The best thing I’ve done in the last several years is memorize Scripture.  Oh, I’d tucked away a verse here and a verse there in the past, but to buckle down and memorize chapters/books of the Bible has been such a treasure.  I pull up those verses in my mind in stressful times, in times of anxiousness, in times of need in others’ lives.  No one can ever take that treasure from me.  What a blessing!

Most of memorizing is just pure work, but there are tools to help, and I found a new one this week that I have to share with you.  This is an app for your phone!  How handy is that?  And it’s free!  My favorite price for anything!  It’s called Don’t forget.  

You can choose the translation from which you want to memorize and it will download onto the app.  Then it will say the verse outloud so you can listen to it over and over.  You can choose to eliminate one verse from the written form, one word at a time until you can look at it and say it from memory!

I LOVE this app!  You can upload 25 verses.  It tells you how many times you’ve reviewed the verse, and I believe you can have it remind you to work on it!

Refresh your heart with the memorization of Scripture, and freshen up the way you go about it with this great tool!

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

You see, at Christmastime I look at all that has to be done, and I realize that it’s pretty much me that has to get it all accomplished.  This list includes:

With love,

I haven’t done a lot of pictures of my house yet – just little snips here and there.  That’s on purpose.  For one, I’m still settling in, AND then I’m wanting our church people to stop in and see it before it gets posted here.  We have our Open house next weekend, so I’m saving my Christmas photos until after that.   However, I thought I’d give you a little peek today of my favorite room (however, that changes by the hour!)  and its Christmas touches.

This is my bedroom, but it’s also the place where I’m enjoying having my quiet time with the Lord on these winter days.  I love being able to create a cozy place to meet with the Lord.  This is my current spot.  I don’t think it could get any cozier!  I never thought I’d have a fireplace in my home, but to have two is an extra-special grace blessing from the Lord. I don’t deserve God’s goodness, and I marvel in it every single day.  On these recent cold mornings, I’ve been enjoying sitting up close to the fire while I open my Bible and hear from the Lord.

I’ve decorated my mantle with white lights and greenery and a little splash of red.  The Christmas tree there is one I made years ago from pieces of wood.  It’s flat on the back, and hangs on the wall.  It’s perfect for a spot that needs a tree, but not a full-sized one.  I’m not a fan of huge television screens hanging on my wall; I’d rather have something pretty!  If I ever hung over the mantle, I’d put one of those beautiful covers over it, or the lovely woodwork around it.  Something like this picture I found…

But for now it’s just …

Not sure why my tall lamp is a white-out, but that’s what the “glow” up there is!

Do you decorate your bedroom for Christmas?

From my country porch,

What a fun evening last night was!  It was our Ladies’ Christmas Tea; a night of yummy finger foods, festive decorations, friendship, laughs and encouragement from God’s Word.

I won’t lie – these kind of events, while they are definitely all the above, they are also physically exhausting, mentally draining, and can even be spiritually difficult.  The devil fights when anything good for the glory of God is going on.  Before the event things get tough.  During the event, slip-ups happen, or guests don’t show up.  Afterwards the accusations and doubts step in.  You wonder if it was really all that great, if it accomplished the desired goal, and if it was effective for eternity.  It’s at this point that right thinking must step in.  As swiftly as we grab the broom and dustpan after the guests have departed, I must run to the Lord in my quiet place and give to Him (once again) every moment of this work I’ve done for Him.  I realize that if anything was profitable spiritually for those that attended, it was all by His strength.  Just as the dust and crumbs vanish from the floor, so the worries and stresses must be cast aside; covered by His grace.

Is there a work, or ministry that you’re involved in?  Can I encourage you to not let yourself get discouraged by the onslaught of criticisms, or discouragements that come your way, either real or just “felt.”  There is no “perfect” work, only a perfect Savior.  Keep doing what you’re doing for His glory.  One day we’ll all have eyes to see what the Lord did in the humble, feeble attempts we made at serving Him here on this earth.  Then the fatigue, the weariness, and the warfare will be worth it all!

Let’s just keep serving!

With love,

Spicy Cheese Straws

Ingredients

1 (10-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (I chickened out and only used 1/4 tsp)
2 tablespoons half-and-half

Preparation

Pulse first 5 ingredients in a food processor at 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.
Note: Dough may be wrapped in plastic wrap, sealed in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, and chilled up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare dough, and turn out onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips using a sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place strips on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are well browned; cool on baking sheets on wire racks 30 minutes. Makes: about 3 dozen.

These are kind of a southern staple, but as far as I’m concerned, no one would go wrong serving these anywhere, at any time to any one for any reason!!!!

Say cheese!

From my country kitchen,