The Light in My Window

The Light in My Window

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Christmas in Williamsburg and our house

Here we are in the second week of December and things seem to get busier with each passing day as Christmas approaches. I hope you are able to enjoy some quiet times of reflection in the midst of your busy life. This week I decided to start by sharing with you some of the lovely decorations that are unique to Williamsburg, which is a beautiful place to live any time of the year, but especially at Christmas. This is our third Christmas here and we always enjoy taking a walk or two through Williamsburg to see all of the unique decorations.
 As much as I like these beautiful and unique Colonial decorations, I love even more being able to decorate our own home for Christmas. We have accumulated a lot of decorations over the years, and it is such a pleasure to be able to make our home pretty and festive for our own enjoyment and for others. To me, that is one of the most rewarding aspects of homemaking! Let me give you a little peek into our home this Christmas:
Our tree
We changed the look of our tree once we became empty-nesters. We had always had a tree with "cute" and varied family ornaments. When our youngest son got married I wanted to make a change, so we went with a more "elegant" look. I still display many of those old family ornaments on a small tree I put up in a corner of the kitchen. (not pictured) I also wanted to show you the special ribbon I got for our big tree this year, so I took this close-up shot. I was so excited when I found this pretty gold and white ribbon with the names of Jesus on it! It's hard to see in the picture, but "Emmanuel" "Prince of Peace" and "Good Shepherd" are just three. I love it because it helps us to keep the right perspective even in decorating our tree.
Another very special part of our decorating is putting out my collection of 9 vintage Santas that my mother hand-painted for me. My husband made a special display of them and my Victorian village pieces on the high shelf that runs across our two-story living room wall. I appreciate his help!
I hope that this little glimpse of Christmas at our house inspires you to make your home inviting at Christmas. God has given us the privilege and pleasure of creating a beautiful and inviting home for our family and loved ones. As God's women, we are blessed with our God-given assignment to "weave a tapestry of beauty" into our homes (Elizabeth George). Proverbs 14:1 reminds us that a wise women builds a home, and Titus 2:5 tells us that women are to be homemakers. Often the word "homemaker" is held in disdain by society today, and conjures up images of dull, mundane labors by a boring housewife. While there are dull and mundane jobs in the course of homemaking, there are dull and mundane jobs in ANY vocation in life.  Being a homemaker literally means we are to be a "home-lover." It is our blessing to be able to make our homes warm and inviting. God is able to take our planning, effort and creativity and use it to make our homes beautiful as a testimony for Him.

Until next time,
Kathi


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Love at Christmas

Things have settled down at our house after a busy but wonderful Thanksgiving with our daughter, son-in-law, and three precious granddaughters. With three girls ages 5, 3, and 5 months, there was never a dull moment! Not only did we enjoy a great Thanksgiving celebration, but we were able to make a quick trip (quick as in up and back the same day!) to PA so that our daughter could visit her grandmother whom she had not seen in nearly 2 1/2 years. It was a very special time. Between that day and them having to return home 2 days later, we squeezed in a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, a little one-on-one time for my daughter and myself (which always makes me yearn for years gone by), and we also celebrated Christmas since they will not be with us for Christmas. Whew! Now the house is quiet and clean, but it won't stay that way for long, as 3 of our other grandchildren are coming to stay with us for the weekend while their parents enjoy some much-needed time alone! These are great times. All too soon our grandchildren will growing up and busy with many activities, and won't have as much time to spend with "MaMa and PaPa."

Thinking about these precious grandchildren God has entrusted to us makes me think about something we usually do not equate with Christmas: love. If you really stop and think about the true meaning of Christmas - how Jesus left His home in heaven and was born as a baby in very humble surroundings, all so that God could fulfill His promise to us that He would provide a Savior for our sin - Christmas can be summed up with one word: love. Love is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

But this time of year finds us so busy, tired, over-committed, stressed and distracted that we find that we have lost sight of the more important reason of why we are even celebrating Christmas: God's great love for us in the person of Jesus, and us showing that love to our family and others. In this post I would like to look at just one verse that reminds us of the perfect example of love at Christmas: John 1:14. Let's unpack it phrase by phrase.

"And the Word was made flesh" - Jesus was born as a human being, and as a human being, He subjected Himself to all the miseries of human nature. He was still God, but He was also man and became hungry, thirsty, tired, busy and all of the things that we experience - but without sin. Only love could have made Him do that for us. And because He was flesh (human), He is the perfect teacher and example for us.

"and dwelt among us" - Dwell means to live permanently, to settle in. Matthew 1:23 says that one of the names for Jesus "Emmanuel" means "God with us."  Jesus could have just come for a visit or for a brief time as a grown man and then died on the cross, but because of His love for us, He came and resided here among us so that He could minister and serve those He loved.

"and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father" - this is one of the benefits to us of Jesus being born: we could now see the glory of God first-hand. We know what He is like because of His Son. Those who were most intimate with Him knew Him best. What do those closest to us know us to be like? Do they see love, or do they see unkindness, impatience, rudeness, and other unlovely things?

"full of grace and truth" - Jesus coming gave us the two things we need most and don't have: grace and truth. Grace is what saves us and enables us to live each and every day. Truth is found only in God and His Word. What wonderful gifts that God gave us when He gave us His Son!

At this point in December, we still have most of our Christmas celebrations ahead of us. We are all busy with shopping, wrapping, mailing, decorating, baking, attending special Christmas events, and a myriad of other things. In the midst of all of it, don't forget to stop and think about why we are doing all of it. It's all because of love.

Lovingly,
Kathi 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Thoughts on Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving week! Honestly, I hadn't thought I would be able to blog this week, with family coming in and the busyness of the week, but today God has been impressing on my heart some thoughts about gratitude.  Last week in my post I gave you a little glimpse into my home this Thanksgiving, and shared with you some of my decorations and recipes. This is my last quiet morning for a few days, and as I have been setting up the Pack N Play and cleaning the high chair in anticipation of our youngest granddaughter being here for Thanksgiving with her two sisters, it made me realize once again how much we have to be thankful for this year. The last year we lived in Illinois, we spent Thanksgiving alone because it was too far for any of our children to travel for such a short time. Thinking about that Thanksgiving made me think about the element of genuine gratitude. When our homes and our tables are full, our family healthy, and life is going well, it is easy to have an "attitude of gratitude." But what about when times are not so good? In those times, gratitude doesn't come so easily but I think it is even more necessary, because a thankful heart is a safeguard against depression, fear, and bitterness. Gratitude and ingratitude are both contagious - try spending time with people who are either full of gratitude or full of complaining, and you will see what I mean.

