Ever wonder what to do with the nice plastic bags comforters, quilts and blankets come in?  I finally figured out a creative use!  I stash it under a bed.  It’s filled with  the sheets and blankets that fit that bed.  I used to pile all the linens in the linen closet in the bathroom and then try to sort through and find the right size, and also the matching pillow cases…without making an avalanche occur in the process!  Now all I have to do is slide the bag out, pull out the sheets and make up the bed!  So much easier.  It’s all zipped up inside, so it stays fresh and clean there.

 Even when unsuspecting kitties find it and make it their napping spot…no need to worry!

What use have you found for those plastic bags?

See you in church Sunday!  We begin revival meetings here with Morris Gleiser.  Come join us!

With love,

This picture of my living room couch was taken right after I got it in 2008.  I looked a long time before I found this one that I fell in love with! My dream of a couch and my husband’s dream were in two separate worlds!  My dream was with the Shabby Chic/ French Country look in mind; his was man cave visionary!  Well, we see who won was more willing to give up their dream!  Yeah, he’s sweet.

Honestly, my couch was more than getting what I wanted.  I longed for something that was inviting to those who entered our home.  I wanted it to shout out to them, “Come sit down.  Take your shoes off, pull your feet up into the cushions and make yourself at home here!”  This couch fits that bill.

When I look in my living room, I see far more than furniture and decorations.  I see a place where rivers of tears have been shed, hearts have been poured out, burdens shared, sins confessed, joys repeated, marriages united, souls saved, friendships begun, Bible verses shared, and prayers cried out to God.  This room is our room of ministry.  It’s a hospital for those who are hurting. You see, we weren’t really buying a couch; we were buying a hospital bed…ready for any who recognized their need for Divine help and healing. I love my couch’s comfortable down-filled cushions, but even more, I love the comfort we’re able to share from God’s Word with those who come and sit there.

I love the living room of my parsonage because of the healing we’ve seen happen there,  I love my couch because it is the place where those that are needy have seated themselves.

You don’t have to live in a parsonage to have a couch like mine.  If you open your heart to people that need the love of God, your couch will be a hospital bed too.  The Divine Healer is ready to move in and touch those needy lives!
P.S.   It doesn’t hurt if you also happen to  love the looks of your hospital bed!

So very blessed,

The following is a synopsis of Monday night’s Bible study of Loving God with All Your Mind, by Elizabeth George

Enduring difficult times

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Here are The ABC’s of handling difficulty:

Acknowledge God in all your circumstances.

What we think about God is vital when we enter a difficult time.  Nothing random ever happens to a child of God. He takes full responsibility over His children. Even when we can’t understand what’s happening, we must acknowledge Him. This takes care of blaming. Why would we blame people? The economy? Circumstances? He takes responsibility. “Look to me. I am doing this.” He is good. He is a stronghold in the day of trouble. Rom 12:2…what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Bloom where you are planted.

Jer. 29:4 –Jeremiah told these people who were in captivity – “build houses and live. Plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Get married and have sons and daughters. If you’re going to be here for 70 years, make it count.” Practice your priorities. Bear fruit in the land of your affliction. Don’t wait for things to get better.

Ask yourself: “What can I do to make a difference?”

Concentrate on the promises of God.

His promises will clear your thinking and renew your confidence in God. Concentrate even when you can’t see the light. II Cor 12:9 – My grace is sufficient. Concentrating on the promises will get you through.

Do something useful.

Again, Jeremiah tells the people to get busy. Be useful as a wife. We are on assignment from God to help our husband.  Nurture and raise your children. It’s something that counts; to give the world a family who loves God and walks with Him is amazing. Regardless of marital status, we are to be useful to the Body of Christ. God desires our usefulness, no matter what. People change. Places may change. Seasons change. Conditions change, but God always wants us to be doing something useful.

Expect to become a masterpiece. Someone saw Michael Angelo hammering away at a piece of marble and begged him to stop. Michael said, “ I see an angel in there and I’ve got to get him out!” It’s a painful process, but it’s then that a masterpiece can be created. You are a masterpiece because you are in Christ!

What great advice for us in hard times! Follow the simplicity of these steps, with the Lord’s help, and become what He wants you to be during this hard period in your life. God bless you as you desire to bring glory to Him!

With love,

Good ol’ Ingles pulled through for me again with some great deals on meat.  They have such good sales and mark-downs!  (By the way, any plug I give for a store or product is completely my unsolicited opinion! No one is paying me to endorse them, as some blogs do.)  I needed a pork tenderloin for a recipe I wanted to try, but figured unless I could find one on sale, I’d probably have to change my menu.   Ingles had turkey tenderloins on sale buy-one-get-one (meaning half price, because you can buy only one if you’d like.) So, I got a nearly 2 pound turkey tenderloin for only $5!

My recipe came from my Cooking Light Cookbook.  The tenderloin is encrusted with an almond/herb mixture before it’s put into the oven.  It is served with a dried cranberry-apple Conserve.  Yum!  My menu for yesterday was:

I baked the tenderloin in the oven 30 minutes at 425 degrees before leaving for Sunday school, then backed up the temperature a great deal to finish cooking while we were at church.  The potatoes were put in the oven on Time Bake so they’d be piping hot.  The broccoli is a quick fix, so I made it once we got home from  church.

What a blessing!  We don’t have to struggle in our Christian life alone.  As believers in this Church Age, we have other Christians to encourage us, pray with us, share their testimonies of God’s goodness, fellowship with, and bear our burdens.  Why then do so many go it alone?  In other words…why are there so many Lone Ranger Christians?  Even the real Lone Ranger had Tonto! What does a Long Ranger Christian look like?  They don’t wear the black mask and ride a horse instead they…

•  keep their burdens to themselves, instead of letting someone pray with and for them.  There are times that we need to just run to the Lord with a matter that no one else can be made aware of, but those times are the exception, not the norm.  
•  avoid fellowship, choosing to isolate themselves from the very thing that would encourage their discouraged hearts. 
• aren’t faithful to services – they come a little here, a little there.
• become critical of other Christians and excuse themselves from being a part of the church because of “them!  Who needs that?”
• have little joy in their Christian life.  The Acts 2 passage says that they ate their meal together with gladness!  “A burden shared is a burden halved.”  Sometimes just sharing a burden is enough to relieve the stress of it!  Even better when you can pray with someone and be encouraged with a Scripture passage!  No wonder they had joy, and no wonder Lone Ranger Christians have little!

If any of what I’ve shared is stinging to you, see it as the Holy Spirit drawing you to Truth.  He is the One who created the church.  Are you taking full advantage of the blessings of being a part of a good one   It’s much easier to live the Christian life in the church with other believers than to go it alone!  “Hi-yo, Silver!  Away…to church!

With love,