Sue's Blog

"Help Yourself!"

Sue — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:08:48 +0000

I usually think that has to do with food - "Help yourself to seconds...make yourself at home...take all you need or want..."

When Oswald Chambers was in his twenties, he prayed that prayer over and over: "Lord, may I live so that You help Yourself to my life. Amen."

Can you say the same? "Come and get it, Lord! I'm all your's!"

The great thing is-- God will take all we'll give and make us who He intends. So why are we so afraid to open ourselves up completely? It's called surrender. It's called trust. We are at our best when poured out and broken and in His tender hands.

Surprise treats!

Sue — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:53:55 +0000

I love God's surprise treats. The best one came when I found out I was expecting at age 43...people did asked if we were surprised - I said it was more of a shock. We got over it a few months later when Mary Grace was born March 6, 1996. She turned 14 on Saturday and you may have heard the noise - 13 girls on a downtown scavenger hunt in the middle of downpour, Taboo and Murder later on at the house. We loved it. I survived and she was a happy camper.

Look for a surprise treat from God in your life today - He loves treating us - maybe not a new baby...but then again, there are worse things!

With the help of Deb Weeks, the birthday flag made another hit appearance - Mary Grace chose a cell phone as her symbol for this year. Wonder why? Not sure how she lived before she finally got one this Christmas--not exactly a surprise since she had been begging for months - but, still a treat from her daddy.

Leftover coffee

Sue — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:35:54 +0000

Trying to decide what to serve soccer players AND put in the girls' lunches, I came back to an old favorite chocolate cake recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook Lori gave me for my 50th birthday (just last year...jk)

Sometimes when I see I have about a cup of coffee leftover from breakfast, I know it's time for another moist chocolate cake.

Moist Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk (or milk soured in vinegar)

1/2 cup oil

1 t. vanilla

Chocolate chips (opt.) or powdered sugar

Combine first 6 ingredients. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat for two minutes - batter will be thin. Pour into into a greased and floured tube pan or 9x13. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes if tube pan or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar.

My tip: I sprinkle a cup of chocolate chips on a 9x13 cake about halfway through the baking process. It replaces frosting and makes it easy to transport or pack for lunches. You may find yourself making extra coffee tomorrow morning - don't let the maid throw it out...

Professional Grumblers

Sue — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:59:32 +0000

Last night while watching yet another installment of "The History of Britain" (Mark and I are preparing for our trip to London - this Neflix series is a bit of a snorer...), I heard the term: "professional grumblers"-- anti-royalists in the 1600's who refused to pay taxes without representation (isn't that what the American colonists were so upset about - ironic, isn't it?) As soon as they heard "more taxes, everyone" they started in on the grumbling, professionally of course. It didn't work - there was civil war (they won.)

I don't want to be a professional grumbler. I'm afraid I grumbled so much this week - usually in Mark's hearing - that I could be professional (unpaid.) So much for ending my day in the parenthesis of Psalm 92 - "declaring God's faithfulness by night." Instead, I was declaring my exhaustion and dissatisfaction and what if this and that?? very professionally.

Instead, I'd like to be known as a professional upbeat, cheerful-in-the-midst-of-challenge, isn't God great? sort of person. Like my friend, Annadale, 84 - just saw her yesterday at the grocery. I asked, "How are you, Annadale?" and she gave her usual sunny response: "Just great! Wonderful, even!" I love Annadale. I want to be her when I grow up. Choosing to be cheerful is a great profession.

A worthy parenthesis

Sue — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:29:26 +0000

I've always seen Psalm 92:1,2 as a good parenthesis to my day - not only because I was an English teacher and think in terms of punctuation...

Here it is in Boa's Face to Face version (first person - yep, there's that English teacher thing again...):

"It is good to give thanks to You, Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High, To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness at night."

It's morning - I will declare how good and loving God is. And, tonight, I'll close it up by thanking Him for how faithful He's been to me and my family. A Worthy Parenthesis - beginning and ending - enclosed with Him.

Not sure

Sue — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:43:33 +0000

"I believe that Jesus Christ our Lord has all power in heaven and on earth; do you? I find most people believe that He has all power in heaven, but are not sure about earth."

Oswald Chambers

Stop listening, start talking

Sue — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:21:59 +0000

That's not the typical advice - at least for talkers like myself. Usually, I'm being reminded to keep my fat trap shut, and open my ears.

Karen Moritz said the opposite: Stop listening to all the noise in your head and start talking truth to yourself.

She had to go in her bathroom and talk to herself in the mirror: "Stop whining, stop being such a whimp, remember the God you serve, the One Who is almighty and loves to the utmost and is in charge. You are not in charge."

Yes, that's good talking. So much noise in my head - right there close to my ears - so I forget to talk myself out of fear and worry and whining. I think I'll go find my mirror.

She used this phrase in her closing prayer: "Help me submit under Your almighty care." Not just His almighty power - but, His almighty care. No One cares like He cares.

Now, where's that mirror?

Without reproach

Sue — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:53:15 +0000

I was raised on James 1-- "If any of you lack wisdom, ask of God, Who gives to all men liberally, without reproach." I'm always telling our girls: "You can ask God for wisdom, He'll give it to you, you know..." It sounds more like nagging, at times than encouragment. sigh.

The other day, I found myself pouring on the guilty reproach, "I can't believe you did this again..." to one of our cherubs. And, even though I may have been speaking "truth" and much-needed "wisdom," I didn't quite do it right. The "without reproach" part was missing.

Sometimes it's how we say something that shows our true attitude: "I'm right, too bad you aren't." That's pride, not humility. God (Who IS right) dishes out His wisdom generously without the attitude. Chambers prayed: "Lord, drench me with humility." It does take a bucket, alright.

Here's the Phillips translation to bless your Monday:

"And, if in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem, he has only to ask God--who give generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty--and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him."

Feeling guilty

Sue — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:08:21 +0000

There's much written on true and false guilt.

One is God's conviction. We can take care of it right then and there (if we choose to, if we are smart, if we are humble) by confessing our stupidity and independence from our Father.

The other is from Satan. He continues to throw emotional mud at us long after we've confessed and been restored. We don't need to carry that sludge; it slows our walk, it hinders our usefulness, and steals our joy. Get rid of it. Believe you're forgiven, period. Making God a liar is foolish. He said we are washed in the blood. And, since it was the blood of His Son, we know He was serious.

So, take heart. It's the best news you may be reading today.

Feeling guilty? Lay those feelings before your Lord. Believe what He has to say about them. And make a fresh start. Now. Before you do anything else.

Black Bean Soup

Sue — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:26:41 +0000

More torrents of rain are expected this afternoon. Time for hot soup. Here's what Laurie served her company - she got it ready in the morning, and found her company at church the same day. It was a hit. She got it from this link:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Black-Bean-Soup-2

Sounds like this could work in the crock-pot as well. Yum!

Ingredients

2 cups dried black beans
2 quarts water
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound lean pork cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
Optional toppings: thinly sliced radishes, finely shredded cabbage, minced fresh chili peppers and sour cream

Directions

Rinse beans. In a Dutch oven, combine beans and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beans wrinkle and crack, about 1-1/2 hours. Add onion, pork, salt, garlic and oregano. Simmer, covered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans and pork are tender. Stir in tomato paste; heat through. Ladle into soup bowls. If desired, top with radishes, cabbage, peppers and sour cream. Yield: 2 quarts.

Ceslie gave me this good tip when making cornbread. Use the Jiffy corn muffin mixes, and exchange the liquid for 1 can of creamed corn per two boxes. Makes it moist and tastes like homemade. Enjoy and stay dry!