So how does one cultivate a grateful heart? I think the secret lies in the fact that realizing gratitude is not something we conjure up or put into practice when the circumstances in our lives make it easy to be thankful, but true gratitude is a lifestyle. It is a choice, and it is Biblical. It comes from realizing how much God has done for us, and what He has given us in Himself if we know Him. Over and over again, the apostle Paul talks about "abounding in thanksgiving." The book of Colossians mentions thanksgiving in every chapter. Ephesians 5:20 says "giving thanks always for all things." And the best-known verse that comes to mind is 1 Thess. 5:18 - "in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." The end of that verse about it being God's will for us is key. We are told in Romans 5:3-5 and 8:28-29 that we can give thanks because everything that enters our life serves His purpose to perfect us. Maybe we have a tough time giving thanks for the problems in our lives, but we can give thanks because of the One who is always gracious, wise, and good. Ingratitude is offensive to God because not only are we not obeying Him, but we are showing a spirit of failing to acknowledge the fact that His ways are perfect and wanting to be independent of Him and His desire for our lives.

This year as you sit at your Thanksgiving tables or attend the Thanksgiving service at your church, I hope you will expand your idea of what you are to be grateful for. It isn't only homes, jobs, food, family, and health. Because if that is what drives our gratitude, what happens when those things fail? We can be grateful for God constantly being at work in our lives to accomplish His plan for us, and for His love, peace, joy, grace, wisdom, and so much more.

Have a Christ-Centered Thanksgiving!

Love,
Kathi


Thursday, November 20, 2014

Thinking Thanksgiving

Good morning! How are you adjusting to this drastic change in the weather? It feels more like December outside, but the calendar tells us that Thanksgiving is a week away. Our daughter and her husband and their 3 little girls - ages 5, 3, and 5 months - are coming for Thanksgiving and I am getting so excited! I love Thanksgiving because it is all about family and reflecting on our blessings, two of my favorite things, and is without all the commercialism of Christmas. I thought that in today's post I would give you a little glimpse into our Thanksgiving, because next week I will probably be too busy to write!

I enjoy decorating my table and other areas for the special day, and here is a peek at my decorations:










My daughter-in-law gave me the "eat pie" sign because it is very significant in our house! I have been known to make as many pies as there are people. I try to make everyone's favorite and before you know it, I end up with half a dozen or more pies! Ask any of my kids! But then we enjoy pie and coffee every evening they are here!





I also am purchasing the ingredients for my little granddaughters to make these darling turkeys:
As far as the meal itself, I am pretty traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. To me, it is not the time to experiment with new foods or recipes. My family loves the traditional turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, etc. In thinking about what recipes I could share with you that are still considered traditional, I do have one side dish which is really delicious and traditional, yet a little different. It is extra-nice that you make it in the slow cooker so you can fix it and forget about it until dinner is ready. The recipe originally came from Allrecipes.com.

Slow-Cooker Cream Corn
16 oz. pkg. of frozen corn
1 stick of butter or margarine, cubed
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
Just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours. Stir well. Everyone loves it!
And in case you are in the mood for pumpkin (who isn't?), I am sharing my recipe for pumpkin bread.  I got this recipe many years ago from my mother in law and it is still the best pumpkin bread I have ever had. It makes a lot, so you can freeze some or give some away.

Pumpkin Bread
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend with mixer sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin. Whisk together dry ingredients and blend into the pumpkin mixture. Add water and mix. Pour into greased pans - makes 2 regular loaves or about 7 mini-loaves. Don't overfill the pans, or you will have trouble getting it done in the middle. Bake regular loaves for 50 -55 minutes, and mini loaves for 35-40. Cool slightly in pans before removing onto racks. Enjoy!

Whether or not you are doing any special decorating, baking or cooking isn't the most important thing. The most important is to cultivate a grateful heart - something I could write an entire post on. Learning to have a grateful heart is something that can't just be turned on and off for Thanksgiving Day. It is a daily choice. In thinking about gratitude, I love this quote from Nancy Leigh DeMoss: "Is the gratitude that flows out of your life as abundant as the grace that flows into your life?"

I will leave you with that. Happy Thanksgiving!

With a grateful heart,
Kathi


Thursday, November 13, 2014

"Same-Same, But Different"

I know, I know. What kind of a title is that, and what in the world does it mean? Let me explain. "Same-same, but different" is a Cambodian proverb. I don't know exactly what it means to the people of Cambodia, but I know what it means to me. Today, November 13, is the 4-year anniversary of the day I suffered a serious ankle injury while on a missions trip to Cambodia. My husband and I spent 2 weeks with Ron and Tina Fruin in the Phnom Penh area, and it was a life-changing experience. Today I got out the journal I kept while we were in Cambodia, and relived some of the memories. I am so glad I kept that journal, because in reading it all the sights and smells and emotions that I experienced on that trip come rushing back to me as if it were yesterday.
 
From my journal, November 12, 2010 (4 days into our trip): "Yesterday was a long day - market and "grocery" shopping in the morning meant an hour-long ride into Phnom Penh in the tuk-tuk. Seeing the meat with flies on it in the market and some of the other sights and smells made me queasy in the stifling heat. When we went to the store, I couldn't believe the prices and the lack of selection, compared to the states. Back home after another long tuk-tuk ride, Bob went to the youth volleyball activity while I helped Tina in the kitchen all afternoon - washing and disinfecting meat, slicing and grinding meat, washing and sanitizing the kitchen afterwards, making food from scratch and improvising for missing ingredients, all in the heat from which there is no relief. She works so hard every day. I couldn't sleep last night and was thinking about what purposes God has for me being here."

Little did I know. The very next day was Saturday and we had planned a day of sight-seeing in Phnom Penh. We toured the palace and the grounds, and it was while in a restaurant for lunch that I fell over a drop-off of the floor and severely injured my ankle. I lay on the floor in agonizing pain, surrounded by Cambodian women chattering in Khmer and rubbing mysterious potions on me and pulling on my foot. Finally I was carried to the tuk-tuk and endured the hour-long ride home, only to have to again be lifted in and go out a second time for an x-ray. There was only one x-ray machine in the entire city, and there was no one there who knew how to operate it. In the providence of God, He sent a man who was able to operate the machine. In the providence of God, there was an American missionary doctor, Dr. Tom, to read the x-ray and determine that nothing was broken. I had suffered torn tendons and ligaments. Not having access to a walking boot or brace, Dr. Tom made the decision to cast my foot, ankle, and lower leg in order to immobilize it. In the provision of God, Dr. Tom had exactly enough materials to make an old-fashioned plaster cast.

