Vegetable Beef Soup

Courtesy of Lady & Sons (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if using chuck roast)
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast*
4 quarts cold water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon seasoned salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green beans, fresh or canned
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas
1 cup frozen butter beans
1 cup cut okra, fresh or frozen
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
Chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

If using chuck roast, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the skillet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot. (If using short ribs, you can put them right in the pot with no preparation).

Add the water, tomatoes, onions, dried parsley, beef bouillon, dried Italian seasoning, House Seasoning, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If using short ribs, remove them from the pot and cut the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, and return the meat to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and add fresh chopped parsley. To remove excess fat from the surface of the soup, swirl a lettuce leaf around the surface—it will pick up a lot of the fat.

*The chuck roast will yield more meat, but the bones from the short ribs give the soup an incredible flavor.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper

Flying the Flag of Joy

by Charles R. Swindoll Proverbs 15:13, 15 

 Solomon left us many statements about the value of joy in his book of Proverbs. 

Yesterday we read: "A joyful heart is good medicine, / But a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). 

Take a quick look at a couple more: "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, / But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken" (15:13); and "a cheerful heart has a continual feast" (15:15). 

There is no more effective testimony of a changed life than a winsome spirit. The joy that oozes from that kind of person is contagious. Christians talk a lot about love and faith and hope, but we often fail to emphasize the value of joy. 

How strange! Especially since it appears next to the top of the list in the fruit of the Spirit, remember? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). 

If God handed out ribbons to those who bear the right fruit, those who demonstrate love on a regular basis would win the blue . . . and those who model joy would wear the red. Laughter that pours out of a joyful heart is one of the most delightful of all sounds on earth. God loves it! As someone once said, "Joy is the flag flying high above the castle of the heart, announcing that the King is in residence there." (Read that again.) 

So, let's lighten up. Let's allow ourselves to rest and relax more often during spontaneous segments of each day, filling those moments with a little fun. Let's stop suppressing our laughter (remember those "hips" from yesterday's devotional!). Let's remind ourselves that a healthy and well-exercised sense of humor is as much a mark of spirituality as being faithful in prayer and being committed to the truths of Scripture. It's time to unwrap that flag, raise it to the top of the mast, and fly it high.

Priorities of Spiritual Nourishment

by Charles R. Swindoll 1 Timothy 4:6; Psalm 55:22 

No one can deny the importance of nutrition. Our level of energy, our ability to cope with life's challenges, and even our mental attitude are directly linked to the proper intake of the right foods eaten regularly and in proper amounts. 

We've all experienced times when we have not eaten a balanced diet or we've eaten too many sweets or we've been in a hurry and completely skipped a meal.

Invariably, we have endured the consequences of feeling sick, light-headed, and occasionally depressed, or we became irritated and jumpy, sometimes we got a little shaky---in our family, we call that "getting the jitters."

 It's the body's way of letting us know that it's lacking nourishment. It's a fact: "optimal health requires optimal nutrition." The same is true spiritually speaking. Without sufficient and regular nutrition, our inner life begins to suffer the consequences. Our souls long to be fed, nourished, and energized on a regular basis. When we fail to set aside time to absorb healthy spiritual food, it isn't long before the consequences kick in . . . and it's not a pretty sight. 

We start to operate in the flesh rather than under the control of God's Spirit. We get shallow and selfish, more demanding and less gentle, quick to react impatiently, rashly, angrily. These are all signs of inner malnutrition. 

For the next few moments let's think about what's needed to maintain a healthy level of spiritual nutrition. It isn't rocket science. 

1. We need a regular diet of God's Word. Just as we must eat each day, so we must take the time to read the Scriptures each day. Our souls must be "nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:6). 

 2. We need to pray regularly. In reading the Bible, God speaks to us; in prayer, we speak to Him. Prayer helps us realign our lives to the Lord's timing and direction. It also shifts the load off our shoulders and onto His. David wrote, "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22). 

3. We need time to be still, to meditate on the things of God. Such moments of quietness calm our nerves, clear our thinking, and enable us to refocus. 

After directing Joshua to structure his life around God's truth, the Lord added, "you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it" (Joshua 1:8). 

