I love check marks!  A check mark means something’s been accomplished.  On my to do list it means I’ve finished a task.  On my grocery list it means I’ve found what I was looking for. On the calendar it means that day is done.  But there’s one place that a check mark has extra-special significance…it’s on my prayer list!

At prayer meeting this past Wednesday I was able to place three check marks, and they were in three different categories of requests.  My favorite was hearing about a man whose salvation we’d been praying for.  He has trusted Christ as his Savior!  Check #1!

Another answer to prayer was for someone who had been sick.  After much prayer, they were doing great.  Praise the Lord and Check #2!

The last answer was for a Christian man who had wandered away from God.  Not only has he gotten his heart right, but he also is faithfully serving in his church!  Check #3!

As I went to prayer I thought about how encouraging it is to place a check by each of those names!  We’re all praying for someone who needs to be saved, who is sick and who has drifted from the Lord.  Isn’t it an encouragement to see that these very requests are being answered?  If God did it in these lives, He is able to do it in those lives for whom you and I are burdened! 

Don’t quit praying!  Keep your pencil near your prayer list so you can check off that name when the answer comes!

P.S.  I thought you might like to see my herb centerpiece I finished for my patio table.  I purchased the bundt pan at a yard sale, then slipped it over the umbrella, and filled it with dirt and two types of thyme.  The herbs are pretty and accessible for cooking!  

What has been in your hand in the last few days?  I’m talking about something that you do well and that you enjoy doing.  Is it a rolling pin or measuring cup, a pen, a phone, a dust rag, a garden spade, your car keys, your walking shoes, or perhaps your Bible?  Then you might enjoy writing, chatting, cleaning, gardening, running errands, being outdoors or studying the Scriptures.  What are you doing with those things that could be a blessing to others? 

I was recently studying for my Sunday school class about a pretty amazing lady.  Her name is Tabitha, or Dorcas.  Acts 9:36 says,  Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.  If you continue to read the story you find that Dorcas got sick and died.  The widow women washed her and put her body in the upper chamber.  Interesting that they didn’t bury her – they had faith that this dear lady wouldn’t stay dead!  When Peter is summoned, the men didn’t invite him to Dorcas’ funeral; as Matthew Henry says, “they invited him to come to prevent it!” 

When Peter arrived, the widows showed him all the things Dorcas had made for them.  When I read that, my mind went to Proverbs 31:31b – Let her own works praise her in the gates.  That’s what her good works were doing – praising her.  When it says in verse 36 that “she was full of good works and almsdeeds” it doesn’t finish by saying, these were things that she talked about,  or that she started.  No, these were works and deeds that she did!

It’s easy to think about doing things, but never quite get around to doing them.Dorcas didn’t fall into that trap.  She knew how to sew, probably enjoyed sewing, and saw how she could help others by making things for them. 

So I’ve asked myself…what’s in my hand?  Many of the above mentioned items are things I work with, and I’ve asked the Lord to show me how, when and who needs the things I’m holding.  How about you?  Will your works praise you in the gates, or will it just be the empty words of, “You know, I should help…”

Our works don’t save us, but they show the world that we are Christ’s disciples…just like Dorcas was.  I’d like to be named with a woman like her.  What will you do with the things in your hands?

With love,

Happy June 1st!  In the warm months around the parsonage you will see us outside a good bit.  I love the warm weather.  When I heard two sales people at Lowe’s Garden area complaining about how hot it was I wanted to say, “So, did you like the 60 degree weather we had two weeks ago?”  =)  Okay, I don’t like to be sweltering either, but there’s such a thing as shade and air conditioning, both which give relief from the heat.  I’ll indulge when needed and try not to complain! 
I like to make the outside pretty with flowers and embellishments. I got a new flag when we were at Dollywood…

The patio down below our deck gets lots of afternoon shade, so I’m working on fixing it up so we can have another place to retreat in the heat this summer.   Here’s a beginning of my efforts…

I painted my little soda table chairs yellow.  I also brought the chaise lounge to this area, rather than up on the deck.  I’d made the slipcover for it a couple years ago.  I found outdoor fabric on sale and made a giant pillowcase to slide the cushions into, then added ties to secure it.  My hostas do great under here since they get so much shade.  I added an old window for some color and pizazz. 

