A Peek At My Week

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday! Ever have a week where you can’t remember what day it is? We made a trip to Ohio to be with dear church members while she had surgery and her husband stood sweetly by her side to care for her and her every need. We are thankful to be able to be with our flock and encourage them at times when they are hurting! We left on Sunday afternoon, so it kind of messed up my mind with figuring out what day it was! However, thank the Lord, she made it through surgery and we are now home.

In typical fashion, my husband took time for us to add a little adventure to the hospital trip. After leaving the hospital Monday evening, he drove me all around downtown Cleveland. We saw some pretty sights!

Last Friday I told you we had some exciting plans for the weekend. If you also read my daughter, Whitney’s blog, you already know that she and Alli planned a 35th anniversary party for my husband and me! Our anniversary is on the 20th, so this was a little over a week before the big day. Nothing like getting to celebrate for a week and a half! All we knew about the event was

We were to have our calendar cleared for that day.
We were going to dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby.
My parents and sister and brother-in-law were staying that night with us.

The evening was SO special! There were about 30 people who attended – just a small group of family and friends. Alli and Whitney did a GREAT job finding a perfect location, decorating, organizing and making it a really special evening to honor us. I’m sending you to Whitney’s blog so you can see her good pics. I’ll add a few I took, but you’ll see more details on Home for Comfort.

It was a little dim in the restaurant, so my pics aren’t the best, but here are a few from the dinner:

I caught Whitney mid-sentence, but only wanted to snap one quick picture so I wouldn’t distract her! Sorry, Whitney!

The girls both shared their gratitude for our marriage and the impact it had on them. Wow. What a reminder that your children are watching – even while they are young. The parents’ love for each other gives security to them and provides the atmosphere of biblical

love. It meant so much to hear from them. Our marriage was not perfect, of course, but we were committed to it – no matter what. There are a hundred reasons why I’m glad we were, but hearing our daughters share how it impacted them, made me realize that they are two of the best reasons to choose to do right.

I’m so thankful for my twin sister and her husband going out of their way to bring my parents. Here’s a great picture of my dad with Whitney and Alli.

After the dinner party our family came back to our home to sit out back near the fire pit, roast marshmallows and visit. What a fun time that was!

The next morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast before they had to leave to head back to Kentucky. I hated to see them go, but so happy they could be with us for this special event! I love this picture:

mom and dada

Lunch with our girls and their hubbies ended the weekend and its festivities.

Dale and girls.jpg

Last weekend was memorable, special, and sentimental. But you know, each day is important – whether you’re making an adventure out of a hospital visit or celebrating a monumentous anniversary. What are you doing to make today special?

With love,

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How To Have True Peace

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

The house is chaotic. The grocery store is crazy. Work is demanding and the traffic makes even your cup of coffee nervous. Throw in the big city scene with all the violence, and you have many situations for a troubled heart.

Peace! Where is peace?

As believers, our answers are all in God’s Word. Why would we even try to reason with all our chaos with the world’s phrases, techniques, masks or cliche’s?

First, let’s remember that Jesus said in this world we would have trouble! That’s why He came. We are desperate without Him. Both Eternity and today are hopeless and lacking peace unless we come to Christ. If you have no peace, could it be because you have never received Christ as your personal Savior? He loves you and died to prove it! His peace is yours when you come to Him for salvation from your sin.

Secondly, after we receive Christ as our Savior, we have peace with God and we can also have the peace of God. Philippians 4 reminds us in verses 6 and 7 that when we pray about our troubles, His peace, that passes all human understanding, will gird up our mind.

When we were having our new patio area done out back of our house, the guys put up supports all the way around the edge. They said that if they didn’t do that, over time the bricks would move and the shape would not hold. It was a step that was necessary to keep things looking good! That’s what God’s peace does in our lives. When we run to Him and trust every care to His keeping, our lives, our thinking and our emotions are all firmed up and He keeps our testimony as a Child of God looking beautiful! Who believes that life in Christ is the best when they see us falling apart quicker than a brick building in an earthquake??! So if you have no peace, it may be because you’re not praying as much as you need to about those burdens in your life.

Lastly, we must seriously consider what’s in our mind. Listen to Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

If you know Christ and you’re seriously praying about your burdens, yet still have no peace, consider your thoughts – on what are they landing? Are you saturating your mind with the things of this world? Do you spend more time thinking about television shows, media, texts, magazines, fashion and news reports than you do God’s Word? There is no substitute for biblical Truth! You either know it and trust it and have God’s peace because of it, or your thoughts are earth-filled and troubled.

Recently while we were working with a group on our church’s bathroom remodel, one of the men came to help with touching up a small area of paint. When he walked in he was holding a railing that he was going to install in the handicap stall. As he painted with his right hand, his left hand was firmly gripping the unattached railing. I asked, “Are you holding onto that thing so you won’t fall down?!” He didn’t even realize he was holding onto it – much less that he was gripping it so tightly!

