Favorite Summer Recipe #TheLoft

     God told the Israelites, in Leviticus 26:3, "If you remember my laws and commands and obey them, I will give you rains at the right season; the land will produce crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit." (NCV) When we trust in and obey God, He blesses us with His provision, He supplies our every need.

     I love that the evidence of God's provision is seen in abundant crops and fruitful trees. And, to me, summertime means lots of sweet, delicious fruit. The very best way to serve up my favorite fruit, the peach, is in my mom's mouth-watering Peach Cobbler! The best part is, it is very easy to make. Here's the recipe:

Peach Cobbler

1 stick of softened butter
1 cup of sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of self-rising flour
2 cups of peeled and sliced peaches (or any fruit you like!)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cut peaches in a baking dish, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and set aside for 30 minutes, or so, to allow the sugar to create a yummy fruit syrup. Next, mix butter, 1 cup sugar and self-rising flour together, just until mixed. Crumble the topping on top of the fruit, and bake until browned, about 1 hour.
• Tastes most delicious when warm, and topped with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream!

     I also love that the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of His believers is seen in fruit, as well: "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT) I am so thankful that God not only provides us with His fruit to nourish our bodies, but produces His fruit in us to nourish our souls - all so that we may share Him with others. 

       

Legacy - #TheLoft

 

me & my dad

     As I come upon the 2-year anniversary of my father's death, it is with a deep sense of gratitude and pleasure at the legacy he left for me. My dad may not have known much about Jesus when he was a young father, but he and my mom made sure that my sister and I had the opportunity to learn about Him, as they took us to church & Sunday school throughout my young life. What he didn't know, he left to those who did. He knew the importance of knowing about Jesus, and I am forever thankful. My dad has left me a legacy of being generous of heart and loving toward others. My dad made life so much more fun for those around him - he always knew how to get everyone laughing! And the laughter of others made my dad's heart the happiest. It has been so hard not to have that laughter in my life - the laughter only my dad could bring about; but, the legacy of his humor and lightheartedness have encouraged me to laugh a lot, and not take life so seriously. As my dad got older, his faith and love for Jesus deepened, and he became a glowing example of Jesus to me. I treasure the wonderful, faith-filled talks we had in my adult years. Thank You, Jesus, for my precious Dad, and his beautiful legacy!

me & my mom

     I am so thankful for the living legacy I have in my dear mother. I'm so thankful, again, that my parents gave me the inheritance of knowing Jesus. There is no greater legacy a parent can leave than that! I have learned so many things from my mom! Through her example, I have learned how to be patient, how to nurture others, and how to be unselfish and giving toward others. My mom always listens with her heart, and is very concerned with anything that concerns me. She is my confidant. My mom regrets that her Christian walk was not where she wished it could have been when I was growing up, but I am thankful. I am thankful because she knew enough to make sure I learned about Jesus. And, I am thankful because it has been a beautiful journey that we have been able to make together, as friends. What a beautiful living legacy my mom is, that she has come alongside me as we strive together to walk the path that Jesus has marked out for us! Thank You, Jesus, for my precious Mom, and her living legacy!

     I am so thankful to both of my parents for their legacy. Because of their legacy, both of their children are walking with Jesus. "Don't you see that children are GOD's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?" Psalm 127:3, MSG

     Father, I pray that I am able to leave a precious legacy of Christian love for my children. I pray that, in me, they will see You, and will see how much I loved you in my life. I hope that they will be able to see that "Your statutes are are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart, " that "I inherited your book on living; it's mine forever - what a gift! And how happy it makes me!" (Psalm 119:111, NIV & MSG)
 Amen!

Potluck - #TheLoft

     A potluck...what's not to love?! A huge spread of wonderfully delicious foods - something for everyone! Meat & potato dishes, comfort foods, healthy options, and  sweet & delightful treats...the variety is endless. Each person brings his/her favorite thing to share, whether homemade or store-bought, with the intention to bring the best they have.

