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."