Tragically, meditation is a lost art of the twenty-first century. How few truly take time to "cease striving and know that [He is] God" (Psalm 46:10). How seldom do we make deliberate plans "to do according to all" that we have observed.

How to Use Apples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roast a juicy chicken: The next time you roast a chicken, stuff an apple inside the bird before placing it in the roasting pan. When it's done cooking, toss the apple. Your roasted chicken will be juicy and delicious.

 

Keep cakes fresh: A simple way to extend the life of a homemade or store bought cake is to store it with half an apple. It helps the cake maintain its moisture considerably longer than just storing it in the fridge.

Ripen green tomatoes: You can quickly ripen green tomatoes by placing them in a paper bag with a ripe apple for a couple of days. For best results, use one apple per five or six tomatoes. 

 

Fluff up hardened brown sugar: Place an apple wedge in a ziplock bag with hardened brown sugar. Put the tightly sealed bag in a dry place for a day or two and your sugar will once again be soft enough to use.

Absorb salt in soups and stews: If you overdo the salt, just drop a few apple wedges in the pot. Cook for another ten minutes or so and remove the apple wedges, along with the excess salt. 

 

Keep cookies soft: Place a couple of slices of apples in your cookie jar. Your cookies will stay soft for quite a bit longer than they normally do.

The Washing of Water...with the Word

by Charles R. Swindoll Psalm 51:1-10  

When our four children were young, we often spent our vacation weeks each summer camping together. We owned one of those tent campers on wheels, which we pulled behind our car to various campsites. 

One of our favorite spots was located in a wooded state park. A river ran through it. Its cool, clear water gave us a place to swim and ride the rapids on old truck-tire inner tubes. A large, natural rock formation rose out of the water on the other side. 

We'd take turns jumping off those huge boulders into the cold, deep water---talk about fun! 

Our kids are all grown now, but those memories of camping together remain vivid in all our minds. The river water served another very practical purpose: by swimming each day, we didn't have to take a shower. I smile when I remember taking a bar of soap with us, as we'd walk down to the river. 

By the time we'd spent a couple hours in the water, we'd be squeaky clean. It always felt so good when we'd crawl into our sleeping bags in the camper after a long afternoon in the river. 

One of the many benefits of water is its cleansing ability---not only on our bodies but in them as well. We read of this in Paul's first-century letter to his friends in Ephesus. 

In Ephesians 5:25-26, he reminded them of how deeply Christ is committed to the church, the body of believers: "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." 

Just as clear, fresh water cleanses our bodies, God's written Word washes us clean deep down inside our souls. It purifies our thoughts, scrubs our motives, and cleans our conscience as we absorb it and obey its truths. 

Stop and read the first 10 verses of Psalm 51. Notice how many times David asked the Lord to cleanse him within. Linger at those references, and make each one of them your prayer today.

The Value of a Positive Attitude

by Charles R. Swindoll Philippians 2:3-5 

Several years ago I determined to deal with my attitude. I found myself getting pretty testy, even argumentative at times. Our children were young and often had needs that required my time and attention.

More often than I'd like to admit, that irritated me---to the point where my wife said I needed to think about how negative I was becoming, and then I needed to do something about it!

At first, like most husbands would, I resisted her words, but after giving them further thought, I realized that what she was observing was painfully true. To use a popular expression, I was in need of a serious attitude adjustment! I knew that if some of my emotional outbursts didn't stop, I'd not only alienate all four of my children, I would become a lonely, bitter, and crotchety old man.

The realization of all that led me to come to terms with my negative attitude. I am so grateful I did! Among other things, it led me to sit down and write out a carefully worded statement on the importance of choosing the right attitude every single day. I had no idea how God would use it in the lives of people around the world. I've come across it in the most amazing places---and I've had friends tell me of their seeing it in such places as restaurant menus and hanging on walls in machine shops and hearing it quoted in sales conferences, memorized by cadets preparing to be highway patrolmen, and learned by students in school. Here it is:
“Attitudes” Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.

I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there's no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

I share this with you in hopes that it will help you as much as it has helped so many others, including me. Thankfully, I'm a different man today because I came to terms with my attitude a number of years ago. And because I did, as I grow older, I've became a lot easier to live with. Just ask my wife . . . and our kids . . . and their kids!

