Nature Walks...Communing with God.

I had lunch with a number of ladies a few weeks ago. It was nice to see faces that I wouldn't normally see during the week and it was a time to just share and encourage one another. Some laughed who needed to laugh, some just needed reminder that they are loved and cared for. It was good (incidentally we have made it a Wed. tradition). I opted to walk the 3 miles home after lunch which I was entirely unprepared for. It was HOT out and I didn't have my sneakers on...I had on very flat leather sandals. Despite the not so great planning on my part...it seemed like a really intentional way to commune with God in prayer, in scripture and in taking in his scenic creation along the way. It was a connective, refreshing time indeed. God met me in multiple ways as we walked together and I was comforted deeply. I read from 1 Peter Chapter one as I started my trek home. I paused, meditated, asked the Spirit to speak it into me and unearth anything that needed his light shined upon. It was good. It was necessary and because it was was just that...any sacrifice forsaking comfort was my pleasure, my joy! As I was walking along, I stopped providentially in front of an open field. It was covered in wild flowers and tall grass encroaching onto the sidewalk as if to notify the tamed and subdued of it's feral presence. How befitting was it to come upon this field and arrive to verses 23-24? "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." We're on this earth but a brief time yet the imprint that we leave behind has Kingdom effects that we must give account for one day.

Isn't it baffling to think that we are the very conduits, the very vessels for God's sovereign plan? "Why choose me Lord?" I so often ask. Yet we are set on a course that God has predetermined. He knows our deepest desires, our needs. He knows what will sustain us and what is good for us. "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His Glory" (Ephesians 1:11-12). As I continued on my quest home I was desperate for a little reprieve from the sun so I found some welcome shade underneath a tree. As I opened my supplemental reading I came across one of God's Promises to me in Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD GOD is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." It was sweet to the very core of me. Our God is never far...he is close to my heart, he resides in my spirit and it is well in my soul. May your time with the Lord be rich and abundant! May you always break through the doldrums of a routine that is even tempted to be void of communing with our Lord!

10 Good Reasons to Read God's Word...

I am reading a book by Stormie Omartian called, "The Power of a Praying Woman." If you haven't read her stuff...please do. Her approach to writing is simplistic, but the content of her exhortations and her testimony are drenched with gravy goodness that is God's Word. I found this list to be incredibly practical.


TEN GOOD REASONS to READ GOD'S WORD
If you have trouble being in God's Word every day, here are just a few of the many reasons to read the Bible that should inspire you:
1. To know where you are going. You can't forsee the future or exactly where you are heading, but God's Word will guide you. "Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me" (Psalm 119:133).

2. To have wisdom. Knowledge of God's Word is where wisdom begins to grow in you. "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7).

3. To find success. When you live according to the teachings of the Bible, life works. "This Book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (Joshua 1:8).

4. To live in purity. You must live a life of holiness and purity in order to enjoy more of the Lord's presence, but you can't be made pure without being cleansed through God's Word. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word" (Psalm 119:9).

5. To obey God. If you don't understand what God's laws are, how can you obey them? "Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep your Law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it" (Psalm 119:33-35).

6. To have joy. You cannot be free of anxiety and unrest without the Word of God in your heart. "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the hearts; The commandments of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalm 19:8).

7. To grow in faith. You can't grow in faith without reading and hearing the Word of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

8. To find deliverance. You won't know what you need to be free of unless you study God's Word to find out. "If you abide in My Word, you are My Disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

9. To have peace. God will give you a peace that the world cannot give, but you must find it first in His Word. "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble" (Psalm 119:165).

10. To distinguish good from evil. Everything has become so relative today, how can you know for sure what is right and wrong without God's Word? "Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!" (Psalm 119:11).

The Worship Service (TGIF)

May you encounter Jesus even in the small and quiet moments of your walk!

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The Worship Service
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
08-08-2008

"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed" (Lam 1:16).

