Influence, You Say?

Just learned a few things that are tweaking my brain a bit.  Let me set the stage:

(Acts 13:1-3) In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.  (NIV)

After visiting and preaching a few places, the two missionaries came to Pisidian Antioch and entered the synagogue, sat down, and were invited to speak.   Paul (Saul) summarized over 450 years of history up to his present time and challenged the listeners with this statement:

(Acts 13:39-41)"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"

The two were invited to come back again the next sabbath and speak.  And here is what happened:

(Acts 13:44-45) On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.  (NIV)

Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly and this was the result:

(Acts 13:49-50) The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.  (NIV)

The thing that really stood out to me is the amazing influence women have.   Read these verses again:

(Acts 13:49-50) The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.  (NIV) 

Who were incited?  Who were the go-to people when the jealous Jews wanted to get something done?  The God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men, you say?   So, that tells me a lot about the kind of influence we women have.  I mean, this society that we are talking about is not modern day USA.  It is not a society that revered the opinion of women from what I understand.  But these women were able to stir up enough persecution to have Paul and Barnabas expelled. They had influence in their families and used it to make something happen. Wow.  We as women have influence, whether we know it or not.  The question to ask is, "Where I am using this gift of influence?" 

What is on Your Face?

One of my friends who is a missionary in Mexico shared this gem through a blog:

"It was wonderful to just sit, relax, and talk about things.  As we were getting ready to leave, a gentleman approached my husband first to ask if we were done with our table and second to tell Mike what joy he saw on Mike’s face.  He shared that he had been watching Mike and I while he was in line to order and get his coffee. He said he rarely sees people as happy and full of joy as we looked.  What a complement!! Especially to know that a stranger can notice the Joy of the Lord in our life just by observing us in an everyday situation. 
This has prompted us to think about “What is on your face?”  What do we put off every day, especially when we are not thinking about what others might see?  This led Mike and I to discuss what we really want others to see in us, especially when we may be in trials: that is we have the Joy of the Lord in our life."  - Heidi Van Dyken

Good question!  We can't even try to produce that joy, but as we live and work in Christ, it just comes out.  Pondering this today.  Here's to spreading the joy!

Down-home Chicken Soup with Dumplings

As promised, when we have something yummy and wholesome to eat, I'll post the recipe.  Tonight after snow shoe hiking and sledding by moonlight, we came back, took out the leftover chicken and made this yummy low-fat soup.   I think one of the best parts of the soup was squeezing the lemon wedges over the top of it as we ate it.  It added just the right amount of tang.  Chicken soup and lemons?  Must be the best cure for a cold ever!

down-home  
Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Ingredients

• Chicken Soup Base (10 cups broth and 4 cups shredded chicken)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 ounce baby spinach, roughly chopped (1 cup)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium-high. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. With a fork, stir in buttermilk and spinach to form a dough.
   
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on top of simmering broth. Cover and cook until dumplings are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Gently stir in chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
   

Cook's Note

Prepare the soup base, then refrigerate broth and shredded chicken in separate airtight containers, up to 3 days. If desired, freeze broth up to 3 months.

A Big Fear...A Bigger God

For quite some time a fear has gripped my heart.  It is an insidious fear that envelopes my heart with it's thin black arms and squeezes when triggered to do so.  Long ago, I made a decision to quit school and be a wife and Mom.  I surrendered my own independent path to the one of following my husband.

But then again, I surrendered all that I am and all that I have to my God, Yahweh, the Maker of heaven and earth.  And I kept trying to tell Him that I believed Him that He would take care of me.  Through the past few weeks, a few triggers here and there, and the study I have been going through, I have discovered that I have not surrendered it all to Him.  For me it is a physical act of confessing where I haven't trusted Him and turning it over to Him.  I have to physically say the words and confess my desire to live independently from Him.

In this case, it came to me that I was still worried about what I would do if something took Jeff away.  I rely on him for so much - and we live in a place that is difficult to live in.  Snow is here about nine months of the year, we have horses to stock hay for, and ranch work to do.  All of it is overwhelming if viewed through my eyes.

Then there is that matter of finances and managing them.  Jeff is an accountant and is a whiz with numbers and keeping track of them.  I am not.  I know God could enable me to do anything...like He did Moses, but this has made me realize I don't want to be Moses and I am scared to do what I would  need to do.  Oh, how heart wrenching it is to face the secret scares in one's life.

And then there was this little detail that we have moved so much and I have been a stay at home Mom for so long that I don't even know where I would get a job.  I know I wouldn't lose my house.  Insurance would pay for it.  But I do know I would have to have income and that I would need a job.  What can I do?  Reception work? Graphic design?  But I am not schooled in it.

