How thankful I am for Sundays! What a blessing it is to get to go to God’s house, praise Him, fellowship with believers, and have a day that’s different from every other day of the week. Sunday is the Sabbath and the Lord made it for us.

As I was having my devotions on Saturday I read in Luke 4:16 – And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day… Our sabbath is now on Sunday because that was the day the Lord rose from the tomb and we go to praise our risen Savior! But still, it was Jesus’ habit to be in the synagogue on the sabbath. Is it our habit too? Is the entire day the Lord’s? Do we use the day as it was created? As I studied this passage I was challenged to make a change or two in what I do on that day to make it more of what the Lord intended. In truth, it can be a very busy day for us, so I’m endeavoring, with the Lord’s help to smooth some things out so it can be what the Lord desires. I trust your Lord’s day was a wonderful one!

Our Sunday school class had their monthly lunch at church yesterday. Our theme was Italian food. When I went to sign up for what to bring, there were already many bringing main dishes, so I decided to try my hand at making homemade French loaves to contribute to the meal. The recipe I found was very easy, fat free, and probably cost me pennies to make. Oh, and you can have fresh, hot bread in two hours!

I buy the 25 pound bag of bread flour at Sam’s and the large package of yeast, which is the much cheaper way to go. Here’s the recipe:

2 Tbl. active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
4-1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
1 tsp. cornmeal

In large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. I use a thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct.

Add the salt, sugar and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

I have the blessing of having a bread hook for my Kitchen Aid, so I use it instead of kneading it, but it should look like this…

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Here’s the dough after rising:

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12 in-long loaves.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

What do you do to make the Sabbath day special, and make it a day of rest? What was cooking in your kitchen this weekend?

Love,

I have a huge collection of cookbooks and I use many of them, but my all-time favorite is one I got several years ago. It’s a collection of recipes from Cooking Light. The reason I love their recipes is because they use “real” ingredients, not substitutions, only they use less of those good things, and the recipes are all delicious! The light part comes from a reduction of the fat. I figure any little bit I can cut out of our diet will only help, right?

A couple days ago I made an Espresso Walnut Cake from Cooking Light. It was moist, cinnamony (new word!), and so yummy! It’s great for dessert or brunch.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules, divided
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs
2/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt – I used light sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour.
Combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon espresso granules in a small bowl.

Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until butter melts. Add granulated sugar, stirring with a whisk. Add eggs; stir well. Stir in yogurt, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Lightly spoon 1 1/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour and 2 teaspoons espresso powder, stirring just until blended (do not over stir).

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Carefully spread remaining batter over brown sugar mixture, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

This is so good with a cup of coffee! Try this for Saturday breakfast. Your family will wander in from their sleep when they smell this baking in the oven!

Here’s another great recipe for honey and spice pork chops. I served it for supper with mashed potatoes, apples, peas and homemade bread. We loved it!

Happy Cooking and baking,

I heard this poem by Amy Carmichael being read yesterday. How convicting…

Thankful for Calvary’s love,

When I was a teenager I had to have my wisdom teeth cut out. During the time of my recovery (and while I was doing my chipmunk impression), I could only eat soft foods. I ate yogurt…for several days. Ever since then I couldn’t stand the taste of the stuff, I don’t care how much doctoring I did to it. Then a couple years ago my husband and I visited the B&B I shared with you recently, The Windover Inn, and she served us yogurt with our breakfast. It was delicious! It didn’t have the tart taste I’d remembered yogurt having. When I inquired about it she told me she got it at Ingles and that the brand is Stonyfield.

I buy the fat free French Vanilla in the 32-oz. container for a little over $3 and it lasts me a couple of weeks. I add some fresh fruit and granola and have a great breakfast or evening snack. The small containers are convenient, but much more expensive. You can get some good coupons on their website. They have a .50 off the 32 oz., and if you use that at Ingles they will double it. This really is the best yogurt – you must try it!

I’ve shared some of my favorite money-saving websites with you in the past that point you to sales and coupons. Between those web sites and the Sunday paper, I end up with lots of coupons. Keeping them organized is really important. I tried the little coupon holder with the pockets and dividers, but it seemed like all I did was shuffle through each pocket looking and looking for the coupon I knew was in there. I was on the lookout for a better system.

Here’s what I came up with:

I don’t know about you, but I always like hearing someone give their first-hand opinion of products that are supposed to do something grand (I guess all products are made to do just that, aren’t they?) I had used Crest Whitening strips some years ago, and so far I’d have to say I like these Listerine strips better. They are easy to put on, and they dissolve in your mouth. There’s no messing with taking them off in ten minutes. After about 15 minutes they’re gone. They have a pleasant minty taste. I’m half way through the two week period it takes for them to do the whitening, but I must say I can see a difference already. I would certainly say they’re worth using. So now every one’s going to be staring at my teeth when I talk to them, right? It’s okay, go ahead. 🙂 **Smile!**

Country Living

Does a mother really need instruction on how to love her children? Doesn’t it just come natural? It must not, because the instruction in Titus 2 is for the older woman to teach the younger woman “to love her children.” This month’s instruction in our Bible study by Elizabeth George was a good encouragement for women – no matter in what stage of life we find ourselves.

