Stop Looking at Everybody Else!

Luke 12:15

And he said unto them,

Take heed, and beware of covetousness:

for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance

of the things which he possesseth.

It sure is easy to get drawn away into lust and discontent and today's society.  We are surrounded by "toys" and gadgets all designed to make life easier - to keep me connected - to help me to stay in touch with EVERYONE!  Oh, do I battle it ... wouldn't it be great to blog on a cell phone while waiting for an appointment or waiting to give a piano lesson?  Wouldn't it be great to update our church website from home instead of using wi-fi in another location?  Wouldn't that Keurig make spur of the moment entertaining a breeze?  Wouldn't that large country club home that I delivered a tract to on Saturday be just the thing to make me "happy?"  Would it be so bad to have this or that.  The rich man in the parable following this warning was looking to "take his ease."  He didn't realize that life was short and that his life would end before he fulfilled his BIG plans.  Just another verse God gave to remind me to be content - he has a plan for me and it is different than the plan he has for you.

My plans for today including finishing some Wrench Rolls and planting some peas.  I am about 2 weeks "late" on the peas, but am looking forward to getting back to the dirt!  The wrench rolls are not a strange, new delicacy, but rather a request from hubby.  I will show pictures tomorrow, but basically it is a mat with a pocket for each wrench in a set.  When not in use, the mat can be rolled up and stored neatly.  I finished 2 yesterday which promptly disappeared to the shop this morning, but I have 4 more to go.  Why so many?  2 rolls for each location - car, truck, and work - 1 standard roll, 1 metric roll.  I am practicing my upcycling skills - the pocket came from an old pair of hubby's work pants, and the roll itself from a well-loved jean jumper!

Cornmeal Quiche

I am sure that with the rising gas costs, many of you are finding new ways to cut back.  Typically, we first look at our use of gas and unnecessary trips and then we hit the food budget.  Hubby asked the other day that we have 2-3 meatless meals each week - for him that is a BIG deal!  And so I try to find meatless meals that don't leave him frustrated.  He loves a soup and sandwhich night.  A large tossed salad with hard boiled eggs is satisfying (especially with homemade croutons).  A big pot of baked beans and fresh biscuits is not snubbed.  I discovered early in our marriage that seemingly anything with a crust is a hit ... so I decided to try this quiche.  It is quick to put together, uses common ingredients, and fits the "meatless" criteria.  It was also quite the find after I had found and purchased 3 dozen organic eggs marked down to 99 cents a dozen and been given one dozen farm fresh eggs later that day.

Cornmeal Quiche

Crust

Combine in bowl:

1/2 c cornmeal

3/4 c sifted flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Cut in:

1/3 c shortening, soft

Sprinkle over while tossing with a fork:

3 Tbls cold water

Stir lightly until mixture will form a ball.

Roll out on lightly floured board.

Fit loosely into 9" pie plate;

fold edge under and flute.

Preheat oven to 425*

Filling:

Lay on bottom of unbaked crust:

6 slices or 1 1/4 c shredded cheese.

Spread over cheese:

2 c whole kernel corn, well drained

Combine in a bowl:

5 eggs

3/4 c light cream or evaporated milk (I used skim milk with a little butter)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

Beat until well blended.

Pour over corn.

Place on bottom rack of oven.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce temp to 350* and continue baking 25-30 min.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Bits and Pieces

Goals:
     I finished my 3rd week in working on my endurance - down 30 seconds!
     I am finishing the memorization of Galatians 1 - yeah, still ahead of schedule.
     I finished the bulletin board for March.
     My friend's tract was sent to the publisher last night.

It is a beautiful day in Shelby, NC - very breezy with clouds and sun!

I enjoyed one of those "blasts from the past" yesterday.  The little brother of my piano students shared a piece of Bazooka Joe bubble gum with me - you know, the one with the little comic on it :)

Had some interesting "coincidences" this week.  Not so coincidental ... they were God's merciful, and gracious "tokens for good" in my life!

Daily Bread

Praising the Lord for my daily bread!

I have never wanted for physical provision.

God is good all of the time.

All of the time, God is good.

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I am also thankful for those who reached my blog entry yesterday via facebook.

That blog was a long time coming and a little uncomfortable to post.

To see how many people read it yesterday, I can only hope that it was a blessing to someone.

The Undesired and Unappreciated Gift



You have watched it, haven’t you - a child tearing through a stack of presents at a birthday or at Christmas?  One present opened, laid aside, another opened, laid aside, until they are all opened.  Then the child returns to the “most entertaining” or “most desired” for the remainder of the day or worse yet, begins complaining about what was not received or whining for the gift that another child received.  No thought for the efforts of Grandma in knitting the sweater.  No thought for the sacrifice of mom and dad to get the sneakers that were desperately needed.  Unacknowledged and undesired gifts.  The selfish soul does not see needs, only wants and desires and entertainment.

I am working very hard not to be that child.  Does that seem strange to you?  I have received a gift that I did not ask for or desire.  To me, at the present, it can’t compare to the gifts that others receive.  Yet, it is the gift that was chosen for me.  It was given to me by a wise and loving Heavenly Father who sees all.

