baking · cakes · Uncategorized

White Cake with Raspberry Filling

This Thanksgiving was about giving thanks, of course, but my family also celebrated the upcoming birthday of my sister.

She is a special blessing to our family, adding thoughtfulness, care and much class!

I had the joy of making a small cake for the celebration. Six-inch cakes are fun to make. You can get about ten slices – plenty big enough pieces after eating supper!

I found a recipe for a White Cake with Raspberry Filling on Sally’s Baking Addiction.

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Bible study · podcast · spiritual growth

Throw Out the Welcome Mat, Part 1

Listen to the podcast here.

How much fun is it to receive a much-loved guest? This week of Thanksgiving, many homes will be opening their doors to do just that. Have you ever thought that we should welcome God’s Word into our lives each day in the same way we would welcome a guest into our home?

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Pie · Thanksgiving

Bite-Sized Pumpkin Pies

Last week we sat down with the half of our family that lives near us to have an early dinner that resembled Thanksgiving. I served Turkey breast, Individual Sweet Potato Casseroles, green beans, Frozen Cranberry Fruit Salad and Hawaiian rolls. We all looked forward to the turkey breast and sides, but also the Pumpkin Pie. One author said,

“But see, in our open clearings, how golden the melons lie; Enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkin pie!”
~Margaret Junkin Preston

Rather than making one big pie, I made mini ones. How small were they? Well, I made them in mini muffin tins. I loved them because you get pie crust all the way around the filling! They were the perfect little bite of dessert! Well, we may have had more than “one bite,” but you get my drift! They were so easy to make!

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Home Landscaping · Outside decor · Winter

Winter Window Boxes

I have loved having window boxes at my upstairs windows. It’s easy in the summertime to know how to embellish them with beautiful annuals, but when winter comes, I struggle with knowing what to add, aside from Christmas greens.

One day I was perusing Pinterest when I saw an idea that caught my eye. I adapted the picture I found and came up with boxes that I’m loving! They’re like little winterscapes.

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home · serving

God, Why Have You Blessed Us?

You can listen to this post on Refresh Her podcast.

Have you ever looked around and really noticed how much God has blessed you? The homes we have, the material blessings that He gives are all gifts from His loving, generous hands. How can we use them to serve the Lord?

Listen to what the psalmist said – Psalm 67: 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

T
his was a request for blessing.

This psalm comes from the Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, where the High Priest of Israel would pronounce this beautiful blessing upon the people.

1 Peter 2:9-10 tells us that all believers are also a priesthood. We offer a priestly service to the world, and we primarily do it through evangelism.

“God be merciful.”
“The best saints and the worst sinners may unite in this petition.” (Spurgeon)
It would be quite a sight to see a guilty criminal before a judge, pleading for mercy, and receiving it – and then asking for a blessing! But God’s love toward us is that great!


And cause His face to shine upon us: To have the glorious, happy face of God shining upon us is the greatest gift we could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased – not because of who you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ – there is no greater source of peace and power in life.

Bless us.

Then we read why he is asking this:

That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

The psalmist had a beautiful scope in mind: not just Jerusalem, not just Judea, not just all of Israel, not just all the Middle East, not just all the Mediterranean world, not just his continent or hemisphere, but all the earth.

God wants us to have the same heart and the same vision – for all the earth.

We are blessed in Christ.  We have been saved.
Then beyond that, God blesses us in so many other ways with His grace blessings – things He gives that we don’t deserve. It reminds us of His great love for us, but why else does God bless us. 

Let me ask you – Why do you have a home?  Oh sure, for shelter and rest, but why did God give you the home you’re living in? 

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