In All Things Give Thanks

Needing prayers to " Be Still"......

" Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."      ~ Psalm 46:10 ~

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I awoke this beautiful morning with this passage of scripture on my heart.......

One of the most challenging things for me to do is to "be still".....it actually requires this mama of 10 to really have to "work at" being still......it takes a purposed effort for me to "be still and know that God is at work"..... you see I am a "doer" by nature and I love to do do do......that can be a good thing at times..... and not a good things at other times....

God is showing me that right now, for today I need to be "still".......

Would you please pray for me today my friends? I come to you for your prayers of faith that I will be "still and know that GOD , is in charge and that He WILL be exalted before those who do not know Him".......

This is something God has laid in my heart today.... to be still and oh if you only knew how hard that can be for me at times!

Thank you dear friends for taking a moment to pray for me today.

He is faithful,

~ gloria ~

Deliverance or determination?

" We often pray to be delivered from afflictions and even trust God that we will be.  But we do not pray for Him to make us what we should be while in the midst of the afflictions. Nor do we pray that we would be able to live within them, for however long they may last, in the complete awareness that we are held and sheltered by the Lord and can therefore continue within them without suffering any harm.

The Savior endured an especially difficult test in the wilderness while in the presense of Satan for forty days and nights. His human nature weakened by the need for food and rest. The three Hebrew young men were kept for a time in the flames of  "the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual" ( Dan 3:19).  In spite of being forced to endure the tyrant's last method of torture, they remained calm and composed as they waited for their time of deliverance to come. And after surviving an entire night sitting among the lions, "when Daniel was lifted from the dent, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God."  ( Daniel 6:23).

They were able to endure the presense of their enemies because they dwelt in the presense of their God. "

~ L.B.Cowman ~

Christmas Music

Over the past 16 yrs of wedded  life, I have tried to simplify our Christmas traditions. It has been a journey the Lord has led us on.   Years ago, we purposed in our hearts to place CHRIST in Christmas first and foremost. We avoid much of the "fluff" of the season that would easily wear down and exhaust a mother of many children.  

One of our beloved Christmas traditions that we do enjoy is the singing of Christmas carols. Each day in the month of December we begin our devotions with the singing of a Christmas carol.  For years we have been using Ace Collin's books on the Stories behind the Carols to help learn more about the history of the carols. These are a wonderful resource for any family who wishes to know more about the composers and how the carol came to be.  This book can be purchased thru www.zondervan.com

Each year I choose a new carol to add to our group of carols we sing while we go caroling.

This year's pick is Angels From the Realms of Glory.  It is a beautiful, old carol.  My favorite part is the chorus:

" Come and Worship, Come & worship, Come & worship Christ the Newborn King!"

This Sunday we will begin our caroling.  We carol each Sunday in the month of December. It's something we really look forward to!  It brings such joy and it costs absolutely no money, does not create stress, and most of all it truly brings praise & glory to Christ the King!

Our family loves to sing the carols ~~ I hope you are all able to enjoy the lovely music of this season.......

Praising Him!

gloria

This week's menu

                                           Menu Plan

Monday:  Steamed Veggies with bacon

Tuesday: Tuna Casserole & green beans & pecan pie

Wednesday:  Chicken Paremesana , pasta, tossed salad & french bread

Thursday:  Split Pea & Ham Soup, cornbread

Friday: Swedish Meatballs, brown rice, tossed salad

Saturday: Stuffed pasta shells, tossed salad & garlic bread

Sunday: Beef Stew & cornbread

Budget: $150

Total cost: $143

Savings:  $7

A sanctuary from the world

" The family meal table is a sanctuary.  It is a secret place from the daily word of strife.  On of the Hebrew words for "secret" is sod which comes from the word "yasad".  It means to "sit down together , a talk session, an intimate friendly convesation or a serious consultation, a company of persons in close secret talks. "  Families can enjoy this special time together at each evening meal.