And so it was that I spent the rest of that long-awaited missions trip in a cast, mostly confined to the house. Over the next couple weeks I had a lot of time to think, to read my Bible, to pray, to write. I came to the understanding that God's purposes for me going to Cambodia were very different than mine. I was unable to do many of the things I had gone there to do. I couldn't go to church or teach the children or conduct the craft classes because they met on a roof-top. I never got to see my husband preach or teach even once. I had to learn to trust God that when His plan is different than mine, that His plan is best. I learned to trust God that He would use all of it for a purpose. I learned to depend on God's strength - so many times I was at the end of myself. God provided crutches for me to use, which was another miracle in a 3rd world country, and our room was on the 3rd level of the house, and I had to crutch up and down all of those staircases. My foot and leg swelled terribly because of the heat. Over and over I had to call on the Lord for strength.

God put me on a very different journey than the one I envisioned. It was a journey of learning to trust and to depend on God. But it was a life-changing journey, and I will never forget the lessons God taught me. When I got home, I had to go through months of wearing a walking boot and a brace and physical therapy. To this day when my ankle hurts, I remember what God taught me in Cambodia. Truly I am "same-same, but different."

Gratefully,
Kathi

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Door of Hospitality

Good afternoon! Can you believe it is November? Turkeys and ingredients for pumpkin pies are abundant in the grocery stores, and Christmas decorations are everywhere.  I feel like I just put the Christmas decorations away! Where has this year gone?

Last month I got busy decorating our home for the fall season, putting little touches of fall throughout the house. One of the things I had fun doing was making a fall wreath for our front door. We had seen a similar wreath in a shop when we were on our mini-vacation in the mountains, and although we really liked it we did not feel like we could spend the amount of money on the price tag. I also had seen some wreaths on Pinterest (love Pinterest!) that I liked. So I went to my favorite home crafts store, Hobby Lobby, and bought what I needed for about $20, which was less than half of the price of the wreath we had seen in the shop. And this is how it turned out:
If you would like to make one, you will need to purchase a plain grapevine wreath, three large fall decorative picks, several packages of artificial leaves, a package of small artificial assorted pumpkins and gourds, a wooden alphabet letter, and some acrylic craft paint. You will also need a glue gun. Begin by painting the wooden alphabet letter so it can dry. Then start making your wreath by positioning the three large decorative picks symmetrically on your wreath, allowing the stems to be secured by the vines of your wreath - I put mine on top, bottom, and left side. Don't glue anything down yet! Then start positioning one layer of leaves. Once you like the arrangement, glue everything down. Continue by positioning another layer of leaves, and glue them down. Once your wreath is nice and full, arrange and glue the pumpkins and gourds evenly on top of the leaves, leaving a space for your alphabet letter. Finish by gluing your letter onto the wreath. This is how our front door looks:
Doors make me think of hospitality, which is what I want to talk about briefly in my post today. Hospitality seems to be a lost art in our world today, even in our churches. And I think that is very sad, because did you know that God commands us to show hospitality? 1 Peter 4:9 says, "Use hospitality one to another, without grudging." Ouch. How many times do we practice hospitality, but grumble and complain about the work and effort involved while we are doing it? What else do we need to understand about hospitality? Consider the following:

1. Practical hospitality analyzes needs. Remember the Shunamite woman? She was the one who prepared a special room for the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 4. She thought about what he would need, and how she could best meet those needs. A little thinking is often all it takes.
2. Hospitality has no selfish motives. You don't open your home or prepare a meal with the thought that maybe there will be reciprocal invitations, or that people will admire your home or cooking.
3. Hospitality requires simply an open heart, and an open home. If you wait until you paint the dining room, or have new furniture, or matching china, or can have a gourmet menu, you will never do it. People don't care about those things. It is the warmth of your smile and your welcoming home that ministers to people. Hospitality is just making use of what you have!

The problem with practicing hospitality is not lack of opportunity, but a lack of vision. (Beneth Jones) We are so busy, and we are so focused on our life and our little world that we fail to notice those around us who we can be a blessing to. As always, when we obey God, the blessing is ours.

Hoping you will seek someone out and bless them,
Kathi





Monday, October 27, 2014

God's Plans

Good morning! First of all, I need to begin by saying this: I never planned to go this long between blog posts. I apologize that I have been absent from my blog lately. But I also never planned most of things that have made up my life these past two weeks. I didn't plan to fall and twist my knee going apple-picking. I never planned to be driving down the road one Monday morning and have a tree branch fall on my car, doing $800 worth of damage. I certainly never planned for my 4 year old grandson to be admitted to the hospital the same day - the same HOUR - his dad, our son, was boarding a plane for Africa.  I didn't plan to drive from northern Virginia to Pennsylvania by myself, in our son's vehicle, to help care for my granddaughters while my grandson was in the hospital. And I DEFINITELY never planned to be knocked down by a severe sinus infection, bronchial infection, and some sort of flu virus the same day I arrived home from said trip, from which I am still recovering. I have not been that sick for a long time and hope not to be again anytime soon, thank you very much!

Yes, every single one of these things really did happen to me the past two weeks. But even though none of these things were in my plans, they were in God's plan for me. That is what kept coming back to me over and over again. In our Ladies Bible Study at church, I have been teaching the class "Not by Chance", which is based on an excellent book by Layton Talbert. After almost 20 years of teaching ladies, I have learned to count on this: God never fails to be working in my life and teaching me the same truths that I am teaching my ladies. And that, my friend, is a scary thing. So scary that sometimes I am tempted to give up teaching or at least change the topic that we are studying. God wants to make sure that I really believe what I am teaching. And it's scary because He brings it home to me and tests me in some very hard ways.

And so it was during these trials that I remembered one particular truth that I have taught, and that I am still learning: In times of doubt or fear, rehearse the promises of God, rest in the provision of God, and rejoice in the plan of God. In short, God is in control.

Rehearse the promises of God - this is why it is so important to be in the Word of God. Because if you are not, how are you going to be able to call up God's promises when you need them? Verses like Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not afraid, because I am YOUR God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness." And so many more.

Rest in the provision of God - I could write a book about this. In fact, soon I hope to be able to write about an amazing story of God's providence. God's providence - His ability to see and to act before hand - is rooted in the doctrine of God's sovereignty. God knows all and is in control over every aspect of His creation. Nothing is an accident that extends beyond God's control. It was God's hand of provision that the incident with the tree branch did not cause me to have an accident. It was God's provision that I was already at the airport, having taken my brother who was traveling with our son to Africa, and was planning on helping my daughter-in-law drive home so I was in the right place at the right time. It was God's hand of provision that I was not sick the week I was needed to care for the children. If we are confident in God's provision, we can trust His ways and His timing.