     A potluck dinner, full of variety and everyone's best culinary offerings,to be shared by all, makes me think of the spiritual gifts God so graciously bestows upon us:

"Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful..."

I Corinthians 12:7-8, The Message

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

I Corinthians 12:7, NIV

     Our Heavenly Father chose to fill each of us with special gifts to share with all of His people. The gifts He gives are uniquely designed and full of variety, but each is given for the good of all. The gifts do not make us special, for we are merely the vessels. Instead, they reflect the glory, majesty, and power of God, highlighting what He can do through us when we trust and obey Him.

     I want to share an excerpt from the book God inspired me to write, The Path: A 90-Day Journey to Living God's Will in Today's World:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV

For thousands of years, it has been customary to hide valuables or treasures in plain, ordinary containers so as not to draw attention to them. In biblical times, those treasures were typically concealed in clay jars. The message conveyed in the above verse is that the gospel, or the good news that Jesus is our Savior, is hidden within the hearts of all who believe. God has designed that Christian believers have this beautiful, treasured good news hidden inside of their ordinary, frail human bodies in order to showcase His magnificent power.

...When we choose to live in obedience to Him and the counsel He gives us through His Holy Spirit, God's all-surpassing power is unleashed in our lives. 

...As God's all-surpassing power goes to work in our lives, others take notice. As they see ordinary, frail people living godly lives and displaying godly characteristics, they glimpse a reflection of Jesus Himself. Their eyes are opened to see that it is not those ordinary, frail people who are the treasure, but the power of the treasure - Jesus -  working through them. This knowledge attracts them to Jesus  - the glorious treasure - who longs to do the same through them!

     Thank the Good and Great Lord for the "potluck" of gifts He has given us that we may be His vessels and reflect His Glory to others!

    

     

Best Vacation #TheLoft

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1, NLT

"God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." 

Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT

     It was summer of 2013. My daughter had just graduated from high school, my son would soon graduate from college, and my husband and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We'd had many beautiful vacations together visiting our families in Georgia and North Carolina. We decided that January that we should do something different for our summer vacation to commemorate this momentous year of celebrations - we would go to Europe!

     We decided together that we would visit London, Paris & Rome. From there, my husband planned the most fabulous trip ever - with stops at all of the best destinations those cities had to offer in the short amount of time we had in each.

     First came London:

Tower Bridge

One of many famous telephone booths

My Elizabeth & David

Parliament, The Eye, & Big Ben

Next came Paris:

The Eiffel Tower

The Louvre

Montmartre

Beautiful gardens everywhere!

Last stop - Rome:

Needs no caption!

The Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Piazza Navona

     I am so thankful that we could take this wonderful trip! It was so symbolic for the changing season in our lives.When your children are young, you can't envision what it will be like for them to grow up and move away, nor do you even want to entertain the thought for a moment! When our son went off to school in 2011, and our daughter right after this trip, the reality began to set in that they were all grown up now. I could no longer cling to them as my precious babies who needed me so much, badly as I wanted to. God has been with my husband and me, as we trained them up in the way they should go, and now we trust that they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Seasons change, and children grow up, and I will forever remain thankful that "God has made everything beautiful for its own time."

My Favorite Psalm #TheLoft

     My favorite Psalm - in fact, my favorite chapter in the entire Bible - is Psalm 139:

"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

     I had read that Psalm many times, I'm sure, but one day it just grabbed me. God knew me! He "knit me together in my mother's womb!" The very eyes of God "saw my unformed body!" He designed me, He created me just exactly the way I am - all for His plan and purpose. He knew what every day of my life would look like before the first one had even come about. He knew me before I was born on this earth, and He knows the day I will take my last breath on this earth. 

     The day that Psalm took hold of me was a transforming moment in my life as a Christian. It opened my eyes to the fact that Jesus not only had a personal knowledge of me, but that I was created for a specific purpose on this earth. Learning this about Jesus has led me to develop that personal relationship that He was longing to have with me - after all, if Jesus knew me so well, shouldn't I strive to know Him more? Shouldn't I desire to know Him more intimately and personally? The 139th Psalm paved the way for me to develop a relationship with Jesus that is so much more than superficial! It opened the door for me to have this wonderful, ongoing fellowship with Him, and has led me to trust in Him to fulfill His purpose in my life, and not make my own way. 