  Psalm 23:5   " You prepare a table before me in the presense of mine enemies."  

Mothers we can prepare a table that is a sanctuary from the filthiness of the world.  Our husband and grown children may spend their day out in the work place. More often than not they are surrounded by filthy talk, jesting, immodesty an humanistic reasoning.  If they come home and turn on the TV, this conatimination of the world will only sink deeper into their spirits. But if they arrive home to a waiting table  -- a table  that welcomes them with good food, love, and fellowship, the filth of the day washes away.  As you communicate and talk about the things of the Lord, their souls and spirits are washed clean. "       ~ Nancy Campbell, The Family Meal Table & Hospitatlity Study guide, pg. 20

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I was blessed to grow up in a home where the family gathered each day for dinner together. It was not just a " Sunday meal" that we enjoyed once a week, but each night we would set the table and sit around as a family and share our day. I remember when I got old enough to have friends and eat at the homes of other families, I took notice that many did not eat together as a family. Kids grabbed something on their own, or families would sit in front of the TV.   I didn't appreciate the family meal table when I was a child in my family home, but now years later I look back upon that time as a treasured time in my life.

In talking to my 88 yr old father about the meal table he shared that he felt very strongly that it was so important for mother & father to sit down with the children and share a meal each day. He told me that is where values are passed down and where parents can get a feel for what their children are thinking and feeling.  I am grateful to my parents who in wisdom, chose to follow the "old paths" and held family dinner each day of the week.

Today, statistics show that families eat only a few days a week together. 

What has happened to the family meal table?

I am currently leading a study of Nancy's book on the Family Meal table and I have been blessed to read her thoughts on this special time of day. 

I have chosen to follow the tradition my parents gave me and we do eat together each night.  I too agree with Nancy and my dad that it is a wonderful time .  It is a sanctuary for us! It is a time to share our hearts and thoughts, and to put aside the world.

I do hope many of you are blessed with special moments around the meal table.

~ gloria ~

To my "anonymous" reader

Dear "anonymous" reader who left a comment on my blog about women & working out of the home......

I want to thank you for taking time to read my blog and I also wanted to let you know I left a comment in response to your comment..... please take a moment and read.

Friends, this is my personal blog.... I share here what is on my heart..... I realize not everyone is going to agree with what I share here...... that is certainly a freedom we have in this wonderful country of ours....but I do ask friends that you leave your name when you post...... I am not sure why folks post "anonymous" comments...... what not share your name? It's ironic to me that when people leave unkind comments or comments that disagree with the writer's opinions they do not have the courage to share "who" they are... why is that so?

In any case, I wanted my anonymous reader to please take a moment and read my response to their comment.  For those of you who wish to read my reply left in response to a comment left in regards to my post titled: The Old Fashioned Parlor.

May God bles you & keep you,

gloria

Oh Joy!

Today I had a conversation with a friend who is not a Christian ~ this friend has tried on various occasions to persuade me to accept the teachings of their church  ~~ this person knows me well and paid me the most precious and lovely compliment a believer of the Lord Jesus could ever be told...... it has made my heart sing for Joy an I just needed to share it here with you all because so many of you love my Jesus as much as I do and will understand!!

This person told me that " born again Christians like me  and another Christian they know were content with Jesus and not looking for any thing else" ....... oh dear reader -- can I just tell you how my heart lept for JOY when this friend shared this with me???? 

Oh that I would always be content with my Jesus..... oh that I would always have such closeness to Him that I would never feel the need for "religion" or "other teachings" outside of what He has given us in His word...... oh, how that made my heart sing!

One of my favorite songs is  Shout to the Lord by Hillspring ........

My Jesus, My Savior,..... Lord there is none like you...... all of my days, I want to praise.... the wonders of your mighty hand....

My Jesus, My comfort.... tower of refuge and strength....let every breathe, all that I am.. never cease to worship YOU.......

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing... power and majesty praise to the King......

The mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of YOUR name ....

I sing for joy at the work of your hands, forever I'll love you forever I'll stand....

nothing compares to the promise I have in YOU.........

Praising Him!

Gloria

Our Little Country Church...

At the end of a country gravel road sits a 110 yr old country church......it's a small, simple church..... just one room... no bathroom ( there's an outhouse!) I feel blessed that my family attends this little church...... where the Bible is still preached each and every Sunday and where the Hymns of our faith continue to be sung by the young, the middle aged and the elderly...... It's a humble little place...... no big praise bands here.... no fancy awanas programs or children's worship service.......

What you will see though is young families as well as elderly couples praising God and praying.  You will see the young children sitting with their parents as there is no "children's church" here..... nope, this is a family integrated church..... that means church is held like it was 100 yrs ago before the Sunday School programs came into style.

I am blessed to have a pastor that believes children learn to worship best by worshipping with their parents.... that no child is too young to sit under the teaching of God's authoritive word.

We may be few in numbers, we may be humble farmers , carpenters and laymen..... but we love the Lord and seek to worship Him in Spirit & truth.......

These little country churches dot the midwest...... these churches were the backbone of America once a long time ago...... the farm families that lived in this area all attended this church... communities would gather in their local church for worship, and for fellowship........

I truly feel like I am a part of history ...... 4 years ago this church was ready to close it's doors.... there was just 3 elderly couples attending.... then my pastor felt called of God to come pastor this church..... and now 4 yrs later we have about 40 people attending... we are still small in numbers, but children are now raising their voices to sing Amazing Grace once again....

Another generation of Christian families are coming to hear God's infalliable word.......

Oh sure, we could be driving into the city to attend the new mega church with all the fancy programs for kids, teens and moms........we could be listening to the praise bands.....

But you know what? I really love our little church...... we know everyone, it's "home"..... but more than that I know that each Sunday I will hear God's word preached.... not a sermon, or a 10 minute talk, but our bibles are opened up and we dig into God's word......

I am so thankful for our little country church at the end of the gravel road......

Praising Him,

gloria

The Old Fashioned Parlor

Long ago,  "the parlor" was a place where the family would gather after a busy day of hard work..... a place where families would gather to sing a song around the piano as mother or sister played a tune.... a place where the family would sit and listen to the radio for hours of enjoyment......

Does your home have such a place?

In our old 110 yr old farmhouse we have such a room...... we have tried to recreate some of that "old fashioned" wholesomeness that just can't be found in the modern homes of today.... our parlor serves many purposes in our family. It is the place where I meet the Lord each morning.... as the sun streams in thru the windows in the morning... it is the place I gather my children together for prayer, for worship, and for our daily bible readings...... it is the place we play games, sing songs, and it is the place where I sit at the end of the day to read aloud to my children..........

There's the piano where my beautiful daughter hannah often sits for hours and plays, while we sing and lift our voices......we even have an old fashioned radio that we enjoy....... it plays CD's too...

Then there's the comfort of sitting and enjoying each other's company......I guess I could have gone with a more "modern" decor.... but I oh so wanted to "recreate" yesteryear.......lace curtains don the windows..... doiles on the couches....... a crocheted afghan to place on cold knees......we draped the walls with an old fashioned wallpaper similiar to the one the walls originally had......

It's wonderful to see the house a glow from a distance..... the lamps turned on to elude a shining warmth emanating from the front room that houses our "parlor"......

My 15 yr old son and I were in the city last week and he noticed that the houses all appeared so dark......so few were lit at dusk........ he mentioned to me how much he loved driving up to our old farmhouse to see the whole house lit up....... I reminded him that many families have both mom & dad working, so no one is home to "turn on the lights" sort of speak......

I hope that as home keepers we  may never doubt the work we do in our homes to keep the "lights on" in our homes and hearts......... to make room in our busy lives for time to gather to share, to sing..... to pray, to worship........ to listen , to laugh and to "be" together as families, surrounded by our loved ones.

