I had wanted to make this purchase sooner – the pansies for my flower boxes, but somehow whenever I was in town, going to Lowe’s was out of the way.  Finally last Saturday I got up early and made a trip there with the express purpose of brightening up the winter look of the window boxes out front.  As I neared the landscape area, I scanned the flowers and saw only summer varieties for those brave enough to set them out before the usual “Mother’s Day safety zone.”  I made my way over to a sales clerk and inquired if I was too late for pansies.  “There are some over in the side lot where all the ‘destressed’ plants are.”  As I made my way over, I had to chuckle when I saw the sign, “Destressed Plants.”  The word destress means to place strain or stress on something.  I had thought she meant distressed, signifying that the plants suffered from the weather, etc.  At any rate, these plants were all marked to $1!  In your mind’s eye, you’re probably seeing brown wilting leaves and pathetic stems, but these weren’t like that at all!    Here’s one of the pots I bought…

I happily found six of these lovely plants and put them in my cart, along with two lovely Dianthuses.  I remembered as I drove home that last fall I purchased several plants at the end of the season for $1 – a couple Clematis, and a rose bush – all which are blooming happily in my yard today!  Then this thought came to my mind – Waiting can turn out to be a blessing!  However, waiting on the Lord is always a blessing!

This truth was certainly true in Joseph’s life!  In Genesis 39, Potiphar’s wife tries for days to cause Joseph to fall into an immoral affair with her, but he refused her.  Here is a young man who could’ve had a little “fling” but said “no.”  He waited for God’s plan, for God’s choice of a wife, and for God’s purpose in marriage.  If you’re familiar with the story, you’ll remember that Pharoh brought him out of prison after two years, and because Joseph interpreted his dream, he promoted him as the second ruler in Egypt.  Verse 45of chapter 41 says, And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On.   Joseph married – as a matter of fact, he married the preacher’s daughter!  =)   I’m sure she was a blessing to Joseph as he ruled over Egypt.

It’s always the right thing to wait on God’s best!  God has a perfect plan that He will fulfill.  He did it in Joseph’s life, and He’ll do it in yours, too.  Just wait and see what blooms!

With love,

Easter dinner is a pretty traditional meal at our house.  We usually always have ham.  This year was no exception.  You just can’t beat a honey-glazed spiral cut one! However, I added a couple of new side dishes.

The potato recipe was found here.  This is a nice change from a standard baked potato and super fast and easy. 



To cut your potatoes evenly without going all the way through, lay them on a cutting board in between two wooden skewers or spoons. This will ensure that you won’t accidentally go all the way through the potato while slicing.



We have a friend that grows a big garden each year and knows that we love fresh asparagus.  He brought us some this weekend, so I was excited about serving it for Easter.  Here’s how I fix it:

Roasted Asparagus
Snap tough ends off each stalk.  Lay on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with Olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast in 425 degree oven for approximately 7 minutes. That’s it!

I simply made up a box of white cake mix for the cupcakes, then proceeded with the rest of the recipe found on Southern Living’s Web site here.

Scoop out a hole in the cupcake using a melon baller, then fill with one heaping tablespoon of the pineapple filling.

Pineapple Filling 

2 (8-oz.) cans crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness.

2. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla; pour mixture into a bowl. Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on warm filling (to prevent a film from forming); chill 2 to 24 hours.

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

2 Graham Cracker Crusts
Peanuts – 1 Cup, divided

1/2 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
1 8oz container Cool Whip, thawed

Spread peanuts into bottom of crusts.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and blend together.  Add peanut butter, then milk and blend.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Divide filling into prepared crusts.  Freeze until firm.
To serve, drizzle with chocolate sauce, a dollop of Cool Whip and more peanuts.

How did you celebrate Easter?  Did you try any new foods?  Did you invite guests?

From my parsonage kitchen,

How could we not be refreshed on Good Friday?  I’m seeing this day with “new eyes” after visiting Israel in January!  Take a look with me…



The place of a skull



We went inside the tomb…



It is empty!!! Praise the Lord!

Because Jesus lives we have hope!

Be refreshed in that truth,
and Happy Easter!

Dinah, about 16 years of age, was the new girl in the neighborhood.  She hadn’t been here long, and she was curious about the other young women here.  Perhaps she wondered what kind of styles they wore, how they wore their hair, and if they were allowed to wear make-up.  Her curiosity got the best of her, so she slipped out on her own, away from the safety of home, to check it all out for herself.  That was when Shechem saw Dinah, took her, and defiled her. 

We read this story in Genesis 34.  While we understand that Shechem committed a sin, we must also realize that Dinah put herself in a very vulnerable position when she left the security of her home and family.  It doesn’t sound like her parents knew what she was doing when you read verse 1 – Dinah…went out to see the daughters of the land.  Her curiosity was her undoing. 

What lessons we can glean from this story! 

• If you’re a young woman, under parental authority, trust your parents’ wisdom, and seek their advice about where you go and what you do.
• Our curiosity should never take us to see things that could ultimately lead us to sinful situations.   Proverbs 4:25 says, Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Be careful about things you look at on the Internet and television.  Guard your eyes and your heart.  Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
• Think about what you’re getting ready to do and about the potential consequences. Proverbs 4:26, 27 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Dinah’s desire to see the “daughters of the land” not only hurt her, but it angered her brothers to the point that they sought for revenge, and ended up killing many men as a result.  Our choices don’t only effect our own lives, it will have impact on those around us as well!

Guard your heart and your curiosity.  It could end up costing you far more than you really want to pay.

With love,

“If my neighbor blows his grass clippings in our yard one more time, I’m going to let him have it!”

“That restaurant drive-through never gets our order right!  If it’s wrong again today, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!”

“My sister-in-law gets on my last nerve criticising my son!  So help me, the next time she says something, I’m to give her what she has coming.”

We all experience people situations that can “push our buttons” to the max!  How are we to handle these kinds of trials that make us think we’re going to lose it?

Genesis 26 gives us a great example.  This truth was shared with us some years ago at our ladies’ retreat at our church and I was reminded of it when I read this chapter recently.  Abraham was forced to move to the Valley of Gerar, away from Abimilech.  The Philistine’s had come along and stopped up their wells!   So Abraham’s herdmen moved and dug another well for Abraham’s family and livestock.  However, the herdmen of Gerar strove with them.  Verse 20 says, “And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours…”  Was it theirs?  No!  But what did Abraham’s servants do?  They dug another well!  This did not stop the problems with the herdmen of Gerar, though, for in verse 21 we read, “And they digged another well, and strove for that also…”  Again, Abraham and his herdmen left and simply dug another well!  What would you have done after digging  a well four times?!

Matthew Henry says, “Those that seek peace will eventually find peace.”  Instead of standing up for “their rights” they chose to remove themselves from the strife and be peaceable.  Sometimes it’s best to just dig another well, rather than destroy our testimony in a desire to fight for what we think is rightfully ours. 

Do you need to dig another well to keep peace – and your testimony?  Follow Abraham’s example and get out the shovel instead of your soap box.

With love,