What Do You Value?

What do you value? It sounds like a simple question, but there's a lot more to it that it seems. A lot of us would respond to that question with things that we would like to say that we value, but our lifestyles would show otherwise. To further this point, take a look at your checkbook register. What are you spending the majority of your money on? Are you buying a lot of "stuff" for yourself? Or are you allowing God to use the resources He's given you to bless others and further His kingdom? You place your money in things or people that you value. What does your checkbook say that you value most?

Now, take a minute to write down what you've done this past week or weekend. Look over that list and take note of what you spent the most time doing. How much time did you spend serving others or spending time in scripture? If we're truly honest, most of us probably spent our time doing things we wanted to do. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with enjoying time with friends and having fun. The problem is when we invest the majority of our time in what we want to do and we give a fraction of that time to Christ to serve Him and others.

The reality is that if we seriously value our relationship with Christ, we would invest time and resources (money) in that relationship. Look at it this way. Suppose you wanted to get together with your best friend to catch up and share some exciting new events in your life. You call your friend to set up a time during the week to get together, but your friend informs you that she doesn't have an opening until a month later and even then would only be able to give you maybe 10 minutes of her time. She rationalizes it by saying that she's just really busy right now. How would that make you feel? Would you feel very valuable to that friend? No! That wouldn't make you feel very good, would it? If your friend is only willing to work you into her schedule and give you 10 minutes, that doesn't give the illusion that she values your friendship or what's going on in your life very much.

That's exactly what we do to God. We say that we value our relationship with Him, but we don't back our words up with action. We work God into our "busy" schedule, which, if we were honest, isn't as busy as we make it out to be. We could make more time for God, but do we want to? Is He a priority? Do we value our relationship with Him enough to put Him first with our finances and with our time? Spending 10 minutes a day with God doesn't constitute a relationship. You're simply an aquaintance with Christ, because, how can you truly know someone if you don't spend time with them?

Take time to evaluate your priorities and what you value most. Ask God to help you restructure your life/time to put Him first. You won't regret it!
Focus on your eternal dwelling, not your earthly one. This is not our home, so don't live like it is. Build the legacy you want to leave when you are gone. Start with your values/priorities. What do you want people to say you valued most in life?

Freedom & Focus

This morning, while I was sitting in church, this question came to mind...Why do we not worship freely when we can freely worship? Take a minute to dwell on that question. I know I was convicted, especially when I thought about the millions of Christians in the world who must worship in secret, risking their lives for what they believe and who they believe in. Could you even imagine having to do that? It's hard to put yourself in their shoes when here we sit in our safe, American "bubble," with nothing to really fear. We aren't persecuted for what we believe in and we are free to go to our nice church buildings and worship together whenever we want.

Why do we live like we are in chains? One Sunday, I looked across the sanctuary and, from the way people looked, it seemed to me that many of them were chained. I think a lot of times we allow our insecurities and what others think about us to dictate what we bring before our Father. What will people think if I raise my hands? Will they look at me funny? What if I sing off key? If we're honest with ourselves and others, we've all had those thoughts before. The truth is, no one else cares! We worry ourselves with those thoughts, when no one else is thinking them! We need to let go of those worries and insecurities before we go before our Daddy to bring praise to Him. If we can't let those go, we're inhibited from giving Him ALL of our heart and soul and letting Him speak to us, because the focus is on US.

Switching gears, today's message in church was about Jairus, the official and the woman who'd been bleeding for 12 years....no that wasn't a typo...it was 12 YEARS. What I love about the teaching pastors at my church is that they want the members to be able to self teach/grow and they teach through Scripture verse by verse. Today, Lloyd (one of our teaching pastors) showed us the process he goes through when he prepares to teach a message. It was really awesome to be able to see how true Bible STUDY comes about. There are 4 parts of Bible Study: Observation (What do I see?), Interpretation (What does it mean?), Application (So What?), and Correlation (How does it fit in the whole Bible?). 80% of Bible Study is focused on Observation.

In this story, there are many interesting points. I don't have much more time to write, so I'll be brief. There are several parallels between Jairus and the woman. Jairus fell down before Jesus, imploring Him to come to his house. The woman came up behind Jesus and just touched his cloak. She fell at His feet later, but initially she did not meet Him face to face. Jairus' daughter was 12 years old and the woman had been bleeding for 12 years. So, as long as his daughter had been alive, the woman had been bleeding. What they both have in common is the fact that they both came to the point where they were SO DESPERATE for Jesus that NOTHING would keep them from Him.