As my children grow & mature, they now share with me how very important this role is in their lives...... how much comfort they take that there is a place called "home" that they know will always have the lights on ,  waiting for them with open arms....

This is the essense of being a home keeper......

May God bless each of you as you keep your home fires bright & burning!

~ gloria ~

First Snow of the Season...

The children are all excited.... they are busily putting on hats, gloves and boots to head outside to enjoy the first soft snow of the season.....it's really a "wet" snow right now, but it's supposed to get colder as the evening comes and we should have some snow on the ground by morning. What a wonderful way to begin the CHRISTmas season!

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely Thanksgiving weekend!

Praising Him!

gloria

ps. I have changed my blog template to reflect the changing of the season.......

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

As I begin to prepare for our holiday meal tomorrow, I am once again reminded of how very blessed we are in this nation and how abundantly we are blessed with food. So many folks have so very little to eat in this world.  In that spirit I have purposed to simplify our Thanksgiving meal.  We will not be "over doing" it this year.  We will be having a simple meal. This year there will not be the usual multitude of side dishes as I usually do.  I want to focus on cultivating a spirit of Thanks tomorrow not on spending all my time at the stove.   So, with that said our menu will be the following:

Turkey & cornbread stuffing

Mashed potatoes & gravy

Sweet Potatoe casserole

Maple Pear Salad

Homemade pumpkin pie

I know.. I know... it sounds simple...... but when you stop to think about it.....it's really truly a "feast" don't you think?

So many in our world today do not have access to clean water let alone a huge turkey with all the trimmings!

My family does not need a huge amount of food to graze on all day..... they do not need 2 or 3 or more deserets to choose from........

This year I have purposed in my heart to avoid the physically feasting and focus on "spiritually feasting".......

It's going to be a different kind of Thanksgiving this year.

Perhaps not in the "traditional" sense......

But God is leading..... and I so want to follow His lead..........

What about you all?

What is God leading you to do tomorrow?

Whatever that may be, I do hope & pray each one of you enjoy a lovely day, feasting on the goodness of the Lord -- because He is so good!

Praising Him,

gloria

Do you believe He can do it?

" Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  ~ Matt. 9:28

 God deals with impossibilities.  It is never too late for Him to do so, as long as that which is impossible is brought to Him in complete faith by the person whose life and circumstances would be impacted if God is to be glorified.  If we have expierienced rebellion, unbelief, sin, and ruin in our lives, it is never to late for God to deal triumphantly with these tragic things, if they are brought to Him in complete surrender and trust.

  It has often been said, and truthfully so, that Christianity is the only religion that can deal with a person's past. God "will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten " ( Joel 2:25) and He is trustworthy to do so unreservedly.  He does so not because of what we are, but because of who He is.  God forgives and heals and restores, for He is "the God of all grace"  ( 1 Peter 5:10). 

  May we praise Him and trust Him.

    Nothing is too hard for Jesus

    No man can work like Him.

We have a God who delights in impossibilities and who asks,  " Is anything too hard for me?" ( Jer.32:27) . 

 ~~ Andrew Murray ~~

Pot Belly Stove

Our furnace has been acting up this year..... not major stuff but enough to be a bother at times... with the weather getting cold, not having a working furnace is not an option.  It's been frustrating at times to wake up and realize "once again" the furnace is not working! But the Lord tell us "all things work together for our good to those that love God".... I really do believe that!  The "good" news about our latest bought with furnace problems is that it has placed a fire under my husband to F I N A L L Y give me the "go ahead" to purchase a much needed wood stove!  All I can say is : FINALLY!! This is our 3rd winter in our old farmhouse, and although we have replaced all the windows and added insulation where we could, it still is a 110 yr old drafty farmhouse.  My heart has been burdened to get a stove for years now......knowing how much the propane bill amounts to in the winter time ( last winter it was roughly $800 a month in propane!). I have been in prayer about it for some time......and not wanting to nag my husband about the stove issue, I just left it at the Lord's feet.  Well I am thrilled to announce that tomorrow I will be picking up a stove! I also have the go ahead to purchase the stainless steel liner we needed to line our old chimney with. ( very $$)  I am so excited! So are the kids! They are looking foward to a warmer winter!

