In the 70’s there was a character called Edith Ann, played by Lily Tomlin. I remember enough about it to know that she acted very much like the 5 1/2 year old that she portrayed. As she was seated in a huge rocking chair, she would recount her childish antics, like making a sandwich for her dog, Buster, or playing connect the dots with permanent marker on her brother’s chicken pox. It was very funny, but the thing I remember is that she always ended her “talks” by saying, “And that’s the truth!”

Let’s think about what the truth is for a minute. Do you ever find yourself thinking about tomorrow or next week, or next month and being anxious? Do you imagine things that have yet to happen, and you think of all that could take place, might take place, and undoubtedly will take place!

There’s a song that says, “I don’t know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day; I don’t borrow from its sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray…” I have to smile when I sing it, because most of us don’t do that all the time. Whether it’s a scheduled doctor’s appointment, a financial crunch, a decision someone else is going to make that could effect us, an event going on in a loved one’s life, or even what the weather is going to do to our picnic (!) we, all too often, have each detail ironed out and the the trouble it’s going to bring long before the day ever happens!

“What’s wrong with that? You may ask.  “I have to be prepared, just in case!” The problem is that when we think into the future, we’re not thinking on the Philippians 4:8 things – the things that are true. It’s not true because it hasn’t happened yet. We waste so much of today by running ahead to tomorrow. The truth is – God is on the Throne today! He loves me. His grace is sufficient. Nothing that touches my life today is a surprise to Him. This is what is going on right now, this is the truth, and this is what we need to think about!

When your mind wants to run ahead to tomorrow, jump into “the rocking chair” of the present and only think and talk about what is happening right now – because that’s the truth!

With love,

I spray the bun and the pan with cooking spray and toast it in a skillet, then put the meatballs and sauce on the crispy browned bread. This takes it from being good to being great!

Turkey Meatballs with Honey Chipotle Sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
For sauteing ~ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 375˚F

Mix all ingredients, except oil, until combined, don’t overmix. Form into 16 meatballs, (for mini-meatballs form into 1-inch balls)
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof skillet; add meatballs and cook until nicely browned on all sides (about 10-12 minutes–reduce time by a few minutes for mini-meatballs.) When cooked transfer skillet to oven and bake 5 minutes.

Glaze: Again, I like to double this.
1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped chipotle in adobo sauce This will make it hot, so use sparingly if you don’t like it too spicy
2 Tablespoons honey
While meatballs are in oven mix both ingredients together in a small bowl.
Remove skillet from oven and pour honey mix over meatballs; swirl pan to coat meatballs and cook briefly over medium heat to slightly reduce glaze, swirl pan again to coat each meatball.

Serve  warm.

I hope you’ll give these a try!  This is a great 30 minute meal for a weeknight!

With love from my parsonage kitchen,

This wonderful warm weather and sunshine is a sweet reminder that summer is here!  Woo-hoo!  It’s time to add some summer charm to your home.  Here are a few suggestions to freshen up your life early on this summer!

Why not take the kitties out too? =)

Hope one or more of these ideas will refresh these beginning of summer days for you!

See you in church!

Be refreshed,

Tape measures, clip boards, lace, satin, and tulle.  This was my day yesterday.  Alli and I went wedding dress shopping!  What girl doesn’t look forward to the day she can go looking for the perfect dress for her special day?  I felt privileged to be the one at her side, assisting her in and out of gowns, tying ribbons, zipping zippers and fluffing trains.  It was a special day.

As I helped with the trying on of dresses, my mind was traveling through the years, as a mother-of-the bride is sure to do.  When a mother raises a daughter, there are many dress fittings in the years that led up to this day, and each one of those prepares her for when she will choose her wedding dress.

I remember the first dress she wore home from the hospital, her first Easter dress, and the succeeding ones each year after that.  There were the dresses for each Sunday as we worshiped and went to church together as a family.  There were dresses for recitals, in both piano and violin.  There was the dress for her high school graduation, the dress for her sister’s wedding, and the dresses for college classes and for formal functions during those four years she was getting her degree.  Then, recently came the college graduation dress.  George Banks (from Father of the Bride) would be counting the money spent on all those dresses; I was counting the blessing of having daughters and the fun times we had shopping together, discussing price, modesty, and appropriateness.  We often ended those shopping trips with ice cream or a beverage on our way home.

What a blessing to be a part of another of Alli’s special days yesterday – the day she found the dress!  Yes, it’s hanging in her “old bedroom” closet, awaiting its alteration day in March.  Am I sad?  I wept yesterday, but they were happy tears, tears of remembrance of all the shopping trips all through the years.  I wiped those tears and we headed out for frozen yogurt!  Hey, we had something really special to celebrate and we’d worked up an appetite!  Dress shopping is no easy task, but it sure packs away some special memories!

What memory do you have of wedding dress shopping?

From my parsonage windows,

Yesterday we had kind of typical Memorial “picnic” foods.  We grilled hamburgers and also had these super good Oven Fries that are a favorite of ours, a baked bean dish, and cantelope.  Alli is home, and she requested a strawberry pie, so I made that for our dessert.  Though I was really hungry when we sat down to eat, I was stuffed after the meal was done! That’s far more than I usually eat at a meal, but hey, it was a holiday!

We also invited a couple from church to eat with us, and after the meal we all took a drive.  Our guest kept teasing everyone, because we were so full.  As we passed a pancake house she said, “If you all will eat pancakes, I’ll buy!”  Then when we drove past Cracker Barrel she asked, “Is anyone hungry yet?”  We all would just groan at her suggestions to eat again.  Why?  Because we were full!

That whole scenario reminded me of a verse I had read earlier in the day in Proverbs 27.  It says,