fumbled my way down the darkened hallway back to the comfort of my bed. The time or two that I awoke, I rehearsed in my mind what I had just read…
“God is thinking about me. He has a good plan that will not harm me,” and I slept.
If you have a decision to make, rehearse this promise in your thoughts rather than letting it make you worried and fretful. The Lord will be up through the night thinking about you so you can rest.
Last month I began this series of Easy Does It. These are just tips and helpful ideas that have simplified my life and I think they’ll do the same for you!
This edition are all things regarding the kitchen. Who couldn’t use a little simplification there?!
Paper products can roll out easier with this tip – The first tip is regarding the rolls of plastic wrap, waxed paper and foil that you probably use on a daily basis. Did you know there’s a built-in way to keep that roll from falling out of the box when you’re trying to pull off a piece? There is! I learned this little tip just a few years ago. I wondered if I’m the only one who hadn’t known about this!
At the end of each box, you’ll see the lock tabs. Simply push them in. They will go into the cardboard roll and hold it in place. No more foil rolling across the kitchen floor!
2. Skinning Tomatoes is a snap – If you have tomatoes to can or freeze as spaghetti sauce of salsa, there’s a super easy way to skin them and to do a huge batch at one time! Simply put them on a baking sheet after they’ve been washed and dried. Then place them under a broiler for about 4-5 minutes or until the skins begin to wrinkle. Remove from the oven and the skin will pull off when you pinch it between your fingers. Let them cool slightly so you can touch them. This was such a help to me recently when I canned salsa!
3. Preserving Bananas for baking is a cinch – We love all things banana at our house! Baked oatmeal with bananas,Banana Bread or this Banana Cake are delicious examples! But these recipes all even better with over-ripe bananas. They’re so sweet! Because I can’t always keep them on hand, I go to the produce section of our grocery store and head to the reduced produce section. They have the “ugly bananas” wrapped together or in a bag for sale at a reduced price. I take them home, peel them and place two bananas into small Ziplock bags and toss them into the freezer. When I’m ready to make one of my banana recipes, I thaw it in the microwave and I’m ready to bake!
4. Freezing Popped Popcorn is genius – My favorite nighttime snack is popcorn. We recently found Smart Food Popcorn at the grocery store and fell in love with its White Cheddar flavor. It’s absolutely additive in my opinion! (If you haven’t had it, you must try it!) One day while walking through Sam’s Club we found a giant bag for nearly the same price we were paying for half that size at the grocery store!
But even with our love for it, it would go stale once the bag was opened. Then I discovered you can freeze it! The popcorn never actually freezes, it just keeps out the moisture so it stays fresh. We can go get a bag out of the freezer and pour it into our bowl and eat it immediately! It’s as fresh as when we opened the bag!
I hope these simple tips will help things to roll a little easier in your kitchen! (Pun intended!) Tell me: Did you know about the lock tab on the foil and plastic wrap boxes? What’s your best tip for simplifying life in the kitchen?
Have a wonderful weekend and be refreshed by being under the preaching of God’s Word!
Last week I had a group of women over for a night of fellowship and I wanted to serve refreshments that were tasty, but not too heavy. So I dug into my recipes (some I’ve share here on the blog) and pulled out three appetizer dips! I had a couple that were sweet and one that was savory. Appetizers are fun because you can make a little meal with them. The ladies enjoyed them and it was fun to watch them go back for more. Here are the ones I chose for our party.
Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
S’mores Dip
This Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip is great as an appetizer or served with a meal of Mexican foods! It’s super good and really fast to put together! You can make this ahead and pop it into the oven or microwave to warm up.
Spite the fact that life is still so different, there are many blessings each day. I’m keeping a daily list of the ways God has sent along special joys every day of the week!
Last week I had a group of women over for a night of fellowship and I wanted to serve refreshments that were tasty, but not too heavy. So I dug into my recipes (some I’ve share here on the blog) and pulled out three appetizer dips! I had a couple that were sweet and one that was savory. Appetizers are fun because you can make a little meal with them. The ladies enjoyed them and it was fun to watch them go back for more. Here are the ones I chose for our party.