Angie and I walked into the worship service. I pushed my Mom's wheelchair into the room among many, many others. This was no ordinary worship service. This wasn't our first time. The organizer recognized us and asked if we would assist in handing out the songbooks.

About only 20% of the participants could actually use them. For most of them it sat on their laps. "Why does life have to be reduced to this?" I questioned and prayed silently to the Lord. "If Jesus walked through this room, how many would He restore?" I continued to ponder. You see, Angie and I were in a dementia and Alzheimer's elderly care nursing home unit where my mom resided. A few chairs over sat the father of my older sisters' longtime best friend. Next to him was my brother-in-law's grandmother.

They were all once successful people - doctors, lawyers, business leaders, and stay-at home moms. They had, at one time, lived in fine southern homes. But they now lived in one-half of a single room. Some patients could recognize their loved ones, others could not.

The service began with singing. Only a few voices could be heard among the patients. A simple message followed. Then, something remarkable happened. The speaker said they would now close with a well-known song. It began this way; "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Suddenly, the voices in the room got louder. Patients that were not singing before were now singing. I looked over at my mom. She was whistling the tune. I looked over at Angie; tears were streaming down her face.

Yes, the presence of Jesus was walking through the room. But it wasn't in the way I thought He'd come. Sometimes the presence of God can show up in the smallest and simplest acts.

He ventured forth to bring light to the world...

Please take this article with a grain of salt. I apologize ahead of time if anyone gets offended. It's very tongue and cheek and it made me laugh. I credit this to my giggling new friend and coworker Annamarie!!! If you want to see more articles, go to www.drudgreport.com where it is said the most reporters go here to be in the know!!! LOL! "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." I don't know who said that, but it's one of my favorites because it's so true! Have a great and fruitful weekend my friends!

Mel

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article4392846.ece

The "New" Beijing

I read this in the Arts section of the New York Times today. Have a look-see! I think it's extremely important to have an awareness of what's going on in the world around us as believers. Our Faith, our pursuit of Biblical truth should be pervasive in All areas of our lives, including Current Events! :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/arts/design/27ouro.html?ex=1374552000&en=c9e8429ab3f57a38&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

H2O Savy!

I'm pretty picky about my drinking water. I love VOS, Fiji water and Evian! I do...I admit it! I'm even the one who will order Perrier when I'm craving some bubbles!!! However, I realize that cooking and drinking with high end Artesian water just isn't feasible unless you make the big bucks. I draw the line there! Trust! A few months ago, my parents decided to put a Culligan Water bubbler system into our house. Admittedly, it was really convenient and the water tasted amazing! It got wicked expensive with the 5 of us constantly guzzling! One day mom and I were at the Dollar Tree and we realized that a gallon of spring water was a buck!!! Mom being the bargain shopper she is, nudged me after doing the calculations in her head and said (in Korean of course)"It would be much cheaper for us to buy cases of water instead of using the Culligan service...AND it wouldn't add to the electric bill." Her eyes gleamed and I remember thinking how idiosyncratically cute she was. FAST FORWARD TO LATER THAT NIGHT...I come home to find 90 Gallons of water being stacked along the bottom shelf of our utility shelf! We were standing there and the bottom shelf fell out and all the water jugs fell! All the work they had done for precision stacking...wasted. We ended up having to haul the 90 jugs to the basement and our kitchen (see above picture). My parents have made a few subsequent runs to the Dollar Tree to re stock. Rest assured the looks they get every time, must be that of utter amazement and or curiosity! Ahhhh...the ways of family! Gotta love family!

A Mending Heart

Fissures along the deepest recesses start to give way...
Cracks seep in and out the unwanted thoughts.
Like the ebbing of gentle ocean waves,
the low tide yields the days discard.
So my heart vacillates.

It wrestles with my mind...
Each encroaching, each demanding.
Where shall my tired spirit rest?
In the safety of my beloved Savior.
My Savior seals the holes in my heart,
with the precision of a Mason cementing each brick in place...
Sure to set an unmovable foundation.

