Reflections:
Have you ever noticed how noisy life can be?
Traffic, kids, the phone, television, fax machines, the washing machine, the dryer, the dishwasher, the sewing machine, the lawnmower, and the list goes on and on.
Recently, I've had a few health issues and this has forced me to be still at times. A person usually thinks of health issues as a bad thing but it is true that good can come from bad. I started to realize that if I truly wanted to hear God's will, I needed to be quiet and seek Him. God does not have to be loud to be heard.
I often think about Jesus going into the Garden of Gethsemane; I've always thought that the picture of Jesus going into the garden looks like a very peaceful place too be, although Jesus was going there to talk with His Father about a very important issue.
Being quiet and seeking God brings a peace that is complete. When I am tired and feel totally worn out, I can go to a quiet place and seek God and after just a little while, I feel refreshed. Medication, vitamins, and the best doctors in the world can't give me the feeling that I get when I spend time with God.
The world is a very busy place and it is easy to get lost in all of our plans, protecting our loved ones from the evils of the world, and just the pace of day to day living; however, God says that He will be exalted in the earth and among the heathen.
The world provides a huge, noisy, canopy over the stillness where we seek God but one day, Christ is going to return and all things and all people will know and acknowledge that He is God. I love this quote from White Eagle; " Happiness is the realization of God in the heart. Happiness is the result of praise and thanksgiving, of faith, of acceptance, a quiet tranquil realization of the love of God."
Please make sure that you take time every day to spend some quiet time with God; I'm sure that you will be amazed at the changes that occur in your life.

Cook's Nook:
Stew
Ingredients:
2 onion chopped
3 Tbsp. Shortening
1 green pepper, chopped
2 lb. Cubed beef
3 c. beef bouillon
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Flour, salt and pepper the beef and brown it. Cook for 1 ½ hours. Add green beans, carrots, and potatoes. Cook for 25 minutes

Cheese Garlic Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. F. Combine baking mix, milk, and cheese with wooden spoon until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough in heaping teaspoonfuls onto and ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Combine melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Yield: 10 to 12 biscuits.

Crockpot Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients:
1(16oz.) can cherry pie filling
3 Tbsp. Evaporated milk
1 pkg. Cake mix for 1 layer cake
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 egg

Directions:
Put pie filling in lightly buttered 3 ½ quart crockpot and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Mix together the remaining ingredients and spoon onto the hot pie filling. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours on LOW.

Helpful Hints:
Make a prayer basket
In our reflections section, we talked about being quiet and spending time with God. I have a special chair and I like to keep a basket near my chair. My basket has a Bible, a package of tissues, a small notebook, a pen, and a candle. Just as you would plan a party, plan your special time with God; very soon, you will feel as though something is very wrong if you haven't had your daily time with the heavenly Father.

A Prayer Journal
I took a very inexpensive notebook and decorated the cover. This is my prayer journal. I write down my prayer requests and I put a special mark by the prayers that have been answered. This is a great way to organize your prayer life, as well as, being able to see just how much God really hears our prayers.

The Writer's Block:
I found this writing in a cookbook called Heavenly Dishes. The cookbook was produced by First Assembly of God Church JOY Fellowship. The publisher is Fundcraft Publishing and the Copyright is 1978. I hope that you enjoy this piece as much as I have.

Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down Life's Highway a long time ago.
One day I saw a sign that read "Heaven's Grocery Store."
As I got a little closer the door came open wide. And when I came to myself, I was standing inside.
I saw a Host of Angels, they were standing everywhere; one handed me a basket and said, " My child, shop with care."
Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store. And all you couldn't carry, you could come back the next day for more.
First I got some PATIENCE; LOVE was in the same row. Further down was UNDERSTANDING, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of WISDOM, a bag or two of FAITH. I just couldn't miss the HOLY GHOST for He was all over the place.
I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help run this race.
By then, my basket was getting full, but I remembered I needed some GRACE. I did not forget SALVATION, for SALVATION, that was free. So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.
Then I started up to the counter to pay my grocery bill. For I thought I had everything to do my Master's will. As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in. For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.
PEACE and JOY were plentiful, they were on the last shelf. SONG and PRAISES were standing near so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the Angel, "Now how much do I owe?" He just smiled and said, "Just take them everywhere you go."
Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I really owe?" He smiled again and said, "MY CHILD, JESUS PAID YOUR BILL A LONG TIME AGO!"
Author……..Ron DeMarco

The Book Worm:
The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
This book is an eye opening account of a journalist that had always considered himself an atheist.. When Mr. Strobel began a personal investigation for evidence about Jesus, the search changed his life.

Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyer
In reading this book, it was like medicine too me; I had to read in small portions because it was so powerful. This book discusses needing the approval of those around us and the importance of realizing that the only approval we need is that of Jesus Christ. The book also shows that issues or things that we regard with great importance always have the potential of becoming addictions. Christ is the best addiction that we can ever have.

Reflective Gifting:
If you have new neighbors, make it a point to get to know them. Some things that I like to do when we have new people move in, is to provide a meal for the family, bake cookies, muffins, a cake, etc., or provide coupons to a nice restaurant. Moving can be very tiring and hectic and usually this sort of gesture will be appreciated and well received.

When someone is sick, I like to fill a basket with soup, crackers, a cup of tea, some throat lozenges, a puzzle book, some tissues, and anything else that the ill person might enjoy. Just knowing that someone is thinking of them can put a bright spot in a sick person's day.

Thanks so much for visiting the site. I pray that God watches over all of you and the He blesses you richly. Until next time, remember; be kind to everyone for you never know when you are entertaining angels.

Home Comforts Archive:

Date:
• May 12, 2006
• April 29, 2006
• March 31, 2006
• June 27, 2006