We are reminded that our first responsibility is our relationship to God. As we love Him, then we can better love our husbands; our second responsibility. Our next priority is our children.

As Elizabeth travels around the country speaking to women, she finds that one of the most asked questions from young women is: “Where are the older women?” These are young women looking for an older woman to help guide them as they seek to obey these very commands. Elizabeth said, “It’s not that we don’t necessarily know what to share, it means that somehow our lives are too busy to help them.” We need to be teachers of these good things if there is someone younger than ourselves that needs a guide. Will that person be you and me? I pray so!

How to have a heart for our children:
1. A mother is to teach the Word of God. Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. This is a dual role for the parents.
We as mothers are to teach the Divine Law of God. The mother is key when it comes to imparting the Word of God to the children. Somebody in the household has to reach over and turn off the television and pick up the Word of God. You’re never wasting time when you teach your children the Bible. Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

We never know what our children are going to face. Corrie Ten Boom’s father instructed them that the Word of God was a precious tool that He could use through them. Through the persecution that Corrie suffered during World War II, the Word was her comfort during the hard days of the concentration camps, and she used it to minister to many – even her enemies. Pouring the Word of God into our children will prepare them for whatever God has for them.

2. A mother is to teach her children wisdom. Proverbs 6:21 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Proverbs 31:1 1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him… This is teaching that is based on God’s Word. Deuteronomy 6:5,6 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. It has to be in our heart first, then we can pour it into our children’s lives. All day long, every breath, every sentence, when you sit down, when you rise up – 24/7 this teaching of the law of God is going on in your house. This takes work to teach diligently. We have to choose to mention the Lord.

A Christian aunt or grandmother can make a huge difference in child’s life. In every small thing we must relate it all back to God. There are more opportunities to do this if the television is off! “I don’t care if ‘the wheels on the bus go round and round!'” Every mother can sing that, every child can sing that, but what is more important is, what do they know about God’s Word? What do they know about the Lord Jesus Christ?

We talk about what is important to us. We talk about people, the news, all kinds of things, but if we fail to talk about God’s Word, we are relaying a very important message to our children. Our words are important, but our walk is also important. What are we doing? What are we not doing? It can be positive, it can be negative. We are to talk it, we are to walk it. As Patch the Pirate says, “Your walk talks, and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks!”

3. We are to dedicate our children to God. Proverbs 31:2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? This is King Lemuel’s mother writing instruction to her son. Hear the passion in her voice! Here is a son, either dedicated to God, or asked of God in prayer, but the piety of this mom is to be what God wants her to be towards her son. He is often the subject of her very earnest prayers! Many mothers of “famous” Christian leaders” had mothers that gave hours a day or a whole day a week just to pray for their children! Our prayers are one way we dedicate our children.

We also dedicate our children through our practice! Many often bring the children to church for minimal exposure instead of maximal! We give them just a little taste when they need a whole helping! Elizabeth shared with us that she saw her role in her girl’s life to get them to the church for every activity that was offered. She said, “It wasn’t a spiritual gift, but it was the gift of driver! That’s what I was!” Dedicate your children to God.

4. A mother is to love her children. This is an affectionate love. We become children lovers.

How do you love your children?

• Do provide the necessities – food, clothing and rest.
• Do be predictably happy. Proverbs 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.
• Do be the giver of everything – that’s your role. We give and expect nothing in return.
• Do have a ball. Make everything fun. Be silly. Make sure fun is a part of your family’s diet.
• Do make everything special. You have to make a meal anyway; make it special. Make the day special.
• Don’t give to others what you haven’t given to your family first.
• Don’t double book. Don’t be on the phone when your children are arriving home. Don’t have meetings in the evening when you could have had it earlier in the day.

Some have had kings in their lineage,

some to whom honor was paid,

not blessed of my ancestors, but –

I had a mother who prayed.

I have a mother who prays for me,

who pleads to the Lord every day for me,

Oh what a difference it makes for me,

I have a mother who prays!

Some have world success,

and trust in riches they’ve made,

but this is my surest asset –

I have a mother who prays!

My mother’s prayers cannot save me,

only mine can avail,

But Mother introduced me to Someone,

Someone who never can fail.

Oh yes, I have a mother who prays for me,

who pleads to the Lord every day for me.

Oh, what a difference it makes for me,

I have a mother who prays!

–Author unknown

God has given us an assignment if we’re mothers, aunts, or grandmothers – we are to have a heart for our children.

‘Til next time,