And - best of all - rejoice in the plan of God. His plans, while not ours, are far greater. Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans that I have for you, saith the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope." (NASB). Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways."

Every day we may wake up with a plan for our day. Sometimes the day goes as we planned. Sometimes, according to God's wise providence, it is very different than what we planned. But what we may view as "Plan B" is actually "Plan A" to God - He had it planned for us all along. The question is, can we be content and trust Him with that?

Thoughtfully,
Kathi



Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Mountains and apples

Good morning! I hope you are enjoying all the wonderful things that fall has to offer. Thanks to the kindness of some special people, we were blessed to be able to go away last week for a long weekend in the North Carolina mountains. After many years of spending all of our vacation time taking kids to college, visiting our kids when we lived a long distance away from them, and then helping with new babies, moves, and various things, we have not had any time to go anywhere special alone in a very long time. Now don't get me wrong, we LOVE our kids and our grandkids, and we are extremely grateful for every single opportunity God has given us to see them and help them. But I must say that a few days away from the busyness and demands of the ministry, just the two of us, was exactly what we needed. We spent time driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping wherever we wanted, and enjoying the gorgeous mountain scenery. We hiked and picnicked and browsed in shops and talked. And were reminded all over again of how happy we are that God brought us together and has given us 39 years together!
   
When I'm thinking about fall, one of the special treats that I look forward to every year is fresh-picked apples! We don't have apple orchards here in our area, and I miss that. But a few weeks ago I was able to pick some Golden Delicious apples with my daughter and little granddaughters while visiting them. It is always such fun to get out in the orchard and fill your bag with apples right off the tree. I think one of my granddaughters would have eaten them as fast as we picked them, if we had let her!
I have a lot of yummy apple recipes, but today I thought I would share with you one of my breakfast favorites - Baked Oatmeal with apples. I have made this recipe for many years and given it out many times. I could seriously eat all of it myself (not at one sitting!) It is so easy, delicious, and makes the house smell wonderful. When my youngest son was still at home, I could guarantee he would be up in time for school if I made baked oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal with apples
3 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. oil
1 scant cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick or regular oats (not instant! I use quick oats, but you can use either or half of each)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Place sliced apples in bottom of a sprayed 9x13 pan (you can make this without the apples, by the way, but they add a lot to it.)
Stir together remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over the apples. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
This picture is half the recipe, which is what I usually make now that there are just the 2 of us at home. It is made in a square baking pan.
Just want to leave you with a verse: "Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Psalm 103:1-2

Joyfully,
Kathi

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Joy of Journaling, part 2

Good morning! Fall has arrived on the calendar, and in my part of the country, it sure is feeling like it! I am welcoming the cooler temperatures and anticipating the changing of the leaves, the hot-dog roasts over bonfires, and using lots of pumpkin and apples in my cooking and baking! Although the fun in that has been rather deflated by my needing to be gluten-free. However,  I am enjoying a pumpkin-spice latte (homemade) as I write this!

I took a little detour last time in posting about the blessing of our Missions conference, and now it is time to get back to my previous post and the subject of journaling as a valuable part of your time with God. If you have not read that post, please go back and do that, as in it I give the Biblical basis and the motivations for keeping a spiritual journal. Today I want to continue that theme and give you some practical help and ideas to help you get started. As I mentioned before, the object of journaling is to not only get into God's Word, but to get God's Word into you. There is a big difference! You need to keep it simple! You can go out and buy a pretty journal if that helps to motivate you (Hobby Lobby usually has some with scripture on the front, priced very inexpensively), or you can just use a plain old spiral notebook.

Begin by praying for God to open your eyes and heart. As you read your Bible and you come across a verse or passage that speaks to you, write the date in your journal and then write out that particular verse or passage in your journal. Copying God's Word really helps you to remember and think about it. (Remember copying in elementary school? There was a reason for that!)

Next comes the application part. Write just a sentence or two summarizing in your own words what the verse or passage is saying, then write a couple sentences how it applies to your life. Basically you are answering three questions: What does this say? (copying the verse) What does it mean? (interpreting the verse) What do I need to do? (applying the verse). In considering what the verse means, look for things such as what it tells you about God, or about people. Ask yourself if there are any commands or promises given, or any examples that you can follow or avoid. Then when it comes to the "What do I need to do?" part, think about how this personally relates to your life and to the situations you are in right now. Writing down what the Holy Spirit reveals to you makes it more concrete and makes you more accountable.

Then expand your journaling with writing about the milestones in your life (Exodus 17:14, Deut. 17:18-20, and Joshua 4:2-7): decisions you make, battles and trials you are going through, special occasions (times with family, holidays, vacations, births of children or grandchildren), answers to prayer, and special blessings God gives you. This will give you a permanent, written reminder of what God has taught you and how He has helped you and serves as tremendous encouragement in the future. In addition, when you are feeling discouraged or depressed, make it a point to write in your journal all the things you are thankful for that day. You will be amazed at how this changes your perspective! You can write down such simple things as getting all the laundry done, a hot cup of coffee, a needed item on sale! It will make you have a more grateful heart and look for the little blessings in your life!

One final thought: Don't get discouraged - it takes a little time - and don't miss the point! Don't get so caught up in the mechanics of journaling and trying to be perfect at it that you miss the whole point of learning and applying what God has for you.

Until next time,
Kathi

Thursday, September 18, 2014

God's gifts

Well, hello. Sorry about the long pause between blog posts. It's been a busy couple of weeks! Last week I was able to get away for a few days and spend 2 days with a very dear friend whose mother recently passed away. We had some much-needed "girl time" doing lots of talking, shopping, eating out, more talking, and just catching up. Then I spent a wonderful day with our daughter and beautiful granddaughters (her husband was working). We had great fun picking apples and playing! After that, it was time for me to head home and jump on the ever-moving ministry train. I arrived home on a Friday night, and the next day was our annual church picnic (for which it rained, but we still had a great time!) and the beginning of our missions conference. We were hosting a family of missionaries for the next 4 days and I had much to do!
Grilling in the rain at our church picnic
Which brings me to today's topic: God's gifts to us. I should probably write about gifts at a more appropriate time, say, at Christmas...but when God is speaking to you about something I have learned not to ignore it! As I was walking this morning and meditating on the blessings of this past week, I was thinking about God's incredible goodness. There are many gifts God bestows upon us. The ultimate gift, of course, is salvation. He sent His only beloved Son to this earth to suffer and die a cruel death on the cross to pay for our sin. There are so many other gifts that God gives us: peace that passes all understanding, joy in spite of circumstances, His grace that is always abundant, wisdom and direction when we seek it....just to name a few.

