It was night.  The skies were dark.  The air seemed formidable. There was an eerie quiet in the camp.  Then out of the darkness came the loud trumpet blasts and a shout, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”  Light from hundreds of torches blazed about the Midianites.  In terror, they ran about in a wild frenzy as the Israelite army stood firm on the border of the camp and watched God deliver them from their enemies.  Out of their fear, the Midianites began falling upon one another, killing their own people!  What a victory was won that night!  God did a mighty work!

This is a favorite Old Testament story.  It seems unreal that the Midianites, who were enemies of God’s people, became so frightened by the small (300 member) Israelite army, that they didn’t even know who their real enemies were, and began killing their own soldiers!

Sadly, this very scene often happens to God’s own people.  Oh, we might not use a real sword and kill, but we forget who the real enemy is, and we start attacking those in the ranks with us.  Other soldiers, believers, who love the Lord, too, are shot down by fellow-Christians by words and attacks.  None of us are exempt from being a disappointing part of God’s army.  We mess up, we sin, we fail, and are the first to admit it, and run to the Lord for forgiveness.  He’s merciful and forgiving.  Our fellow-soldiers?  Not always.  Forgetting that the real enemy is the devil and his cohorts, we fall on the one with whom we should be linked up to instead.  The real enemy (the devil) stands outside the ranks of our camp and sneers and laughs while we discredit the name of Christ once again.

I write this post to say, let’s link arms together and serve God.  Let’s get busy making disciples.  Then we’ll be so consumed with the business at hand, we won’t have time to attack our own men.  Has someone disappointed you?  It’s to be expected.  Keep your eyes on Christ.  Remember He is the ONLY one Who will never disappoint you!

There’s work to be done.  Let’s not get confused with who the real enemy is!

If you’d like to read the story for yourself, you’ll find it here.

With love from your fellow-soldier,

Hi friends!  I’m home and getting back into the “normal” mode once again.  Cooking, blogging and ministry life will be back in full swing this week.  It was a great time away!  I thank the Lord for time to rest!  

Hope you’re ready for a great meat and potatoes menu, because that’s what’s in store for today!

Brazilian Steak With Artichoke Salsa

Ingredients

Meat:
1 flank steak
2 tablespoons oil
6 garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and very finely chopped
Steak seasoning [such as Montreal Steak Seasoning]

For the Salsa:
4 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced [I used cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved]
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup jarred artichoke hearts, diced [I used canned]
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Rub the steak all over with olive oil. Rub the steak with minced garlic and jalapeno and season it with steak seasoning. Place it in a resealable plastic food bag or in a flat glass container and seal well. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Brazilian Steak

For the Salsa:

Place all salsa ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss gently to mix well. Set aside.

On a hot grill, preferably outdoor grill (you can use indoor grill if that is more convenient for you), grill the flank steak until the meat is cooked the way you like it.

Slice the meat thinly to serve. Serve with salsa on the side or on top of the meat.

Hot Crash Potatoes

Hot Crash Potatoes ~ Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

What’s your favorite way to eat a steak?  Do you have a new side dish that you make to go along with the meat?

With love from my country kitchen,

Okay, to end the week, I made a collage of my favorite Bride and Dad photos.  These touched my heart because I know how much my husband loves his girls.  Enjoy:

The small picture on top is the night before the wedding – a few “I’m leaving home” tears and hugs.

The second picture was Dad’s first look at his daughter bride.  Hugs always follow!

The next is a quick kiss on the cheek before she went to let Andrew have his first look.

The large picture was prayer in the church library minutes before the wedding.  I know I should’ve had my eyes closed, but I had to capture the moment first!

Hope you enjoyed these peeks into the wedding.  Have a great weekend. See you Monday with a great recipe!

Stay refreshed,

With love,

Here’s a group shot of the wedding party.  I love this – they were supposed to strike a silly pose:

Hope you’re having a great week!