~ There's JOY in the
Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
God always gives His best
to those who leave the
choice with Him.
It's February. .
. Do you know where your love is?
By JoyfulArt
She stands at the kitchen sink, rinsing the last
of the dinner dishes. The
family has eaten and left for other areas of the
house. Hubby has retreated to
the recliner to unwind and watch some TV.
Sighing, she glances at the
calendar and realizes that February 14th -
VALENTINE's Day is right around the
corner. A tear trickles down her cheek and she
bites her lip wishing that
things could be different.
Whatever happened to those days of courting? The
ones with the little love
notes left on the windshield of the car, or the
rose annonymously delivered to
the work place. Perhaps it was the walk in the
park that did it, with the
warm protective hand caressing hers as they
walked and talked of their dreams
for the future.
Another sigh escapes her lips as she mulls over
in her mind the events from
her wedding day. They had a glorious honeymoon
and as they settled in with
each other, the days melted into years, babies
came, and bills piled up.
Romance long since had fled out the window and
long walks in the park talking
intimately were faded memories.
Now they hardly knew each other, and the battles
with bitterness seemed to
come almost daily. His anger, her accusations,
his silence, her tears. . . .
on and on it seemed to go. What ever happened to
Marital Bliss? This wasn't
in the contract - or was it?
The wedding vows most of us take proclaim
"For Better Or Worse, In Sickness
and In Health." The pictures that came into
our minds were of some unforseen
enemy attacking, and the two of you standing
against him - together. The
scene was of sudden physical illness, and one
nursing the other back to
health.
Tell me then, haven't the enemies of apathy,
unforgiveness, anger, resentment,
disrespect, selfishness. . . and all the host
they bring with them. .
.silently invaded your marriage? Are you standing
together back to back,
defending your covenant together? No? Physical
illness we can see - but
Emotional illness? Mental Illness? Spiritual
illness? Hopelessness?
Depression? What of these silent, terminal
illnesses?
"But - But" you begin, "But I do
all the house work, raise the kids, cook, and
have an outside job to boot! There's no
appreciation, or thanks, and no pay
check for what I do, then I begin it all again
the next day, as though I had
not done a thing the day before!"
Don't you know that he is thinking, "Why
doesn't she appreciate all I do for
her? I'm working my tail off to make ends meet,
putting up with unreasonable
people, sacrificing all the dreams of my youth,
just to make sure she has a
roof over her head. What ever happened to that
woman who hung on my every
word?"
Let's face it - Both are guilty. We are flesh and
blood creatures and we fall
prey to the lusts of the flesh daily. Self is
always on our mind more than
others - let alone God. While you gaze at the
piles of laundry, the dirty
dishes, the screaming kids and the scattered
clothes in the bedroom with
forlorn eyes, think of this: WHO is your source?
(Isaiah 54:5) Who is it
that you gain your life from in the first place?
Is it your husband?
Remember, he's only a man, working out his
salvation the same way you are.
You expect him to be loving and kind, gracious
and understanding. . . well,
are you extending towards him the same grace you
are demanding from him? Are
you judging him harshly because he is not 'god'
in your life?
"What would Jesus do?" The children
chant. What would He do indeed? The Word
says that we reap what we sow. Doesn't it make
sense that if we extend
kindness, we receive kindness? Grace begets
grace, tenderness begets
tenderness. You want ROMANCE??? Then be romantic!
You want laughter in the
home? Then bring it in!! You have within you the
seeds of life and change.
If you are a woman, then your nature is to
reproduce, if you are a man, then
your nature is to protect.
Woman - reproduce life in your family - nuture
the tenderness and passion that
you desire. Man - protect that which God has
given you, fight for the whole
well being of your family - don't allow those
silent enemies of the flesh to
enter in and steal your family!! When news
reached David's ear of the capture
of their families and wives after he and his
mighty men returned from an
exhausting battle in 1 Samuel 30:8 , God told
David that they were well able
to pursue and over take the enemy, and that all
would be restored to them.
Go and do likewise!!!
When God speaks to us about our families and
marriages, He speaks to US. Not
the other partner, not the boss, not the kids. .
. He speaks to US PERSONALLY
and deals with sin that is in OUR heart. He deals
with OUR motives, OUR
attitudes. When you point the finger at your
spouse while God is talking and
say, "Well, what about HIM???" Or,
"Hey God, what about HER???" (Matthew
7:4,5) God will say, look - there are three
fingers pointing back to you.
(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
God is going to ask you, "Do you TRUST
ME???" (2 Samuel 22:31-33) "If I can
work in your heart - don't you think I'm just as
capable of working in your
loved ones heart?" Always, change begins
with us. But before anything can
change to be what you want it to be, God is going
to deal with two major
issues in YOUR heart. PRIDE and SELF. No matter
what the conversation, God
will ask you. . . . "Child, what are YOU
going to do about it? (Deut. 30:19)
Once again, the ball is in your court. "For
all have sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
"Take the beam out of your own eye, before
you try to take the splinter out of
anothers." (Matthew 7:5) "Women respect
your husbands" "Men, UNDERSTAND your
wives that your prayers will not be
hindered."
