New Tracts

Today I am thankful for the resources that God provides to get His Word and the gospel message out.  Our church recently had two new tracts published.  The first, "In the Blood," was written to speak to those who believe that they have always been saved or that their family ties somehow give them grace.  The second, "Count on It," is a tract that was written when our church evangelist mentioned how the homosexual movement has twisted a beautiful symbol that God left on earth.  It is a tract about God's promises.  These tracts are bifolds, versus the trifolds that we published before, which makes them a lot more affordable.

A Woman's Work is Never Done

I don't take the title as one of a slave or as one of an overworked homemaker, but there are weeks that just seem excessively busy.  I am glad that I did not allow myself to stop on Monday when I was cleaning the house and doing yard work, because the rest of the week filled up in no time.  I mentioned yesterday the work on the new church website, but there is also an effort to get another two tracts published shortly.  One will be available very soon and one still has some design issues to work out.  So I am once again in my satellite office (the public library) and will try to get some more things done on the church website today.  Fortunately, most of the work has not dirtied the house and hubby has been content with simple meals this week.

Keep working!

Proper Worship

Psalm 89:7

God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,

and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

This Psalm is going through my head today as I work on a church website.  Of course, while working on a website, I am focusing on what makes my church special or unique.  Why did I choose Manna Baptist above all of the other churches available here in the Bible belt?  Church should be different than any other activity.  It is a place to worship.  The word "worship" has so many connotations today.  Worship is ascribing value to God.  How do I do this except to show honor, fear, and reverence before the God who holds my life and future in His hands.  Church is not a game, not a show, and not another social club. 

A New Ingredient

I mentioned earlier this month that I am again on a search for new recipes.  Many of the recipes involve beans or fresh veggies from the garden.  We tried these burritos on Saturday.  While it was not a phenomenal recipe ... it did introduce us to chipotle chilies in adobo sauce.  There was definitely some fire and a pleasant smokey smell and taste to this new ingredient.  It was a quick, light, easy meal.

South-of-the-Border Burritos

2 Tbls veg oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 c)

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can  (15 oz) black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed

1 - 2 tsp finely chopped drained chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (from 7 oz can)

4 tortillas (8-10 inch)

1 c shredded cheese (4 oz)

1 large tomato, chopped (1 c)

In nonstick skillet, heat oil over med-high heat.  Cook onion and garlic in oil 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.  Stir in beans and chilies.  Cook, stirring frequently until hot.

Place 1/4 of bean mixture on center of each tortilla.  Top with cheese and tomato.  Fold up.

On a different note.  Our shopping trip yielded a new pair of tennis shoes and some athletic socks.  Thanks mom and dad!

So this is what a weekend feels like!

Well, my Saturday piano lessons are now moved to Monday mornings and with hubby's new job ... we are enjoying more weekends together.  In two months time, hubby has only worked 2 Saturdays.  This morning is housework, laundry, garden work, and cleaning and car cleanup and then this evening I am going to go use a gift card that I received for my birthday and share a smoothie at Orange Julius with my darling.  I have enjoyed not being up at 3:30 in the morning on Saturdays!

New Life

It is Thankful Thursday and what better reason is there to be thankful than a new nephew who arrived early this morning.  All are reported to be healthy and doing well.  Congratulations to the new dad and mom (though it is anything but new to them).  The tally on the Hadley side of the family is now 15 nieces and nephews with number 16 expected at the end of the year!

Of Gardens, Canners, and Ants

Woman's Work Wednesday.  I'm trying to live up to it today.  I started the morning in the vegetable and flower gardens.  They were not looking very neat and tidy.  I weeded and removed some lettuce greens that were turning bitter in the heat and then picked all the beets.  I also checked the squash and pumpkin plants for squash bugs, squash bug babies, and squash bug eggs.  I don't particularly care for that job, but I am hoping that I don't lose my crop to these critters.  So far, my experiment with beneficial nematodes is getting a thumbs up - no cutworms ... yet!

Once inside, the beets had to be dealt with.  Into the pressure cooker they went.  A few more jars to give us that garden taste in the winter months (or at least the fall).  Since I had the canning paraphernalia out, I decided to do something with a pile of zucchini that was growing way to fast ... the answer ... zucchini pickles.  I have never tried them before, but they look nice in the canning jars!