 James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

Matthew 7:11

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts

unto your children, how much more shall your Father

which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

 It is SO easy to ask why.  Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”  If children are a reward, why can’t I have that reward?  Am I missing something?  What am I doing wrong?  Why so many teen mothers with unwanted pregnancies?  Why some families with seemingly more children than they can handle?  Why do drug addicts get the gift that I want?  Why can some women seem to have a child every two years like clock work?

 And so here is my struggle as I watch the growing bellies pass me by, as the halls of my home echo with silence.

The answer for me does not lie in medical intervention.  For now, it does not lie in adoption or fostering.  The answer is to appreciate the gift that God is giving me today.  I have failed to recognize the sweet fellowship of leaning on the everlasting arms when the days are too quiet and the emotional pain is stonger than any physical pain could be.  I have failed to acknowledge the freedom I have to be involved in a multitude of ministries all at the same time.  I have failed to accept the spiritual growth in my life from hours of Bible study beyond a “quick read” in the morning.  I have failed to value what it is to fast and pray when many Christians fail to ever see the need.  I have failed to acknowledge God’s special dealings with me.

 Are you struggling with a situation in your life?  A sickness, a disability, a financial crisis, singleness, barrenness, loss, …?  Do you need to, like me, look for the “gift” that God is trying to give you?

I am far from where I want to be in my acceptance, but I am learning and growing.

Comfort

Psalm 139:1-5

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising,

thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down,

and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue,

but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before,

and laid thine hand upon me.

 

I have had a rough couple of weeks emotionally, but the Lord is faithful to bring encouragement and comfort.  I read this Psalm this morning.  I LOVE this Psalm.  Though I may feel alone, though I may feel that no one understands … my God created me, he knows me … inside and out

Baking

I would much rather bake than cook.  Perhaps it is because I have such a sweet tooth ... or because home-baked goodies go so well with a hot cup of coffee or tea.  I made a batch of Spice Bars this morning so that I would have a treat to put in hubby's lunch box and then two loaves of Pumpkin Spice Bread (one for now and one for the freezer).  My experiment this week will be a batch of soft pretzels on Saturday night for my date with hubby.  I LOVE a nice hot pretzel covered with buttery cinnamon and sugar ... and hubby is hoping for a pepperoni pretzel to dip in pizza sauce.  So long Aunt Annies ... on to Aunt Sandra's pretzels!

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7 skirts were finished and shipped last week.  Hooray!

We spent much of Saturday in Asheville, NC

blitzing the area with tracts and other gospel materials-

we are praying for some response from the Jewish community there.

A friend is making plans for mass distribution in Charleston, SC next.

On week three of my jogging challenge - getting harder, but the pain is lessening.

I shaved one minute off my time last week!

My projects this week include a bulletin board for church in March

and a new gospel tract for a friend.



Donut Day!

Will you forgive my sentimentality one more time this month?

Today is donut day!

Why?

Well ...

my first date with hubby was to Bella Napolis ...

an Italian pastry shop in Latham, NY.

Donuts and Coffee ... what a way to start things off!

With a special shout out to Jeff and Sarah and 3 of the children who joined us that night!

We still laugh about sharing the date with an 8 day old little guy!

So tonight after putting Bibles together at church ...

we will hit the marked down donuts at the local grocery ...

YUMMY!

Perfect Timing

I know it in my head ... but sometimes I don't apply it.

I know it in my head ... but I don't like the wait.

I know it in our head ... but I don't always live like it.

I am so thankful that God's timing is perfect.  For almost a year, I have been giving piano lessons in a small community about 25 miles north of my home.  They were arranged by a woman who saw a lack of music training in the churches in her remote town.  So lessons were arranged in a borrowed church, and the woman volunteered to drive when I had no transportation.  And then ... the woman had some health troubles.  No church, no transportation!  But my God knows all and is in control of all.  At that same moment, He was opening another church (with permission to use heat and lights) and He was preparing a second vehicle for us and He was multiplying my students.  Why do I fret about tomorrow?  His timing is perfect!

Goals

I am one of those people who accomplishes most when I have goals, lists, a vision to accomplish. 

I love to make a daily list of things to do.

I love to have a goal to strive for.

Some goals are silly and frivolous, others better my health, still others help others.

One of my housekeeping goals is to have a sweet smelling house.

It is a relatively simple goal, but cannot be accomplished with dirty dishes in the sink

or a trash can that needs to be emptied.

I desire to be a godly wife, a keeper at home.

This is not simply to be a housekeeper.

My goal is to keep the influence of the world out of my home,

to create a sanctuary where my husband can study and grow,

to create a place where people feel at home and comfortable,

to meet the needs of my hubby and our guests,

to be feeding myself in the Word daily.

Currently I am working on reviewing my memorization of the book of James

and trying to memorize the book of Galatians in a year's time.

So far, I am ahead of my goal of 2 verses each week :)

I am also currently working to get back to regular jogging.

I am only on week 2 of a regular regiment, but hopefully over the big pain!

I am following a plan mapped out here to get to jogging 3 miles straight in 9 weeks.

I am not sure that I won't have to do some weeks twice, but it is at least a goal.

I am not so interested in my time (though I do like to see it improved)

as in my perseverance to stick with it!

One of my lifetime goals is to live up to my name.

The name Sandra means "helper of mankind."

I want to be known as one who helps, not one who hinders or tears down.

It is said, "If you shoot at nothing, you are destined to hit it."

Not me - I would rather shoot for the moon!