My heart will be pieced together, stronger, wiser, renewed,
because he saw fit to make me whole.

The Cost of Beauty

In our current culture, women are bombarded daily with expectations of a standard of beauty that eludes most of us. Thumbing through a magazine inevitably brings you face to face with a shot of a woman who by the power of photo shop, makes most feel as though they don't measure up. We turn on the television or put in a movie and that same standard inevitably rears it's ugly head. Even the most innocuous of circumstances can bring about a heightened self awareness or insecurities with the presence of a beautiful woman. I could go on about how all media forms defer instantaneously to beautiful women to sell their products and services, but that would be stating the unmistakeably obvious. What I want to focus on is the preoccupation of striving to beget this kind of beauty and the toll it takes on women as a whole. Why are women so driven to prioritize maximizing their appearances, yet overlook other more lasting aspects of who they are in relationship to others? Answer: because our cultural stream dictates the flow and we follow aimlessly in pursuit of it, even if it means going over a waterfall while plummeting to our deaths. The commercials we watch, the ads we see, reinforce this notion that if we are physically without flaw, we are instantly better daughters, mothers, wives, girlfriends, even friends! So inevitably we are led to perceive that the world could be our oyster so to speak, if we would simply look stunning! That's just it, it isn't easy! It almost always costs something even for the ones who are classified as beautiful! They fall prey to the snares of jealousy, gossip, eating disorders, unfulfilled relationships, pressure to stay that way or enhance with plastic surgery, lack of sexual boundaries...as if they somehow forgo their virtue for the sake of displaying the worldly fortitude that is expected to come with said beauty! Beyond even the preoccupation with physical beauty, lies an even more disturbing cachet, competition! Get multiple women into a room and they start to size each other up. Women begin to spin from all the tabs they must keep; "Is she prettier than me?", "Is she skinnier than me?", "Is her outfit better than mine?", "Will the guys be checking her out more than me?", "Am I good enough?", "Who will love me?"...this may seem like the worst case scenario, but as much as it grieves me to say it, we aren't talking about the pejorative! Quite the contrary. Ladies...you know what I'm talking about when I say that the tension in the line of a woman's bathroom (particularly in the setting of a bar, club or event)could be cut with a hack saw! The aforementioned qualitative questions are especially prominent in this setting. Insecurity and jealousy in this regards can eventually tear apart any friendship between women! HOW INCREDIBLY SAD IS THAT???? Under these circumstances, friendships are dubious at best when plagued by the worst of this epidemic! Oh how I wish that women would see just how harmful this competition is to the very core of their being! I learned a long time ago to affirm the beauty of women in this setting. It's interesting how a genuine compliment can diffuse most of this! Take for instance my trip to the Ladies room last night in uptown at Bar Abiline. I was in line behind a woman who kept staring at my sister and I (doing what I said that most do!) Once we had established our relationship as sisters through our banter and our ease with one another...you could see her glances dissipate from critical, to familiarity. At one point I did a voice that I only really subject my family to and the woman in front of us actually smiled! I took that opportunity to tell her that I thought she looked beautiful and that her shirt was very cute! I affirmed her and instantly she started talking to me as if I were her best friend! Over the course of the next few minutes, I got the inside scoop, a short glimpse of who she was. There was no sizing up, just a mutual appreciation for all that is woman!

