Ringing in the New Year With Prayer

…A perfect way to begin the New Year!

       Hope you have a very

           HAPPY,

              NEW YEAR!!!

A Saving Faith

My dear Readers,

If you have read much of my blog, you know that I LOVE Dr. Charles Stanley and his ministry.  I feel like he has raised me in the Lord, having listened to Him since I was a young teen.  2012 has been a special year - He has celebrated his 80th birthday, 55 years of ministry and 35 years of In Touch Ministries.

I must share today's devotion with you.  If you or anyone you know is unclear about salvation, this devotion may be just what will help.  I hope that you will click and read the link below. 

                                                                                A Saving Faith

For further reading about the Lord’s gift of salvation, you can click here:

                                                                          The Greatest Gift of All 
                                                                               and here: 

                                                                     Benefits of God's Greatest Gift

If you already know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, these devotions may help give you the confidence you need to witness to someone.

May you be blessed as you read these! 

                                                     Prayerfully yours.

Merry Christmas!

As we celebrate our dear Savior’s birth, I hope that you are having a very Merry Christmas!

I will make this a quick post, as we are in the midst of severe weather.  It has been an interesting day weather wise for us.  Please pray for those in the path of these storms.  Blessings to each of you!!!

Victorian Christmas Home Tour

Wherever I go, I keep at least one eye out, although usually two, for old, Victorian homes.  I don’t know when my interest for that time period in history began, but I have a never ending curiosity for the sights and stories of the bygone era.  Driving around old Southern towns, and scouting out places that bring history alive is definitely my idea of thrill seeking.

Here is one such house, that we came across, situated so stately on a steep hill in the heart of Columbus, Mississippi.

Does anyone paint that way anymore?  It would be so spectacular to have paintings of my kids like these!

This charming house was a mixture of elegance and quaintness.  Endearing and interesting, the owner, a retired school teacher, was elegant in her own right.  Picturesquely dressed in Christmassy red, with her hair neatly up in a bun, she was busy in the basement kitchen baking sugar cookies for an afternoon Christmas gathering.  

I loved the meandering architecture of this house, and the landscape was equally interesting,

with lots of aged brick and stone paths, hedged in with azaleas, liriope, and cast iron, giving the courtyard such a well established, cozy feel making me long to be in one of the wicker rockers enjoying it on a rainy day. 

  For me, if hearing the stories about the lives that were lived in these old homes weren’t enough to fill me up with wonderment – which they are – there’s always decorating ideas to inspire my attempt to make our house have the feel of stepping back in time, oh say, 130 years or so. 

As I type, I hear the sweet sounds of my youngest merrily singing while she clangs dishes in the kitchen, which is beckoning me.  Thanks for touring this house with me today.

Shining Brightly This Christmas

Ah, the joy of the Christmas season!  Like many of you, we have been busy decorating, and enjoying this favorite time of year.

While we make preparations, I am reminded…

As we enjoy the warmth of our hearths, let us warm our hearts with a passion for Jesus;

as our Christmas trees shine brightly, let us take care to be the “light of the world;”

as we shop and choose special gifts,

let us share the message of the Greatest Gift of all.

With excitement and fervor, let us remember to be “a city that is set on an hill,” proclaiming His perfect love and the message of His redemption.

     Have a joyous 
  Christmas  Season!

Spiced Tea Recipe

This recipe is worth a repost.  We make it each year, and I am delighted it is that time again! 

 
If Christmas had a flavor, this recipe is what I would imagine it to be.  It has passed through my family as long as I can remember, always being a favorite.  It also makes a nice gift in a pretty jar and kids have fun mixing the ingredients.

Spiced Tea:

1 cup sugar

1 cup Tang

1/4 cup unsweetened instant tea

1/2 package unsweetened lemon drink mix (I use Kool-Aid)        

1 TBS cinnamon

1 TBS cloves

Mix and store in an airtight container.

For each cup filled with boiling water, stir in two – three teaspoons.

It is so good of you to stop by!  Thank you for visiting!

