He Answered

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You Say...God Says

Happy Mother's Day

M-O-T-H-E-R

On this Mother's Day, I think of my beautiful Mom and all of the lessons she taught each of her daughters. I also remember how she loved flowers, especially lilacs.  She would often cut them and put them in a vase indoors. 

It also reminds me of a song that my Dad would sing on Mother's Day. Maybe you remember this old favorite?

 

M-O-T-H-E-R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,

"O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me. 

- Howard Johnson

Things I Have Learned

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

— Maya Angelou

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.

Courage

“Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes it's the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering 'I will try again tomorrow”

Courtesy of Mary Anne Radmacher

Simple Scalloped Potatoes

 Courtesy of Food Network 

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing
1/2 clove garlic
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (about 2 ounces) 

Directions
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Generously brush a large skillet with butter, then rub with the garlic. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the potatoes, sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste, then arrange the remaining potatoes on top. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the broth and milk over the potatoes, then add the nutmeg and bay leaves; simmer 3 minutes.

Generously brush a shallow baking dish with butter and slide the potatoes into the dish; arrange with a fork, if desired. (If your skillet is ovenproof, you can skip this step and bake the potatoes right in the skillet.)

Dot the potatoes with the cut-up butter and sprinkle with the gruyere. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Discard the bay leaves.

Photograph courtesy Anna Williams

Creamy, Crunchy & Perfectly Sweetened Coleslaw!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Divas Can Cook

 

Ingredients

• ½ head cabbage
• 1 carrot, peeled
• ¼ small onion (about 2-3 Tablespoons)
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I used Dukes)
• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2½ tablespoons buttermilk
• 1½ tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper (may need a lil more or less)

Instructions

1. Grate cabbage, carrot and onion.
2. Place into a large bowl. Toss and set aside
3. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, buttermilk, white vinegar, and sugar.
4. Whisk until creamy.
5. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to combine.
6. Stir in salt and pepper.
7. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight for flavors to combine.
8. Enjoy!

Notes

~TIPS~ Please note that you may need to adjust the amount of dressing ingredients depending on how big your cabbage is. Use the salt, black pepper and sugar to season to your liking. Feel free to through in some red cabbage, radish or green onions. Be careful not to over season. Flavors will intensify as the coleslaw sits.

This recipe came from Divas Can Cook which is Old School Cooking For The Modern Woman. Make sure you go check out the website for more great recipes.
 

What's Your Motive?

Courtesy of Charles R. Swindoll                                                    Philippians 1:17; James 4:3

During my days in seminary, I formed a habit that helped me immensely throughout life. I had my artistic sister, Luci, print a simple, three-word question on a small rectangular card I placed on the wall above the desk where I spent so much of my time.

Just black letters on a white card, with a bold question mark at the end:

 

WHAT'S YOUR MOTIVE?

 

I no longer have the card, but the question is now indelibly etched on my mind. I ask it almost every day of my life. It has proven to be an essential checkpoint I now apply on a regular basis:

Why are you planning this?
What's the reason behind your doing that?
Why did you say yes (or no)?
What is the motive for writing that letter?
Why are you excited over this opportunity?
What causes you to bring up that subject?
Why did you mention his or her name?
What's your motive, Swindoll?

Searching, probing, penetrating questions.

Because the path of servanthood is so perilous, we need to cultivate a sensitive walk with God marked by obedience.
The path of servanthood is perilous; keep a sensitive, obedient walk with Go