But sometimes God's gifts are unexpected. Sometimes they come wrapped in a different package (see, this really would relate well to Christmas...) but they are a gift from God, just the same. This week God's gift to me came in the form of friendship and encouragement. As I mentioned, we were supposed to host a family of 4 missionaries. At the last minute, they decided to leave their 2 children at home in the care of their young-adult children so the children could continue with their schooling, so just Walter and Carol Loescher came to our missions conference and to stay in our home. They have been missionaries to Cameroon for 16 years. Carol is a doctor, and the stories they can tell...Anyway, I digress. God knew this week that we needed each other.

Carol shared with me that since they have only been home from Cameroon for a short time that her life has been (understandably) very hectic, with moving, getting the family settled, beginning school, and working on their travel schedule and ministry DVD and display board. She said she has had absolutely no time to read, study, write, or do anything quiet, and this week was God's special and unexpected gift to her. God provided our home, which is laid out in such a way that our guests could have the entire upper floor to themselves, and the free time to be able to spend quality time doing the necessary "quiet" things that she had been unable to do. I was so honored to be used of God to be a gift to her, to minister to them and the needs they had!


But that wasn't all! We not only had guests from Cameroon, but from Brazil, Canada, and the Armed Forces. They were a diverse group, with a wide gamut of talents and backgrounds. In the process of spending much time together, God knit our hearts with them this week, and I learned so many lessons from each of them. I learned to hold my possessions and treasures very loosely, as they can easily be taken from you. I learned to persevere in times of discouragement. I learned that God can use all kinds of backgrounds, people and talents to make a difference for Him. And that we depend way too much on being comfortable and convenient. It took me back to the days following our trip to Cambodia 4 years ago and some of the lessons I have forgotten.

These friendships and these lessons from this week are God's special gift to me. He knows what I need, and when I need it, and then He graciously provides the people and the means to teach me.

Warmly, with a grateful heart,
Kathi

Friday, September 5, 2014

The Joy of Journaling

Happy Friday to everyone. I hope you have had a good week! I haven't been blogging as often as I would like. This has been an unusual week for me. Monday I enjoyed the Labor Day holiday with my husband. We spent half the day at a local park, where we rented a small boat and explored the lake for several hours until we got too hot, and then we came home and put our smoker to good use, smoking a whole chicken for a delicious supper. That relaxing day was followed by my endoscopy on Tuesday, which meant I was out of commission for the day. Thus Wednesday and Thursdays were "catch up" days - one day busy with tasks at home and the other out doing necessary shopping and errands. My husband usually takes Fridays as his day off, because he can't relax until he knows everything is finished and ready for Sunday, but since he took Monday and half of Tuesday off, he is working today. So I am taking advantage of the quiet free time to do some writing and studying.

I promised last post that I would tell you more about something that is very important to me - keeping a journal as part of my time with the Lord. I first was introduced to the joy of journaling by Mrs. Bobbie Yearick, who was my pastor's wife while my husband was in school studying for the ministry. Mrs. Yearick left an imprint on my life in so many ways, and teaching me to journal was just one of them. She spoke of her journal as her "Ebenezer book." An "Ebenezer book" is a journal which includes blessings, lessons, and remembrances of God's goodness and His answers to prayer. In direct answer to the effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man, Samuel, God wrought a great victory for Israel against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:9-12. Unwilling that this victory be forgotten by either himself or his people, Samuel set up a stone - the "Ebenezer stone" - in commemoration. From that time on, when the children of Israel passed by they would see the stone and be reminded of the Lord's grace and mercy to them.

A passage that has much meaning for me when it comes to journaling is Exodus 17:14-16. Again this account takes place after a time of blessing from God. The Lord gives Moses a special and personal message - he tells Moses to "write about this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua" so that they might have a permanent record of what God had done.

There are at least 4 motivations for keeping a spiritual journal:
1. Our own forgetfulness. We are so quick to forget what God has taught us and done for us! How many times do we get discouraged over the present circumstances, and forget all the things God has done for us and the prayers He has answered in the past? I now have nearly 20 years' worth of written blessings, lessons, and answers to prayer. Most of the time when I read back over them I find things I had completely forgotten about!

2. The certainties of difficulties in the future. We are blessed not only from recalling, but we gain encouragement for the future. We do not know what lies ahead, but when we have something in writing that we can go back to in times of trial, it encourages us and gives us strength. We are reminded that God has been with us and helped us before, and He will do it again!

3. It memorializes the meeting between us and God. Journaling is simply putting your heart on paper. It is a way of not just getting into God's Word, but getting God's Word into us. Writing crystalizes your thinking, and records your personal insight into what God says and does.

4. It is a legacy for future generations. Don't miss the part of the passage in Exodus where God tells Moses to rehearse what is written in the book to Joshua. "Rehearse" means to practice, over and over again. The Psalmists remind us frequently of the importance of passing along the things of God to future generations. Psalm 78:4 -"Showing to the generations to come the goodness of the Lord."  Psalm 45:17 - "I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations..." As mothers and grandmothers, God wants us to use what God has taught us to teach our children and grandchildren.

Another benefit that I might add is that I have a wealth of material! If I am looking for an application from a special verse, a favorite verse, quote,  answer to prayer, or an event, I can almost always find it in one of my journals.

So by now maybe you have read this and are saying, "OK, I would like to try this. But what do I do? How do I get started?" Since this post is getting rather long, I will address the "how-to" in another post in the near future.

From my heart to yours,
Kathi

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Help for the Overwhelmed

I have a confession to make.

As a pastor's wife, I sometimes get overwhelmed.

It usually comes at a time when I look ahead and there are a lot of events crowding my calendar. I am a very disciplined person, and I have an organized plan of what I will get done along with when I will do it. The problem is, sometimes life doesn't cooperate. Emergencies happen. Phone calls interrupt. People need me. Appointments pile up. The unexpected becomes the rule. My husband says, "Honey, I really need you to do this." And my carefully-crafted plan falls apart. And then, usually I fall apart.

Can you relate?

Right now I am beginning to feel the warning signs. It has been a busy summer, with one thing after another, and all of a sudden summer is over and the events of fall are HERE. Several appointments and long-planned-for personal events are on my calendar. Our church picnic leads into our fall missions conference, and the missions conference takes a lot of planning: scheduling, providing for housing and meal needs of our guests, correspondence, preparing information packets, decorating the auditorium. Part of the missions conference is our Fall Ladies Luncheon - more planning, although I am so grateful for the wonderful and talented ladies at our church who take so much off of me. I still have my Sunday School class lessons to write and teach, and Fall Ladies Bible study is on the not-so-distant horizon. My husband and I are trying to plan a belated anniversary get-away for just the two of us, something we have not had in so long I can't remember if we EVER did it...and all of these things in addition to my normal day-to-day responsibilities threaten to overwhelm me.