(1 Peter 3:7)
Do something unexpected tonight for your spouse -
Watch his or her mouth drop
open as you minister LIFE to THEM. YOU stir the
flame. . . and "don't grow
weary in well doing, for you will reap if you do
not give up." (Galations 6:9)
Blessed be the
Lord,
who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation..."
Psalm 68:19
WHAT'S NEW??
Sarah's Tent FIRST Annual PW Retreat
Only $125 for two nights, three days
Vintage Resort in the mountains of WinterPark, CO
Thursday through Saturday
April 30 - May 2
Check for terrific air fares NOW!!!
(Ladies, watch your e-mail for further
information and pre-registration form)
If you are interested in helping to sponsor a
pastors wife to one of our
retreats, please contact us at
SarahsTent@aol.com. You will not only be
sowing into a faithful warrior in the Kingdom -
you will be sowing into a
whole congregation!
* * *
New Screen Name for Sarah's Tent
All mail that is pertaining to Sarah's Tent now
needs to be sent to:
SarahsTent@aol.com
APRON STRINGS
DEVOTIONAL
Filled with humor, thought provoking
stories, and true stories that will prick
your heart, Apron Strings is put out three times
a week by pastors wife, Carol
Skipper in Alabama. The format is easy to read
and quick to digest. Treat
yourself to a terrific Bible Study tool and
witnessing aid.
Write Justaservn@aol.com to request your FREE
subscription!!
TWELVE STEP Chat
Beginning Tuesday, February 17
Eastern Time = 10:00 pm
Central Time = 9:00 pm
Mountain Time = 8:00 pm
Pacific Time = 7:00 pm
Chat will be held in the private room below:
Where We LIVE
Please click and save this hyper-link for future
use.
This first 4-week session will be
informational/educational about the 12-step
recovery process, and how to help those who
cannot help themselves.
Week one - Steps 1,2, & 3
Laying the foundation - let's talk about God.
Week two - Steps 4,5, & 6
From toxic shame to healthy shame
Week three - Steps 7,8, & 9
Rebuilding relationships
Week four - Steps 10, 11, and 12
Living life successfully, one day at a time.
This will be an open meeting with protocol
guidelines, which means it will be
structured, orderly sharing, opening &
closing prayer.
Designs for Grace
http://members.aol.com/wordwmn755
"Pam is a gifted communicator, an
experienced workshop leader, and
veteran of 12-step programs. She founded a
parachurch agency in 1991
and has a heart for helping pastors, counselors,
and group leaders
create "safe places" for hurting
people."
This chat will also be advertised in the
addiction & recovery community
meetings - so, we could see a mix of christians
& survivors - much like we
would in real life.
A husband who shares the
Song of Solomon
with his wife,
Will soon have something to sing about!
Eph 5:28
So husbands ought to love their own wives as
their own bodies; he who loves
his wife loves himself.
(NKJ)
1 Pet 3:1-2
Wives, likewise,
be submissive to your own husbands,
that even if some do not obey the word,
they, without a word,
may be won by the conduct of their wives,
when they observe your chaste conduct
accompanied by fear.
(NKJ)
HAVE YOU BEEN
TOUCHED BY THE MINISTRY OF SARAH'S TENT?
We would like to hear your testimony. Please
write us a brief letter
describing what God has done for you through
Sarah's Tent. We will be
celebrating God's goodness and thanking Him for
all He has done in our first
year in Issue 52. (That is in two weeks!) We'd
like to print YOUR story in our
anniversary issue.
Has their been a favorite article from the Joy In
The Kitchen newsletters that
really spoke to you? What is one that sticks out
in your mind the most? We'd
like to know that as well. Let's celebrate LIFE
together!!
One of the ladies suggested that we have a
special chat just celebrating what
God has done in such a short time - are you game?
Drop a line to the staff of Sarah's Tent at SarahsTent@aol.com
Your Choice
By: Max Lucado
On one side stand the crowd.
Jeering.
Baiting.
Demanding.
On the other stands a peasant.
Swollen lips.
Lumpy eye.
Lofty promise.
One promises acceptance,
the other a cross.
One offers flesh and flash
the other offers faith.
The crowd challenges, "Follow us and fit
in."
Jesus promises, "Follow me and stand
out."
They promise to please.
God promises to save.
A basin of water?
Or the blood of the savior?
God looks at you and asks...
Which will be your choice?
POT LUCK!
ETHIOPIAN DINING
Submitted by PrasHm
I thought this would be fun to include, as we
have some Ethiopian neighbors
who love to invite the neighborhood over to their
house for fellowship and
food. It's wonderful to experience another
culture - and quite a push to
reach out to others in a fun way.
(What better way to share Christ, than over a
table of love!)
Ethiopians do not use utensils when eating. They
make a kind of sour dough
crepe called injera (In-JEH-rah). They tear off
small pieces of this crepe and
use it to pick up the stew. (meats and vegetables
all fixed in spicy stews.)
Injera is also used to line the serving platter
under the stew. Ethiopians
traditionally eat off of one big common plate.