Because we are on a very very tight budget, I could not purchase the stove I had originally wanted. ( a soap stone wood stove, that runs about $2,500 ) .  I looked at many different stoves, and found this one was in our budget ( about $300) and made of cast iron vs. metal,  & should do the job.

 Doing a little research on the history of the potbelly stove, I found that these stoves were used in the 1800's and 1900's to heat large areas -- such as train depots. Because of their "belly" design they do give out lots of heat.  This model is a reproduction of the old time stove. Made by www.vogelzang.com

We are going to save about $100 on this model because we have a coupon from the store where we will purchase it from. So the stove will cost us about $200, pluse $400 for the steel liner kit.

If you do have a potbelly stove, I would love to hear from you!  Do you find it heats well? I did the consumer research on this model and found good reviews.

In any case, I am grateful we will be keeping much warmer this coming winter!

~ gloria ~

This week's frugal finds!

Last weekend I posted about my latest project -- refinishing our old pedestal table....... I sanded the top off and applied new stain and it turned out like a brand new table!!  I have also been on the lookout for pressed back vintage chairs.  I have been checking www.craigslist.org for good deals and this past week I was able to pick up some more chairs! I actually picked up the following chairs, 4 of them in this style for $75 and the owner also gave me the pedestal table that came with it! Not sure what I am going to do with the table for now... but I cleaned the chairs, and applied new stain/finish.

The chairs were fairly worn, especially in the seat area. I prepared the chairs by clearning with mineral spirits and then adding some stain & finish.  You do not have to completely strip the wood of it's original varnish to give it a "fresh" new look..... just clean well and then apply a stain / finish wood sheen product. I used Minwax finish -- it's a stain & finish in one, and I applied a colonial walnut color. Really easy to do. Just rub on with a soft clean cloth. Make sure to wipe off any residue of the stain after applying a coat. It dries within a few hours. I have applied this stuff to old antiques to freshen them up. It works wonders!

 I also picked up these antique chairs....... aren't they beautiful? I love the "cut" out at the top....I need to get them cleaned up with a coat of the finish/stain too.

So far, I have 10 used chairs I have  been able to pick up for great prices and I need to find 2 more!

It's a little work to find a bargain -- but well worth the money saved! These chairs are over $100 a piece brand new, so the savings is big!

~ gloria ~

Discovering Twila Paris ..

I recently came to listen to the music of Christian Artist, Twila Paris..... and all I can say is "wow"! This Christian Woman truly has been given the gift of music! She clearly uses her music to glorify the Lord! If you have not listened to twila's beautiful music and heard her lovely voice...... you need to!

Currently my favorite song is " Keepin' My Eyes on You".... beautiful!

~ gloria ~

Lessons from Jehoshaphat

Last night I went to bed with a heavy burden on my heart...... crying out to God to help me to see what I needed to do to resolve this challenge -- the Lord led me to this passage in the Bible. It was exactly what I needed to read!  Isn't God great? He gives us the answers we need right from His word! Thank you Lord!

Jehoshaphat found himself in a predicament when he was told that a "vast army was coming against his people and was already at En Gedi" ( 2 Chronicles 20:3) . Alarmed, Jehoshaphat immediately turned to the Lord God and proclaimed a fast for all the kingdom of Judah.  The Bible tells us that "the people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord, indeed they came from every town in Judah to seek Him."  (  20:4 NIV)

And this is what Jehoshaphat told the people:

" O Lord God of our Fathers are you not the God who is heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ... if calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine we will stand in your presense ... and will cry out to you in our distress and you will hear us and save us... O our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to face this army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do , but our eyes are upon you."    2 Chron. 20 : 6-12 NIV

So many times in life, when faced with a particular challenge, " I don't know what to do"...... but will my eyes "be upon Him"?  Will I seek His help as Jehoshaphat did for the kingdom of Judah? Will I seek His help when my family is faced with a particular trial or challenge?  I pray that I will do just as Jehosphaphat did and turn immediately to the Lord God for guidance!

