It was an afternoon designated to cleaning out the now empty condo.  I sat in the box-filled living room with stacks of photo albums in front of me.  My desire was to go through the pictures and find the photos that were special so I could take them home and scan them and file them on my computer.

As I sat there and perused through  those books, I felt like I was reliving my adult life.  There was this picture:

Funny, huh?  Yeah, those were dating days when we were just getting to know one another and were wondering if there was a future in this special relationship.

Then I found this one:

That photo screams, HAIR!  =)  But it also reminds me of our early days of ministry.  They were tough financially with a new baby, our first home, the need for a new car, etc.  But we were happy trusting God together and watching Him provide for our little family.

I progressed then to years later…

Adoring daughters honoring their daddy on Father’s Day. We were in the thick of homeschool then.  My husband was working hard to provide so I could stay home and be a mommy to our girls.  We made time for fun, yet cheap dates together – $5 Pizza after the girls went to bed, candlelit dessert, games, even our trip to the grocery store was made into a date time.  We saw our love continuing to grow.

Then this one from Whitney’s high school graduation weekend:

I guess we were celebrating!  This was taken at a restaurant in Greenville, SC where we had lunch with our families.  This picture reminds me that it’s okay to be fun and flirty with one another!  Who cares if others are there?  A kiss in public is permissible when you’re married!  =)  It’s moments like this that keeps a married couples’ hearts close.

After hours of sorting through photographs, I found myself missing my husband!  Looking back at all those years of our relationship reminded me of how good the Lord has been to us, of how much He has brought us through, and of how our love for one another has grown through the hard times. I walked through the door of our home and went straight to my husband’s office and found him seated at his desk.Slipping my arms around his shoulders, I told him how much I missed him that afternoon.  I’m sure he was a little bewildered (we’d only been apart a few hours), but he didn’t question my statement.  I slipped an envelope of pictures before him and he began flipping through them.  There was a smile, a laugh, and even a couple of tears over what was inside.  It’s more than just pictures; it’s a relationship from the Lord that has grown, changed and deepened over the years.  We are blessed.

When was he last time you sat down and looked through old photos of you and your husband?  It would be a great date night!  Fix your favorite beverage – coffee, hot chocolate, pop some popcorn, and sit together with the albums in your laps.  It will take you back and remind you of God’s goodness, and of where your relationship started.  It will renew those embers and help you to realize what a blessing it is to love and be loved!

Happy Thursday!

It’s a busy week at our church and our home this week.  As I shared recently, we are in revival meetings with the Pettit Team.  It’s been such a blessing already!  It’s always so worth the full days and nights to be a part of what God is doing!

I was remembering this morning that when our girls were home and we were homeschooling, I had a choice – I could either push myself and my daughters to academic distraction, or I could ease things up a bit in our schedule so we would all be rested and ready for the revival meetings.  My hindsight tells me I’m sure I could have relaxed even more, and I really wish I had. in order to make the week a blessing instead of a dread.

As a mom, we want so much for our children.  We want them to do well in their academics so we push them to do their best, whether in home school or public.  We keep a watch on their grades, we meet with the teacher if there are problems.  We might even hire a tutor or use the Co-op Classes for home schoolers.    We might desire that they be trained in instruments or have athletic skills. We take them to lessons and practices and then faithfully attend their performances to show their advancement.

While all those endeavors can be fine, and even done with good intentions, we need to check and see that the thing we’re most fastidious about is their growth in Christ.  Why be educated, musical or fit if not to  use those abilities to serve the Lord?  Those skills in themselves will not last or matter in eternity.

Could I suggest to you, Mom, a few things you might consider during a week of revival meetings?

• Be the first to sign up to keep part of the team.  Their influence on your children is incredible!
• Sign up to help with a meal and then involve your children in the preparation, giving each of them responsibility.
• As a homeschooling family, center lessons around revival and evangelists.
• Make sure everyone is rested.  Get to bed early.  If possible, allow children to sleep a little later if they were up late the night before.  Allow rest time in the late afternoon.
• Forgo extra things like lessons or practices during revival.
• Participate in every activity the revival is offering!
• Make supper meals simpler during the week.  

How will you help your children prepare for revival? What will you do today to help them love God?  

From the parsonage windows,

A young woman was seated beside me on an airplane.  After we chatted a while, I began asking her about where she will spend eternity.  She looked at me, wide-eyed and said, “I can’t believe you’re asking me this. I’ve recently been thinking a lot about death.  I have a nephew who is dying of cancer.”  We proceeded to have a great conversation about what the Bible says about eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

I recently heard the testimony of a Jewish man who was put into a small office space at work with a Christian man.  Though the Jewish man tried to get changed to another spot to get way from this man who constantly talked about Jesus, he could not.  Therefore, he was under the loving influence of a Christian who was truly concerned for his soul.  In time, the Jewish man was won to Christ.  He is now preaching around the world about His Messiah!

