Reflections:
There is a church very near my home and they always give great bits of wisdom on their marquee. Recently, the saying read, "Even Jesus does not judge a man before he dies. Why then, do we judge so quickly?"
I thought about that question for a long time and it became very apparent to me that we should all be wearing yellow tapes that say, "Caution: Work Zone".
From the moment God made us, we have all been works in progress. We are not a completed work until God calls us home.
It is very easy to judge someone quickly and to be harsh and critical of a person. It is much more difficult to comprehend that we need to be cautious in judging someone, lest we will be judged by a much Higher power.
We need to pray for one another and give encouragement.
Even if we do not agree with a person, we can still pray for them.
Anger and hurt are great tools for the devil to use when we are at the edge of judging someone. Anger and hurt can force our hand and cause us to pass severe and swift judgment.
Instead of allowing anger and hurt to move us toward judging someone, it is much wiser to pray about the situation and to leave the judgments up to the ultimate judge.

Cook's Nook:
My friend gave me this recipe. She is a terrific cook and a wonderful friend. This is great served over hot rice.

Fanny's Mix
Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
1 package green onions
¼ red onion
½ white onion
½ package cilantro
6 spoons water
6 spoons vinegar
2 avocadoes

Directions:
Cut all vegetables and herbs in small pieces. Place in small container and refrigerate. Stir in water and vinegar before serving. Serve as a topping for hot rice.

My son loves this casserole and it is really easy to make.

Easy Casserole
Ingredients:
1lb. Chicken or turkey breast, cooked and diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
¼.tsp. onion powder
2 cups cooked egg noodles
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup crushed potato chips (plain or flavored)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and put into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips. You may wish to used spaghetti instead of noodles. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Helpful Hints:
Potato Problems
The next time your potatoes are boiling over, lay a wooden spoon across the top of the pot……it stops the boiling over! This was a great tip from the Paula Deen show.

T-Shirt Tip
When decorating t shirts, cover a piece of cardboard with waxed paper and lay the cardboard between the front and back of the shirt (inside); this prevents the sides from sticking together.

The Writer's Block:
I have a friend who has lived a very colorful life and he and his wife are involved in prison ministry. I couldn't be prouder of two people and it feels so good to be able to call them my friends. They sent me this writing and I just had to share it. I hope that it means as much to you as it does too me.

Paid in Full

After living a decent life, my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room or what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the prosecutor. He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed familiar to me.
The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, Let us begin.
The prosecutor rose and said, My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell. He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more things he spoke, the further down I sank in my seat. I was so embarrassed that I could not look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of the sins that even I had completely forgotten about. And as upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life, couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I had done?
Satan finished with a fury and said, This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.
When it was His turn, my lawyer first asked if He might approach the bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar. This was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge, Hi Dad, and then He turned to address the court. Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.
Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and He has accepted me as his Savior, so he is mine.
My Lord continued with, His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and replied, There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all.
The judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips… This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, I won't give up, I'll win the next one.
I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, Have you ever lost a case? Christ lovingly smiled and said, Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, Paid in Full.
Author……..Unknown

The Book Worm:
Dinner With A Perfect Stranger……An Invitation Worth Considering by David Gregory
This book is a very easy read. The book is a fictional book in which a man is invited to dine at a wonderful restaurant. The catch is, the man does not know who the host will be and actually thinks the invitation is a joke played on him by his friends. What a shock the man gets when his host actually turns out to be Jesus. During the meal, Jesus dispels all of the mans theories about various religions and presents the man with the true plan of salvation. I read this book in one evening; I just couldn't put it down. This is an awesome book.

Family Time
This is a new section that I have added to offer creative ideas for spending some quality family time. Please make time for your family; days pass away and before you know it, years have gone and all you are left with are your memories so please make them good while you can.

Book Night:
This suggestion encourages reading. Encourage each member of your family to pick a book and set a time and a place that your family will gather and each member will present a review of the book and their opinion of the book. This is a great way to learn more about what your children like to read.

Frugal Living
This is another new section, that will hopefully, help us to use our dollars and cents wisely.
Buy strawberries or other berries, when they are on sale and in season. Clean, slice and freeze the berries and your family can enjoy them even when they aren't in season.

Use old newspaper to clean windows and lights; the newspaper doesn't leave lint and is more economic than using paper towels.

Prayer Requests
Prayer is essential in my life. I have added this section because God says that we have not because we ask not. There are many things that happen in our daily lives and in our world. Prayer is the single most crucial thing that we can do to make a difference in our world. I am going to put a couple of things on here and if you have prayer requests that you would like to share, please email me here.

Please pray for:
The students, faculty, administrators, and families at Virginia Tech.
The President and staff.
Our kids.
My cousin and his family……..they are fighting to save their home.

Home Comforts Archive:

Date:
• February 26, 2007
• June 27, 2006
• May 12, 2006
• April 29, 2006
• March 31, 2006