How have you experienced God’s blessings in special little ways this week?

With love,

You know that I am a huge fan of the Andy Griffith show.  One episode I watched recently shows Floyd, the barber, caught in a lie.  Being a part of a Lonely Hearts Club, he portrayed himself as a rich millionaire.  In this episode, he gets a letter from the woman he’s been deceiving, saying she’s coming to see him.  He’s sick with himself for lying to her and keeps walking up to the mirror saying, “Floyd Lawson – I’m ashamed of you!  You’re nothing but a liar, cheat and a scoundrel!”

If we’re really honest about our selves, we could all look at our reflection and say the same thing.  Of course in the Bible we learn that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  We’re all sinful scoundrels, aren’t we?  I came face to face with this yesterday morning as I was reading John 18:38-40 and it was all so very plain before me.  The passage says,

“Pilate saith unto him (Jesus), What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. 

Reading that “Barabbas was a robber.” is like the Lord wanted us to see the stark contrast.  Here is Jesus – sinless and innocent, but the crowd wanted Barabbas released, but he was a robber.  What if my name was there?  It could be.  “No, don’t release Jesus – not this man, but release Denise.  Now Denise was a sinner.  A myriad of sins could be put on that blank.

Do you see yourself there, Friend?  Your name and mine could replace Barabbas’ because we stand just as guilty!  Oh, what a Savior to die in our place!  As you look to Easter, just ahead, take time to thank the Lord that you went free!

Ahhh, spring is here!  It brings with it rain showers, flowers, pollen, warmer weather, and the need to clean!  Spring and spring cleaning are synonymous, aren’t they?  After the house has been closed up for the winter, the house needs to a good scrubbing to get rid of dust bunnies, cob webs, and plain old dirt!  Right now I’m in the middle of taking winter clothes out of my closet and drawers.  I don’t have room to keep all seasons out, so I have to pack up the out of season garments.  It feels good to get things put away and the closet and drawers straightened up.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with spring cleaning when you sit and realize all that needs to be done, but if you take a room at a time it’s much more do-able.  I have always enjoyed Emilie Barnes’ approach to cleaning and organizing.  She sets a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and works until the timer goes off.  You could decide what needs to be done, look at how much time you have, and work on one project at a time. 

There are tons of lists available to help you see what needs to be cleaned in each room.  This one is from Martha Stewart.  You can print off the list and work in small time slots until your house is cleaned to your standard of clean.  I like using a list like these because it reminds me of those special areas that only get cleaned once or twice a year.

Have you heard of Fly Lady?  This is a secular site that give tips to help you clean your house and keep it that way.  She believes in working in small time frames as well.  You can even sign up for reminders of what needs to be worked on that week!  If you need a little motivation, this might be just the place to find it!

Getting things freshened up just feels good.  De clutter the closet when you put your winter clothes away.  Get a black trash bag and toss anything in there that you didn’t wear this year.  Shoes, purses, coats – go through it all and get rid of things you don’t use.  Take the bags to your car trunk and never peek into the filled bags!  The next time you’re going to town drop it off at Goodwill. 

De clutter “stuff” too.  Dishes you’re not using, kitchen linens that aren’t fresh looking, rugs that need to be tossed all either need to find the trash can or the Goodwill box.  Again, just go through one room at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Yep, it’s time to spring clean the parsonage, so I’d better get back to work!  Do you have anything that motivates you to clean and de clutter?

With love,

• What passage the Lord would want me to share from to follow their theme – By the Sea. I have absolutely nothing to say unless the Lord fill my mouth with His Word.  I poured my heart to Him in prayer to guide me in my study.  I wanted to hear from God, so I could speak to these ladies what He had taught me.
• My flight.  I asked the Lord to prepare women to sit by me on my flights so I could share Christ with them.
• The details of my flight connections.  Having never changed planes in Detroit (on the way there) or Atlanta (on the way home), I asked the Lord specifically to make the connections in the same terminal.  Everyone told me I would have to take a tram to another building, but it was easy to follow.  I continued to pray that the connections would be in the same terminal.
• The ladies preparing the event in Indiana.  I asked God to give them unsaved and unchurched women to invite.  I asked Him to give me something that would challenge their hearts and meet the needs of their lives.

I didn’t cook Sunday dinner yesterday because of two reasons:

Not only was that the sweetest gesture, that lasagna was also delicious!  I plan on asking her for her recipe so I can share it with you.  She also provided us with a fresh green salad and muffins.  Christy is a blessing, and a true servant.  How I thank the Lord for her kindness.  Here’s a picture (albeit a bit fuzzy) of our dinner that was provided for us.  (My camera died last week – sadness! This pic was taken on my phone.)

We were in revival meetings last week (What a blessing!), so I didn’t do a whole lot of cooking!  We were in and out with the evangelist, Morris Gleiser and and his sweet wife, Lynn, and mealtimes were a bit off the norm.  I like that, don’t you?  Every now and then we need to get out of our routine and do something different! 

On Thursday evening I had the Gleiser’s over after the service for a light meal and time of fellowship.  I served one of our favorite things – tortilla chips and bean dip.  This recipe is so good.  It’s from Cooking Light.  I do like to make one change to the recipe…I add a few more calories and fat to it by softening a 1/3 less Fat cream cheese block and spreading it in the bottom of a pie plate, then I pour the bean dip over top of it.  It is FANTASTIC!  You’ve got to try this!

Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup diced tomato

1/3 cup mild picante sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place beans in a bowl; partially mash until chunky. Set aside.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, tomato, picante sauce, cumin, and chili powder; cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, cilantro, and lime juice, stirring well. Serve warm or at room temperature with fat-free corn or flour tortilla chips.

Last week was a very busy week, but one that was full of God’s goodness.  God is always good because He cannot act outside of His character, but there are times that we see His goodness more up front and personal, and this was one of those weeks.  I’m thankful for this outlet where I can share what He’s been doing in my life.  Check back tomorrow – I plan on sharing what He’s been up to.  I just have to brag on my God!

Now tell me, what’s been cooking in your kitchen?

With love,