The woman had been in isolation for 12 years (because in that time, when women were on their menstrual cycles, they were considered unclean and anyone that touched them would be considered unclean). She had tried everything to make the bleeding stop. She was so desperate for Jesus that she didn't care if she touched other people and made them unclean. Jairus waited a long time in the crowd to see Jesus. It didn't matter that he was an official (and officials don't fall at Jesus' feet), but he so desperately wanted Jesus that he sought Him out.

One question I had when reading the passage was why Dairus' name was written, but the woman was just called a woman...she had no name. Then I realized that she did have a name and it was far better than just any name. Jesus called her "Daughter."

W.O.W. (With Out Words) Many times I am rendered speechless when I think about how Jesus calls me HIS daughter. THAT sums up my identity. Nothing else matters. I AM a daughter of Christ. What an incredible gift!

I'm not exactly sure how to sum up all these thoughts that are raging in my mind. I guess the best advice I can give you is to seek after God with EVERYTHING that is within you. You won't be sorry you did. There is unimaginable joy and peace that comes in His presence. Let Him free you from the bondage you've placed yourself in. Run to him unashamed, with reckless abandon and see your life transformed by his all encompassing, unfathomable, and eternal love.

Patience & Growth

The past few weeks have been about just that...patience and growth. Patience is a word that I have grown to despise. A long time ago, I asked God for patience and I learned that when you really do ask, you will receive. (don't doubt it!) God tested my patience back then and the past few weeks He's really taught me what true patience is all about.


Starting three weeks ago, I started waking up at 5:30 am to be able to spend time in God's word, focusing on Him first thing in the morning. It's become a time that I really cherish and look forward to. I've grown more spiritually in the past few weeks than I have in a long time. God's taken that time I've devoted to Him to show me more about Him and more about myself and things in my life that I need to change. He's given me a renewed passion for His word and to grow closer and closer to Him.


God really convicted me in the area of my finances. I haven't been a good steward of what I've been given and I haven't been as focused on how I can help further His kingdom through my giving. It's ironic that when God speaks to you about something, sometimes he pounds it into you. Throughout the past week, in the devotional I've been reading along with my scripture reading, it's been speaking on the very topic of money and being a good steward.


Matthew 6:20 says, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." This is a phrase that many of us have heard time and time again. This time it sunk in. When Peter preached the gospel on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, 3,000 people became believers. Since many of them were undoubtedly poor, the early church had to give to meet their needs. As a result, believers began selling their property and possessions, sharing them with all as they have need. That is what it means to lay up treasure in heaven...realizing that "stuff" doesn't matter. People matter and furthering God's kingdom matters. To lay up treasure in heaven is to be generous and ready to share the riches God has given to us, instead of hoarding and stockpiling them.


If you look back at Matthew 6:19, it reads, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." In that time, wealth was identified in commodities such as: garments, grain, and gold/precious metals. Garments in the Bible were always an expression of wealth, but there is one problem with garments, moths eat them. Have you ever noticed that moths don't eat what you wear, only what you store? Nothing we own is completely safe from destruction or theft and even if they remain safe throughout your lifetime, you can't take them with you when you die. The question was posed, "Are you putting your treasure in a safe place?" Wow...take a minute to dwell on that in your own life. That's powerful stuff right there.


God really spoke to me about letting go of my grasp and worries about finances and to trust Him completely with it all. Last Sunday, I placed a check in the offering plate. It was made out for more than the 10% I would give. I wanted to give more. I can't describe how excited I was to put that check in the offering plate. Once I did, an overwhelming peace and joy came over me. It was a freedom I haven't experienced in a long time. I think it only comes from having an eternal perspective and a heart that truly understands what's important in life.


God also spoke to me through the sermons at church the past few Sundays. We're working our way through Luke chapter 8. This particular Sunday, we were focusing on verses 1-15...the parable of the sower. Many times I've heard and read these verses, but few times have I come to understand it the way that I do now. These verses focus on the HEART of the HEARER. It's all about the condition of the heart. The seed that fell on the rocky soil is a shallow heart with shallow roots. When persecution comes, they run. The seed that fell among thorns is the divided heart. Other things grow as quickly as the seed, but there's not enough room in the heart for anything else. It's easy to get caught up in the "weeds" (the world). Other things become the priority and the Word is choked out. The good soil is a fruitful heart where God's Word is welcomed in. It stays the course, even when things of the world press in...God still remains the priority. The challenge was "Consider the condition of your heart (your soil). Is your heart so hard that you can't hear God? Are you excited about God one minute and on to something else the next? Is your heart divided? Is it ready for more of God?" Which is the most true of your life?


