Encouragement

God won't take a bad habit or an inappropriate lifestyle from you because He didn't give it to you. He will affirm your decision and strengthen your efforts when you start taking positive steps to rid yourself of the negative influences, the wrong attitudes, or the poor choices that are threatening your potential.

Imperfections

Sometimes I just sit in utter amazement at the actions of other people. I find myself judging their actions without giving them the consideration of being human. I shake my head in disbelief and assure myself
of the fact that I would never do anything that thoughtless.

....and then I am reminded of the time that
I felt my whole life was a mistake. I found myself apologizing to God one more time for being so imperfect.
As I set there in utter disgust at myself for my mess up... I heard in my spirit... Angela, I know every imperfection that is in you, I made you that way. It is in those imperfections that you learn who I AM and that I AM always with you. It is in those imperfections that I AM made big in you. It is in those imperfections
that you allow me to work what needs to be worked in you.

I do not believe that I know all of my imperfections. I believe that I am aware of the ones that God wants to be put on the spiritual operating table at this time. It is my decision which one(s) I will recognize as a dire emergency and realize that unless I willingly get under the surgeon's scalpel, I will continue to have this abscess of deathly behavior that will cause a spiritual stench beyond description in words.

Sooooo to all of those I have set in judgement of, I am so very sorry. I will focus on myself and my own shortcomings and not yours. I will pray for you grace and mercy and will offer them up instead of my selfish, self-centered attitudes.

Aprons... a walk down memory lane...

 

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only

had a few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along

with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out
dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-

hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out

the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees, or peaches,
or pecans.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron

could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew

it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served
so many purposes.

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this....

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every

Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished..

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished.."
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........

The folded napkin meant,
"I'm coming back!"

The Original Chex® Party Mix

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal

3 cups Rice Chex® cereal

3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal

1 cup mixed nuts

1 cup bite-size pretzels

1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder



The original recipe includes Corn Chex®, Rice Chex® and Wheat Chex®. You can mix and match to suit your taste—just use a total of 9 cups of cereal.


1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.

2. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

A Carrot, An Egg and A Cup of Coffee

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee (we all fall into one of these categories)



You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.



A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.



Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.



In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.



Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."



"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.



Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.



Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"



Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.



Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.



"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?



Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?



Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?



Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.



When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

By Maya Angelou



'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'



When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living,'

I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'



When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.



When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.



When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.



When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.



When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.



When I say..... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

LETTING GO

author unknown

To let go doesn't mean to stop caring, It means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization that I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. God can use those as I trust him!

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands -- it's in God's.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another, I can only change myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being. Learning from our own mistakes is often God's way of working to grow us.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to effect their own outcomes.

To let go is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue, but to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and to cherish the moment.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone but to try to become what I dream I can be -- and to ask the Lord what he desires for me.

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more.

These are Instructions on how to let go...Perhaps it is letting go of a rebellious child, or a burden of sorrow, losing a loved one or learning to live with a heartache we are struggling to let go of. Read this over...Study it...Pray over it ... and you will find that letting go of your load will release a peace within you which will allow your spirit to soar...to be free...to completely give it to God...and let a work be done within you where the need is anyway.

Free Christmas Gifts!

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An Updated and Younger Me

I was blessed with youth tonight!
Thanks so much to http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluecitrusart

I could tell you what she did but instead, I will just let you
look and appreciate my youthfulness!

Thanks so much Irene! You have blessed me!... and made
my heart smile and my wrinkles disappear!

Before:

After: