Thursday, August 27, 2015

Labor Day Ease




Invite the whole crew over for Labor Day but don’t sweat it! Here are 3 easy recipes your company will love! Bon Appétit!




Company Chicken Salad
2 ½ cups diced chicken breast (~4 breasts)
1 cup celery, chopped fine
2 cups chops red grapes
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Mayonnaise
¾ cup heavy cream, whipped
Combine all ingredients. Let salad sit in refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving.


Creamy Pimento Cheese
1 (8 oz). package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese (I shred my own. The packaged kind is not as good in this recipe.)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 pinch of garlic powder
1 (4oz) jar diced pimento, drained
Dash cayenne pepper or to taste
¼ cup finely chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup finely chopped black olives
Blend the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add Cheddar cheese and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in mayonnaise, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir in pimento, pecans, and olives. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.



Lemon Dream Cake
1 box Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 (15.75 oz) can lemon pie filling
1 tub lemon flavored frosting
1 (8oz) tub cool whip, thawed
Mix cake mix according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan. Dollop the lemon pie filling over the cake batter. With a knife, swirl lemon pie filling throughout batter evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Mix frosting and thawed cool whip. Put frosting in refrigerator until finished cake has completely cooled then frost.  Store cake in refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.


Tuesday, August 25, 2015

From Fractured Lives to Fullness in Christ: Part 4

Scenario #2: “I’m worried about everything.”

            My friend, Jodi, is not alone. Worry is pervasive in our society. I understand. Every time I turned the TV on I become anxious. Child abducted. Police Officer shot down. ISIS. Local business closes. Racial unrest escalates. Families in crisis. Job security at all-time low.

            This is the short list.

Across the world people worry, but when it comes into our lives worry has the potential to get deep-seeded—it follows us throughout our day, dictates our mood, robs us of sleep, and lounges on our shoulders. Feeling anxious about something is unpleasant and in extreme conditions can lead to health issues and death.

            Jesus tells us that we cannot handle everything. Some things are just beyond our ability to change. “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” Therefore, worrying is a choice you make about the circumstances you find yourself in.

            My father-in-law used to say, “Worrying is as useful as sleeves in a vest.” He was right. Worry wrings us out emotionally. What’s the purpose?

Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.
Worry is the misuse of your God-given imagination.
Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers which he thinks are lead.

            Matthew 6:33-34 states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

            Each day has enough trouble of its own. Isn’t that the truth?

            Sometimes when we sit in the pit of worry, we begin drawing out all the other things in life that are seemingly going sour. Worry supersaturates itself until we are too waterlogged to see the surface of reason.

                        Think about this . . .How many times in your life have you worried about something, lost sleep, and eaten a sleeve of Tums only to have everything work out on its own? Please someone give me an AMEN over that one!!!

            Worry cripples the mind, choking out the Word of God, leaving us unfruitful and unsatisfied.

Jodi had a lot on her. No one would deny that. She felt the burden of her family’s welfare. “I’m so worried. We’re sinking, and I feel it’s all my fault.”

 “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
~Corrie ten Boom

            Worry.

            We all do it. But what happened during that luncheon with Jodi changed how I view worry.

            Just as Jodi finished her confession to me, a coworker of hers came by and said, “I’m concerned about John’s reaction to the sales report. Let’s get a team together and brainstorm some ideas to present to him at next week’s meeting”

            We sat silent a few minutes before Jodi asked, “Did you hear him?”

            Not knowing where she was going, I crinkled my face and nodded.

            “He used the word concern instead of worry. I don’t know about you but the word concern just lightened my load and opened up a world of possibilities.”

            I’m still in the confused zone, but her face began to glow. I could almost see her mind twirling in the field of feasibility.

            “Okay, talk. What are you thinking?”

            Her change was contagious. “I’m thinking promotion instead of getting fired!”

            Before I could answer, Jodi picked up her pocketbook, hugged my neck, and left. As I sat there, I kept pondering the words worry and concern. The difference in feel and usage was tremendous. Jodi felt empowered rather than defeated. Not all of us will rally this effectively, but even a small change of thought opens up new options.

            Never forget there is power in words. If we have a word that seems to tie us into an emotional stranglehold, then let’s replace it with a word that is more manageable. If our initial reaction isn’t desperation then it’s easier to stop and process the situation.

            Today when I begin down the “worry” road, I quickly retrieve the word and express my concern. And it’s true . . . being concerned keeps us from total ownership; so, we don’t have to beat ourselves up for everything that goes wrong. Concern distances you just enough to begin to see things more clearly. It’s easier to talk to God about what’s going on and easier to give it over in prayer. Even the waiting becomes more doable.

“It is certainly right to be concerned about things which are your responsibility and over which you exercise control. God expects us to be responsible, to be concerned that we follow through on what is ours to do. But worry is concerning yourself about things over which you have no control. Worrying is allowing care and concern to escalate beyond the realm of responsibility and into the realm in which you have no authority or control—God’s realm. And that kind of concern, which is worry, is sin.” Dr. David Jeremiah

            What’s worrying you today?
            What happens when you exchange the word worry with the word concern?
            Does it make it easier to take it to Jesus and give up control and ownership? Does it open up possibilities rather than erecting walls?


God bless you always!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

From Fractured Lives To Fullness In Christ

In the post on August 13th, “Fractured Lives Part 1, I introduced 2 real-life scenarios. These are but two of hundreds of heartbreaking confessions I’ve heard over the last few years. Young women. Middle age women. Older women. Age has nothing to do with our God-given emotions or how we handle them. But it’s how we handle them that give us the victory.

Let’s take a closer look:

            Scenario #1     “I don’t have any joy in my life.”


Joy is an emotion. It’s an emotion like anger, fear, sadness, disgust, trust, anticipation, and surprise. The picture above is of Fear, Disgust, Joy, Sadness, and Anger from Pixar's film, Inside Out.

           I loved this movie! We see all these characters at the brain’s control panel, managing preteen Riley’s emotions. When emotions are under control, Riley is able to take each as it rises up and manage them. But when she gets into an overload of emotions competing for her attention, everything goes awry.

            We are no different. And our culture promotes and encourages emotion overload. We are shown and told how to feel. When we don’t comply, we end up feeling left out, dejected, defeated, and disgruntled.

            F. B. Meyer said, “Our feelings are as changeable as April weather. They are affected by an infinite number of subtle causes — our physical health, the state of the atmosphere, over weariness, and want of sleep — as well as those that are spiritual and inward.”

            As my friend and I continued to talk about her lack of joy, we both realized that we hated it when our emotions got out of control. Our conversation went from tears to laughing as we recalled the ways our emotions erupted from us, seemingly beyond our control.

            The aftermath of sadness became a time of joy. The whole tone of our conversation changed. We acknowledged that emotions can trigger a multitude of feelings, some overlapping. But the secret was in controlling them.

            In Meyer’s writings, he emphasized the importance of differentiating emotion from choice. Emotions flare naturally, but it is our choice if they stay controlled within our brain center or if they erupt, lashing out.

            A life of joy goes along with a life of discipleship with Jesus. When we live by our feelings, our life will be tossed around like a turbulent wind. And, it’s a no-win situation.We will feel horrible, and if others are in our path our emotions have the potential to unleash on others. I’m sure you can visualize that scenario. It’s happened to me far too many times.

            By the end of our conversation, my friend and I were in a genuine discussion about the core of her feelings. They were very real, but as we explored answers through faith her emotions were reigned in and back under control. Sometimes it just takes someone caring.


            For the next few months, we met once a week, and we centered on F. B. Meyer’s quote,
“Joy is peace dancing. Peace is joy at rest.”


Isn’t that beautiful?

Did things change automatically? No. But everyday my friend lifted one foot out of the mire and tasted the sweet feel of release and renewed hope. One day at a time . . .



“The joy of the Lord be your strength today and everyday.” (Neh. 8:10)

God bless you always!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Fractured Lives Part 2


How do we fight off fear, worry, depression, and feelings of loss?

            These feelings are mind traps. They become so ingrained in the way we think that we begin to own them. What we don’t understand is that these four robbers steal our joy, happiness, confidence, and more important our faith and trust in God. We spend so much time looking around us for answers that we forget to look up for THE answer.

When we worry, when we’re afraid, when we feel lost, or when we are fearful, we take our eyes off Jesus and elevate these emotions to godhood. We give them our time, our energy, and our devotion. It’s all we can think about. Our lives become entangled in a negative mesh that begins to steal who Christ says we are for what other people think and our culture erratically proclaims we should be.

Often these conflicting views leave us feeling like failures and losers, and the aftermath escalates our insecurity. Words piled upon words, burying us deeper and deeper into the mire.

We’ve all felt these avenging words slip into our consciousness: round upon rounds of onslaught that eventually wear us down.

How do we break this damaging thinking?

            Let’s go back to the image of being in a mire, a cesspool of filth.

            Both feet are stuck tight.

            As you struggle to lift one foot out, you hear a loud “suction”sound released, and your foot is free. One foot freed lightens your load. You can breathe easier. It gives hope, increases resolve and determination to continue.

            You extend that freed foot forward, and it lands in the mire again. This time there is little to no sound. The foot is accepted as the mire rolls up, around, and over the foot.

            This process is repeated over and over again.

            It is tiring, totally exhausting, but it is also purposeful and intentional.

Did you notice something in this process?

            Lifting the foot out of the mire is followed by a loud suction release sound. When you place your foot back in the mire it is readily accepted. It is definitely harder to get out of a mess than remain in it. Can I get an amen?

            Satan wants you to stay in the mire, keeping your eyes downcast as you struggle to free yourself.

            This is a true phenomenon . . . keeping your eyes down increases the struggle. It adds to the weight of what you are doing. BUT if you raise your head and keep your eyes forward or up, then your whole body is elevated, feeling lighter and stronger.

            It takes effort and determination to be free of sin’s mire, but the effort is worth it. Each step is closer to solid ground where we will immediately feel the full expression of freedom by the Deliverer.
Psalm 18:28-29 “Lord, You light my lamp; my God can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.”

            This is one of my favorite verses, but please open your Bible and read all of Psalm 18, Praise for Deliverance. Read it over and over again until you believe these words:

            “I love you, Lord, my strength. You are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer, my God, my Mountain where I seek refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”


There is power in the name of Jesus . . . break every chain, break every chain, break every chain!


Stay tuned for the rest of the story on fractured lives. Oh . . . you thought I was finished. Nope. Let’s go back to those scenarios and take a closer look.


God bless you always!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Fractured Lives Part 1


Two real-life scenarios to ponder:

“I don’t have any joy in my life.”
            I sat across from my friend not knowing what to say. She was dead-on serious. No joy.
            Scooting closer to her, I put my arm around her shoulder, and asked, “What’s going on?”
            Through tears my friend began her story. “My life is not what I expected. I feel like everything I touch goes sour. I’m not a good mom. My kids are horrible. They never listen. And my husband is distant. I feel I’m a shadow roaming the halls of my home. I’m scared.”


“I’m worried about everything.”
            Lunch had been unusually quiet. I knew something was up, but decided to keep the conversation light, hoping my work associate would cheer up. When she didn’t, I laid my fork down, and waited. I knew her well enough to know something was wrong.

            “John told me if my sales aren’t up by the end of the month I’ll need to find another job.”

            Our boss wasn’t the most tactful man, but he knew Jodi was the bread winner. Her husband hadn’t worked in three years due to an accident on his job. Their son stayed in trouble, and their daughter was in rehab from a drug overdose. Couldn’t John have given a gentle warning and another chance?

            “I’m sorry,” I began. “We’re halfway through the month. How are things going?”

            Jodi looked down at her lap. “Guess I should be looking for a job. I can’t afford to miss one paycheck. Dan’s disability has been denied again. Court expenses for Jason have eaten away our savings. When Mary Ellen gets out of rehab . . . guess what? She coming home, again. I’m so worried. We’re sinking, and I feel it’s all my fault.”


Fractured lives.

            No joy. Worried. Fearful. Depressed. Lost.

            I hear these kind of stories a lot. They come within normal every day conversations, emails, phone calls, and texts. Women, especially, seem to be overflowing, over-tight, and overstretched with life.

            Our lives are becoming more complex. We don’t budget our time; we expend it at a rapid-fire rate. There is nothing left.

Do you see yourself or someone you know struggling with life?

How do we manage to keep our lives balanced and joyful?

            Stay tuned for Part 2 of Fractured Lives.

God bless you always!



(Picture found on tonysmusings.blogspot.com. I did not generate the image. If you love the picture, read Tony's poems)

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

I've Been Snookered Again!

One thing you can do while you’re waiting in lines is witness to others through kindness. I’ve given several examples of this in previous posts.

Now comes the brutal honesty. . . get prepared . .  .

If I wait too long in line and my attempts to talk to my fellow shoppers end before I check out, my eyes feast upon the magazines. Well, the snicker bars, too. But it’s the magazines that lure me.

Here’s my latest deception:



Read the headlines. Forget home improvements. I’m going for a total reformation on me, inside and out. I checked off every one of them! I’m in desperate need!

            You, Body Beautiful! Genius Instant Fixes for Saggy Bust, Cellulite, Spider Veins, Belly Bulge (Never thought I could be so blessed!)
            Tired No More (Prayers Answered!)
            GI Woes Solved (Thank you, Jesus!)
            Sleep Helpers (Hallelujah!)
            Bye-Bye Stress: Carol Alt reveals her secrets to shedding tension & belly fat (It’s a miracle!)
            THE NEW THYROID CURE, speeds metabolism by 653%. Discovered! Poor iron absorption to blame for thyroid slowdown. The heavier you are, the better this food cure works. (Goodbye Dr. Odeke! Parting is such sweet sorrow! Here I come Skinny jeans!)

            So I bought the magazine. When the clerk started to put it in the bag, I stretched my hand out for the holy grail that would cure all my ailments, neurosis, and unsightly bulges. I would be a restored person, pulling out those dusty size 8 garments and then going shopping with my restored energy level. I couldn’t wait to get home and begin a new life in the new me.

            Do you know what I found?

            The same thing I found in every other magazine that promised something it could not deliver.

            I’d been snookered again. By vanity. By a need to feel younger, more attractive, less tired. To wake up and be a new me.

            Satan uses these tactics to keep us dissatisfied with ourselves. When we become distracted by the lures of the world, we acknowledge that Jesus the Christ cannot fulfill our needs.

            Philippians 4:19 states, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
           
Isn’t it strange how the Evil One knows exactly which button to push, hoping we will react and forget God’s promises?

            2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

            Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

            Stand firm. Know who you are in Christ and stand tall. You are the daughter of a King. The devil holds no power over you except what you give him.


So . . . will I buy more magazines? Yes. I love the pictures, recipes, and a lot of the articles. But I will stand firm and use discernment when faced with lures and deceptions, those lies that a few articles declare will fix what time has taken away. My vainity is nothing but fuel for Satan.

This body will never be 17 again, or 45 or 60. But this mind, heart, and soul will be youthful, courageous, and filled to over flowing with the precious words of love from scripture. Owning who I am today is a statement of owning what God says about me. Others will notice.


            Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is in your midst, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will rejoice over you with loud singing.”

God will quiet you by His love and sing over you.

Instead of reaching for a magazine or anything else for satisfaction, reach for Jesus.

Keep this song in your head when tempted. “Reaching For You” by Lincoln Brewster.

Go here to hear it and enjoy!

God bless you!


Thursday, August 6, 2015

A Cup of Cold Water



“I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.” Matthew 25:35

The temperature gauge registered 95 degrees. In the back of my truck was a cooler filled with water that had been iced down the night before and a red wagon. I grabbed my prayer apron and headed to downtown Washington, N.C. with my granddaughter, Jackie.

Our mission: hand out cold water for Jesus.

We began in front of the downtown courthouse.

            Jackie and I stood in front of the courthouse for about 15 minutes. It was too hot outside for passersby, and apparently too steaming in the courthouse to release anyone. So Jackie and I began strolling around town hauling water in our red wagon.

            Passing out icy, cold water is not as easy as you think. Some people automatically assume if they take the water something’s going to drop down from the sky and snare them. No, honestly. As soon as you offer them the water they look around and then up. Strange . . .I felt like an observer to folks standing in downtown Gotham. “It’s a plane. It’s a bird. It’s Superman”.

            Nope, it’s just water.

            Reluctantly these few would finally reach out and take the water, but they were still looking around as if they couldn’t trust the “water girls”.

            Regardless of this, we ventured on, and God blessed us.

            One elderly man shook his head when we offered him water. When we urged him further to take it, he said, “You two have blessed me with your presence. Please give the water to someone else.”

            We walked into a local framing shop and visited with the owner who had no air conditioning. She was so appreciative of the cold water and insisted Jackie take a framed picture to put in her room.

            We handed water bottles to people stopped at the red light. Water bottles were taken to a crew repairing a pothole. We left water for the feral cats downtown. Water bottles were taken to boat owners cleaning their sailboats.

            Then we made it to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles).

            I looked inside and saw a line. Jackie nodded. This would be a perfect place to give out water, and the entrance was in the shade.

            We handed water as people huffed out. Yep. They huffed. And we got the details. Some were not kind about the clerks, but we listened, and quenched their thirst.

            One lady came out of the DMV with her husband and grabbed the water out of my hand, twisted the cap off, and chugged it down. When she satisfied herself, she looked at her husband, and said, “Give them some money.”

            It was all I could do to graciously refuse to accept it. The old man was determined to pay me. When they realized we were real, they smiled, and moved on.

            Our last stop was back to the courthouse. Several people were gathered outside. We began distributing the water; the sighs of refreshment were loud and clear. As we walked away, many, “God bless you!” comments filled the air.

            God had blessed us abundantly.

            We had given out water, but more than that, we had given out caring. I think that’s what Jesus would have wanted.

            As we finished getting the wagon and cooler into the truck bed, my granddaughter said, “Nana, I think we did a very good thing today.”

            Yep. . . Jesus is smiling.

            Where can you give out a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name?


            God be with you!!!! Stay cool! 

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

In God's Timing




Planting seeds has been the topic over the last couple of posts. Today I want to share a prayer I had to not only plant seeds, but reap the harvest. Everything is in God’s timing. I understand that now.


            Bibles were not to be found in my grandmother’s home. I never remember her mentioning the Bible and rarely heard her utter God’s name. Saying this seems to deliver a negative picture of a woman I dearly loved. For most of my life, it wasn’t an issue. I didn’t know God either. 

            As I came to Christ things changed. The last four years of my grandmother’s life, I prayed specifically that I would be the one to plant the seeds of salvation that would bring my grandmother to Christ. Every time I mentioned anything remotely about faith or Jesus, she would quickly change the subject or ignore me all together.

            When my grandmother broke her hip at 96 ½ years old, I got desperate in my prayers, begging God to give me the words to soften her heart. I knew the transition from her beloved home to a nursing home had been hard on her. We had been told that her chances of survival were a matter of months.

            Every day I would take grandmother her favorite food, a Bojangle’s biscuit. After she ate it, I would do her hair and put a little makeup on her. Being bedridden didn’t change the fact that she wanted to look good lying there. On that particular morning, I went to the nursing home determined to share scriptures. I decided this would be the day I would share my faith testimony with her.

            After I got her settled, I moved my chair closer to her. I could feel a resignation, but just as I released a huge sigh to begin my rehearsed speech, a woman walked by grandmother’s room and waved at us. She had on a dark blue suit and was pushing a patient in a wheelchair. Her hair was pulled back tight and wound into a bun.

            When I looked back at grandmother, her eyes were tightly shut. An overwhelming sense of dejection filled me. For the first time in my life, I felt abandoned by God. Why wouldn’t He give me this opportunity to lead my grandmother to faith?

            “Hey, are you guys new here?” 

            A voice permeated my internal raging, and I looked up at the woman in the blue suit. Before I could respond, my grandmother opened her eyes, smiled, and said, “Please come in.”

            The woman kept an intent look at grandmother as she edged closer, picking up her hand, and holding it close as she spoke. “We haven’t met before, have we? I’m here every Tuesday to preach. You need to come down. We have a real good time. What’s your name, young lady?”

            Grandmother beamed. “Anne.”

            “Well, Ms. Anne, do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?”

            Tears flowed down my cheeks.

            My grandmother leaned closer and said, “I believe in Jesus.”

            They continued to dialog about faith and salvation. And I clearly felt a voice saying, “See, My child, I saved this moment just for you. You have planted seeds of love for years. You did not get this harvest, but you got the next best thing . . . you got to witness it.”

            The woman in the blue suit kissed my grandmother on the forehead, wiped tears from her face, and said, “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I baptize you with your own tears.”

            My grandmother was radiant. She held the woman’s hands and begged her to come back to visit. I felt like I had been a part of something very sacred and holy.

            Working in God’s kingdom.

            Planting seeds.

            Watching the harvest.

            God’s purpose fulfilled in His will and timing.

            My prayers had been answered in ways I could have never fathomed. It was more than perfect. Why should I be surprised?

              
God bless you!!!!