As I fell upon my face seeking God' s help with a particular challenge I was having with one of my children --- the answer came so very clearly from the Lord.......

" Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you ... Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you. " 2 Chron. 20: 17 NIV

Will I take my "position" and "stand firm" and see God's deliverance?  Shall I be afraid? Shall I be discouraged because the battle seems so overwhelming? Shall I not go out and realize God will be with me to fight my daily battles?

And Jehoshaphat's response  to this counsel was:

" Jehosphaphat bowed with his face to the ground and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down to worship before the Lord.... then some levites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehosphaphat stood and said, " Have faith, in the Lord your God, and you will be upheld ; have faith and you will be successful. After consulting the people Jehosphaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out ..." 2 Chronicles 20: 19-21 NIV

So shall I not do the same?  Shall I not gather all my children and bow down before the Lord with our face to the ground and worship Him? Shall I too not have faith in the Lord God that we will be upheld in our challenges and trials we face?  Shall I not appoint some of my children to sing to the Lord and praise Him????

I know that I am not facing an huge army -- but I am .. and "we are all" facing the enemy in some aspect in our lives.... for we fight not against  "flesh and blood" but against principalities and powers....against "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" ( Ephesians 6:12)

Shall I not do as Jehosphaphat did and call my children together and fall down before the Lord, having my eyes upon Him and then go forth without fear knowing full well He will fight the battle for me/us!

So take courage my heart! Do not be discouraged o soul! The Lord our God does continue to fight the battles of His people -- whether that be armies and legions or whether that be the daily battles that face us in our homes as we raise our children and live with the flesh.

Oh God please help me to be like Jehosphaphat! Help me O Lord to keep my eyes upon you Lord! Let me praise your name in the midst of the 'army' that stands before me! Let my children and I lift up our voices in praise of your Holy Name!

~ gloria ~

Unaswered Prayer?

All of us have prayers we raise up to heaven that "seem" to appear go unanswered as of yet...... some of us have been praying for something for days, months and yes even years....... does God not hear us? This quote is for you.........and me. :)  ~ gloria ~

" God's timing is not ours to command.  If we do not start the fire with the first strike of our match, we must try again.  God does hear our prayer, but He may not answer it at the precise time we have appointed in our own minds.  Instead, He will reveal Himself to our seeking hearts, though not necessarily when and where we may expect.  Therefore we have a need for perseverence and steadfast determination in our life of prayer.

  In the old days of flint, steel and brimstone matches, people had to strike the match again and again, perhaps even dozens of  times, before they could get a spark to light their fire, and they were very thankful they finally succeeded.  Should we not exercise the same kind of perverence and hope regarding heavenly things?  When it comes to faith, we have more certainty of success than we could ever have had with flint and steel for we have God's promises as a foundation.

  May we, therefore never despair.  God's time for mercy will come -- in fact, it has already come, if our time for believing has arrived.  Ask in faith, without wavering, but never cease to petition the King simply because He has delayed His reply. Strike the match again and make sparks fly!  Yet be sure to have your tinder ready, for you will get a fire before long. "

 ~~ Charles H. Spurgeon ~~

The Joy Giver

I have been so busy this past week......from schooling the children ( there are 8 being schooled now!) and tending  the home fires... that I have not had a moment to sit and blog.... and  I also went into the city this week and that always takes a good chunk of my time ..........in the midst of the busyness,  we have also had time to sing our praises to the Lord and rest in His beautiful promises in HIS  word! As we enter into this week of Thanksgiving, I like to take time to remember those brave and faith filled souls who came from so far away to establish a colony where they could worship their God freely without being "dictated" how they should do so. They believed the Word of God was to be taught freely and not under the "banner" or "control" of some church........ oh, how I can relate to these brave souls!  My journey to the Lord was somewhat of a pilgrimage in many ways! My family travelled over many miles to arrive to a place where God could teach us and show us His ways.  So I do have a tender spot in my heart for those pilgrims who came to America searching for freedom to worship to their heart's content!