Simply Savoring Fall with Thanksgiving

His unconditional love, the gift of salvation,

the beauty of His creation,

(Don’t these little mushrooms look so whimsical – almost like they are straight out of a cute little Dr. Seuss story?  Forgive my momentary ADD…back on track…)

knowing He is always with us as we walk through life,

 

being securely grounded with strong roots
in Him. . .

 

there is just so much to be thankful for!

With grateful hearts may we proclaim His glory!

I hope you have a wonderful week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Our Eternal Rewards

Do you ever consider the eternal rewards that are available for us to receive?  Generally, I haven’t, but God has brought this subject to my attention several times lately.   

Many of you may be like me, and haven’t given much thought to rewards – we’ll just be glad to get to Heaven! ;)  But God has more in mind.  Not only does He want to spend eternity with you, but He plans for you to enjoy it, thoroughly!

Think about it.  We experience joy from giving gifts to the ones that we love.  Right?  All the more, our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, most assuredly takes pleasure in giving us wonderful gifts.  He wants to reward us, and desires for us “to press toward the mark.”  

In Revelations, chapter 4, God’s Word speaks about casting crowns before His throne.  Can you imagine the joy you will feel if you experience your crowns being cast before the throne of Jesus?  When our motives are pure, we can give back to Him! 

I realized that I had been breezing over anything that I read about eternal rewards because it’s not about me and what I receive; it’s about Him.  This scripture in Revelations helped me to see that as we live our lives devoted to God, endeavoring to be in the center of His will, although we are enabling ourselves to receive rewards, in receiving them we are actually giving to our Savior. 

The Crown of Victory (or the Incorruptible Crown) is rewarded to those who greatly desire to walk in obedience to God, dying to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 9:25

The Crown of Life is for those that love Him, persevering and remaining faithful as they endure trials without giving up. James 1:12
(In particular, this one rings with me, giving me courage and resolve.)

The Crown of Righteousness is granted to those who long for His coming as they live Godly lives.  2 Tim. 4:8  

The Crown of Glory is bestowed to those who share God’s Word and live as Godly examples. 
1 Peter 5:4

For those of us that trust Jesus as our Savior, and walk in His ways, we can be assured that the best is still yet to come!  

 

Praying for America

Just a plea and a reminder to be in prayer today for the election - may our hearts and our choices reflect that “In God We Trust,” indeed. 

 
         Image courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com.

Glazed Apple Cake

I love apple cake, and this is my go to recipe that I like to use. Enjoy it fresh from the oven, but it is even better the next day!

Glazed Apple Cake

4-5 peeled, diced apples (I use Granny Smith apples)
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tablespoons apple juice

In a large bowl, mix diced apples, sugar, and nuts. Let stand for one hour, stirring often so that the mixture makes its own juices.

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

Sift flour with other dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk.  Then add oil and vanilla with eggs and whisk until mixed well.

Add egg mixture and dry ingredients to apples.  Hand stir cake batter just until combined.

Pour into greased and floured 10 inch tube or fluted pan. Bake 325 degrees for about 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pour glaze on cake as soon as it comes out of oven.

Cool 15 minutes on wire rack.  Loosen edges from pan with knife and turn out onto rack.  

When completely cooled, transfer to cake plate with glazed side on top.

I hope you are enjoying some delightful fall weather!  As always, thank you for visiting!

When You Need Encouragement

I’ve never once heard the Lord speak with my ears, but He does speak to our hearts.  As we experience seasons of adversity, the Lord desires us to be encouraged, and wants us to abide in the amazing love that He has for us. I would like to share a bit of that encouragement with you, as if He were writing a letter.

Blessings!

Crackers in My Shoe

I like soul food, but this isn’t what I had in mind!

How did this happen, you ask?  Oh, I can be haphazard and lackadaisical sometimes. I meant for the crackers to land in a plastic container on the cabinet above, but I dumped them too quickly, in a container that was too small.  It didn’t help matters that I was stepping over my own shoes that I carelessly left in the kitchen last night.

Next time I wear these, my walk may be a little crumby, unless I clean them up.  Our Christian walk can get crumby at times too.  Being apathetic and careless, perhaps easily stumbling into sin, will allow Satan to get a foothold on our lives.  Pun intended. Let’s do our best to not let that happen!  Hugs to all of you!