Where have you been? Part III

With every move and change in ministry,

there is a time to find your place.

A time to observe what is happening.

A time to contemplate what is needed.

We have not been without ministry in our new home,

but as we passed our 1 year in OR,

I began to feel like I had observed enough.

The music ministry has been a place of ministry for me.

Hubby is back to teaching fairly regularly.

But what else?

Is anyone else frustrated by the fear of personal interaction that the virus has promoted?

It makes it difficult to distribute tracts and definitely has shut down door-to-door for a while.

Recently, hubby helped me lead an outreach to police in our area.

I was upset by the struggles of officers in the nearby cities of Portland and Seattle.

Drawing on a couple of ministry ideas from our former church,

we asked church members to bring in snacks for police.

Using 4 big laundry baskets,

we were able to give to State Police and 2 town's police and sheriff's offices.

Flavored waters were labeled with our thanks.

Treats were packaged with a tract (similar to our treat bags at Christmas).

The feedback from those who participated was positive 

and we received positive remarks from those who received the baskets. 

I forgot to take pictures of the finished gift baskets,

but here was the start.

By the end, they were overflowing.

And a quilted, embroidered note of thanks was on the side of each basket.

Where have you been? Part II

There are times in life when you just have to (or get to) sit back and evaluate what you are doing.

Moving cross country creates a natural opportunity for that.

You disconnect from almost everything that filled your schedule outside of homemaking.

It was hard to leave a Sunday School ministry,

a piano ministry,

choir,

a printing ministry,

and regular interaction with college students and young couples.

On top of that ... add a pandemic that halts everything.

Early in the fall,

I was really feeling disconnected and lacking ministry.

Through blogs and podcasts that I read and listen to for encouragement and challenge,

I thought that I needed to find some younger women to encourage.

I needed to be a part of the older encouraging the younger.

That demographic is a little sparse around me right now,

so I began writing letters - yes, good old fashioned snail mail.

Some college students, some young mothers, and some women just waiting on God's plan.

And then the pandemic began and there were church shut-ins to add to the list.

It has been a fun ministry for me.

Who doesn't like to get mail once in a while?

And hopefully, it will encourage a young woman in right paths.

Where have you been?

A friend recently commented that I hadn't written for a while.

I was reminded that this forum is a way that many people learn about me.

It is definitely a way to update family and friends.

It is also a way to evaluate what I am doing,

why I am doing it,

and to think about whether it lines up with my goals and aspirations - 

you know, keeping my life simple so that I can focus on God and my family and ministry.

(Just look at the header of the blog)

So where have I been?

Good question, huh?

I guess I struggled as most people have.

Covid-19 and its ramifications hit us all in different ways.

We were actually not disturbed too much.

Church was online for about 2 months.

Grocery stores lacked some staples for only a few weeks.

But mostly, it was just a lack of personal interaction.

That kind of hit hard.

It also led to a little bit of monotony which made writing about the day to day seem uninteresting.

But we were thankful for work.

We were thankful for food on the table.

We were thankful that until July 1, masks were optional in most places.

We were thankful for the technology that connected us to churches around America.

My days were actually fairly unchanged.

Homemaking doesn't stop for Covid-19.

We still had laundry, still dirtied the house, still needed to eat.

During this time, I worked to keep our immune systems running at optimum performance.

We cut way back on the sweets.

But occasionally, I really just wanted a cookie.

And then I found something that satisfied.

Enter the 4 ingredient Breakfast Cookie.

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

3 large overripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup chocolate chips or craisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix very well, until fully combined. 

If using chocolate chips or craisins, stir them in with a spatula.

Use a cookie scoop to drop balls on parchment.  Flatten slightly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven. 

Allow cooling on the mat for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes 8-12

If not eaten right away, keep in refrigerator (or the banana will get very slimy.

Hubby was skeptical, but the cookies are actually really good.

I guess they don't really have a normal cookie texture,

but it is a sweet treat and can be eaten as breakfast, snack, dessert ...

And during a pandemic when flour and sugar are hard to find ...

Not A Problem!

"Love you more"

"Love you more."

It's such a fun, cutesy, silly expression in the home and family.

We exchange it often.

We "fight" over who will win on any given day.

But this is the truest statement when issued by our loving God.

He gave His only Son.

He was sent on that first Christmas day as a baby

and was sacrificed on the cross for my sins.

For God so loved the world 

that He gave His only begotten Son 

that whosoever believeth in Him 

should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Resolution 3: Faithfulness

I know, I just mentioned faithfulness yesterday.

Remember the lemons.🍋

When you want to give up because it seems like the roadblocks are many, keep going.

This resolution actually comes from the life of Anna in the book of Luke.

Anna's service may have seemed insignificant (at least before it was documented in the Bible).

Her work was humble, it was behind the scenes.

But her faithfulness was noticed by God.

84 years of service in fasting and prayer.

I want to be that faithful in whatever small ministry I may be given.

When Life Hands You Lemons

While I don't really feel that life has handed me lemons,

there are weeks that are just hard to get through.

There are seasons when stress is difficult to avoid.

There are times when you question what you are doing,

where you are going,

what's going on?