(Finger licking is not allowed until your done.
After which your fingers will
taste like berebere for days.). When it's just my
husband and I, we eat from a
common platter, when we have guests, I make up
individual plates.The Injera is
probably the hardest thing to make for Ethiopian.
This recipe simplifies the
process somewhat.
INJERA
3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or 1/4 cup whole wheat
flour and 1/2 cup teff
flour. Teff is a grain grown in Ethiopia. There
are a few producers here
in the states, so the flour can be found. I have
found it at our local
coop/health food store. The use of teff makes the
injera more authentic
tasting, but it is not necessary.)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups warm water
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover
and let set 1 hour until batter
rises and becomes stretchy. When ready, stir
batter to incorporate any liquid
which may have settled to the bottom of the
bowl.Place two cups of the batter
in a blender. Add 1/2 cup water and blend until
well mixed. (the batter should
be quite thin)Cook in a nonstick cooking pan
without oil over medium heat. Use
1/2 cup per injera in a 12 inch pan, 1/3 cup
batter in a 10 inch pan.
Pour batter into the pan and immediately swirl to
make a thin even coating on
the bottom of the pan. Cook over high heat until
bubbles appear all over the
top of the injera. Do not flip. Keep injera warm
by wrapping in a clean dish
towel.
Use injera to line your serving plates, and give
each guest 3 or 4 to use to
pick up their food.
A true Ethioping host will give His guests (women
eat separately and after the
men. We don't follow that tradition at our
house.) a gift called a goresha
(not sure about spelling). This consists of
wrapping up a big handful of stew
in some injera and placing it in your guest's
mouth. This will be done twice
during the meal (once is considered stingy and 3
times is pushy) My husband
and his brother used to have a great time
stuffing each other's mouths full of
stew.) Boys! Hmmm.
(Originally from: Laura L Hiebert )
For even MORE recipes, click on these!!
More Recipes and
Once-a-Month Cooking(OAMC)
You can't fill
an empty
bucket with a dry well.
~ PRAYER ~
Please send prayer request to
C.O.P.E. Ministries
(Christians Online Praying by Email)
in care of
Mama Brrr@AOL.com
DON'T FORGET TO LET THEM KNOW YOUR PRAISE
REPORTS!!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
BAMPRAYER@aol.com
For special prayer JUST for marriages.
This is a ministry from Born Again Marriages. If
you would like to visit their
web page. . . click here: BAMWEB
CHUCKLES
Truth or Consequences
One day I explained to my five-year-old daughter
that if she chose to disobey
me, she would have to live with the consequences.
"Oh, Mommy!" she said with a terrified
look on her face. "Please don't make
me live with the Consequences. I want to live
here with you!"
Carla Lutz, Tennessee
* * *
While trying to pack our household belongings,
and cook dinner at the same
time before we moved, my four year old son began
to whine about being hungry.
There were still some boxes I wanted to finish up
with, and dinner was not yet
done.
Trying to distract him for a few more minutes, I
asked him a question my dad
used to keep us busy with when we were little. I
asked him what time it was.
He gave out a little exhasperated cry and said,
"Mom I can't tell time!!" (I
knew that) So I said, then tell me where the big
hand is and the little hand
is.
He was silent for a few minutes and stood there
staring at the clock. Finally
he said, "You got the big hands, and I have
the little hands?"
Shannon Parish, Colorado
For your
Exploring Pleasure,
This week's picks:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gini4Jesus & John4Logos
(http://members.aol.com/Gini4Jesus/index.html)
What can I say? This web site has it all: links
to their church as well as all
sorts of Christian web sites neatly sorted by
category, plus an excellent
witnessing story (which is "the
secret"). Thanks for the link, Jeannie!
Slyci's Webpage
(http://members.aol.com/Slyci/index.html)
"The Barnyard Philosopher" and
"Preacher Tested Recipes" are just two
of the unique features of this home
page! I enjoyed looking through the information
here.
CBD home page
(www.christianbook.com)
For a book lover like me, this web site is a
must-visit-often! I didn't know
they had a site on-line (but why am I surprised?
LOL). Thanks to Kelli
(PrasHm) for this one!
Church Web Monthly
(www.churchwebmonthly.com) In their own words,
"Church Web Monthly is the
first publication designed especially for those
who create and maintain church
Web sites. It supplies you with -- ready-to-use
graphics, easy-to-follow tips,
lively articles, Web site makeovers and more --
everything you need to make
your church's Web site a 'must-visit'
location." If you have a church web
site, you will want to visit--and perhaps
subscribe to-- this site. Thanks
again to Kelli (PrasHm) for this link!
If you have any web sites you would like to
recommend, please send them to
(Nettie) or (Pattie) and we'll be happy to write
reviews for
the newsletter!
___________________________________________________________________
Joy In The Kitchen is an extension of Sarah's
Tent An online ministry devoted
to gathering together God's silent warriors, the
wives of pastors and
ministers of all denominations and cultural
backgrounds, as well as their
families, for fellowship, support, laughter and
prayer. Isa 51:1-2 / Isa
54:2-3 / Heb 10:24-25
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