I’ve purchased a Boston Fern.  I’m praying I won’t kill it.  I’m in hopes that the shade will help it survive.  I’ve never been good at keeping these beautiful for very long.  I’m going to hang it from a beam above, but for now it’s resting in a shady corner.

I love herbs.  My herb garden has outgrown the spot where I have it, and I’m wanting to make some improvements here this summer.  My lavender is beginning to bloom.  It smells so good.

I also purchased three different types of Sunflower seeds to add a perky spot to our shed.

I love working in the yard and seeing things grow.  Isn’t the Lord good to give us beautiful things to enjoy?  What’s growing in your yard? 
With love,

It happened so suddenly I wasn’t quite sure what had just occurred. One minute I was riding along the bike path, the next I was on the ground, my bike on top of me.  My husband and I were riding the Virginia Creeper Trail and, having ridden it many times, I’d never had a spill off my bike in the past.  It’s funny to me now, and thank the Lord I didn’t break anything, but the fall was my own fault.  I’d taken my hand off the rear brake and my eyes off the road to take a picture!  (Dumb idea!)  My bike hit a large rock in the path and the only hand that was on the handlebars hit that brake – the front one – and over I went! 

After I got my husband’s attention and he came back to rescue me, he asked me, “Denise, what are you doing?”  My first response was to say something smart like, “I got tired so I thought I’d just a nap with my bike on top of me!”  But instead I admitted, “I fell because I was taking a picture.” Trust me, I didn’t do that any more!  From that point on, I rode along with careful thought and precision, guiding the bike along the secure path and avoiding any rocks in the way!

When we have a right view of God and a healthy fear of Him, we will be happy.  Why?  Because we won’t be sinning habitually.  It takes thinking correctly about God that keeps me in a right fear of Him and His judgments. 

But look at what the verse says about the person who hardens his heart – or who is careless about his view of sin and God…He will fall into mischief.  My fall off my bike obviously took no thought!  I really thought I could take my hand off the handlebar and snap a picture while pedaling down the path!  I didn’t plan or prepare for the fall.  When we fall into mischief (sin) it’s due to us not thinking right and being careless. We may be thinking we can handle this little issue ourselves, or that it won’t bother us.  We’re not meditating on Scripture to help us avoid temptation.  We haven’t thought through how we will avoid the sin, should it confront us on our path.  And then because we aren’t thinking, we fall.

Notice that falling always leads us downward – not just in a physical sense, but spiritually.  We never fall into something good!  We must take careful thought not to fall to the sin before us.  It takes effort and God’s enablement to stay right, but God will help us to do it!

What will you choose today?  Will you think correctly and carefully,  or will you have to live out the consequences off falling into mischief?  I pray you “Stay on the bike!”

With love,

Saturday was Allison’s last morning here before heading to The Wilds to work for the summer.  I found out she’d like a fritatta for breakfast, then planned around that.  I used my new cookbook and found a Garden Frittata and adapted it to the ingredients that I had on hand.  It was very good!  The thing I like about frittatas is that if you only have a few eggs, you can still feed a group of people; unlike frying or scrambling eggs where you need a couple eggs per person.  My brunch menu was:



Ready for the oven

 The recipe called for zucchini and squash, but I didn’t have any, so I just used tomatoes and onions and the cheeses – Feta, Mozzarella and Parmesan.  This takes a while to bake – about 45 minutes, but it whips together in a snap.



Hot and ready to serve

 Breakfast or brunch is a great meal to have guests over.  Much of the work can be done ahead of time.  You could mix up the firttata the night before and have it ready to pop in the oven in the morning.  Roll out your biscuits and place them on the baking sheets.  The only thing for this menu that you would make before the meal would be the grits, because they’re so fast, but even those could be done the night before.  An addition of fresh fruit would round this meal out nicely.



After a hearty breakfast, they’re ready to head to camp!

What did you do to decorate for Memorial Day?  Did you cook or bake anything special for the holiday?

With love,