Lessons from God

I have been enjoying our Beth Moore study, A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, Member Book UPDATED. I must admit I have had a hard time keeping up with homework, so today, while my friend Ella is homeschooling my children to give me a break, I am playing catch-up.

I am really enjoying the reminders from God of LFL's I have learned in the past. A "LFL" is something I learned from the Kay Arthur book, How to Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Method. It means Lesson For Life.

Here is one reminder from the life of Abraham. God told him (Gen. 12) to pack up his things and go to a place that God would lead him, and Abraham packs up his family and his belongings and goes! God doesn't give him ALL the information. Abraham doesn't say, "I'm willing to go, God, just show me where." God says, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land which I will show you." And Abraham "went forth as the Lord had spoken to him."

Reminder #2 - Abraham believed and it was counted unto him as righteousness.

Sometimes someone says something in a new way, putting into words what you've thought and you are just like, THAT'S IT! Just like when Abraham was willing to obediently offer his one and only son Isaac as a sacrifice when asked, God willingly gave His one and only Son. BUT "the very heart of the gospel is realizing that God did not simply provide a sacrifice for us, but instead of us." Jesus is our ram! He took my place on the altar to pay for my sins.

And, this quote meant a lot... "Maybe, like me, you need to hear God say, 'I alone am God, my Child. I am the only One with the power to keep every promise. As they seek Me, I will enable others to forgive you for not being me." These were my thoughts I jotted down - Love it! I don't have to be perfect! As others seek God, He will enable others to forgive me for NOT being perfect Him!

Life...

This month's discipline (Disciplines of a Godly Woman) is the mind. Pray with me that in the midst of "busyness" that I would keep my mind stayed on Him. "...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

My "busyness" right now seems daunting sometimes, but I feel that my steps are being ordered by the Lord! Thursday night we had 3 friends for a sleepover, got up and went ice skating, back home to fetch Brad and drop him off at the office, home for 1 hour, pick up friends for Olympians (jr. youth), go to Olympians, Rissa & Mya off for a sleepover at a friends, off to run a Micro F1 at another church's Olympians club, drop Brandon off for a sleepover with his sisters, and home again.

Today I have guests coming over, Olympians training, a Birthday Party for an adorably sweet little 2 year old boy, music practice and senior youth at our home church.

Tomorrow we're looking forward to going to church at Community Baptist in Leondale and then attending a birthday party/bring & braai. Love fellowship with good friends!

Our week slows down a bit, back to homeschool in the mornings, though there is something extra almost every day. We may have extra practices this week for the drama that the kids are in, Fiddler on the Roof.

Monday we look forward to our best friends visiting in the afternoon and I got to a Beth Moore Bible study in the evening, Tuesday eve is Bible Study at church, Wednesday late morning/early afternoon is drama practice and late afternoon we go to visit friends. Thursday is usually our day at home, but this week I meet with my mentor (once a month) while the kids play baseball with some homeschool friends. Friday we start that weekend all over again! Though weekends are usually quite AS hectic as this last one was. ;)

Well, I better get back to tidying up my house for those visitors this morning! Thinking about making some monkey bread.

DeclutteringI

We are in the process of decluttering and organizing around our house, as we have had someone move in to the Rondoval, which is a small building out back that we've been storing things in. SOOOOO!
Out with the baby clothes, baby toys, and even some other things! So far I've given away 6 boxes worth of things, and Brad's gotten rid of stuff, too!
It's great to bless others in need and to free up space around here!

Disciplines of A Godly Woman

Once a month I meet with a friend, Mandy Neilson, and we study the book Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes. Here are some things that really jumped out at me from this month's chapter, The Discipline of Worship.

After the service, everyone asks, 'What did you think of the service today?' or they slip out the door as quickly as possible. The real question should be, 'What did God think of it - and of us?" We ought to ask, 'What did I give to God?'

Worshiping 'in truth' means that we come informed by the objective relevation o God's Word about the great God we serve and the precepts He has spoken. In this sense our worship is governed by what we know and believe about God. The better informed we are, the better we can worship.

The next quote is from A.W. Tozer

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to one standard to which each one must individually blow. So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship?

She also had some good ideas at preparing your heart for Sunday morning worship, as well, like laying clothes and Bibles out on Friday evening, along with anything else that you might need, praying for the Worship service ahead of time, getting up early on Sunday morning so you have plenty of time to get ready, and even spending a time of prayer as a family on Sunday before you leave for church.

Cream Soup Substitute

Rating:
Category:	Other

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoon butter
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk
* salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed to taste.
Use in casseroles in place of condensed cream soups.

Can be varied by using vegetable broth, sauteéd chopped celery, celery seed, or sauteéd chopped mushrooms.

Joy

I want to find joy in all the little things I do today, thanking God for all the blessings that He's given me.
Thank You, God, for giving me kids to clean up after. Thank You, God, for providing us food to cook. Thank You, God, for possessions to tidy up. Thank You, God, for clothes to wash. Thank You, God, even for the trials, though I may not understand why they continue, I know that You are trying to strengthen me into the person You want me to be.

Butternut Soup (Stove Top or Instant Pot)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

3 C cubed butternut
1 1/2 C water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp marjarom
1/8 tsp pepper
1/16 tsp ground cayenne pepper
8 oz. cream cheese

Stove - Cook butternut with water, bouillon, marjarom and spices. Bring to boil and cook 20 minutes more.
Add cream cheese and puree/blend. Heat through, but do not boil again!

Instant pot - add all ingredients except cream cheese to Instant Pot. Set to pressure cook for 4 minutes. Quick release steam, add cream cheese and puree. Serve warm.