Ants!  North Carolina has not endeared itself to me because of its heat and its bugs.  Right now we are dealing with the little annoying critters called ants.  I am thankful for a product called Terro that is really helping to take care of the little guys and to keep them at bay. 

Now it is almost time to get dinner on the table and then we are off to church.  Before the sausages go on the grill maybe I will review some Greek vocabulary.  I'm sure that I could think of something more fun than that ... could you?

Strength and Power

...the God of glory thundereth:...

The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

...The LORD will give strength unto his people;

the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Psalm 29:3,4,11

I am enjoying a thunderous sun shower on this first evening of summer. 

It really brings to light the Psalm that I have been meditating on this week. 

The same power that is shown in these powerful storms

is the strength that God gives to His people. 

I am weak ... I need that strength!

Music and Menus

So, I have not exactly been stellar at getting back into blogging.  It really does throw me for a loop when our schedules change again after the school semester and this May has been a doozy!

I mentioned earlier that hubby was done at the farm.  He is enjoying being out of the heat and doing something indoors.  I tease him that he has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and organizing and stocking shelves at Kmart is just the thing for him.  He loves it!  He also gets his workout on truck days when he is unloading trucks.  The only downfall to me is that his schedule is ALWAYS changing - no idea what he is working from week to week!

While we waited for the Kmart employment to start, God provided two different jobs for me.  The first was a transcription job.  I transcribed 10 different sermons that the speaker was desiring to have published into a book.  It was a new skill to learn and practice, but I found the work fun.  In addition to typing and editing there was also research to verify spelling and key facts.  The job is finished now, but I hope that my efforts will yield more opportunities for secretarial-like work at home.

I also started giving piano lessons as more than a ministry.  I currently have 6 students that I teach on Monday mornings.  I have 2 children, 2 teens, and 2 adults at present.  I am enjoying the opportunity to share what I know and to prepare more musicians for church ministry.  God is also using the income to offset the pay cut and limited hours that hubby has at Kmart.

Now that things are slowing down (I think), I am back to searching cookbooks for new recipes.  I found this one last week.  Hubby loved the flavor and I loved the fact that it only took 15 minutes and it did not use the oven!

Pasta and Bean Skillet

1 c salsa

2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (2 oz) - I used what I had - whole wheat rotini

3/4 c water

2 tsp chili powder

1 can (15-16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling.

Reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer 15 minutes stirring frequently just until macaroni is tender.

Sprinkle with cheese.

TWO MONTHS! Officially a terrible blogger!

I do apologize.  It has been 2 months since my last post.  Thanks to those who hopped on in May and sent birthday greetings my way.  I turned 36 on May 15.  It was a lovely day and even included a visit from family!

I have been away because of various responsibilities.  In April, our area received two bad wind storms which left our property a mess of trees and branches.  There was a lot of hauling and cutting to take care of while lawn cutting and gardening was also ramping up.  At the end of April, I was job hunting for hubby while he finished up his time on the farm (I sure don't miss those farm clothes in my washer daily) and a busy school semester (ONLY ONE MORE TO GO!) 

In May, after the semester, hubby started part-time at Kmart and I took two jobs that did not violate my conscience about being a "keeper at home" but have helped to meet some needs in the home.  I finished transcribing 10 sermons throughout the month of May and the first week of June.  I don't have training in this area, but I did get faster as I practiced and I appreciate what I learned.  I also began teaching piano lessons to non-church folks.  They are still falling into place, but I think that I may have 8 students in about 4 hours on Saturday mornings (hoping to move to a weekday now that the local schools are through).  In the middle of May, my oldest niece on the Hadley side came for a two week "summer sewing camp."  I enjoyed the company and the time with a niece that I once lived with about 10 years ago. 

Now it is June and I am now trying to learn Greek with some church folks and Hebrew with Hubby ... don't know if I can swing both, but I will give it a hearty stab.  This morning, I started adding to my eBay sales and hope to get that moving in a profitable direction again.  The garden has produced peas, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, carrots, and beets.  I see some cucumbers forming and the squash, melons and tomatoes are flowering.  I just planted beans and the pepper plants look good.

I hope to catch up on some of the back posts, but I make no promises :)

Thanks for being patient with me.  It is good to be back.