Memorial weekend brought my family home and guests in for a quick visit.  I love to have everything ready ahead of time so I’m not working in the kitchen the whole time my company is here. On Friday  I made Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls for our Saturday breakfast.  All we had to was pop one into the microwave and add a dish of yogurt and fruit for a yummy breakfast!

I’ve shared my sour dough recipe here (down in the comment section of the post).  There’s lots more than just plain bread that you can make with sour dough starter; Cinnamon Rolls being one extraordinary thing!  My husband told me that Cinnabon didn’t have anything on me.  I said, “Yes they do –  a couple million dollars!”  =)  These aren’t Cinnabon, but they’re super good – and are really easy to make!

I like to start my dough doing the first rise the night before.  I add all the ingredients in the bowl:

1 1/3 cup Starter
1/3 C warm water
1 egg
1 3/4  tsp yeast
2 T Melted butter
1/4 Cup Honey
1 tsp salt
4 cups Bread Flour

Mix well and roll out on floured surface.  Knead 8-10 times.  Place in greased bowl.  Cover and let rise overnight.

In the morning:

Roll dough into 12 x 18″ rectangle.  Brush with 3 Tbl. melted butter.

Mix:
1/2 C white sugar
3 Tbl brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 C chopped nuts

Spread sugar mixture over butter.

Slice into 1″ slices.  Place in greased 9 x 13″ pan, cut sides down.  Let rise approximately 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled.  Pour 1/3 Cup Whipping cream over rolls.  (This is the secret special ingredient!)

Bake at 375 degrees 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack.  Top with glaze.

Glaze:
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 Tbl milk

I don’t make these very often…they’re dangerous (for the waistline)! =)

Are you cooking for Memorial Day?  Are you trying any new recipes?   I’m going to be sharing recipes with you most of this week, so be sure to check back.  Tomorrow’s recipe is for a Watermelon Salad.  Mmmm!

From my parsonage kitchen,

Last Saturday was a bad day.  Things had happened that made me hard to live with upset me. =) Then at 4:00 in the afternoon my husband and I headed to Kingsport to ride the Greenbelt bike path with church friends.  I was looking forward to going, but I wasn’t sure I would be very good company.  But you know what?  Getting on my bike and heading out that beautiful path did wonders for my heart…and my attitude! 

Do you want to refresh yourself after a wearisome week?  Get outside!  Enjoy the beauty of these early summer days.  Go get some exercise, be it walking, biking, swimming, or hiking.  Get out the badminton or croquet set and play a game in the backyard in the cool evening. 

Since this is Memorial Weekend perhaps you have a longer weekend – enjoy it outside. You will amazed at how it will refresh you!

Be refreshed!

I have been praying about something for many years.  It’s not a bad thing; it’s a need.  There are ways that I could make this come to be.  It would be a stretch financially, but I could do it.  However, the Lord has held me back at every turn. 

I’m thankful for reminders in Scripture of people who have taken things into their own hands, because as I read the consequences of them doing so, it reminds me to take my hands off of my devices and give my prayer request to God to answer in His way and in His time.

In Exodus 32 we read:
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

The Israelites thought Moses should have been down from that mountain by now!  Their thoughts were focused on their own needs – “What was he doing up there, anyway?  Shouldn’t he be down here leading the people?”  So, in their haste to get what they wanted, and in their time frame, they had Aaron make them a golden calf to be their god.  They took things into their hands and not only made an idol – they also made a mess! 

Whenever you and I get weary of waiting on God to answer and take things into our hands, we will be in the same boat.  How do we jump ahead of God?  By:

• going into debt to buy something we can’t afford
• having an immoral relationship before marriage
• using medication to escape reality
• quitting church because of a problem/person there
• ditching a relationship
• turning our back on God because we’re sure He’s never going to answer

May we instead be like the Sons of Levi who gathered themselves with Moses as those that repented of their sin of going their own way and declared that they “were on the Lord’s side.”

