God Says... "I will meet your need."

 By Dusty (Reflections on the Life of a Christian)

We want and ask for the moon. We want perfect families, great jobs, fancy houses, sweet cars, and so much more. We want to go through life problem free, never encountering trials or hardships.

We want. We want. We want.

But what we want is not necessarily what we need. And should we have those things we 'wanted', often we find the happiness associated with them is short lived and quickly replaced with more wants.

Unfortunately some never learn that lesson and spend their entire lives chasing after their earthly material desires. They go from one dream to the next constantly seeking that will satisfy their want and fill their life with joy.

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Thank You

By Pat

For love and life and joy each day,
And friends to help along the way.
For homes to clean and food to cook,
And guidance from your Holy Book,
Dear God, I thank you.

For blessings we provide for others
Because you said that we are brothers;
For watching over all we do,
For evening dusk and morning dew,
Dear Lord, we thank you.

For patience when I'm too demanding,
Peace that passes understanding,
Eyes and ears that I might see
And hear the things you've made for me,
Dear Father, I thank you.

For showing me when I feel stressed
The many ways in which I'm blessed,
For family, friends and those I love
And countless blessings from above,
My Lord, I thank you.

And for the greatest gift of all,
The One who saves me when I fall-
For Jesus Christ, my Lord and King;
My life, my all, my everything,
Precious Lord, I thank you.

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

Tasty Bites: Stromboli

By Beth

A friend of mine recently organized a Freezer Meal Swap (see my last post on Adventures in Freezer Cooking). Four busy moms each prepared four of the same recipe and then we met to swap them and each went home with four dinners that are already prepped and in the freezer.  I prepared a Stromboli for each family.  Here is a Stromboli tutorial for you! I was inspired by this and this recipe.

Start out with frozen bread dough or your favorite basic dough recipe. Thaw the dough and allow it to rise according to the package directions, or use your own dough.  I used this dough and it is really easy and fool-proof.  Here is the beautiful, bubbly, risen dough ready to be spread.

Spread the dough in a rough rectangle and then roll it out in all directions into a larger rectangle, approximately 18”x12.”

Layer ½ lb of sliced mozzarella or provolone, followed by about 10 slices of Genoa salami, a couple of handfuls of pepperoni (I found 22 pieces to be just about perfect!) and a couple of handfuls of diced ham (about 30 pieces).

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God Says... "I will come near to you."

By Kely Braswell (Dangerous Breeze)

Far away, so close...

So, all my preacher friends tell me that God is everywhere. And I pretty much believe that.

But what about when it don't feel like it?!

What about when things ain't exactly goin' swimmingly, and the ends don't meet at the end of the month, and the people you love are sick of you, and it's been four days since I read any Psalms and I haven't even remembered the really weak prayers like "Oh, God, please bless my mashed potatoes, and make 'em really creamy?"

What about then?

What about when I'm standing in a wide expanse of nothingness, and I'm yellin', "God. Where ARE you?"

"Well, God's close. As close as your skin."

That's what people will say, those who know the proper theological, churchy, St. Francis and the Pope type answers to these things.

But does it matter if He's close, even if I don't feel Him? 'Cause sometimes "close" sure seems "far."

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The Chain

By Pat

A few nights ago, the chain on which one of my bird feeders hangs was broken by a raccoon who had climbed up the pole in order to raid the sunflower seeds in the feeder. One of the links in the chain completely opened from the weight of the animal, so I rigged it back up by using a link from an old chain I found in the garage, a smaller one. As I hung the feeder back up, I was reminded that we, the body of Christ, are each links in a chain...an invisible chain, and that without one of us, just one, the chain cannot be complete. Each of us serves a purpose in the chain, and each of us is a special link. Some larger, some smaller, but each just as important as the next.

We can sometimes not see how our work in God's kingdom is making a difference in the world, and it can be discouraging wondering if we are doing enough in our service. But each kind deed, every uttered prayer, each heartfelt hug, is a link in a chain that encircles the world. Perhaps the person you have been praying for or witnessing to, will come to Jesus and become an evangelist who reaches countless souls! And to think that you were the link God used is truly humbling. And awesome!

So never allow yourself to feel insignificant, if you are being the best link in God's chain that you can be. It's not the size, but the strength that counts, and I am happy to be one little link in God's "Chain Gang!"

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.