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Freshen Up Friday

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How could we not be refreshed on Good Friday?  I’m seeing this day with “new eyes” after visiting Israel in January!  Take a look with me…

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Matthew 26:36-39

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; Matthew 27:33-36



The place of a skull

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Matthew 28:1-6



We went inside the tomb…



It is empty!!! Praise the Lord!


Because Jesus lives we have hope!

Be refreshed in that truth,
and Happy Easter!

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Curiosity’s Price

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Dinah, about 16 years of age, was the new girl in the neighborhood.  She hadn’t been here long, and she was curious about the other young women here.  Perhaps she wondered what kind of styles they wore, how they wore their hair, and if they were allowed to wear make-up.  Her curiosity got the best of her, so she slipped out on her own, away from the safety of home, to check it all out for herself.  That was when Shechem saw Dinah, took her, and defiled her. 

We read this story in Genesis 34.  While we understand that Shechem committed a sin, we must also realize that Dinah put herself in a very vulnerable position when she left the security of her home and family.  It doesn’t sound like her parents knew what she was doing when you read verse 1 – Dinah…went out to see the daughters of the land.  Her curiosity was her undoing. 

What lessons we can glean from this story! 

  • If you’re a young woman, under parental authority, trust your parents’ wisdom, and seek their advice about where you go and what you do.
  • Our curiosity should never take us to see things that could ultimately lead us to sinful situations.   Proverbs 4:25 says, Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Be careful about things you look at on the Internet and television.  Guard your eyes and your heart.  Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
  • Think about what you’re getting ready to do and about the potential consequences. Proverbs 4:26, 27 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Dinah’s desire to see the “daughters of the land” not only hurt her, but it angered her brothers to the point that they sought for revenge, and ended up killing many men as a result.  Our choices don’t only effect our own lives, it will have impact on those around us as well!

Guard your heart and your curiosity.  It could end up costing you far more than you really want to pay.

With love,

    Easter

    A Peek Inside the Parsonage

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    If you had peeked inside our parsonage on Easter weekend when my girls were young, you would have seen us having a great time together as a family!  We had several traditions that we loved, because Easter is the BEST holiday for believers!  Without Easter, we would have no hope!  You can go here to read about our traditions.)  We shouldn’t be stuffy and no fun on Easter – this is a time of celebrating our risen Savior!

    Easter week is such a great week to teach your children about salvation.  That seems obvious, doesn’t it?  But some parents worry about telling their young ones about the cruelty, the pain, the suffering, the blood, the cross, the mean soldiers, and death of Jesus.  Their thoughts are, “Isn’t there enough bad stuff in this world without exposing their young minds to such things?”  My answer is this isn’t bad!  The Easter story – and all that goes with it brought about the very best good that we could ever receive!
    Here’s a great activity that will help teach your children the message of Easter in a really creative way – by baking Resurrection Cookies!  Each ingredient adds a special part of the story, from the salt to the vinegar.  You mix the ingredients together and read the Scriptures as you go along.  I’d suggest printing the verses out on slips of paper beforehand.  Write the verses in condensed form if you’re dealing with pre-schoolers.  The cookies get placed inside the oven, where they stay overnight – like Jesus’ body stayed in the tomb.  The next morning the cookies are ready, and when you bite inside, they’re hollow – empty!  Just like the tomb was on Easter morning!

    Here’s what you’ll need:

    Ingredients

    ■1 cup whole pecans

    ■1 tsp. vinegar

    ■3 egg whites

    ■1 pinch salt

    ■1 cup sugar

    ■gallon size zip top bag

    ■wooden spoon

    ■tape

    ■Bible

    1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

    2. Put the pecans in the plastic bag. Let the children take turns breaking them by beating with a wooden spoon. Don’t crush them finely, but leave in large pieces.

    Explain that Jesus was arrested and beaten by the soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

    3. Let the children smell the vinegar. Pour it in a mixing bowl.

    Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, they gave him vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

    4. Pour the egg whites into the mixing bowl with the vinegar.

    Explain that eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life so that we can have life. Read John 10:10-11.

    5. Sprinkle salt into each child’s hand and let them taste it. Put a dash of salt in the mixing bowl.

    Explain that salt represents the tears shed by Jesus’ disciples. It also represents the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

    6. Add 1 cup sugar to the mixing bowl.

    Explain that this is the sweetest part of the story. Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

    7. Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until it forms stiff peaks.

    Explain that the white color represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

    8. Fold the broken nuts into the beaten egg whites. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

    Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

    9. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and let them seal the oven door.
    Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

    10. Go to bed!
    Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven. Jesus’ followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

    11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Let them take a bite and show them that they are hollow inside!

    On the first Easter morning Jesus’ followers were amazed to find his tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

    He has risen!