This past week we have been learning a new hymn to sing for our Bible devotions.  We recently learned the beautiful hymn:  As the Deer.... if you don't know this lovely song, you so do need to become familiar with it's beautiful melody and even more beautiful lyrics! I have been hearing my children humming and singing this lovely song........

                                                          As the Deer

                                    Music & Lyrics by Martin Nystrom

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.

You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship You.

Chorus:

You alone are my strength , my shield; To you alone my spirit yield. You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship You.

You're my friend and You are my Brother, even though You are a King.

I love you more than any other, so much more than anything.

Chorus:

I want You more than gold or silver, only You can satisfy.

You alone are the real joy giver, and the apple of my eye.

Chorus

Jesus really is the real JOY giver -- and the apple of my eye! He is what I long for and I need Him like my body needs water!  I long to worship Him!

I hope in this coming week ~ that you too will find time to worship the JOY giver!!

Praising Him!

gloria

Overcoming

" They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.... they did not love their lives so much as to shirk from death. "  Revelation 12:11

Are we willing to compete for God's best, with the knoweldge that the best things are always achieved by the most difficult paths?  We must endure steep mountains, dense forests, and the Enemy's chariots of iron, since hardship is the  price of the victor's coronation.  Arches of triumph are made not  of rose blossoms and strands of silk but of hard blows and bloody scars. The very hardships you are enduring in your life today have been given to you by the Master, for the express purpose of enabling  you to win the crown.

Therefore do not always look ahead to your tomorrows for some ideal situation, exotic difficulty or faraway emergency in which to shine. Rise today to face circumstances in which the providence of God has placed you.  Your crown of glory is hidden in the heart of these things -- the hardships and trials pressing in on you this very hour, week and month of your life. Yet the most difficult things are not those seens and known by the world but those deep in your soul, unseen and unknown by anyone except Jesus.  It is in this secret place that you expierence a little trial that you would never dare to mention to anyone else and that is more difficut for you to bear than martyrdom. 

Beloved, your crown lies there. May God help you to overcome and wear it.

               It matters not how the battle goes,                 

               The day how long;

               Faint Not! Fight on!

               Tomorrow comes the song.

~~ L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert  pg. 427-428 ~~

Amish Whoopie Pies!

We were first introduced to Whoopie Pies when we moved here to Missouri. I had never heard of them before. A local Amish  bakery was selling some and we were "smitten" with this "sandwich" style mini cake/cookie with filling in the middle. 

I am not sure "how" these came to be called "whoopie pies" but I figured some Amish mom had some leftover cake batter and decided to make something with it.......adding some leftover icing in the middle and perhaps one of her kids tried it and exlaimed " whoopie!!" ....

Just kidding, I really have NO idea how these came to be called Whoppie Pies, but they are fantastic. I bring these to potlucks for the kids and they are always a bit hit, and of course my kids at home love them too! They are fabulous with a big glass of milk!

This recipe makes about 4 dozen large sized pies. 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup softened butter

2 eggs

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup water

1 cup cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

Cream shortening, butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Grease baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min.  Do not overbake. Cool

Filling:

3/4 shortening or butter softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

water

Cream butter, add sugar one cup at a time... add vanilla and add as much water as desired.

Yields: about 48

You can wrap these individually in plastic wrap and they will keep overnight.

Enjoy!!

~ gloria ~