Have you ever attended a Pinterest Party?  Would you consider attending one?  I hope you said “Yes!”  We will do this again this year!  Hope you’ll join us!

With love from my parsonage kitchen,

One of the things I love to use my Kindle Fire for is cooking up recipes I’ve found on the Internet.  I set the Kindle up on the counter and follow the recipe as I work in the kitchen.  However, I’ve been fearful that it would get splashed or splattered while I was cooking.

I had recently seen an advertisement in a magazine for a cookbook stand that has a splash guard on it.  It is the Umbra Cook-a-Boo Bamboo Cookbook Stand, found on Amazon.  So when I got an Amazon Gift card for Mother’s Day, I immediately knew what I was going to buy!

It’s very sturdy, yet lightweight.  Right at $30 (I actually got mine on sale for $25), this gives me confidence that it will keep my Kindle protected from water splashes, full mixer ingredients or other things that could ruin this electronic wonder!

This will also hold my cookbooks, of course, and keep them clean, too.  It keeps the book standing upright, making it easy to read.  Of course a Tablet or IPad would fit in this as well.

I just had to tell you about this great find!  I’m sure it has refreshed the life of my Kindle.  Hope it will freshen up your electronic device, too!

Do you use your Kindle or tablet in the kitchen frequently?  How do you protect it?

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

Yesterday I read this post on Facebook:

There are two parts to this post:

As I shared on Friday, I had the privilege to go to Katy, Texas to speak at a Ladies’ Celebration at West Side Baptist Church.  Here’s my weekend in pictures:

I flew Southwest from Greenville, SC straight to Houston, TX.

 A blessing from my first flight was that I met a woman seated beside me.  I had prayed for an opportunity to witness and here she was!  She was from Greenville and on her way to Arizona for the weekend.  The Lord gave me the opportunity to chat and then bring up the “Share Jesus Without Fear” questions.  She doesn’t know the Lord, or of her eternal destiny, but willingly received the Word, and a tract before we got off the plane!  She said, “You know, it’s amazing that you’re talking to me about this, because someone else has recently shared a book with me about God.  I smiled and said, “This is no coincidence.  God put me here; He is at work in your life because He loves you and wants you to be saved!”  Isn’t God good?

These are pictures from activities of the Ladies’ Celebration ~ Debbie, my new sweet friend and the pastor’s wife at West Side. Young girls sang a special, then the teen girls sang later. So sweet!

Sunday services at Westside Baptist Church.

 I got to speak to the ladies’ in Sunday school on Sunday morning; that was a blessing.There are many Spanish speaking people in this congregation.  This was my first time to have an interpreter.  He was in a sound room and the ladies had ear pieces in which they could hear him interpret me.  Wow!  I just realized – there was speaking in tongues (known languages)!  =)

A ranch was almost in the middle of the city!  Loved the long-horn cattle! Reliant Stadium is in the bottom photo.

 The pastor’s wife sweetly showed me the area on Monday before I flew home.  Houston is huge and spread so far out!  Lots of concrete!  It was very warm – 89-90 degrees and humid – I loved it!

This sight made me cry Monday evening.  Yes, it’s home.  Aren’t I a blessed woman?  God is so very good to me.  I get to serve Him in other parts of this lovely country, and then come home to my sweet husband (who really misses me when I’m gone! Love that!) and the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee!

It amazes me that God gives me the privilege to travel and speak to ladies.  I love it.  I truly do.  I love giving the Truth to women who are hungry for it.  These ladies were very receptive, and they were a blessing to speak to!  God’s Word is always on time, effective, and personal to our very lives.  I love seeing what it does in the hearts of women who are seeking Him!

Now, I’m home for the summer, and looking forward to a few months of serving the Lord right here in East Tennessee!

You know, you don’t have to travel across the country to serve the Lord, and the truth of the matter is that I only do that a handful of times a year.  I’m back in my own home with my hands pushing the vacuum, folding laundry and cooking meals.  This is my constant serving ground.  We can each serve the Lord from our home, reaching outside its walls, and serving those that live there with us. What are you planning on doing to serve the Him today?  Ask Him to use you…and He will!

From my parsonage windows,

Continuing my thoughts about the verse from the other day about  Proverbs  15:6 –  In the house of the righteous is much treasure…

One day (of many) while at home with my young daughter, I had to stop and take time out of our routine to go with her to her bedroom.  The door being shut, we sat on the edge of her bed with my Bible in my hands, and I pointed out to her why her actions were sinful in God’s eyes.  We bowed our heads and each of us prayed – she prayed for God’s forgiveness of her sin; I prayed she would truly repent and walk in truth.  Then, a spanking (2 or 3 swats with a paddle) was administered.  She wept while I held her.  Tears were wiped away and I assured her that things were forgotten and we could get on with our day with a new beginning.  This time of discipline from God’s Word is a treasure in a Christian home.

After picking up my cup of coffee, I head to my Quiet Place where I spend time with the Lord.  He speaks to me from His Word!  Then I open my prayer journal and lay before Him the cares of my heart and those of others.  This time alone with God is a treasure in a Christian home.

After breakfast, my husband often opens a devotional book and we read it together.  We may discuss its prevalence on our personal lives and then we grasp hands and he leads us in prayer. This time in the truth is a treasure in a Christian home.  

At the end of a long day, we climb into the comfort of our bed, hold hands and my husband prays.  He thanks the Lord for the day behind us, commits any worries on our hearts, and we fall asleep, ending our day talking with God.  This time of prayer is a treasure in a Christian home.

Do we always mine out those treasures?  No, I’m sorry to say, we don’t. But oh, the joy when we take advantage of the opportunities to turn to the Lord and His Word!  You might say, “But my husband won’t lead me like your husband does.”  Pray.  Ask the Lord to open his heart to it.  Pray for others to influence his life in godly leadership at home.  You could make a suggestion, and then leave it.  If he doesn’t want to do it, then let it go.  You can still have times to point your own heart and  your children’s hearts to the Lord and “cash in” on that treasured time.

What other treasures have you found in the house of the righteous?

With love,