     And, whenever I stray from the path He has marked out and chosen for me, I, like the psalmist, ask Him to "search me", to "see if there is any offensive way in me." And then, I have His promise in verse 24, that He will  help me get my feet back on His path. He will "lead me in the way everlasting." Amen!

     

    

Our assignment this week at #TheLoft is to write about what the picture above evokes in us.

     When I look at this picture, I am filled with peace. I can feel the cool mist of the fog on my skin and smell the earthy scent of grass and hay. The simplicity of the picture - from the green, green grass to the perfectly-rounded bales of hay, gives me a sense of serenity and comfort, and I feel one with the beautiful earth that God created. I could picture myself lying atop those hay bales, surrounded by quiet, the noise of the world shut out.

"How blessed the man you train, GOD, the woman you instruct in your Word, providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil.."

Psalm 94:12-13, MSG

     Although I'm not likely to find this beautiful, peaceful scene anywhere near the sandy beaches of Florida where I live, it is vital that I make it a priority to find peace and quiet amidst the noise and confusion in the world around me. I just love these verses from Psalm 94! God is telling us that, in His Word, we find a "circle of quiet within the clamor of evil." Though we live in a world that can be hard and cruel, and evil is continually attempting to lead us astray, we need only to open the pages of His Word to receive training and instruction for how to keep our feet firmly planted on His path. Though chaos so often reigns all around us and the world can speak too loudly in our ears, we need only to open the pages of His Word to find that "circle of quiet," where God speaks peace to us.

     This picture is a perfect illustration of these verses from Psalm 94 to me, and although we may not be able to "get away from it all" and lie atop bales of hay everyday, we may always find our "circle of quiet" in Him.

     

     

The Place I Call Home #TheLoft

"Love GOD, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got! Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night."

Deuteronomy 6:5-7, MSG

     Home, the first 24 years of my life, was the city where I was born: Ft. Pierce, Florida. Ft.Pierce is a beautiful place to be born, and I'm so proud that my children are 4th generation Ft. Pierce natives! Ft. Pierce was, and still is, a place where its residents speak to each other, whether they know them or not. That may sound strange, but believe me, I've been in lots of places where people look at you funny if you speak to them and they don't know you! I love that about Ft. Pierce! I lived in the same house throughout my entire childhood with my mom and dad, and my older sister, Linda.

Here we are!

     Home was: my German Shepherd, Heidi; playing in our tree house, swinging on our tire swing; going to the beach; camping in a borrowed pop-up camper (with rain everytime!); playing hide-and-seek in our house at night, with the lights out!; eating dinner together around our kitchen table; going to church, learning about Jesus, getting saved in my backyard, (thanks to my next door neighbor, a preacher's kid!).

Home was where we talked about God and got His commandments "inside" of us. 

     Home was always, always my mom and dad, my sister and me,

 knit together in our Father's love.

     Home, for the last 26 years, has been the city where I now reside: Palm City, Florida. Just before my husband, David, and I got married, we decided to move just 25 minutes south of Ft. Pierce. Palm City was quite small when we moved here, but has grown just enough! Palm City is where we have raised our two beautiful - now young adult! - children, David, Jr & Elizabeth. 

Here we are!

     Home was: our loyal cat, Beeb, and best dog in the world, Sadie; catching lizards (okay, mostly our son!); going fishing; going to the beach; playing hide-and-seek in our house at night, with the lights out!; going on vacations together; cheering on our son in soccer and cross-country; being mesmerized by our daughter at her ballet recitals; eating dinner around our kitchen table; going to church.

Home was where we now talked about God and got His commandments "inside" our own children.

Home is where we are learning to transition to what we need to be for our children now that they are grown. Home is where we will always talk about God. Home is where we will always, always be... family, knit together in our Father's love.

The Place I Call Home is...FAMILY!