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,

Ever have a piece of nostalgia and not know quite what to do with it?  Perhaps it’s an item like…

your high school or college graduation tassel.  Is it packed away in a box somewhere because you know you should keep it, but you don’t really want that thing hanging from your rear view mirror the rest of your life!  But what is one to do with it?   I have an answer for you!

Purchase a clear ornament in a craft store…

Then tuck the tassel inside.  Let the long loop  stick up out of the top and hang the ornament from that loop.

Now you’ve created a nostalgic ornament that will bring back sweet memories of those school days.  And…you’ll feel better about putting that tassel to some good use.  Perhaps now you can buy a cute Yankee Candle freshener for your car and hang it from your mirror instead.  There, doesn’t your car feel  all grown up?

A fire in a fireplace is a great thing!  A fire in your lap…not so much!  You may say, “A fire in your lap?  That’s dumb!  Who would want that?”  The answer is no one!!  Proverbs 26:20 says, Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.  You see, a person who bears tales (gossip) causes strife.  It’s like having a fire in your lap.  No one wants it!

The strife that tale bearing causes is as hurtful as a fire burning in your lap.  Even if the words are true, they are painful to hear.  What do you do with this “story” after you’ve heard it?

I recently had someone share a “fire” with me.  The words were true, but I didn’t need to hear them.  They stung.  It was like sparks flying from a hot ember, touching my very heart.  Trying to deal with the burning coals for the next day or so wasn’t easy.  They needed to be extinguished with the Water of God’s Word.  I was reminded of words that were flung at Christ; untrue accusations, ugly names, words of doubt about Who He really was.  What did He do?  He answered not a word.  Not a word.  For me to pass on what was shared would be to pass along the fire.  No one else needs this in their lap.  I told my Savior, and of course He already knew.  He applied the salve of His love and comfort.

Do you know some “hot news?”  Keep it to yourself.  It could be a burning ember that will scorch the hearer.  The fire in my fireplace needs to keep burning, but the fire that needs to go out is the one that will cause strife.  May we each let that talebearing fire cease.

With love,

I had so much fun decorating and preparing for Thanksgiving!  Want a peek?  Okay… I added a touch of turquoise to my table decor and loved the “pop” of color it added. In the top left hand corner is a sample of my “name cards.”  They were sugar cookies, shaped and decorated to resemble pumpkin pie.  Each one had a guest’s name on it, then was tucked inside a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon.  (The plate is upside down because this was the day before, and I didn’t want any dust to settle on the plate before the meal!)

 I bought two bunches of fall flowers from Sam’s club and used them to make my arrangements.  I put them in turquoise containers that I snagged for about $7 each at TJ Maxx.  I placed them on silver trays so the color would bounce off and give an extra splash of beauty.

The best part of our get together were those that came to celebrate with us!  Here’s the portion of our family that were able to come, then a few of my other favorite memories…

It was a wonderful weekend, full of great fellowship, praising the Lord for His blessings in 2013, and of course, plenty of food!

I have to share one hilarious moment and a memory from the holiday I don’t want to forget.  I had the rolls rising on the counter and nearly ready to head into the oven when everyone arrived.  Two men in the family (who will remain unnamed because I love them), came in with crock pots with their wife’s food inside.  They proceeded into the kitchen, looked for a place to set their crock pot down, and spotted a counter with dish cloths lying over cookie sheets.  That looked like a perfect spot for both of those huge, heavy pieces of equipment.  Plop.  Job done.  They then proceeded to the appetizer table for cheese and crackers.  I walked into the kitchen and saw the crock pots sitting there and wondered what this was all about.  I lifted the crock pots to find the rolls completely flattened out underneath.  Gasp!  They did rise a second time as my mom said they would, though they were a little lopsided But they of course tasted the same as they would have otherwise.  We all got a laugh out of that.  The rolls are no longer  called Butterhorns.  Their new name?  I can’t decide if I should call them Crock Pot Rolls, Smashed Rolls, or Resurrection Rolls (after all, they did rise again!).  =)

Do you have a funny memory from Thanksgiving?

From my country porch,