The world may say I  just happened to be seated beside a woman who was thinking about death, or that it was coincidence that my Jewish friend was put in an office space with a believer, but we know better.  We understand the sovereign work of a powerful God.

This week I am reading the story of  Queen Esther who realized that the Lord had her at the palace to save her people “for such a time as this.”  As I pondered Mordecai’s words in chapter 4 “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I thought of how important it is that we ask ourselves the same kind of question – actually three questions: 

• Where am I?  Consider the broad areas – your home, your workplace, your church.  Now consider the smaller dimensions – your neighborhood and street, your grocery store, your post office, your pew, your office at work, your seat on the airplane.

• Why am I here?  Now think about the people in all those places. Why would the Lord have your life touching theirs?  Or, why did the Lord put them in your path?  If they’re lost and you know the Lord, then the reason is obvious – you are there to share the Gospel.  If you are around a believer, perhaps they need your encouragement or discipleship.
• Why am I here now?  Consider the timing of it all.  Why at this time in your life?  Why during this phase?  Why on this flight?

When I signed up to provide dessert yesterday for our evangelistic team’s meal, I saw it as my opportunity to get to bake and to try a new recipe!  I love chocolate and mint together and had recently pinned a collection of those flavors on my baking board on Pinterest.   I found a recipe there similar to one I’ve made before.  This is one of those “poke” cakes.  You know, where you poke holes in the warm cake and pour something yummy into those caverns.  This recipe gets two yummy things poured over the chocolate cake – minty Sweetened Condensed Milk, and  minty Hot Fudge!  Tell me this isn’t going to be good!

The basic ingredients for this recipe are:

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix, plus water, oil, and eggs on the box to make the cake
1 can (14 or 14.5 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (10-12 ounces) hot fudge ice cream topping?1 1/4 teaspoons Peppermint Extract, divided
8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
3-4 drops green food coloring
1 cup Oreos, crushed

Instructions:
Mix and bake cake according to the box directions. When a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
Place sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. (You can also do this in the can without transferring to a bowl, if you want to save a dish!)
Remove lid from jar of hot fudge sauce. Heat in microwave for about 30-60 seconds, until it is pourable. Be careful not to heat it too much without stirring, you don’t want it to burn. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract.
Once the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, poke several holes in the top with the back of the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, making sure it gets in all the holes. Spread with a spatula if needed.
Pour the hot fudge sauce over the top of the cake, making sure to get it in all the holes. Spread with a spatula if needed. Cool the cake completely before continuing.

Open thawed whipped topping. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and 3-4 drops green food coloring. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with crushed Oreos. Chill for several hours (or overnight) before serving. Best served room temperature.

Ooey, gooey, chocolaty and minty delicious…that pretty much sums it up, friends!  You want an easy recipe and one that will be devoured?  Here you go!

From my parsonage kitchen,

These last couple of months have brought into a sharp reality how little “stuff” matters at the end of our life.  My MIL loved her stuff.  She loved her old stuff, new stuff, free stuff, sentimental stuff, collectible stuff and her stuffy stuff.  ~Cough, Cough~ Get my point?  We are in the middle of clearing out her condo and are reminded how easy it is to want to save “that special card,” or all the copies of that one picture – just in case.  But my  husband and I have determined to go through our own belongings and get rid of the unnecessary things so our girls won’t have this daunting task in front of them some day!

I recently found a great post on simplifying your kitchen here on Goodbye House, Hello Home.  She has some great tips on how to clear out your kitchen and make it organized and clutter-free.  Here is another post about 18 Things You can Get Rid of Today!

I keep a black trash bag in a bedroom closet and when I come across something I don’t need, I put it in that bag.  Then I tie up that bag and take it to Goodwill.  You know what?  I’ve never missed anything I’ve gotten rid of!  As a matter of a fact, it’s so freeing!

Freshen up your Friday (and your life!) by finding 5 things today that you can take out the door!  Put them in a bag, tie it up, and either throw it away, or give it away.  Then get in the habit of doing that each week!  Don’t let your life get cluttered up with your “stuff.”  Trust me, your children don’t want it to deal with it when you’re in heaven!

See you in church for our revival meetings!  If you live away from me, I trust you’re making your way all day on Sunday to a local assembly where you will hear the Word, enjoy fellowship, and have the opportunity to serve the Lord!

Be refreshed,