Yesterday we had kind of typical Memorial “picnic” foods.  We grilled hamburgers and also had these super good Oven Fries that are a favorite of ours, a baked bean dish, and cantelope.  Alli is home, and she requested a strawberry pie, so I made that for our dessert.  Though I was really hungry when we sat down to eat, I was stuffed after the meal was done! That’s far more than I usually eat at a meal, but hey, it was a holiday!

We also invited a couple from church to eat with us, and after the meal we all took a drive.  Our guest kept teasing everyone, because we were so full.  As we passed a pancake house she said, “If you all will eat pancakes, I’ll buy!”  Then when we drove past Cracker Barrel she asked, “Is anyone hungry yet?”  We all would just groan at her suggestions to eat again.  Why?  Because we were full!

That whole scenario reminded me of a verse I had read earlier in the day in Proverbs 27.  It says,

Have you ever attended a Pinterest Party?  Would you consider attending one?  I hope you said “Yes!”  We will do this again this year!  Hope you’ll join us!

With love from my parsonage kitchen,

One of the things I love to use my Kindle Fire for is cooking up recipes I’ve found on the Internet.  I set the Kindle up on the counter and follow the recipe as I work in the kitchen.  However, I’ve been fearful that it would get splashed or splattered while I was cooking.

I had recently seen an advertisement in a magazine for a cookbook stand that has a splash guard on it.  It is the Umbra Cook-a-Boo Bamboo Cookbook Stand, found on Amazon.  So when I got an Amazon Gift card for Mother’s Day, I immediately knew what I was going to buy!

It’s very sturdy, yet lightweight.  Right at $30 (I actually got mine on sale for $25), this gives me confidence that it will keep my Kindle protected from water splashes, full mixer ingredients or other things that could ruin this electronic wonder!

This will also hold my cookbooks, of course, and keep them clean, too.  It keeps the book standing upright, making it easy to read.  Of course a Tablet or IPad would fit in this as well.

I just had to tell you about this great find!  I’m sure it has refreshed the life of my Kindle.  Hope it will freshen up your electronic device, too!

Do you use your Kindle or tablet in the kitchen frequently?  How do you protect it?

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

Yesterday I read this post on Facebook:

There are two parts to this post:

As I shared on Friday, I had the privilege to go to Katy, Texas to speak at a Ladies’ Celebration at West Side Baptist Church.  Here’s my weekend in pictures:

I flew Southwest from Greenville, SC straight to Houston, TX.

 A blessing from my first flight was that I met a woman seated beside me.  I had prayed for an opportunity to witness and here she was!  She was from Greenville and on her way to Arizona for the weekend.  The Lord gave me the opportunity to chat and then bring up the “Share Jesus Without Fear” questions.  She doesn’t know the Lord, or of her eternal destiny, but willingly received the Word, and a tract before we got off the plane!  She said, “You know, it’s amazing that you’re talking to me about this, because someone else has recently shared a book with me about God.  I smiled and said, “This is no coincidence.  God put me here; He is at work in your life because He loves you and wants you to be saved!”  Isn’t God good?

These are pictures from activities of the Ladies’ Celebration ~ Debbie, my new sweet friend and the pastor’s wife at West Side. Young girls sang a special, then the teen girls sang later. So sweet!

Sunday services at Westside Baptist Church.

 I got to speak to the ladies’ in Sunday school on Sunday morning; that was a blessing.There are many Spanish speaking people in this congregation.  This was my first time to have an interpreter.  He was in a sound room and the ladies had ear pieces in which they could hear him interpret me.  Wow!  I just realized – there was speaking in tongues (known languages)!  =)

A ranch was almost in the middle of the city!  Loved the long-horn cattle! Reliant Stadium is in the bottom photo.

 The pastor’s wife sweetly showed me the area on Monday before I flew home.  Houston is huge and spread so far out!  Lots of concrete!  It was very warm – 89-90 degrees and humid – I loved it!

This sight made me cry Monday evening.  Yes, it’s home.  Aren’t I a blessed woman?  God is so very good to me.  I get to serve Him in other parts of this lovely country, and then come home to my sweet husband (who really misses me when I’m gone! Love that!) and the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee!

It amazes me that God gives me the privilege to travel and speak to ladies.  I love it.  I truly do.  I love giving the Truth to women who are hungry for it.  These ladies were very receptive, and they were a blessing to speak to!  God’s Word is always on time, effective, and personal to our very lives.  I love seeing what it does in the hearts of women who are seeking Him!

Now, I’m home for the summer, and looking forward to a few months of serving the Lord right here in East Tennessee!

You know, you don’t have to travel across the country to serve the Lord, and the truth of the matter is that I only do that a handful of times a year.  I’m back in my own home with my hands pushing the vacuum, folding laundry and cooking meals.  This is my constant serving ground.  We can each serve the Lord from our home, reaching outside its walls, and serving those that live there with us. What are you planning on doing to serve the Him today?  Ask Him to use you…and He will!

From my parsonage windows,