Imagine the power women have to lift one another up through this act of acknowledging and appreciating beauty in one another! It instantly connects us, it orientates us to who we are and NOT what we look like. There is healing to be found in genuinely expressing an appreciation for another woman's worth in the eyes of the Lord! We are made in his image. We have been entrusted the helper roles of life, the nourishing roles of life. Yet somehow, the world has turned us against one another so that instead of living up to the vital role that was meant for us, we are exploited and are in some ways victims of curtailed usury. I implore you ladies to find ways to remember that the primary focus of your beauty comes from the formative power of Jesus. Your extension of beauty flows from the love that comes first from being loved by your Savior and the fruits born out of the motivation to serve and love others as a result! Am I saying ditch your makeup, your clothes, your gym memberships, the wonderfully girly and smelly lotions and shower gels we go nuts for...no! In and of themselves they are fine, but you may want to reevaluate where they fall on your list of priorities. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to take care of yourself and put a good face forward. I am not even saying that there is anything wrong with modeling. I'm just saying, it's all about intent. I am challenging you to consider that it does get more costly if you start to obsess over these things before your duty to the Lord. I freely confess that it is almost a daily battle to not give in to the worldly pressures to look beautiful. I'm not saying I do it well a lot, but I do know that this is something I continually bring before the Lord in submission OFTEN! So ladies, next time you are in a situation where you recognize the scenario I pointed out, find ways to compliment and affirm the women around you. It can be an incredible witness to the standard to which we are called as believing women! If you see your friend do something to demonstrate her love and service to you, thank her! Tell her how much you value her and love her! Ladies, know that when we are walking in service and obedience to Jesus, we are DELIGHTED IN...more than any jewels could garner, we are delighted in!

How's Your Joy Quotient?

Finding Joy in my spirit was difficult for me last week...this ministered to my lonely spirit and reminded me to lift my gaze up to my maker, my Father, my Savior, my Helper, ALL THE REASON I NEED TO ULTIMATELY CHOOSE JOY.

With my love,
Mel

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How's Your Joy Quotient?
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
07-03-2008

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh 8:10).

One of the overriding evidences that someone has a genuine relationship with our living Savior is their consistent attitude of joy and outlook on life. A follower of Jesus should not be a person who always looks at life as if the glass is half full. Instead, we should be the most positive people on earth. We should see opportunity in the midst of challenges.

The light that resides in you should be like the beam of a lighthouse to a ship that is seeking direction. Our lives should have the fragrance of Christ. People should be attracted to our lives just as the bee is attracted to the nectar in the colorful flower.

The apostle Paul understood this when he said, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life" (2 Cor 2:14-16).

I must admit I've been with some believers whose attitude toward life is more like a porcupine. It's painful to get too close to them because of their negative and poisonous view of life that criticizes the world around them.

No matter what circumstance you may find yourself in, the joy of the Lord must be your strength. Paul learned this truth even in the midst of his adversities. "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil 4:12-13).

How would others describe your joy quotient? On a scale of 1 to 10, where would they rank you? Today, make a commitment to greet every circumstance knowing that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Happy Independence Day! Enjoy two of my favorite Recipes!

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR YOUR BBQ THIS YEAR!!! Anyone can throw some burgers or brats on the grill...try this one! I promise you it will be like heaven in your
mouth! CROWD PLEASER FOR SURE! BON APPETITE!

~MEL



SKIRT STEAK with CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (1 3/4 to 2-pound) skirt steak

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and shallots. Pulse until well blended but do not puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the crushed red pepper. Remove 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce from the processor and transfer to a non-reactive bowl, cover with plastic wrap and reserve at room temperature for up to 6 hours. (If cooking steak another day, refrigerate sauce and return to room temperature before serving.)

Season the steak with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt on each side, as well as 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper per side and place in a large, resealable plastic bag. Add the remaining chimichurri sauce from the processor. Seal bag and refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

Once the steak has finished marinating, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush the excess chimichurri sauce off the steak and set the steak over the hot grill. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side. Rotate the steak 45 degrees, and cook another 6 minutes. Turn the steak over and continue to cook until the steak is done, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Once cooked, lay the steak on a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing across the grain into 2-inch wide strips. Serve with crusty bread and the reserved chimichurri sauce.
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Sangria Blanca

2 bottles dry white, such as sauvignon blanc
1/2 cup Spanish sherry
1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 bunch seedless white grapes
1 lemon, unpeeled and sliced
2 peaches, unpeeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 honeydew, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 liter club soda

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Serve immediately, or if making in advance, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and then add the club soda just before serving.