Tidings of Great Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there were shepherds

living out in the fields nearby,

keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were terrified.

 

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord.

 

This will be a sign to you:

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

and lying in a manger."

 

Suddenly a great company of the

heavenly host appeared with the angel,

praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men

on whom his favor rests."

~~ Luke 2:8-14 ~~

Christmas is for Love

Author Unknown, Source Unknown 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love. 

 

I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas. Mark was an 11 year old orphan who lived with his aunt, a bitter middle aged woman greatly annoyed with the burden of caring for her dead sister's son. She never failed to remind young Mark, if it hadn't been for her generosity, he would be a vagrant, homeless waif. Still, with all the scolding and chilliness at home, he was a sweet and gentle child. 

 

I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day (at the risk of arousing his aunt's anger, I later found) to help me straighten up the room. We did this quietly and comfortably, not speaking much, but enjoying the solitude of that hour of the day. When we did talk, Mark spoke mostly of his mother. Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman, who always spent much time with him.

 

As Christmas drew near however, Mark failed to stay after school each day. I looked forward to his coming, and when the days passed and he continued to scamper hurriedly from the room after class, I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room. I told him how I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, "Did you really miss me?" I explained how he had been my best helper. "I was making you a surprise," he whispered confidentially. "It's for Christmas." With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room. 

 

He didn't stay after school any more after that. Finally came the last school day before Christmas. Mark crept slowly into the room late that afternoon with his hands concealing something behind his back. "I have your present," he said timidly when I looked up. "I hope you like it." He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box. "Its beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?" I asked opening the top to look inside. " "Oh you can't see what's in it," He replied, "and you can't touch it, or taste it or feel it, but mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, warm on cold nights, and safe when you're all alone." I gazed into the empty box. "What is it Mark," I asked gently, "that will make me feel so good?" "It's love," he whispered softly, "and mother always said it's best when you give it away." And he turned and quietly left the room. 

 

So now I keep a small box crudely made of scraps of wood on the piano in my living room and only smile as inquiring friends raise quizzical eyebrows when I explain to them that there is love in it. Yes, Christmas is for gaiety, mirth and song, for good and wondrous gifts. But mostly, Christmas is for love.

Generosity

by Charles R. Swindoll - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 

Reflect on God's gifts to you. In case you need a little help, read through Psalm 103. "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The LORD performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed" (Ps. 103:1--6). 

 The psalmist lists several benefits to prod our thinking. As we reflect on God's gifts to us, it's helpful to be specific. 

Do you have eyesight? It's a gift. 

Do you have a good mind? It's a gift.

Do you have leadership abilities that cause others to follow? 

A good education? These are all gifts. 

Has He given you a family? 

Has He given you sufficient clothes? 

How about a nice, warm, soft bed at night or a comfortable place to live in the hot summer? 

Why, some even have more than one home! These are all gifts from God's hand. 

Reflect on His numerous gifts to you. It will increase your joy. And a smile will soon replace that frown. 

Remind yourself of God's promises regarding generosity. God promises if you sow bountifully, you will reap bountifully. So give! Give abundantly! Even extravagant giving is honored by God. 

I've never known anyone who went bad because he or she was too generous. Remind yourself of His promises regarding generosity and start giving! Don't be afraid of outgiving God. It is absolutely impossible to do that. He will keep every one of His promises related to generosity. Try Him!

True Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!~~ Psalm 107:1 ~~

The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth in America in 1620 knew nothing of the bountiful prosperity that so many people enjoy today. During that first long winter, seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes were built for the living. Seed, imported from England, failed to grow, and a ship that was to bring food and relief, brought thirty-five more mouths to feed, but not an ounce of provisions. They caught fish, hunted wild fowl, and venison. They had a little English meal and some Indian corn.

 

Yet their lives were marked by a spirit of constant thankfulness. On one occasion, William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner of clams and water, gave thanks to God "for the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand."

 

According to today's standards, they had little; but they possessed a sense of great gratitude. Gratitude is one of the greatest Christian graces; ingratitude, one of the most vicious sins. Ask God to open your eyes to all the blessings He has bestowed on you, and to give you a fresh spirit of gratitude - not just at this season of the year, but always.

 

The Reverend Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day - Words of Wisdom and Faith, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publisher