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,

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,