A swollen, sore finger with what looks like osteoarthritis has plagued me for a couple of weeks. My shoulder and ankle are also whispering something in my ear. Yeah, you know what it is – age! Right, I did just have another birthday, so I guess my body is celebrating! It gives me comfort that I’m not in this alone! What little reminders do you have that you’re aging?

Last night I was lying in bed thinking about all these little things that have sprung up and I thought about how they are all reminders that this body is groaning to be replaced by an incorruptible body. That won’t happen with a bottle of Oil of Olay, that day will come when Christ returns.

I Corinthians 15:52, 53 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The body we have now isn’t fit for eternity, but our new one will be! Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. No more need for Tylenol or icy hot!

Even more amazing is that our sinful desires will be gone forever as well! I Cor. 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. It will no longer be a struggle to do what’s right. There will be no more wrestling with my sinful flesh. What a day that will be! We will be like Christ!

So even on days when I’m dealing my little issues, it reminds me of a greater day that is coming and I say, “Thank you Lord, for my pain!”

Looking for His return,

P.S. Do you have the assurance that you will be with Christ for eternity? Trust in Him today, my Friend, for without Christ, eternity will be far worse suffering than anything we could experience here on this earth. Christ has paid for your sin-debt; all you need to do is receive Him as your Savior. I’m praying you will do just that today.

Yum! Yesterday’s Sunday dinner was a church-wide fellowship. Food doesn’t get much better than a church dinner in the south! However, getting a meal ready to take out the door with you when you leave for church can be a challenge.

This week I decided I was going to do everything I could by Friday. So I made mostly dishes that could easily be made ahead of time. Okay, this London Broil I did on Saturday, but the meat was in the fridge marinating since Friday night. Talk about delicious! I found this recipe on the Internet and am so glad I tried it!

Can you see in the picture below how juicy the meat was? It was also full of flavor from the marinade. I cooked it medium rare on the grill on Saturday evening and then just warmed it up before I left for church.

This is my broccoli salad recipe from Cooking Light that I shared with you here.

I also took a potato casserole for the meal. It is supposed to be made ahead of time, so that was a perfect side dish.

I saw these cupcakes on Barefoot Contessa last week and decided this would be my dessert – Chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting and topped with salted peanuts.

Take a closer look…

Pretty much heaven in a cupcake liner!

The batter has sour cream in it which make them moist, and coffee which brings out the chocolate flavor.

Grilled Marinated London Broil
For marinade:

4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 TBL balsamic vinegar
4 TBL lemon juice
3 TBL Dijon mustard
1 1/2 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 TBL soy sauce
1 TSP dried oregano
1 TSP dried basil
1 TSP dried thyme
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cup olive oil
1 London Broil (2 to 2 1/2 lbs.)

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients until combined well. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag & pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air and set in a shallow dish. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice at least 8 hours. Preferably 24 hours.

Remove meat from marinade, discard the marinade

.
Preheat grill and set meat on grill, turning each once, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 125 to 130 degrees on a meat thermometer for medium-rare meat. Alternatively, meat may be broiled. We cooked ours longer for medium-well done.

Transfer meat to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

With love,

It’s no secret – we all have birthdays every single year, like it or not! Mine is tomorrow – yes, 9/11. I don’t tell you that for any reason other than to praise the Lord for the gift of another year, and rather than grumble about being older, I just have to say how wonderfully blessed I am.

The Lord blessed me with a godly man to share my adult life with – Dale Cunningham. We just celebrated our 29th anniversary this summer. What fun we have together! What joy to share in the ministry God has called him to, and what a blessing to grow old together as a couple.

To have the blessing of being a mom of three sweet daughters was the dream of my heart. One daughter I’ll meet again in heaven, the other two bring me such joy on a regular basis by their love for their God and their desire to please Him. They make me laugh and help keep me young (and they loan me their clothes and jewelry! Nice!).

Serving at Boones Creek Bible Church is another unbelievable blessing. With people who encourage me, pray for me, read my blog and listen to me teach…how could I not thank the Lord for placing me in this ministry? We have the best church in East Tennessee and I love attending every service and activity because God is honored and the people there are real.

I recently starting teaching the 4’s and 5’s Sunday school class, and this is another blessing on this birthday. Children teach me so much about our Savior. They have such faith. They love so unconditionally. I am so grateful to be a part of these little ones lives. I can’t wait ’til the ones that aren’t saved have their first spiritual birthday! We will celebrate together!

You, Friend are also a blessing. Thank you for reading my blog. I am humbled that anyone would want to read what I write. May I point you to my wonderful Savior each day!

Those are seven things I’m thanking the Lord for as I celebrate my birthday tomorrow, but I will finish this list in my journal until there are 52 praises!

Thankful to be a year older,

I thought I’d share with you the upcoming fall Ladies’ ministry that’s soon to begin. I’m excited about it, and if you’re a part of BCBC, I pray you’ll be excited too! If you have a question, feel free to leave it in the comment section.

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What is the best ladies’ ministry/activity you’ve ever participated in? What are you looking for in a ladies’ ministry?

When I walk out to my box and find a letter or card with my name handwritten on it, I get excited! This past week I got two thank you cards – and they were so special to me. In a day when electronic messages are more popular than Popsicles on a summer day, getting a real thank you note in the mail is extra-special!

This week I enjoyed reading an article in September’s Southern Living Magazine entitled, “Write a Charming Thank You Note.” There is no wrong way to write a thank you note, really, as long as your are writing one, but they shared five tips – let me share them as they were written in the magazine.

1. Start with the date and salutation. Send you note written in black ink within a week of receiving a gift.
2. Say thanks right off the bat. Be specific about why you are writing the note. If you’re thanking someone for a monetary gift, refer to their generosity rather than mentioning the amount.
3. Compliment the kind gesture. Don’t be afraid to go over the top – everyone loves an effusive compliment, as long as it’s heartfelt.
4. Allude to the future. Anticipate another get-together, or if you’re writing about a gift, be sure to tell them how you plan to use it.
5. Finish with sincere regards. reiterate your gratitude, then close the letter on an intimate note, signing your first and last name. Don’t forget to proofread before you postmark!

On this Noteworthy Wednesday, tell us how you express thanks to someone. Do you still write a handwritten note, or do you prefer an e-mail, electronic cards, or a Facebook note? Do you use a special kind of card, homemade stamps, or pretty stationary to write on? Have you gotten real mail recently? Share any good tips or ideas on expressing thanks or sending cards.

Thanks!