Musings...

I have just finished reading a book that explained many of the customs and traditions of first century Jewish life, especially Galilean Jews.   It has been quite fascinating and I'm sure that I will be re-reading it many times just to take it all in.  There have been many things that I would love to share, and maybe over the course of the coming days/weeks, I will share different points, but today as the book came to a close, the author quoted a Greek philosopher's observation he had the opportunity of making of an early church.  His name was Aristides and here is what he wrote:

"They abstain from all impurity in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world.  AS for their servants or handmaids or children, they persuade them to become Christians by the love they have for them; and when they become so, they call them without distinction, brothers.  They do not worship strange gods; and they walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another.  When they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for the do not call those who are after the flesh, but those who are in the Spirit and in God.

And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and if they have not an abundance of necessities, they fast two or three days, that they may supply the needy with the necessary food.

They observe scrupulously the commandment of their Messiah; they live honestly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them.  Every morning and all hours on account of the goodness of God toward them, they render praise and laud Him over their food and their drink; they render Him thanks...

Such is the law of the Christians and such is their conduct" -Broken Bread, An Ancient Look at the First Last Supper by Jay McCarl

The thought that came to my mind, was this, if Aristides had the opportunity to observe my church, would this have been his testimony?

Living Cruciform

I started a new Bible Study a couple weeks ago, The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp.  I will be honest and say that I started this study with some excitement BUT also some fear.  The passion of my life is to be more like Christ.  To change and grow and become the woman, wife, mother, daughter, friend, pastor's wife, missionary, that He wants me to be, yet, at the same time, nobody, including me enjoys being "broken".

The truth is, the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, when I was 5 years old, He also became the LORD of my life.  I will admit that I have not always lived my life over the last 50 years as if that were true, BUT the the fact remains whether I admit it, or live it out on a daily basis HE is still LORD!

Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

So basically, IF Christ is my LORD, my old self-centered, self-exalting desires, MUST come to an end.  That "old me" has been killed, crucified...and my life is NOT my own, but is now Christ living in me... Christ directing and empowering all that I do.  It is NONE of me and ALL Jesus!

BUT HOW, do I do this... the ONLY way, is to get up each day, and present my life anew to Christ. To say, "Here's my life, Lord.  Do whatever you wish to do with me today.  You are the driver, I'm just your passenger.  I trust you to take us and guide us through this day."

In Romans 12:1, Paul says that I am to present my body to God as a "living sacrifice".   So I am to be dead to myself, but alive to Christ.

After 50 years, you would think I had this all figured out, and that I would live my life with this reality in focus everyday, but I don't.  It is still a daily struggle.  There are mornings, that I wake up and think, "just for today, I'll just do my own thing."  Problem with that is, I miss all that He had planned for me that day!

Then to live "Cruciform" means to live my life in the shape of the cross.  To live so that everyone around me sees Jesus, and NOT me!  That my whole life is focused and centered on HIM and HIM alone.  To trust HIM completely, to take the broken pieces of my life and fit them together in a way that will bring honor and glory to his name.  Believing that only then will I have an abundant joyful life.

From the Kitchen...

We enjoyed a turkey dinner for Easter this year.  It's not normally what we have on Easter, but we had a turkey, we didn't use at Christmas time, so decided it would be a good.

We had lots of salads and things that made it seem a bit more "springy"... BUT, I can't imagine having turkey without "stuffing" or "dressing".  

It is often at these times, that I miss being able to go to the grocery store and just get a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix. :)  Since that isn't possible I drag out my old family cook book, and find my grandmother's recipe.  Once it's made and I taste it, I'm really thankful that I couldn't go and pick up a bag of stuffing mix!!

So in case you live where you can't grab a box or bag of stuffing mix in your grocery store, OR maybe you just want to try you hand at some "homemade", here's a recipe for you!

Ma Coleman's Thanksgiving Dressing

12 slices of white or whole wheat bread cubed and dried out
     (I use crustless bread, and toast it once I get it cut up)
1 recipe of Corn Bread for stuffing, (recipe to follow)
4 to 6 ribs of celery chopped, (about 2 cups)
1 large onion finely chopped, (about 1 cup)
1/2 Cup of fresh parsley or the equivalent of dried.
1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup of butter melted
1/2 cup of warm water (can add chicken or turkey broth instead)

Sauté celery and onion in butter, until tender.  Mix everything together, and stuff bird, or spread in a covered casserole or form into balls and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake casserole covered for 30 minutes at 325F.  Uncover and continue baking for 15 min.  If forming balls on a cookie sheet, bake for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Optional:  can add 1 pound of bulk sausage.  Brown it with the onions and celery and omit the butter.  I have also used bacon grease to sauté the veggies.

Cornbread for Stuffing

(this recipe came from a library book years ago)
1 Cup of cornmeal
1 Cup of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup of Buttermilk, (or plain yogurt, thinned with milk if very thick)
1 large egg
1/3 Cup of oil

Pre-heat oven to 425F.  Grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan.

Combine dry ingredientes.  Stir in buttermilk, egg and oil, just until mixed.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake about 20 min.  Cool and crumble for stuffing.

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side note:  My grandmother did not buy or make bread specifically for her dressing.  I remember her having a big "roasting pan" on top of her fridge, and she would throw any "left over" bread... biscuits, cornbread, heels from a loaf of bread, in that pan, and it would dry out and that is what she used for her dressing.

From the Kitchen...

Here are 2 Family favorites for the Holidays

Peanut Butter Chocolate Easter Eggs

My mom got this recipe out of the Knoxville News-Sentinel when I was a very little girl.  She made them every Easter.  I started making them for my girls when they were little and there haven't been many years that we didn't make them for ourselves and to give away to all our friends.  The original recipe, had variations from coconut, and vanilla fondant, but the peanut butter were our favorites, so that is all we make anymore. :)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups of sweetened condensed milk
4 cups of powdered sugar

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together peanut butter, vanilla and salt.  Stir in the sweetened condensed milk.

Gradually add sugar.  Blend well after each addition, until the mixture becomes very stiff.  Turn mixture from bowl onto a clean board, (I just use a large bowl, and do the next step in the bowl).  Carefully knead in remaining sugar.  Continue to knead until all the sugar has been incorporated.  The mixture should be smooth and not sticky.

Divide the mixture into 4 parts.   Roll each part into a log and cut into the desired number of pieces. (we have sometimes made larger eggs and put names on them)  With palms of hands, mold each piece into an egg shape.  Place egg-shapes on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight.

Dip eggs in dipping chocolate.  Let chocolate coating harden before adding additional decorations.  Decorate with Butter Cream Frosting or your own ornamental frosting.

Texas Trash

This recipe came from Tony's Grandmother.  It is similar to "Chex Mix" but we think it's way better! :)

1 box of Cherrios
1 box  of rice Chex
1 box of corn Chex
1 box of Crispix
1 bag of pretzels
peanuts

Mix together in large roaster pans.

Then mix together,
1 pint of oil
1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon Savory salt

pour oil mixture over cereal and bake uncovered at least 1 1/2 hours at 200F to 250F, stirring every 30 minutes.

This makes A LOT!  So we usually half it.  Even halving it makes a couple large pans.  Also in Ecuador it's not always easy to find the right kind of cereal.  This year, we were able to find an off brand of  "Corn Chex" so we just used 2 boxes of that cereal, to make it.  Still tasted great!! Also sometimes play with the seasoning because again, here we don't have "Savory salt".

ENJOY and Happy Easter!!