The first thing to do when I start to become overwhelmed is this: just do the next right thing. I read or heard that from someone, and I can't remember who, but it is so true. Just do the next thing, one at a time, and the Lord will order my steps if I depend on Him. Which leads me to the other important thing: delight myself in the Lord! One of my very favorite verses, which I have memorized, is Psalm 94:19 - "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul." Being overwhelmed is definitely a "multitude of thoughts." I have learned God's comforts cannot delight my soul if I am not in the Word and taking the time I need with Him!

One of my greatest passions is journaling as part of my time with the Lord. I have beside me a stack of journals I have written in since the late 1990's. In them is a wealth of prayers, scriptures, thoughts, lessons, answers, blessings, quotes, musings, and encouragements. The are one of my most prized possessions because they are a reflection of my walk with the Lord. I can go back anytime I want to and re-read things God taught me and blessings He gave me.

Over the years I have taught ladies in our ministries whole lessons on the joy of journaling, and in my next blog post I plan to share why and how it is so important. I hope to inspire you to begin to include journaling as part of your time with the Lord.

Keep on keeping on!
Kathi


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

From my kitchen: Grill N Chill recipes

Happy Wednesday! It's a beautiful day in the middle of what is otherwise turning out to be a rainy week here in Virginia! I have been a little disappointed in the wet weather since my parents are here visiting for the first time in 15 months, and we want to enjoy all the outdoor things the Williamsburg area has to offer. But on the other hand, I am thankful for the great weather the Lord gave us last week when we had the church teens and college students over to our home for our 2nd annual Grill N Chill. Grill N Chill is something that we started last year to be held at the end of the summer as a way of welcoming the new teens into the Youth group and say goodbye to our departing college students at the same time. We enjoy a great cookout meal with my husband's famous grilled burgers, some volleyball and basketball, some crazy games, and a time of devotions and reflection on the summer. We love our young people, and this year we had a total of 23 here for the Grill N Chill. I hope they enjoyed the evening as much as we did. I thought today I would share two popular recipes from our meal.


The first recipe is probably one of my most-requested. It is for my chocolate chip cookies, and while I have received and made many recipes for chocolate chip cookies over the years, these are absolutely the best. The recipe has been in my family forever, and everyone raves about them!

Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2/3 cup butter (I use half real butter and half margarine - you can use all of one or the other, but do not use a spread!), softened
2/3 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In mixer, cream butter/margarine, Crisco, and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls (I use a cookie dough scoop) onto baking sheets and bake for 9-10 minutes at 375. The secret is to slightly under bake them - take them out before they look done and allow to cool on cookie sheets for several minutes before removing.

Another favorite dish included in our cookout is my baked beans, which come from Southern Living magazine.

Easy Southern Living Baked Beans

3 bacon slices, cooked and drained and broken up
1/2 small onion, diced
2 15 oz. cans pork and beans, drained
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 T. flour

Cook bacon and drain, and sauté onion in pan and drain. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Pour into casserole and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. I doubled this recipe and put it in my slow-cooker and allowed to cook on low for the afternoon. It is a great, easy way to make baked beans for a crowd.

Happy to share these easy and delicious recipes with you, and I hope you enjoy them!

Til next time,
Kathi


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Still learning

Good morning - it's a beautiful Wednesday morning here! It is hard to believe that August is half over and summer is winding down already. In many areas of the country school has started. Having 2 sons and 2 daughters-in-law that are teachers, the start of school is always a big thing in our family. And this year, we have 2 granddaughters starting first grade and kindergarten, and a grandson beginning pre-K! They are growing up so quickly!

This week I have been enjoying some needed down-time at home. Last week was a very busy week with Vacation Bible School and a lot of other things going on, and I really felt the need to spend a few days at home and get caught up on a lot of things and "re-charged." I am very thankful for the opportunity to do that - to "come apart and rest for awhile." One of the things I have been doing this week is reviewing and reflecting on recent entries in my quiet-time journal. One of these days I will be blogging about the benefits of journaling because I LOVE to journal!

Lately it seems like the Lord is impressing on me over and over again (which usually means that I need it!) the thought of learning - learning who He is and what He has for me. I have been reading through the gospel of Mark. I am amazed by how slow Jesus' disciples were to learn, but isn't that a lot like us? We are so slow to learn and so easily distracted! The end of Mark chapter 6 is about the feeding of the five thousand followed by the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples were overcome by fear from not knowing who was walking toward them. The verse that caught my attention was Mark 6:52 - "for His disciples had not gained any insight from the miracle of the loaves, but their heart was hardened." You would think that after personally seeing Jesus do such a big miracle that there would be no more doubts about who He was, but they were not in the right position to learn from Him - their hearts were not open. In Mark 8, the disciples were in the boat with Jesus following another miracle, the feeding of the 4,000, and all they could talk about was the fact that they had forgotten to bring any bread. I would like to think that if it was me, I would not be worried about what I was going to eat because I would be so focused on Jesus - but I am more like the disciples than I would care to admit. Verses 16-17 - "They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, why do you reason that you have no bread? do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?" They had totally missed Jesus' provision for them and for 4,000 other people. They were so focused on their own lives and their own problems that they missed who Jesus was and what He could do.

In my teen girls Sunday School class, I have been teaching about two of my favorite Biblical women, Mary and Martha. And it strikes me that it goes right along with the theme of learning from Jesus. In Luke 10:38-42, Martha is so busy doing things FOR Jesus that she isn't spending any time WITH Him. It wasn't that she wasn't doing a good thing - she was, because Jesus never rebukes her for her service for Him. It's just that she wasn't doing the "one needful thing" - taking the time to learn from Jesus and nurturing a more intimate relationship with Him. It's a reminder that in addition to having a "hardened heart" like the disciples had, that the busyness of serving God can take away from the importance of knowing God.

So today, I hope you will do some thinking about being in the right position spiritually to learn what God has for you, about being so focused on your own life that you miss what He wants to teach you about Himself, and about keeping the right balance between knowing Him and serving Him.

With a thoughtful heart,
Kathi

Thursday, August 7, 2014

From my Kitchen: Frozen Summer Pies

Good morning! First of all, for those of you who may be following my blog but do not know me personally, I want to share with you the results of the CT scans I had last week. God answered prayer in a wonderful way! They were able to start my IV on the first try (a BIG answer to prayer for me!), I did not have any allergic reaction to the dye, and greatest of all, NO mass was found on my kidney! They explained that sometimes what shows up on an ultrasound as a mass is, upon further examination with the much clearer CT scan, actually nothing - and that was the case! So I am praising the Lord! Now that I have a clean bill of health on my liver and my kidney, I wait and see what my next move is based on my doctor appointment in a couple of weeks.

