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,

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.