A friend of mine cut this cartoon out for me years ago.  I had stashed it in my kitchen drawer and kept it and recently came across it; it just makes me laugh.  You see, she knew that fixing things isn’t a forte’ of my husband’s, and she thought this was an appropriate chuckle.  He can laugh at himself, and he thinks it’s funny too.

While an occasional laugh is appropriate, I don’t tease my husband about this kind of stuff.   Every month as I read through Proverbs I am struck with the power of a woman’s words to a man. What comes out of our mouths has the force to encourage, motivate, bolster and cheer on our man.  Of course, on the flip side, our speech can also degrade, discourage, dishearten and deflate him. 

Proverbs 12:25 says, Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. It’s our responsibility and privilege to encourage our husband with our words.  What can you say today that will lift your husband’s heart?  Need an idea?  Tell him what a great provider he is, what you admire about him, or a character trait that you see evidenced in his life, then watch his stooped over heart stand up tall and straight because of your words!

Want to brag a little about your husband?  Tell us something you admire about him in the comments section!

With love,

The boyfriend is in town!  Specifically, he’s in our house this week.  “The boyfriend” is Alli’s fella – a fine young man with plenty of good manners, godly character and servant’s spirit to make it a delight to have him here.  His mom and dad should be really proud. 

With having a boy in the house, there’s been some yummy meals fixed by Alli, specifically for him.  My husband and I are just glad to get in on those delicious feasts!  Her college major – Family Consumer Sciences –  is truly paying off!  =)

Monday night Alli cooked most of the supper meal.  The aromas coming from the kitchen during her preparation were enough to make strangers stop in and ask to eat with us!  I sat in the living room enjoying not only the fragrances wafting through the house, but also the opportunity to relax! 
She made:

From my parsonage windows,

• A hot shower
• Clean water to drink
• Medicine
• Nourishing food
• Adequate clothing
• A Bible
• A church to attend

On June 7, 2002, in a firefight between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf Group, Martin was killed. Gracia was wounded, but was freed.

Reading Gracia’s story is a reminder that all we have can be snatched away at a moment’s notice.  It could come through terrorists, illness or accident. When Gracia returned home, she was so thankful for the opportunity to attend her church service and prayer meeting.  She had longed for these opportunities while she was in the jungle.

How about you and me?  Are we anxious for the next opportunity to meet in God’s house?  Or are we mulling over whether or not we will go because we have other things we want to do?  What if we knew this was our last chance to meet in God’s house for a year?  Would it change our perspective?

I challenge you to get a copy of Gracia’s book and let your eyes be opened to many wonderful truths.  You may think reading about terrorism is morbid, but if you watch crime shows as a past time, I would argue with you that reading about this kind of crime will benefit your spiritual life…something a crime show isn’t likely to do. 

What are you thanking God for today?

In closing, here’s an invitation/reminder about our upcoming ladies’ meeting at BCBC:

With love,

I’m going to highlight a dish I’ve already shared for three reasons:

1. We got home late last night! =)
2. It’s a great 30 minute (or less!) meal.
3. This dish is so good, it’s worthy of being repeated!

We always buy fresh local shrimp when we go to the beach so we can have this Barbecue Shrimp.  The shrimp we buy are huge  (kind of an oxymoron, isn’t it?)  =)  There’s nothing “barbecued” about it – at least not for a southern barbecue point of view. So I’ve renamed it, “Cherry Grove Shrimp” because that’s where we stay, and that’s where I fix this great meal! I found the recipe at Cooking Light.

All that sauce in the bottom of the bowl is soaked up with toasted French Bread you serve with it.  Mmmm!

Cherry Grove Shrimp

1/2 cup fat-free Caesar dressing

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

5 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds large shrimp

1/3 cup dry white wine (I used chicken broth)

10 (1-ounce) slices French bread baguette

10 lemon wedges

Preparation

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine, and cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Serve with bread and lemon wedges. 

Oh, I want to go back for more shrimp! (I miss the ocean, too!)  It was a great time.  We’ve come home rested and refreshed!

What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

From my parsonage kitchen,

Here’s the finished pie…

So, what do you think?  Did you learn anything or get inspired?  I pray so!

Thanks for taking time to stop in!