On a much lighter note, now that we are into August and the days are hot and humid (although they are that way ALL summer here in Virginia!), I thought I would share with you recipes for two of my very favorite summer desserts: frozen pies. They are refreshing and delicious, and as easy as can be!

The first recipe is for Frosty Mocha pie, and the photo above is actually from Taste of Home, which is where this recipe originated, because I neglected to get a picture of mine. It is soooo good, as long as you like mocha! It is also light, especially if you use light cream cheese and Cool Whip.

Frosty Mocha Pie
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 T instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla
1 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip, thawed
1 chocolate cookie or graham cracker pie crust

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa with electric mixer until smooth. Warm the milk slightly in the microwave and dissolve the coffee granules. Stir coffee mixture and vanilla into cream cheese mixture. Fold in the Cool Whip until completely mixed in - color is even. Pour into crust, cover, and freeze at least 4 hours. Allow to soften a couple minutes before cutting and serving. Drizzle slices with chocolate syrup before serving.

The other recipe I am almost embarrassed to share because there is nothing to it! But it has been a favorite with my family for years! My husband does not like yogurt, but he likes this pie.
Frozen Yogurt Pie
3 6 oz. containers of fruit-flavored yogurt, such as Yoplait, all the same flavor (I like raspberry and   strawberry the best)
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip, thawed
1 graham cracker pie crust

Simply put the yogurt into a bowl, fold in the Cool Whip until completely mixed and color is even, pour into crust, cover, and freeze! Very refreshing on a hot summer evening! And very weight-watcher friendly!

Both of these pies keep well in the freezer for a couple weeks, so if you only need a couple slices, no problem! I hope you enjoy them.

Til next time,
Kathi



Friday, August 1, 2014

In the Night

Somehow when I began this blog, I did not envision myself sitting at the computer and writing at 4 a.m., and yet that is exactly where I am. I have a headache and am tired, and I hesitate to even post this in case it does not make sense in the light of day. This is all a result of the events of the past few days. Tuesday morning (just 3 days ago?) I underwent an ultrasound in hopes of finding the cause of the stomach issues that have been plaguing me for the past few months. The cause of my stomach problems has not been found, but what they did find was something completely unexpected and unrelated - a mass on my left kidney. So in a few short hours I will be on my way to the hospital for a CT scan to determine whether this mass is in fact a cyst or a tumor. And of course, since I never do things the easy way, it is complicated by the fact that I have a previous history of having an allergic reaction to the dye used in the IV. As a result I have been given the dubious label of "high-risk." I was required as a precaution to undergo this procedure at the hospital rather than the previously chosen medical center, and also required to begin a regimen of Prednisone and other medication, in addition to the lovely barium contrast I have to drink. Which explains why I am sitting here in the middle of the night rather than tucked into my bed fast asleep, since Prednisone is known for causing sleeplessness, sweats, and all the other things I am currently experiencing.

The best place for me to be in the middle of this long night seemed to be in my favorite recliner chair with my Bible. I read a few Psalms in an attempt to focus my mind on the right thoughts, and then was drawn to Psalm 91. The first 2 verses say, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in Whom I will trust."

I love the thoughts in verse 1. The only way to stay in someone's shadow is to be very, very close to them. It tells me that when I stay so close to my Heavenly Father that I will abide in the protection and intimacy of His shadow. I picture a small child trying to stay walking in the shadow with his father. That's how I feel. Verse 2 is equally precious, because it reminds me that the Lord is my refuge - my place of protection - and my fortress - my place of strength. And He is MY God, personally, in whom I will trust. The word "will" is a word of decisiveness and determination.

These are the verses I will carry with me in a few hours when I take the remainder of my medication and check in at the hospital, have my IV started (which is never an easy thing for me, since I have always been notorious for being difficult to start an IV on), and under go this scan that I have no idea of the outcome of. My God is with me! And so is my husband, for which I am very grateful.

I just want to close by saying that if you were not expecting this blog to be so serious, I understand. Neither was I. But this is what the Lord has for me these days and I trust it can somehow be a help to you.

Love,
Kathi




Monday, July 28, 2014

Wedding advice

Happy Monday! Once again I have been absent from the blog for a few days because we have been away, completing the cleaning out and sale of my mother-in-law's home. I am praising the Lord this morning that all went well and that difficult task is now behind us.

A couple weeks ago, we had a wedding in our church. The bride was the daughter of one of the missionary families that our church supports, and I asked their permission to share a couple pictures of some nice and unusual ideas from their wedding and reception.

The first picture was the aisle runner. They made a pattern using flower petals, and the aisle was lined by candles (battery operated for safety). It was an evening wedding, so the overall effect was lovely.

The second picture was the one I want to write about today. At the reception they had an "advice wall" where guests could take a card and write a scripture verse or words of advice to the newlyweds and hang it in the place provided. I thought this was a great idea to encourage the newly married couple in their marriage.  Today I would like to share my "wedding advice", which applies to any wife, not just a bride. As one who is about to celebrate 39 years of marriage next month, I wish I had known some of these things when I got married!

1. Determine to pray more words over your marriage than you speak about your marriage. Prayerfully seek some Scriptures that you will pray for your marriage, write them down, and pray them often. Some good examples are Eph. 4:29 and 32, Phil. 2:3-4, James 1:19, and Proverbs 31:12. Pray often for your husband - no one can pray for him as you can! You know his strengths, weaknesses, struggles, obligations, and needs more than anyone else.

2. Remember that God has given us the ability to influence our husbands and our homes, whether it be positive or negative. Speak with kindness and encouragement to your husband. 1 Thess. 5:11 says "wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another." He needs your positive, uplifting words!

3. Lasting love doesn't happen by accident - it takes commitment, compassion, and sacrifice. It means looking at your husband, not through him. It means extending grace sometimes - just as God extends His grace toward you!

Hoping you will meditate on these words today as you ENJOY your marriage relationship!

Blessings, 
Kathi

Friday, July 18, 2014

In my Kitchen: Muffin Mania

I have really been enjoying the cooler and less humid weather the past couple of days. It put me in a baking mood, so I enjoyed baking up a couple of batches of muffins for the freezer. I always keep all my muffins in zip-lock bags in my freezer, and I can just take out as many as I need and put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and...voila! Warm, homemade muffins. It is always great for trips and for unexpected company to have a supply in the freezer.