We all had a good laugh, but you know, it’s a great picture of what it looks like when we fill our mind with earthly thoughts. We’re wondering why we have no support, but we’re more attached to the world than we are to God! We are wobbly, woozy and weak! Peace will come when we think and meditate on spiritual matters. You can’t help but have joy and rejoicing when you do that! Find a passage of Scripture to memorize. Study a passage; dig and write notes about what you learn. Listen to podcasts of preaching, or a CD of music that will turn your thoughts upward!

So, if you’re realizing that you could really use some peace, wisely consider:

Is Christ my Savior because I’ve received Him as the sacrifice for my sin?
Am I praying more than I am worrying about my cares?
Do I have a greater spiritual mind than I do a carnal one?

These are the three ways to have real genuine peace in your heart! And you know what? When you have God’s peace NO ONE can take it from you!

Enjoy the peace that only God can give and

stay refreshed,

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entertaining · Uncategorized

Paper Napkin Fold/Arrangement

June 10, 2016June 9, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

If you’re having a crowd for dinner and serving buffet style, here’s a fun way to display paper napkins rather than stacking them in a pile!

Here’s a video tutorial:

I love to make even a simple meal pretty with small embellishments like this. I love using my cloth napkins, but at an event that you want to make it a little more casual and use paper napkins, it can still be pretty!

These slipped out of the tea pots very easily. I had the silverware in Ball mason jars -a tall one for knives, then smaller ones for the forks and spoons. I always place the silverware at the end of the buffet so guests don’t have to hold it while filling their plates.

That’s it for me! Hope you have a great weekend! We have a really, really special weekend ahead! I’ll tell you all about it next week!

Stay refreshed,

Christian Life · Uncategorized

The Atmosphere of Eternity

June 7, 2016June 5, 2016 RefreshHerLeave a comment

road a

Last Sunday as my husband began preaching from Revelation 8, the emphasis of the message dealt with living in the atmosphere of eternity. I’m pretty sure we all had many points of conviction about being so busy we miss out on what is best. He said If we do live in the atmosphere of eternity, life is simple(r). Don’t we all long for that?! I sure do!

As I pondered the message, here are my applications of what that kind of mindset will do for me ~

If I live for eternity every single day:

I’ll have a much easier time understanding what I should be doing each day.
I will lay aside that which would distract me.
I can say “no” to things (or requests) that are outside of what is most important.
I will prioritize people, rather than things.
I will let that which matters for eternity matter most to me.
I’ll be ready to serve the Lord.
I’ll be giving others the Gospel.
I’ll be becoming wiser in God’s Word.
I’ll be more in prayer.

Let that which will matter when we’re caught up matter most.

The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast us.

How are you living today in the atmosphere of eternity?

With love,

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Side dish · Uncategorized

The BEST Side Dishes for Summer & a Sweet Frozen Treat

June 6, 2016June 3, 2016 RefreshHer1 Comment

On Memorial Day we planned, like a million others, to grill hamburgers at home. We invited our family that lives here and some dear friends of ours, from a town nearby. Now for a menu!

Of course we’d make the famous stuffed burgers I’ve shared here before, but the whole picnic is wrapped around the sides! If you don’t have something great, it’s just another picnic!

Alli offered to bring dessert – a Peach Crostata – yum! But she ~~begged~~ asked if I’d make the Triple-Bean Bake with Bacon that I’ve made for about five years now. I’m not a huge fan of Baked beans, but this recipe has changed that! Our whole family loves this dish, and our guests on Memorial Day raved, too! I also decided I had to make my favorite potato salad, which is Barefoot Contessa’s recipe. It’s sooo yummy!

Menu
Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Dill Potato Salad
Triple Bean Bake with Bacon
Deviled Eggs
Peach Crostata and Vanilla Ice Cream

Here’s a picture of the spread:

The Triple Bean Bake with Bacon ~

Triple Bean Bake with Bacon

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Add onion to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat until tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients; return bacon to pan. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and bake until desired consistency. Yield: 8 servings.

I put out small dishes for the beans to be put into…for all those that don’t like their food to mix. =)

I have to end with sharing one sweet frozen treat I made for our Bible Club this week. Since we were finishing the Wordless Book and talking about the Green page, I wanted a green snack. Well, it turned out yellow, but it tasted so good the children didn’t mind! Here’s my tweak on a recipe I found.

Lime Popsicles – Makes 6

1/2 Can Frozen Limeade concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
6 oz. Lemon lime soda
4 oz. Pineapple juice
1 tsp. Lime zest

Mix and pour into molds. Freeze until set. Enjoy!

The children and I really enjoyed these last week after having Bible club outside on a hot day! They’re so refreshing! They only took a few minutes to mix together the night before and they literally cost me pennies!

I’m anxious to try out some other recipes with my molds. Does anyone have a great frozen yogurt pop you’ve made and love?

With love from my country kitchen,