Waiting isn’t easy, but it will be worth it.  I often sigh in my waiting.  I get frustrated and have to ask God to help me be content while I let His timing be perfect.  If He says yes to my prayer, it will be a God-sized task and I will be ecstatic!  If He never allows it, I’m praying for contentment and a heart that says, “Not my will, but thine be done.”  Thanks for your prayers for me in this time of waiting.

Are you waiting for God to answer a request? I’d be happy to pray for you, too.

With love,

Around the parsonage there is obviously lots of preparation for ministry services and events.  This past Monday was our final monthly ladies’ Bible study for this year.  On those Bible study days, I am usually busy all day finishing up preparations for the evening.  No matter how busy the day was, I’m always so thankful for the evening time to fellowship with the ladies as we share God’s Word together, enjoy a light refreshment, and then learn a practical lesson for our homes.  

We ended the year with a wonderful lesson – taught by a godly young woman, Mary.  How appropriate that Mary would teach the lesson about “Kitchen Service” and about having a Mary spirit in this Martha world.  She exemplified this spirit to us with her sweet delivery.  What a blessing that she referred us to many references in Scripture to validate her lesson.  After all, it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, does it?  We must know what God’s Word says!  Thank you, Mary, for pointing us to the Word and to Christ, our Savior!

After our Bible study, we had a great fellowship time around a dish of Blue Bell Ice cream (it’s on sale this week at Ingles, by the way!)  We also then took the opportunity to judge the five tables that had entered our table design contest.  We were challenged to creatively and beautifully set a table with a theme.  The winning table received a $30 gift card to TJ Maax!  

I’m sorry to say I missed getting a picture of one of the tables.  Sorry Bev!  One friend (just for a joke) set a themed Boones Creek Bible Table.  She placed all paper products for the plates, cups and napkins, she added two bulletins from last Sunday, as well as peppermint candies to the middle of the table!  It was proof that anyone can set a themed table!  She gave us all a good laugh…as she often does!

Here are pictures of the other four tables. 

Ethel Johnson did a country farm kind of table complete with sheep, bandannas, and red and white geraniums.  The red barn behind her table was painted that day for our summer children’s ministry.  Pretty nice that it happened to go along with her theme!

Though I wished we would have had more participate, and we were down in numbers in attendance, those that stuck it out to the end of the year had a wonderful time together.  It makes all the scurry in the parsonage on those days very worth it.  I may sleep in a little longer the next day, but it’s with a smile on my face, because of the blessing that group of women is to me…the parson’s wife.

I love each of you.

From the parsonage windows,

Yesterday morning as I read Exodus 33 I was reminded what a blessing it is to have friends who walk with God.  Moses was such a man.  Let me explain.

God’s anger was kindled against the Israelites because of their continual sin and God said that His presence would not go with them into the promise land.  Moses spoke to God on their behalf, telling God that they couldn’t go on unless God would go with them.  Verse 11 says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”  Because of his intercession, God said to Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. What relief that the Israelites wouldn’t have to trudge on in their own devices, their own weak ideas and strategies!  God answered Moses’ prayer!  Moses was friends with God, and those that knew him as their leader must have been awfully glad that he was on such good terms Him! 

While I was reading that passage and being reminded of dear, godly friends that the Lord has given me, I received a text message from one of those friends.  Another called while I was getting ready for the day.  A third called as I was driving to do some work at church just to tell me she loved and appreciated me!  And lastly, another godly friend met me at the church to help and support the work I was attempting to do!  My cup was running over with the blessing my friends.  Each one, led by the Lord was calling to encourage or bless in some way.  That is a godly friend!  God spoke to them, and they followed through to tell me what He said to them!  That’s just like what Moses did!

I have to stop and ask myself if I am that kind of friend to others.  How about you?  Do you hear the Lord speak a word to you to call and encourage someone or to stop and pray for them and then you do it?  If He prompts us to do a loving act for them are we quick to obey?  Do we go out of our way to help and support them as they are serving the Lord? 

May we each be “Moses kind of Friends!”

Do you have a special godly friend for whom you are especially thankful?  What have they done to push you closer to the Lord?

With love,