The first recipe is for Banana-Oatmeal muffins. This is a recipe I got from my sister-in-law who is a fantastic cook, and also is a missionary in the south pacific so she knows her banana recipes!


Banana-Oatmeal Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (about 3 medium) mashed bananas
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 T. milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

In large mixer bowl combine 1 cup of the flour and the sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, shortening and margarine or butter, and milk. Beat with mixer until well-blended. Add eggs, oats, and remaining flour, beat until blended. Stir in nuts. You can also stir in some chocolate chips if you like! Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan and then on racks.

The other recipe is one of my favorites: Cappuccino Muffins. They are YUMMY if you like coffee! This recipe is originally from Taste of Home.


Cappuccino Muffins
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 T. instant coffee granules (note: I dislike instant coffee, but I keep a small jar on hand for baking!)
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (Mini work best but you can use regular and it will be just fine!)

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside. Warm milk in the microwave for about a minute in a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in coffee granules until dissolved. Add melted margarine or butter, beaten egg and vanilla to coffee/milk mixture and blend well. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin cups and bake at 375 for 17-19 minutes. Cool on racks. Taste best warmed!

Hope you enjoyed this time in my kitchen!
Kathi




Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The End of an Era

I know you are wondering where I have been. Well, when I sat down to post on Saturday, I discovered our computer was dead. As in the hard drive went out. So I have been without my computer. And I know what else you are thinking...where are all of these recipes and decorating ideas I talked about? I promise, they are coming. I already have ideas and pictures ready. But today, I want to talk about something different. It's the end of an era.


Sunday night we drove for several hours, slept for a few hours, and spent the entire day yesterday in sweltering heat and humidity with no air conditioning sorting and emptying my husband's childhood home in preparation for it's closing and sale next week. I was prepared for the sweat and the hard work. What I was not prepared for was the memories.


Tears and laughter freely flowed throughout the day as item after item brought a memory. "Look what I found! Do you remember the time..." "I remember the day dad got this..." "It was my job to clean this as a kid..." This house is so much more than a house. It is where my husband and I dated, and where our wedding rehearsal dinner was held. It's where the roses for our wedding came from, and where I lost my engagement ring in the back yard (it was found!). It's where we brought our babies after they were born and where they grew up, and where we took pictures of them in the same tree in the back yard every summer of their childhood. It's where they brought their spouses to meet grandma. It's where my daughter, now married and the mother of three, and I learned to bake pies, watching and helping my mother-in-law. It is the home of countless games of croquet, Parcheesi, and marbles; huge family Christmas dinners, and 4th of July picnics so we could watch the fireworks and have water hose fights among the siblings. It's where our kids played hide and seek, caught fireflies in jars, and built towers with egg cartons; and where our grandkids played with glow sticks in the dark in the basement. It's where we gathered after my husband's father died. It's where we came home to.


Last night, after it was all done, we gathered in a restaurant for a meal. Because that's all there was. And my brother-in-law looked at me and said, "It's true. Life really is a vapor, just like God said." James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." It's times like these that we realize anew what is most important - it's not about material things, but our personal relationship with God that matters. Because sooner or later, we are all going to come to the end of an era. Or the end of a life. And if you don't know Christ as your Savior and have a real relationship with God, then you truly do have nothing.


With a grateful heart,
Kathi

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Too busy to Pray?

Do you ever have a day when you feel like you are just too busy to spend time with the Lord? I do...often! Take today, for instance. My husband was up before dawn to catch a train to another city to help one of our church staff members who just had surgery there. My schedule for the day included filling in at the church office all day, a counseling appointment, and a wedding rehearsal in the evening. It was one of those mornings when I knew I was going to be juggling all kinds of things. And in times past, I would have thought I was way too busy to take the time to read my Bible and pray. But do you know what I have learned? It is precisely those days when I most need to spend time with God! I can't afford NOT to!


In Mark chapter 1, there is a story about Jesus that really spoke to me about this. Beginning in verse 21, Jesus was having a very busy day. He preached and taught in the synagogue, healed a man with an unclean spirit, and even when He went to the home of Simon Peter and Andrew where He was spending the night, He healed the sick mother-in-law of Simon Peter. I love verses 32 and 33 - "and at evening when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door." Do you ever feel like the whole city is gathered at your door - like everyone wants a piece of you?


So how did Jesus manage to handle all these demands, this busy life and pressure? The answer is in verse 35: "and in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed unto a solitary place, and there prayed." Jesus set the example. If He, being the Son of God, needed to step back and spend time alone with his Heavenly Father, how much more do we, being the weak human beings that we are! When we approach a busy day without taking time for God, it is like we are saying "I don't need you today, God. I can handle it!" And we proceed to do just that - and fail miserably!


So, my dear friend, the next time you are tempted to skip the Bible reading and prayer because you are too busy, make a different choice. That is where we find our strength, our peace, and our joy.


With a joyful heart,
Kathi

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

From My Heart and Home To Yours

What is the significance of "the light in my window"?  I'll begin by telling you a little about myself. I am first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ, having committed my life to Christ at a very young age. I am also married to a pastor. We are celebrating our 39th wedding anniversary next month, but we have only been in the ministry for the last 19 years - my husband was a businessman for the first 15 years of our marriage, so I did not marry a pastor! I have been a pastor's wife long enough now to have had lots of experiences and yet still feel like I have a long way to go! My greatest desire is to help my husband fulfill his calling and to be used of God in the lives of girls and women of all ages. As one of the "older women" (Titus 2), it is my responsibility as well as my joy to teach younger women and girls what it means to be a godly woman. It has to begin in my own life, through the precious time I spend with God and His Word. So this blog will sometimes - probably often - be for the purpose of sharing what the Lord is doing in my life, in the hope of encouraging others.

Another passion of mine is family. Besides my wonderful husband, I have three grown and married children, and seven grandchildren, all under the age of 6! "Controlled chaos" comes to mind! How I cherish the times that we are able to spend with them! The family that God has given us is my greatest blessing, and you can be sure that there will be plenty of pictures and grandchildren stories!

I also have a heart for home - I am happiest when I am at home! I love to spend time in my kitchen cooking and baking, and I love to create, decorate, organize, entertain, and even clean! So I am looking forward to sharing recipes, and decorating and entertaining ideas that I enjoy and can pass along. Sometimes I might have an organizing or shopping tip that I have learned. Other "loves" are my morning coffee (dark roast and black!), music, good books, and scrapbooking and card-making.

So the "light in my window" means that I will be giving you a close-up peek into the window of my home...and an insight into the light of my life, which is having a close and personal relationship with my God.

Til next time,
Kathi