I have nothing to hide, so I'm going to be honest. This sermon hit home for me. I realized that I was like the seed that landed in the thorns. I've allowed the things of this world to choke out my passion for God, His Word, and His work. I don't want to be caught up in the weeds any more. Since that sermon, my prayer has been that God would redirect my focus, my desires and passions so that He will continue to be the priority in my life.


It's ironic that throughout the past few weeks, I've been reading Jeremiah, all the while God has been molding me and shaping me more into the woman He wants me to be. In Jeremiah 18:2-4 it says, "Go down to the potters house, and there I will give you my message. So I went down to the potters house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." When I read those words, I smiled. This is exactly what God has been doing to me the past few weeks. I am but marred clay in His hands, but he fashions me into a beautiful pot, as seems best to Him. God has a plan for my life and He knows the woman that He wants me to become and He is ever fashioning me more and more into that person. Praise God I am a new creation in Him!


The renewed passion God has given me can be summed up in Jeremiah 20:9, "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot." I hope those words have rekindled a blaze in your own heart. This is how each and every one of our lives, as Christians, should be. They should burn like a wildfire, so much so that we cannot keep it inside! We must share it with others. It's like hiding a light under a jar. (this was the following week's sermon...ironic? I think not!) (Luke 8:16-21) Light is how our lives thrive. The statement is repeated in scripture, "He who has ears, let him hear." Those who hear well will gain a better understanding and knowledge of God. Be careful how you hear. The kind of hearing that produces fruit and a greater experience of God is not audible, but is has to do with ACTION. Careful listening is not about concentration; it's about obedience.


Then, this past Sunday, the sermon was about Faith, Luke 8:22-25...the story about Jesus calming the storm. Many of us have faith in between a problem and it's solution, but when things are going fine, we don't have faith at all. The disciples woke Jesus, because they were afraid the boat would sink with the strong waves. Just like this situation, when problems come, we become religious....we seek God's help. What is commonly overlooked in this story is the fact that Jesus is with them in the boat. He's with us today in the midst of our storms and difficulties. Jesus didn't say, let's go drown, but a lot of us live that way. Faith is placing your trust in a situation with no definition. Where's your faith?


I've learned a lot about the character of God the past few weeks as well. In Jeremiah, the people were constantly disobeying God and God gave them a chance to repent time and time again, but they continued in their sinful ways. Even once God told them they would be destroyed and gave them a chance to repent, the people didn't. How merciful He is! We make Christianity out to be so difficult, when all it is is putting God first, loving His people, and bringing Him glory through sharing His word to others and caring for others. We've made Christianity out to be traditions, not true faith and belief in Christ. Imagine how different things would be if we let go of our legalism, tradition, and materialism and truly sought Christ. Let everything else fade. It doesn't matter in the scheme of things. The only thing that matters in this world is our relationship with Christ and making Him known.


The biggest struggle the past few weeks has been being patient. I've asked God for wisdom and rest in Him and I truly believe He's granted it. I've come to realize how much I try to make my timing God's timing. When I do that, I only cause myself pain, because my timing will never be God's timing. He knows best and He knows what I need when I need it. I have to rest in the knowledge that He does know what's best for me and anything I try to do to speed up His timing is frivilous. I'm not going to let patience be a battle for me anymore. I'm going to give in to the wait and enjoy the growth process along the way. God's used this time of waiting to grow me in Him. I can't think of a better use of this time.

Recipe Overload

The past week has been a little rough for me. One of my wish kids (a kid who's wish I helped grant) lost her 5 year battle with cancer at the young age of 11. She was such a sweet, strong, and courageous girl who was always smiling, even when she wasn't feeling the best. My heart has been heavy for her family, who laid her to rest this afternoon. I can't even imagine what they must be going through. Well, when I find myself in these moments where I feel low and sad, I know that if I just bake something, I'll feel a little better. I can't explain why, but it just seems to help. I guess baking is my own personal therapy. Oh well!

So, yesterday, I decided to take on the challenge of making homemade bagels and blueberry muffins. This may be recipe overload for you, but bear with me because it's not as difficult as it seems. Let's start with the bagels. I did make a few modifications to the recipe (adding a few ingredients) to make them flavored bagels. This recipe is for plain bagels. If you want flavor, you'll have to add it yourself.

For the recipe, you will need:

4 cups bread flour

1 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T vegetable oil

2 tsp instant yeast

1-1/4 - 1-1/2 cups of warm water

Start by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. The dough should feel stiff, but add extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated.

Plop the dough down onto the counter (flour the counter in advance), and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.

Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter.

When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant rolling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be!

Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and lightly grease a large baking tray. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling!

Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute.

Take them out and let them dry for a minute and then place on your oiled baking tray. (and add any toppings to them at this point) Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.

Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another 10 minutes and they're done! Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!

You can add any toppings you like to this recipe. To make sesame, onions, poppy seed, caraway, etc. bagels, just have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as for bagels.

**For this recipe, I made cinnamon & raisin bagels (adding cinnamon and raisins into the bagel mix. I also made asiago cheese bagels by adding shredded asiago cheese in the bagel mix. (in hopes of duplicating Panera's bagel) After boiling the bagels, I added a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to the cinnamon & raisin bagels and for the asiago bagels, I added some shredded asiago cheese.

I will say that they turned out better than I'd expected for my first time making bagels. Not all recipes will always turn out perfectly and this one could use some tweeking. I'll have to keep working on it to perfect it, but for now, it's not too shabby!

Now for the blueberry muffins.....

You will need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

5 T unsalted butter, melted

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries or 2 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened, blueberries, unthawed.

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

3 T all-purpose flour

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 T unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Put paper muffin cups in muffin pan.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the pecans and stir to combine. Set aside.

To make the muffins, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt.

Make a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter and buttermilk. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Sprinkle with the blueberries and gently fold in with a large rubber spatula just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Take care not to break up the fruit. Don't over-mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffing cups, filling each to a bit above the rim of the cup. Top each muffin with the topping, dividing it evenly (the sugar will melt and produce a glazed effect).

Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature, with butter. Makes 12 muffins.

Introduction to French Cooking

Before I begin this Introduction to French Cooking, I must apologize for my lack of attentiveness in regards to updating my blog. In the future, I hope to post more regularly, should my schedule allow.

Now, to the juicy stuff. Today is an Introduction to French Cooking, compliments of Julia Childs. A few weeks ago, I made "Boeuf Bourguignonne" from her "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" book. Needless to say, it was quite awesome, so I wanted to share it with you. I'm going to include a more simplified way of making this, in case you don't have 4+ hours to spend, laboring over it in the kitchen. (though, I was making 3 recipes at the same time...)

Alright, let's begin. Here are the ingredients you will need:

6 oz chunk of bacon (I just bought a package of thick cut bacon that had a bit of fat on it)

9 to 10 inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep (meaning, a deep pot)

1 T olive oil or cooking oil

A slotted spoon

3 lbs. lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 T flour

3 cups of full-bodied, young red wine such as a Chianti (which I used and it gave a delicious flavor)

2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon

1 T tomato puree

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme

a crumbled bay leaf

blanched bacon rind (I just cut the fat off the bacon slices and blanched it)

18-24 small white onions, brown-braised in stock

1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter

parsley sprigs

The recipe states to remove the bacon rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry. My modification for this (since I have no clue where to get a bacon rind) was to cut the fat off the bacon, and simmer that in water for 10 minutes. Then cook the rest of the bacon in a skillet and remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a papertowel to drain. Set it aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. (the meat doesn't have to be entirely cooked through as it will finish cooking in the oven for several hours) Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.

Put the beef and bacon in the deep casserole dish and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set the pot or dish in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 more minutes. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove the dish and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meet is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. (or pieces of bacon fat) Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the dish or pot and set in the lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

(At this point, you could just stick with what you have and throw in the towel and go sit down, prop your feet up and watch a good movie or read a book for the next 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The stew will taste great with the ingredients you already have. If you would like to continue and prepare the stew the way Julia's recipe requires, then please continue reading.)

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

Brown-braised Onions:

You will need:

18-24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter

1 1/2 T butter

1 1/2 T oil

skillet

1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water

salt & pepper to taste

a medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp. thyme tied in cheesecloth

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Then either braise them as follows: Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. (and you can find cheesecloth at your local grocery store (Kroger, in my case), but you may have to get some help finding it) Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

Or bake them as follows:

Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in one layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape, and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet.

(The onions may be cooked hours in advance and reheated before serving.)

Sauteed Mushrooms:

You will need:

a skillet

2 T butter

1 T oil

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large

Optional: 1 to 2 T minced shallots or green onions

salt & pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2-3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. (I didn't bother with the shallots in my recipe.)

(Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.)

Ok, back to the stew....

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the dish or pot into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the dish and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

For immediate serving: Cover the dish and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in the pot or arrange on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

(The final product! It was one of the best meals I have ever put in my mouth! It was definitely worth the time, effort, and price.)

Of course, no delicious meal is complete without a delicious dessert to go with it! I also made Chocolate Souffle from Julia's cookbook. It was delicious (especially with a little vanilla ice cream)! That recipe will have to wait until another blog, but until then, I'll leave you with a picture to keep your taste buds coming back for more!