Sharing group was an anticipated time in my week. Reading over the diary I kept during those years I often wrote about being thankful my work schedule allowed me to attend. I also remarked about how good the meeting was that night. I never forgot how much I loved attending and what a blessing it was to me during my teen years. It kept me connected with those in my youth group, it gave me a place to share my burdens, it encouraged me to share my faith as I heard my friends talking about witnessing, and it taught me how to pray.

Another huge blessing was the dear friends it brought into my life. It’s not often that you can be away from people for 35 years and be able to reconnect with them as though you’d only be apart a short time. However, when this reunion took place last weekend, that’s exactly what happened. We picked right back up. We shared. We prayed. We cried. We sang. That’s what Christian friends can do.

I’m sure Dr. Bill had no idea what an impact he was having on those teenagers. He had no clue what a difference the sacrifice of his time every Wednesday evening meant to us. He didn’t know that he was influencing many that were headed to full-time ministry. Only eternity will reveal what an impact Sharing Group had on all of us.

If you are ministering to youth, be it children or teens, take heart. You are making a difference in their lives. You may not see the fruit now, but the investment you’re making will be a blessing to them now as well as in the years to come. They will eventually say to you what I’m saying now to Dr. Bill – Thank you for investing your time in me!

With a grateful heart,

I am enjoying some time away in my parent’s lovely and quiet home in Kentucky. I’ve come to visit, have a rest, and learn to quilt! I’ve really wanted to learn to quilt for some time. This seems to be a great time for a lesson, and who better than the quilting pros (my parents) to teach me? I’ve come with a small stash of fabrics to get me started on a nine patch quilt. If it takes me a year, that will be okay. “Little by little” so they say!

Dinner at my mom’s table is always a treat. When I told her I was going to feature her meal on my blog post, she said, “This is no fancy dinner; no recipes – it’s just home cooking.” Um, I think that’s the whole point! It was wonderful.

Southern iced tea – sweet and strong. Perfect on a summer day! My mom got me started adding Black Current Tea bags to my iced tea. It adds great flavor to the tea. Use three regular family-sized tea bags and two black current for a half a gallon of tea.

The meal was perfect summer foods – ribs, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh baked biscuits.

The ribs were seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika and then baked at 325 for an hour and a half in a pan with a little water. Then the temperature was brought up to 400 degrees for 25 minutes to brown. They were tender and so tasty!

The biscuits were cut with a tiny little cutter – so cute.

Here’s me and my dear Mom – she’s a wonderfully talented lady and the best cook!

My dad…the man who taught me to love ice cream!

Dessert was homemade jam cake with homemade peach ice cream. This was the best ice cream recipe I’ve ever had. All the cream and sugar was worth it. It was smooth and delicious! If you like homemade ice cream you must try this recipe! It came from Country Living.

I guess you can see how I’m suffering here this week. 🙂 God is good to allow me this privilege, and I’m so thankful!

What memories do you have of eating in your mother’s kitchen?

A couple of years ago I shared a story that I had never publicly voiced. It was the story of the trial of the still birth of our second daughter, Ashley Marie. Today, July 2nd, makes that experience 23 years old, but the tenderness of the loss and the sweetness of God’s presence are just as fresh today as they were all those years ago. It took me three days to tell my story. I shared it Here, here and here – in case you didn’t read it. Continue reading “Sweet Memories” →

A couple weeks ago I listened to a broadcast on Revive our Hearts and was truly captured by the topic. The guest that was on the program talked about being at a ladies’ retreat where a woman stood and quoted the book of Ephesians! As this lady sat and listened to the Scriptures that had been hidden in the retreat speaker’s heart she said, “I realized how shallow I was spiritually. I realized how little of the Bible I had memorized and I was ashamed.” It seems that she had been saved a great number of years, but found at that moment that she wasn’t very mature in her Christian life.

As she left the retreat, she endeavored, by God’s help, to memorize His Word. The day I heard her on Revive Our Hearts, she quoted the first chapter of the book of Ephesians. She knows the whole book from memory now!

As I listened to her talk about what memorizing passages of Scripture has meant to her, I knew that the Lord was urging me to do the same. II Timothy 3:16,17 tells us that the Word of God is profitable. It will definitely profit me spiritually if I hide it in my heart.

To memorize the Word, we don’t have to add another thing to our already busy day. The key to memorizing is to study the Scripture while we’re doing other things. For instance, if I take the verses I’m working on and write them on cards, I can look at it while I’m drying my hair. I can review them while I’m waiting in traffic. I can rehearse them while I’m cooking or washing dishes. So you see, I’ve not added an hour to sit and work on memorization, I’m working on the verses while I’m busy doing things that occupy my hands and not my thoughts.

I’m currently striving to memorize the book of Philippians. I chose this book because it’s one of my favorites, it’s shorter, and I’m familiar with many of the verses. My goal is to memorize a verse a day. Can I tell you – it’s already been such a blessing to me! I’m up to verse 14, and it’s been easier than I thought it would be, and it’s truly a treasure in my heart!

Why am I telling you about this? Not to build myself up – it’s only by the grace of God I’m able to hide His Word in my heart! I’m sharing this with you to encourage you to join me. Would you take the challenge to memorize a passage of Scripture? A chapter? A book? You’ve probably heard the adage – How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That’s how you memorize a passage – one verse at a time.

Let’s link arms and get mature by knowing the Word! Make yourself accountable to someone. Have them check your progress. Say your verses to them. It won’t harm you; it will profit you! Are you in this with me? I’d love to hear from many of you that will commit yourself to the memorization of God’s Word!

Praying for you,

I found this quilted pillow sham at Dollywood marked down to practically nothing a couple years ago. It looks a bit like a little throw without the pillow in it, so I placed it across the back of my bench in the kitchen. Liza Jane is showing her allegiance by taking her afternoon nap below it!

You’ve seen this shelf many times. It’s my main display place for seasonal decorations. It’s best to bunch similar themed things together for a display, rather than scatter them all over the house. It makes a more powerful statement (learned that the hard way!).

Just below the shelf is my counter where these place mats sit. This is our breakfast place. I love it!

I love old books, and the one in the picture below has the sweetest picture of children displaying the American flag.

Isn’t the picture precious? This book is really special to me because it includes many holidays with sweet pictures like the one above.

I also enjoy setting the table to coordinate with the red, white, and blue theme. I have a set of the blue tin plates, and I use red and white napkins with it. I also add red chargers for a bright addition of color.