    The Easter story cookies recipe was found at this site.

    How do you tell your children about Easter?

    From my parsonage windows,

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    Dig Another Well

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    “If my neighbor blows his grass clippings in our yard one more time, I’m going to let him have it!”

    “That restaurant drive-through never gets our order right!  If it’s wrong again today, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!”

    “My sister-in-law gets on my last nerve criticising my son!  So help me, the next time she says something, I’m to give her what she has coming.”

    We all experience people situations that can “push our buttons” to the max!  How are we to handle these kinds of trials that make us think we’re going to lose it?

    Genesis 26 gives us a great example.  This truth was shared with us some years ago at our ladies’ retreat at our church and I was reminded of it when I read this chapter recently.  Abraham was forced to move to the Valley of Gerar, away from Abimilech.  The Philistine’s had come along and stopped up their wells!   So Abraham’s herdmen moved and dug another well for Abraham’s family and livestock.  However, the herdmen of Gerar strove with them.  Verse 20 says, “And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours…”  Was it theirs?  No!  But what did Abraham’s servants do?  They dug another well!  This did not stop the problems with the herdmen of Gerar, though, for in verse 21 we read, “And they digged another well, and strove for that also…”  Again, Abraham and his herdmen left and simply dug another well!  What would you have done after digging  a well four times?!

    Matthew Henry says, “Those that seek peace will eventually find peace.”  Instead of standing up for “their rights” they chose to remove themselves from the strife and be peaceable.  Sometimes it’s best to just dig another well, rather than destroy our testimony in a desire to fight for what we think is rightfully ours. 

    Do you need to dig another well to keep peace – and your testimony?  Follow Abraham’s example and get out the shovel instead of your soap box.

    With love,

    dessert

    What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

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    I got to do some baking this weekend – something I don’t do nearly as much as I’d like.  Now that it’s just the two of us here, I try to only bake when I’m having company.  In Sunday’s case, we weren’t having company – we were the company.  How nice that was!  I’m always reminded of the blessing people receive when we open our homes.  It was a blessing for us, and I need to remember to not just receive the blessing, but also to extend it to others. 

    When I asked what I could bring, our hostess suggested dessert.  Yay!  Here was an opportunity to try a couple new recipes.  (Yep, I did it again!) 

    Since there were going to be ten at the meal, I decided to make two desserts so there would be plenty, and everyone could have a choice.  I opted on a pie and a cake.  One was from Cooking Light and one from Taste of Home.

    I wanted to try a “light” pie, so I opted for a Lemon Cream Pie.  Instead of the bright yellow filling, this is a light yellow, because of it being a cream.  It’s not a super lemony flavor, but a mild one.  I found this at Cooking Light, where I get tons of great recipes.  Rather than making the link to the recipe I’m posting it here so you’re only a click away from the recipe if/when you come back to find it in the recipe tab.

    Lemon Cream Pie

    1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury) – I used homemade

    Cooking spray

    1/2 cup sugar

    1 tablespoon grated lemon rind, divided

    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

    3 tablespoons cornstarch

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2 large eggs

    1 1/2 cups fat-free milk – I used 2% milk

    1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

    2 tablespoons butter, softened

    1 1/2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

    Preparation

    1. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under, and flute. Bake piecrust according to package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack.

    2. Combine sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons rind, and the next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine milk and cheese in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until mixture reaches 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add the hot milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan, and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter.

    3. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until the mixture cools to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Spoon filling into prepared crust, and cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours or until set, and remove plastic wrap. Spread the whipped topping evenly over chilled pie, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind.

    For the second dessert, I decided on chocolate.  This cake originally was to have a cherry filling, but that is a story I’ll share later. ~Sigh~ Cherry wasn’t an option, but after remembering a new flavor of ice cream Blue Bell has – Chocolate Covered Strawberry, I figured strawberry filling on a chocolate cake might not be a bad idea.  =)  So, that’s what I went with!

    Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake – Or Black Forest Cake
    This cake gets better as it sits in the fridge.  Next time, I’ll make it a couple days ahead! 
    •1 package (9 ounces) chocolate cake mix – You can also use half of a cake mix

    •1/2 cup water

    •1 egg

    •1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

    •2 tablespoons sugar

    •1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

    •1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling – Or Strawberry Pie Filling

    Directions

    •In a small bowl, beat the cake mix, water and egg on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Pour into a greased 9-in. springform pan; place pan on a baking sheet.

    • Bake at 350° for 23-25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

    • In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy; fold in whipped topping. Spread pie filling over cake; top with cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove sides of pan. Yield: 6-8 servings.

    What was cooking/baking in your kitchen this week?

    From my parsonage kitchen,