A friend recently shared with me that her father-in-law had been really struggling with a difficulty in their home.  He was desperate.  A tugging came to my friend’s heart to stop and pray with him.  She was hesitant and felt a little awkward, but she took his hand and said, “We need to pray,” and then she did!  When her prayer was finished, he was calmed down and peace filled both their hearts.  She smiled and said to me, “It feels good to obey!”

Let’s ask:

“How does it feel to obey Moses?”
“Abraham, how did your obedience feel?”
“What was different about how you felt after obeying God, Paul?”
“Did you feel better when you obeyed, Jonah?”
“Israelites, was obedience a better feeling than going your own way?”

I know that from all of them we would hear a resounding, “YES!”

Now let me ask you, dear reader…how do you feel when you obey?  It’s sweet, isn’t it?!  Is there something that you know the Lord has asked you to do, but you’re hesitant?  Why delay?  To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. I Samuel 15:22  Just ask Saul.  He lost in the battle of obedience.  He made the choice to go his own way (which is a complicated way to say he disobeyed!).  His consequences were severe.  We will always lose when we disobey, but on the other hand, God will bless us when we obey.  Blessing never precedes obedience.  We don’t obey for the  sake of the blessing; we obey to glorify God.  He however, in His love and mercy, chooses to bless us when we honor Him by obeying.

Don’t delay your obedience any longer.  Bow the knee in submission.  The sweetness will follow.

With love,

As you probably know, I was away until Saturday night.  What a blessing the retreat at Southland Christian Camp was!  My heart is still overflowing from the blessings that the Lord poured out on me!  He gave good opportunities to witness and/or encourage on my flights, sweet fellowship with dear Christian ladies, power to teach His Word, strength for each session, times to encourage one on one, change in many lives, fun times of playing and the joy of serving!  The camp ladies were all a blessing and I am so thankful for the opportunity to go!  To God be the glory.

I came home Saturday night with the thought of thawing chicken breasts for Sunday dinner and being creative with them, however, that was when my husband stepped in and told me to “Cool it!”  Though I love to cook and I enjoy being able to serve my husband, I’m thankful for his thoughtfulness and how he’s always watching out for me.  So rather than cooking, we went out for dinner with a sweet couple in church.  We had good fellowship and a great meal together!

But you came looking for a recipe today, right?  =)  So let me tell you what my menu plan for Monday and Tuesday is.  I’m excited about trying some new recipes this week!  I need some quick and easy things, so I went to my Pinterest boards for some inspiration!  Here’s what is coming for Monday… 

This will be cooking in the crock pot all afternoon for a fast, simple, and nourishing meal!  I’ll serve it with a salad and toasted bread.  I got the recipe from Pinterest here. 

Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings)
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Tuesday night will be Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts (minus the spinach):

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side or until browned. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet (browned side up); broil for 8 minutes or until done.
4.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red pepper, and spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

It’s always good to have a plan set, and that’s mine for the first two days of the week! 

What have you been cooking, or what are you planning on making this week?  I’d love to hear from some of you Texas and Louisiana (and wherever else) gals that were at the retreat!  Remember that if you have trouble leaving a comment here, you can always go to the RefreshHer Facebook page and leave one there. 

From my parsonage kitchen,

Coffee is serious stuff at the Cunningham’s house!   At any given time you could open our fridge and find three or four different flavors of creams because we love our coffee, and we love those yummy creamers! 

Last week at our Ingles store I found a new flavor that is now my favorite dessert kind of coffee.  Salted Caramel Mocha.  

You won’t need to go to Starbucks and pay $4+ for their new salted caramel beverage with this cream in your fridge!  Again, I don’t prefer this for my morning coffee, but in the afternoon or evening it’s super good!  Freshen up your coffee cup with a new flavor of cream this weekend!  It will make even something as good as coffee that much better!

Have a cup of coffee, then head to church Sunday morning – and go with an expectant heart!

Be refreshed,

We’ve been talking about getting more stuff for your money. Today we’re going to talk about getting more time in your day! Who doesn’t want that? Everyone needs a little help getting more out of their day!

I’ve really found that the key to having more time in your day is found in one word…

Before you run away in screaming horror, think with me for a second.

Proverbs 25:28 says, “A [woman] without self control is like a city that is broken into and left without walls.”

Do you ever feel like your day to day life is a city with crumbling walls? People with crumbling city walls might be:

• Habitually late to work 
• Frequently behind in their homeschooling curriculum
• Always running on “[insert last name] time”
• Frazzled after getting the children/family/yourself out the door in the morning
• Peering from behind their “to do” pile at work

That’s not the way I want to live my life….I imagine you agree. How about this thought:

Want to add a little success along with the extra time in your day? Let’s do it!

So let’s talk about a practical way to exercise discipline:

1. Begin the day with a list

This applies to a day of cleaning, homeschooling, college, or a day at your job outside the home.

Cleaning: Make a reasonable list of the cleaning tasks that need to be accomplished. Work through them one at a time. I always find this keeps me from spending the day on the couch – which is a real temptation for me! When cleaning my apartment, I start in the bathroom and work through the house until I am done. Sometimes on a Saturday morning, I’ve got an unmade bed, dirty laundry, dishes in the sink, dirty floors and a dirty bathroom. I find that it’s always faster to get everything clean if I stick to my cleaning pattern.

Homeschooling: On Sunday night, sketch out the things you want to cover in the coming week. (If you’re really looking for help with homeschooling, get advice from the author of this blog. My mom was very successful in keeping her children on task in homeschooling!)

Work: Before you leave work in the evening, write a list of the tasks you need to accomplish the next day. It’s easy to come in and take your time getting your coffee, greeting all your coworkers, etc. Right? I know! Having a list of tasks already outlined will get you motivated to cut the chatter and get to work!

College: My sister is a life long list maker. Now that she’s a seasoned college student, she makes it a habit to write down all the assignments that are due for the upcoming days so she’s not caught by surprise. Smart kid. =)

So what kind of list do you need to make? Try it and let me know how it works for you!

Come back next Thursday for another tip to give you more time in your day!

Whitney

I love it because it really is my heart.  With each passing birthday I realize how quickly life flies by, and there’s only one life in which we have to serve our wonderful Savior.  I so want my life to count for Him – to allow Him to use me in any way in which He would choose.

Tomorrow morning I will head to Louisiana to Southland Chrisitan Camp to speak at their ladies’ retreat.  I’m so unworthy of such a calling, but I thank the Lord for the opportunities He gives.  I know that the greatest reason He allows this is all the sweet things He teaches me as I prepare.  I learn far more than anyone else.  There is always a stripping away of myself which reminds me how dependent I am on Him; of how much I need Him!

What will the parson do while I’m gone?  He’ll be praying for me!  I love knowing that! Though he hates for me to be away, he’s my biggest support as I serve the Lord in this way.  He’ll be checking in on me as I travel, as well as each day while I’m gone.  He’ll eat the foods I’ve carefully marked out for him in my absence.  Lastly, he’ll be waiting for me at the airport with all smiles when I fly back home Saturday evening.  Love those reunions! 

Sometimes we get to serve God together, and sometimes we serve Him apart, but it really is the longing of our hearts to be used of Him – no matter what or how!

Whether at home, in the grocery store, or at work, God gives each of us opportunities to serve Him.  In what way will you serve the Lord today? 

From the parsonage windows,