So, here was the great revelation.  God doesn't need me to worry about that.  He told me not to worry and then He promised in Philippians that he would guard my heart and my mind, especially as I turn those worries over to Him.  Did I just read that beautiful seed of Scripture and eat it?  I needed to sow it in the ground, through prayer, much as a gardener does.  Then I need to watch Him bring a harvest.

Oh, Lord.  Why is it so hard to give over my life to You?  You are trustworthy.   You prove your ability to care for me over and over.  You are not fickle like people.  You will not allow my foot to slip.  You watch over me and never sleep.  You have promised.  And you are bigger than my fears.  I confess my doubt to You and give it up.  Please allow me to rest in your arms like a toddler rests in his Mama's arms when he is out of resources to keep going.  And help me to get rid of my desire to try to make it without you.  I do not really desire that.  I want you.  I want your Presence.  I cannot live without you.  Thank you for being bigger than my fears and for allowing me to cry out to you.  Guide me and direct me.

  

Lasagna Rolls

Found a new recipe that I know will be a hit at our house for quite some time.  We all loved it.  Usually lasagna is so rich and it sinks to the pit of my stomach and sits there like concrete.  But this dish is lighter and the portions are so easy.  It tasted good, looked good, and was easy to make.  All that adds up to heaven in a dish.  Enjoy!  (And sing a little Italian to go with it.)

Here's the directions: (click on them to make them bigger)

Learning Contentment

So, how does one learn to be content?  There is only one good answer...and one good way.  

The last few months, I have had to stay home.  I mean really stay home.  I was having tummy issues.  No, not those kinds of tummy issues.  The kind of tummy issues that just about knocked me to my knees.  Every single time I ate, my stomach felt like someone had hit me, hard.  I got nauseated, felt burning sensations, felt like I had been hit.  I can still reproduce the feeling if I eat fatty foods...which I now try to avoid at all costs.  (Because I did yesterday...ate fatty foods...and today, oh my, I am feeling like someone gave me a nice punch to my gut.)

The doctor who is helping me sort out all the tummy troubles, bless his heart, figures there are several things happening.  But he was kind enough to rule out cancer, and for that I am thankful.  I have stopped taking my acid reflux medication as it was making things worse; have taken anti-parasitical medication and now have more energy; and have had to remove most stress in my life (if that is possible!)  I have also been asked to not add anything new to my plate or pick up any old out-of-the-house activities for about six months.  The hope is that we will not have to remove my gall bladder and can reverse damage that an always-on-the-go lifestyle has wreaked on my digestive tract.

Needless to say, it can sometimes be hard to remain content and to stay where I know God wants me to stay.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I have plenty to do.  I am learning the fine art of reorganizing, or shall I say organizing, my home.  I am spending time home schooling my littlest.  I am helping teach my older boys a bible study and disciple them, and just be there for them. I am a welcoming committee of one to my wonderful man when he comes home. I am a prayer warrior for friends.  I am seeing incredible fruit just from doing that.  And it is good.

But then that temptation to be discontent washes over me.  I think it is a mighty battle within.  I went to church today and there was a ministry fair.  And to tell you the truth, I wanted to run around and sign up for all the ministries, just so I could tell others about the wonderful things God has been teaching me in my bible study time at home.

Oh, wait.   At home.  Where am I learning all this wonderful stuff?  Right where God has me.  At home.  Oh yeah.  (Pause here and contemplate this with me.)  

My Pastor talked of getting my game shirt on today and getting in the game.  I so badly wanted to throw on that shirt, and yell, "Put me in Coach!  I can do it!".  You see, I keep forgetting there is a time for everything -- a season.  And it is the off season for me right now.  It is the time when I am supposed to be training, and practicing.  God makes that pretty clear to me in my study.  But I keep looking forward to that big game.  I want to feel the three pointer slide off my fingers and swoosh through the rim.  I want to be part of the camaraderie of working hard side by side.

But then again, I remember what God says about obedience.  And once again, I am humbled.  My training is right here at home.  And there is only one way for me to learn to be content...and that is to be content right where God has me.  That is my training- my training for the big game.  Right now I am working on contentment.

Best Ever Blueberry Coffeecake

Oooo.  I just popped this recipe into the oven for the very first time and all I can say is I cannot wait to taste it.  I sampled the batter and it was the most amazing batter for coffeecake I have ever made.  Here's the recipe if you want to sample this little piece of heaven...I just know it is going to be good!
Best-Ever-Blueberry-Coffee-Cake