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Freshen Up Friday

We are coffee lovers in this house! A hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning is not a question – it’s given! We WILL have coffee in the morning! But when it comes to iced coffees, I’ve not been a fan. However, a couple weekends ago when I attended the Becoming Conference, I got to try One of International Delight’s Iced Coffee drinks. It was hot outside. The beverage was cold. It was free. Duh. I tried it and you know what? It was delicious!  

This week when my husband went to the grocery store, he found this container on sale for $1.69! After cleaning carpets, cleaning the deep freezer and packing boxes, this was a great afternoon treat! It was a great refreshment, and pick-me-up! Have you tried this? Keep an eye out for it marked down on the shelves. You might snag one on clearance like we did. Sometimes there are coupons in the paper, too.

Try this treat and savor the great iced coffee refreshment!

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

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A Peek Inside the Parsonage

Yesterday was a BIG day for us. After nearly eight months to the day of my mother-in-law’s home going, her condo is completely boxed up, emptied, and cleaned. It’s all ready for its new owner who moves in TODAY! Whew. We are on the bushed side, to say the least, but we are so thankful that this task is behind us. It. Was. Huge.

Working over there for so many weeks has really made me stop and think about my own possessions. We all love our stuff, but I’m contemplating long and hard about how much stuff I really need. This is one reason I’ve gotten rid of so much just recently. I want to really love, need and use the things that are in my home. The rest is just clutter, weighing me down. It will also just be a burden to my girls some day. I desire, by God’s grace, to continue to pare down on stuff because one day it will all be reduced to this…

Boxed up, emptied and cleaned out. What’s really going to matter is the stuff of eternity – the treasures I have sent ahead. The people I’m taking with me. The influence that I’ll leave behind that will leave a legacy that could influence others for Christ.

So, in the days ahead, I’m not printing off any more pictures, but loading them onto a hard drive. I’m loading books on my Kindle or checking them out from the library. I’m making use of a consignment shop and Goodwill to distribute the things I don’t wear. I’m sharing things with my girls that they can use. I’m going to take pictures of sentimental objects and then eliminate the item from my home. Cards will be kept for a short time, enjoyed, then gotten rid of. I want to enjoy my home and those that enter its doors rather than fuss over the clutter that’s keeping me in bondage. Life is about people – not stuff!

How about you? Do you need to start opening your hands and letting go of things? Are there boxes stashed away in an attic that have forgotten contents? Why not start sorting through, then getting rid of those things? Share it. Sell it. Give it. I bet you’ll be surprised at how freeing (and refreshing) it is!

With love from the parsonage windows,

 

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A Peek Inside the Parsonage

A Peek Inside the Parsonage has been my post every Wednesday for a long time now.  However, I’m going to have to come up with a new name because…
We’re moving out of the parsonage; we’ve bought our own home!

I had shared with you recently that we were looking at houses, and we finally landed on the one pictured above, after months of looking, waiting for my mother-in-law’s condo to sell, and all those details to get in line.  We are beyond excited!  Our closing date is set for August 23rd, so as you can imagine, there’s lots of planning, packing and preparing going on inside the parsonage right now.

What is so exciting is how the Lord has brought us to a house that has virtually everything we wanted:

  • An office space 
  • Both a living room and a family room
  • Large open space for entertaining
  • Three bedrooms
  • A view of the mountains
  • Space between us and our neighbors – we will have a little more than an acre here!
  • Quiet – Country life doesn’t get any better!
This is an answer to a ten-year prayer request.  I knew God would answer, I just didn’t know how or when.  As He has promised in His Word, He did it “exceeding, abundantly above!”  We are praising the Lord for answering the longing of our hearts, and we are excited about using this new home to be able to serve Him in an even greater way.

I write these Wednesday posts to give you a little look at what is happening in our lives and ministry, and also at what it’s like to live in the pastor’s home.  Do you have a suggestion for a new name for these entries?  I have a few weeks to come up with a new name, and would love and welcome your suggestions!

From the parsonage windows (for a few more weeks),

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What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

Over the weekend I made a heartier breakfast. I whipped up these Bacon & Egg Toast Cups that I posted about here. I had failed to add it to my recipe index, but that has been corrected! These are so quick and so good. If you haven’t tried them, you must. The protein in those little guys kept me going until beyond 1:00! That’s really unusual for me!

I love it when I find a recipe I want to make that week and realize I already have all the ingredients for it in my kitchen! Such was the case when I saw Pioneer Woman make a shrimp and pasta dish on her show. I had purchased a large bag of shrimp at Sam’s and had one serving left of it in the freezer. All the other ingredients are pretty much staples (except heavy whipping cream, but I had used part of it for another recipe). This is one of those OUTSTANDING company’s coming kind of recipes! Here it is. My name for it is different than hers; I call it Shrimp and Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce.

Shrimp and Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
3/4 pounds Penne Pasta – I used the pasta I had on hand.
1 pound Shrimp
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup White Wine, Or To Taste ( I used chicken broth)
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup Heavy Cream
 Fresh Parsley, to taste
 Fresh Basil – To Taste
 Salt To Taste
 Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions:
Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite–sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Serve this with some nice bread and you will be all set! This is a 5 Star recipe, I promise!

What was cooking in your kitchen this last week?

From my parsonage kitchen,

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Freshen Up Friday

Freshen up something at home:
It’s amazing to stop and notice the little things that can be overlooked around the house.The other day I put my hand on the door knob and took a minute to “look” at the door. Yikes! There were fingerprints everywhere. I got a soapy rag and made my rounds to all the doors in the house, giving them all a little wipe down. What a lovely difference that made!

How about taking a walk through your house sometime today and taking a look. Freshen up the door by giving it a cleaning them with a Clorox rag or just good ol’ soap and water. 

Freshen up your weekend breakfast:

This yummy blueberry coffee cake was made by a great cook in our church, Jane. She brought it to our Sunday morning fellowship last week and I was fortunate enough to get the last crumbs on the plate! It’s really moist and has a nice crunchy sugar topping. This would be a great Saturday/Sunday breakfast! Jane was sweet enough to share her recipe with me:

Best Blueberry Coffee Cake – It lives up to its name!

Ingredients:

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

Coffee Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I usually use ones straight from my freezer, without thawing them)

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and side of 9×3-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and the cinnamon. Cut in butter with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

In large bowl, stir together all coffee cake ingredients except blueberries; beat with spoon 30 seconds. Fold in blueberries. Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Cut and enjoy!
(Adapted from a Betty Crocker Recipe)

Freshen Up your spiritual life:
RevivalImage1

Join us at Boones Creek Bible Church for our upcoming revival July 28 – August 2 for powerful messages from guest speaker Jerry Sivnksty. 

Sunday @ 9:00, 10:45 & 11:45
Monday – Friday @ 7:00 p.m.

Be refreshed,