When we were raising our girls, times were very hard.  Financially we literally lived from day to day.  Bills were bathed in prayer and paid by prayer.

We didn’t go on fancy vacations.  We rode bikes, played board games, and made the most of the amusements the Lord sent.  Fallen leaves were our trampoline, a snowfall our Disney World.  The playhouse built by Pappa was the place for fantasy and fun.  We shared cups of hot chocolate in its warmth, set it up as a Little House on the Prairie mercantile and used it for themed birthday parties.  Reading books under the huge Maple trees in the yard took us on outings with the Boxcar children Henry Huggins and missionaries.

I fixed lots of meals of beans and cornbread.  Freeze Pops in the freezer were hidden away for the times when the ice cream truck came jingling down our street.  We somehow managed to make the girls think they were getting the better treat than something sold on a truck.  Breakfasts in our tree house on Easter morning, Little Debbie cakes savored in front of the freshly decorated Christmas tree accompanied by steaming cups hot cocoa, and marshmallows toasted at our backyard campfire made us the envy of the other children on the street.

Every Sunday and Wednesday found us loading up our van to head to church where the best treasure was found.  Their daddy preached God’s Word.  Their mommy sang.  Sometimes we would sing as a family one of the songs we’d worked on at home during family devotions.   Our girls began serving in their church by playing their piano pieces, first as the offertory, then eventually as our accompanists for congregational singing.  We saw people turn to Christ in our little country church and it made the sacrifice worth it all.

As a family, we didn’t own much, but our hearts were full, very, very full.  In truth, we weren’t poor; we were rich with a wealth money cannot buy and people dream about owning.  We were a family who loved God and raised our family in His Word, His church and by trusting Him daily, and that was more than enough.  We were the Richest Family.

With love,

Last Thursday through Saturday was a time away for a retreat.  This was a special group of pastor’s wives. We all need uplifting times, but ministry life can be especially draining, and these ladies came hungry for encouragement.  The weekend together was planned by the hosts to be fun, restful and spiritually uplifting.

The mountain setting was gorgeous, and we had fall weather that made it even more cozy.  They lit the fireplace in the lodge where we had our meetings.  That was wonderful!  The food prepared for us was done by a volunteer.  Let’s just say we had comfort foods all weekend.  Yum.

I met new friends and enjoyed chatting and sharing our hearts.  We prayed together, laughed together and cried a bit, too.

My roommate just happened to be my daughter, since she’s now a pastor’s wife.  We had a fun time together.  How sweet to share this time with her.  She was our musician, playing the keyboard and her guitar for our singing times.

I taught five sessions from I Kings 17-22 about the life of Elijah.  I’ve been doing a study on him for almost a year, and the Lord has taught me so much using this servant. He and I have become good friends!  He had some great times of service for God, but also struggled at times.  It struck a chord in my own heart because that’s just like me!  Ups and downs are a part of all of our lives, but there was a prevailing theme in his life, and it was the times he spent alone with God.  The greatest lesson I learned while studying is that the greatest part of my life isn’t about the times out in public when people see me serving and doing “great things for God.”  The most important part is the part no one else sees; when I’m hiding away with my God, talking to Him and hearing from Him.  Oh, that the hidden part may consume more of my time!

I’m back home once again and reveling in a loving God who speaks to me ~ on the mountain top and also on my country porch.

With love,

Soup season is officially here in East Tennessee!  With a low of thirty-something last night, I can guarantee you that soups will be on the menu at our house this week!  

Last week during our first cold snap, I went to my blog’s recipe index to find the recipe for Chicken Gnocchi and found that I hadn’t posted the recipe in the index!  I had shared the recipe last year, but failed to put the link in place.  That is fixed!  You can find it there now.  But since I had failed to put the link there I wondered if this comfort-filled soup had been neglected?  That would be sad, because it’s the copy-cat recipe from Olive Garden and tastes every bit as good as theirs!  That means you don’t have to stop at one bowl at the restaurant; you can eat this for supper and then enjoy a bowl at lunch tomorrow!  There’s everything good in this soup ~ little potato dumplings, roasted chicken, and a creamy broth.  I’d describe it as comfort food on a spoon!

The Apple Salad you see in the picture is the one I posted here a couple of weeks ago.  If you want to add another fall touch to this meal, add Pumpkin Muffins.  We try to not eat too many breads, so I left that off my menu, but it would be a great addition to this meal!

Chicken Gnocchi
3 -4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
1 stalk celery, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
16 ounces potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
Directions:

Saute the onion, celery, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted
(Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup.).Ladle into bowls and serve!

Though I have LOTS of old recipes, I can’t wait to make a new soup recipe this week!  Maybe you’ll hear about it next Monday!  Will you cook up a pot of soup this week?  What kind?

With love from my country kitchen,

Yesterday’s post was about turning your marriage from “Simple” to “Elegant.”  Read here if you missed it.  To freshen up your Friday, make plans now for a change you’re going to make or a plan you’re going to implement this next week to take a simple, routine task to the max and turn it into elegance!

Ephesians 5:33 commands wives to show respect to their husband.  So another avenue that will definitely freshen up your marriage is to obey that verse.  I want to challenge you to find one thing for which you respect your husband.  Think about who he is as a man, the work he does, the leadership roles he carries, the responsibilities he fulfills.  Pick one of those things and plan to tell him about it face to face.  Use the words, “I respect you for…”   I could say, “Dale, I respect you for your love for souls.  You are always on the lookout for someone with whom you can share the Gospel.  That is such a blessing to me!”

Don’t do it for a response or a reward or a dinner out – do it “as unto the Lord.”  Do it because you love Christ and want to be obedient to Him.  If a positive response follows ~ enjoy!  But don’t expect one.  Again, just do it because you want to do what is right ~ because you want to add a little refreshment into your marriage!

By the way, why DO you respect your husband!

Stay refreshed!

Is there a married couple that you watch and admire?  I have had my eye on a couple…for a very long time.  They have been fun to watch because their marriage is what I would call an “Elegant Marriage.”  It’s not because they eat with gold-plated silverware or live in a mansion.  It’s the relationship and they way they respond to each other that makes their marriage elegant.

What is an elegant marriage, anyway?  Jon Franklin said,

Therefore, if you take any normal activity you’d do and “carry it to the extreme,” it makes it elegant. For a husband and a wife that would include ~

A “glamorous” picnic

Think about the simple things that you do each day – errands you run together, chores you share, car rides, etc.  Pray about how you can take it to the extreme to turn your marriage into elegance!  It will add the sparkle to your relationship that might be lacking!

Oh, and the couple I’ve watched who have an elegant marriage?  It’s my parents – married close to 60 years, and they still do things to make their relationship special!  What a blessed heritage I have!

With love,