I was just reading about the life of Joseph on Saturday morning.

It reminded me ...

Sometimes everything seems like a trial.

Sometimes things seem unfair. (Why was Joseph in prison?)

Sometimes you may feel (or are) forgotten.

Sometimes you are far from the familiar.  (Egypt instead of with his family)

But it is still God's plan for you ...

... and He can still bless it.

You just have to trust and to be faithful.

And when it seems like lemons ...

make lemon bread (or muffins)

Vegan Lemon Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour (I used 1/2 gluten-free all-purpose and 1/2 oat flour)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup sugar 

3/4 cup milk of choice

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla dairy-free yogurt)

1/4 cup oil (or sub applesauce for fat free)

1/4 cup lemon juice

zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons (1 tbsp total)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

The recipe works with spelt, white, oat, or gf all-purpose flour.
It technically works with almond flour (and tastes delicious) but won’t rise or look pretty.
I prefer the oil version’s flavor and texture,
 but if you’re used to the texture of oil-free baked goods it’s fine to sub applesauce.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.  Or prepare 12 muffin cups (my choice).
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
Whisk liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, combine wet and dry, then stir until just evenly mixed.
Spread into the pan or muffin tin.
Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the loaf has risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

or (25-30 minutes for muffins).


As a funny note for my nieces and nephews who follow the misadventures of their aunt in the kitchen ...
(remember the blueberry salmon cakes?)
When I made these the second time, I made it with all oat flour.
Wow!  They seemed a lot drier.
As the uncle looked at them, he said they did not look the same.
After a big bite, he uttered,
"I think you forgot something ... like sugar!"
Yes, I had forgotten the sugar.
And as I remade the recipe,
I had forgotten the milk too😊
But, in the process,
I discovered that they are still edible with just the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt.
So on another round, I will probably cut the sugar in half.
And they are very moist with 3/4 cup milk, so this might also be adjusted as you mix.

Always ... No Matter What!

As I started through Genesis again this month,

I was reading the introduction written by the publishers.

This line just jumped out at me

and I hope that it will bless you as well today.

"It is always safe to trust the Lord ...

... famine and feasting,

blessing and bondage."

The publishers were explaining that Abraham and his descendants learn first hand 

that God keeps His promises.

And He is still that same faithful God today!

Resolution 2: Just and Blameless

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations,

and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:8-9

Don't you love when someone extends grace to you?

How many times does my mouth seem to disconnect from my brain?

How many times do I fail to meet an obligation?

I need a lot of grace.

The Bible says that there is none righteous.

I can't meet God's standard,

so I am glad for the grace that He extends.

Noah found grace as a just and blameless person!

He was not perfect - he was blameless, there was nothing that would stick to him.

He dealt with his sins.

He made things right with his fellow man.

Now that is a worthy resolution:

Live justly and blamelessly.

The Simple Life in 2 Requests

As the title and subtitle of this blog suggest,

my desire is to live a simple life.

I want to keep a quiet life.

I want to foster peace in my home.

I want to be able to hear God speaking.

I want to know His leading.

I want, as much as possible, to make wise decisions to promote health and wellness.

It is easy for the noise of this world to crowd into the home.

The politics of today get even Christians worked up, troubled, and worried.

A fast-paced life crowds out meaningful time to read, study, and memorize God's Word.

In America, our lives are often so "easy" that we lack true dependence on God.

When bowing before an Almighty God,

the requests could be numerous and great.

Nothing is too hard for God.

But the writer of Proverbs had just two requests.

Proverbs 30:7-8

Two things have I required of thee;

deny me them not before I die.

Remove far from me vanity and lies:

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with food convenient for me.

If I were to boil them down,

the simple life would

1.  avoid pride and lying

2. be content with what God provides

How many times do I complicate life with my pride or with a tangled web of lies?

I may fail to end a dispute because of selfish pride.

I may not be content with or acknowledge a ministry God has given because I feel I deserve something "greater."

I may fail to submit to authority because it goes against my pride.

I may lie which leads to another lie or the confusion of trying to remember what lies I had told.

I may also complicate my life in search of things.

God provides for my needs

and often for my wants.

If I would just be content in His provision,

I would save a lot of time, effort, and money

thereby keeping my life simpler.

Crockpot Adventures

A Tuesday transformation tip.

A beautifully scented home!

About 3 weeks before Christmas,

I began using my crockpot to make a simmering potpourri.

I guess I saw it somewhere online and thought it would work for me.

No dangerous candles,

no stovetop burner on,

no expensive essential oil.

The first pot I made just had "cutie" peels, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.

Then I made one with lemon slices, eucalyptus, and vanilla.

Christmas was orange, cranberry, and rosemary.

This was the prettiest one!

We really enjoyed one last week with coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla.

It smelled like a bakery/coffee shop.

I highly recommend this if you are showing a home to sell - truly a "homey" smell.

This week I have lemon slices and ginger slices.

I am looking forward to spring when I can use my lavender plant for lemon lavender.

I also have a lemon balm plant that might work well with a citrus mix.

I use for about a week (though by days 6 and 7 it is not near so fragrant).

I do have to add water each day, but it does not need tending too much.