Have you ever had an unsettling feeling in your heart?  Perhaps you wake in the morning and your heart is heavy; it’s bothered by something.  Sometimes you know exactly what it is that has caused the trouble there.  Perhaps you’re grieving, you’ve had a huge disappointment, heard disturbing news, or are in the midst of a physical illness.  Your heart is uneasy.  You’re not sure what to do, how to respond, or what the next step should be and your heart is troubled.  Sometimes, as women, we’re just agitated or frustrated and not even sure why.  We could blame it on hormones, and it might be, but whatever the cause for the troubled heart, we need the right cure.

In John 14:1 the disciples were anxious because Jesus had just told them about the suffering that was coming for Him.  Perhaps their faces revealed what they were feeling.  Maybe they were full of sighs and tears. Jesus comforts them by saying, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. This is His remedy for the disciples, and for the bothersome feeling in our spirit as well.

1. Believe in God.  Think about His attributes, His provision, His providence, His goodness, His presence.  Consider Him!
2. Believe in Christ.  Through Christ we are brought to God.  Without our Savior there would be no hope beyond this trouble-filled life.  Believe in faith what He did for you on the cross, and walk with Him today.
3. Remember eternity in heaven.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  John 14:2,3  Remember that this is not all there is of life!  Matthew Henry says that Heaven makes amends for all! 

Look upward, Friend, and let not your heart be troubled.  Christ may return for us today!

Looking up,
 

I’m sure you know by now that I love seasonal decorations.  It’s just so much fun to freshen up the house by adding touches around the house from the season.  Springtime is my favorite season because everything’s coming back to life!  Sunshine, warm temperatures, flowers and green grass just invigorate me!  Surely this verse in Song of Solomon 2;12 is celebrating not only love, but springtime – The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Here are a some of the springtime touches around my house:

Wow!  Monday was gorgeous!  I saw 83 degrees on a bank sign while we were in town in the afternoon.  This is my kind of weather.  However, the warm weather also caused a spring-time storm to brew. After sunshine comes rain, they say!  But that’s okay, we can enjoy the sunshine while it’s here, and then prepare for the storm.

Hmmmm, that sounds like life, doesn’t it?  Blessings one day, trials the next.  But we must do in our Christian life just what we do with adjusting from sunshine and rain…enjoy and prepare.  We need to learn to thank the Lord for the days when trial clouds aren’t seen.  It’s easy to forget to do that, isn’t it?  We take so much for granted.  We need to thank the Lord for and enjoy:

• our health
• our home
• our husband
• our children
• our heritage
• The Word of God
• A great church
• food
• clothes
• medicine
• Chrisitian fellowship 

Then we prepare for the trials.  How?  The same way you prepare for the storm:

• Take shelter- Be faithful to your church so you can hear the Word of God.

• Heed the warning in God’s Word and obey its commands.
• Stay in tune during in trials by spending time in prayer pouring out your heart to God.
• Stay in a safe place by staying close to the Lord.  Don’t flee because there is a storm.
• Store extra food for trials by memorizing the Word of God.  Hebrews 13:5,6 , I Peter 5;10, Isaiah 40:29; 41:10

Let’s thank the Lord for many sunny days, but then be prepared for the stormy days that will follow.  The Lord is the Giver of them both and we can know that He is up to something good in our lives – whether it’s sunny or stormy!
With love,

Sunday was the beginning of revival meetings at Boones Creek Bible Church, so we ended the Sunday morning service with a church “dinner on the grounds”. Wow! There is always tons of wonderful food because we have a church full of great cooks! The church provides fried chicken and rotisserie chicken, so we bring sides, salads and desserts.

I took a broccoli salad, gourmet potatoes, and a new dessert – Chip Lover’s Cupcakes from Taste of Home.  It seems like I always make these potatoes for church dinners, but they can be made ahead of time, and it doesn’t hurt them to stay in the church warmer for so many hours before the dinner.  Some things dry out and don’t do well, but these are great for a fellowship dinner. 

The cupcake recipe is a bit rich, but you know what?  I think that’s what dessert is all about!  You don’t have to eat more than one, just enjoy it with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.  It cracks me up when people say, “Oh!  That’s rich!”  Eat a little and enjoy it.   

I decorated them kind of the way the magazine suggested.  They are covered with buttercream icing (super easy to make!).  Don’t buy the canned stuff!  Then you add a little cocoa powder to a reserved portion of the icing and make a little decoration on the top, then add a miniature chocolate chip cookie.  I found these chocolate chip teddy grahams and thought the children would enjoy them while one of their parents finished off the cupcake.  =)

You see the reason you put the chocolate chip cookie on top is because there’s a treasure inside the cupcake…

chocolate chip cookie dough!  It sinks down to the bottom and creates this lovely little surprise! 

What do you like to take to a church dinner?

With love,