~
There's JOY in the Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
The best gift a parent can give to their child is
the gift of time.
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A weekly newsletter from Sarah's Tent, an
online ministry tailored towards Pastor's Wives.
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Isa 51:1-2 / Isa 54:2-3 / Heb 10:24, 25
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Taking Inventory
By JoyfulArt
Now that the children are in school, I'm
thrilled to have days where I'm actually
accomplishing things without interruptions. Not
that my kids are the ones who are the
interruptions, usually it is my own scattered
thinking. We've all wished at times that there
were more hours in our days, and in our next
breath will wish that 'this night would end,' or
'can't wait until this day is over!'
Today, while stalking my fourth fly that had
invaded our home, my arm got tangled up in a
large spider plant located near the door. For the
first time in a while I actually paid attention
to it's appearance. It was an old plant given to
me by a long ago friend. What was once a
thriving, plush plant had now become two straggly
remnants of it's former self with scrawny runners
and pitiful 'babies' hanging some three feet
below. It was those runners that had caught my
arm. The leaves were brown, and many were dead
and useless.
Perhaps it was because I just happened to be
on a great roll of accomplishing things, I'm not
sure, but cutting everything dead off seemed to
be a good idea. When all the snipping and digging
was over with, I had transplanted other
sproutings and another small plant taken from the
mother plant almost two years ago. With the best
of intentions, I had pruned the 'babies' off and
stuck them in water to root. Root they had, on my
window sill, the counter top, the bookcase, the
antique radio and...well, you get the picture. I
have this thing about throwing away anything that
is living. Sometimes I've even had mercy on a
fleeing spider or an ant struggling with a large
crumb on my kitchen floor.
Have you ever had the Lord speak to you about
something more than once, but your heart said
that you didn't want to talk about it, and you
would change the subject? Perhaps you thought
that what the Lord was going to speak to you
about wasn't all that big of a deal, or perhaps
you just flat out didn't want to deal with it.
Well, this was one of those issues. Believe it or
not, God had dealt with me more than once to
prune my plants and throw away the dead stuff. He
reminded me that I would never see the big
healthy, round plants I desired if I couldn't let
go of the dead wood. Hmmm. Dead wood. as in past
issues?
One plant gave me courage to dive into another
plant, then another. Then the trimming began and
the watering and the tossing. Pretty soon my
trash basket was full of green
living.....scraggly remnants of promise. Before I
had always dug out a hefty stash of canning jars
and filling them with water, stuck all of my
cuttings on my window sills all over the house.
Eventually I would forget about their care, and
would have to throw the smelly decaying things
away. But I would reason it out that after all,
"I had tried." I just didn't have
"what it took." God's interpretation
was different. At least I think it was God. The
interpretation of my actions was more in the
arena of "No Guts Babe!"
While realizing that I was actually following
through with what God had been dealing with me
about regarding the stewardship of my garden, I
found myself smiling. The revelation was coming.
Some of you are already getting it because God
has been dealing with YOU to prune some things in
your life. Relationships that have grown stale,
habits that are dead wood, programs in your
churches that are nothing but straggly bits of
promise without strength.
The Husbandman of a glorious garden knows that
there has to be sacrifice, and some things must
die. Death comes before there can be life.
Whether it is in our planting or our lives, we
must die daily to those things that draw out
weakness from our 'mother plant.'
Something else He showed me was that like my
plants, I had an illusion of prosperity when it
came to a green thumb. But all it really was, was
a pretense of activity. My attention was so
unfocused, so scattered, that I could not totally
concentrate on excellence in one plant or two. I
would just take the quick way out and 'patch' up
the real problem with a flurry of fancy fixes.
Nonproductive..but impressive...but without
substance.
As I received finally the lesson that my
Loving Father had waited so long to teach me I
realized that my busy days and hectic schedules
were like my scattered plants. I had not focused
on the main issues, and had put so much emphasis
on keeping everything alive that I couldn't see
the strength that I knew should have been there.
I had made things to complicated and
overwhelming. All because it 'looked good.'
Time to take inventory my friend. Where are
you overwhelmed? What looks good but has no
strength? Cut off the past, whether it is your
stinking thinking, or traditions and habits.
Think differently than you ever have. The season
has changed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Isa 18:5 For afore the harvest, when the
bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in
the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with
pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the
branches. (KJV)
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He knows
By: CWEIMER4
The summer is drawing to an end and with that
comes the putting away of summer things. As
autumn approaches many of us will be restoring
lawn furniture ... cleaning up outside summer
toys, getting rid of the kiddy pool, and
preparing ourselves for the months that lie
ahead.
For me, the end of the summer also marks the
end of my garden. It does not take long for the
rain showers of Washington to put to rest all the
hard work and toil I did over the spring and
summer months. Now for those of you who know me
... believe it or not my thumb used to be brown.
Slowly and with great patience the Lord has
turned that brown thumb into a green one. This
year in particular I can feel proud of the work I
did in my garden. The colors and textures of my
herb garden have brought me more peace this year
than ever before. You see my garden is my haven
of rest... a place where I can hide and yet still
be "In the backyard" with the kids.
I find it a little difficult to just give it
up this year. You see things at church have not
been the greatest. We have had our major
struggles this year, especially during the spring
and summer. We do not know what God is doing in
our lives. We do not know if this is the start to
a new road in life, or a new approach to the old
path. I do not know if we will be in the same
place next year. So, letting go of my garden this
year may mean letting go of it altogether.
It has made me think about the Lord and the
plans He has for our lives. Many times as a
Pastor's Wife, I have longed to have God just
come down and speak to me face to face. It would
be so much easier that way. Instead I have to
live by faith. Faith in knowing that though my
husband feels like a failure right now, God has
great plans for him. Knowing that though many are
attacking our person, and our motives, God has
great plans for our family and our future.
Knowing that no matter how many times I mess up,
step on people's toes, say the wrong thing, do
the wrong thing, don't do something that I really
should have, God has a plan, a PERFECT plan.
He could come and show me exactly what He has
planned for us. He could lay it all out for us
and say "This is what I am going to do for
you" and list things specifically. However,
would I be the person that He wanted me to be in
the end? If I knew ahead of time all that He had
in store for me, what kind of person would I be.
'I know the plans for you God states that clearly
in Jeremiah 29:11 'Plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.' Part of those plans include the struggle
that it took to get there. We all run the race
for the prize. Sometimes that prize comes through
hard toil and labor, through tears and
frustrations, through total reliance upon the
Father, and through the building up of our faith.
I did not know when the summer began that this
would be the best garden I had ever had. I did
not know that I would have to battle the enemies,
mainly slugs, of my garden harder than I ever had
before, I did not realize that I would lose many
plants due to my impatience to plant early. I did
not know that this garden would have more beauty
than any garden in the past. I did not know that
this garden would bring pleasure to so many
others as they saw it come together. However, God
knew. He knew it all. It was all a part of His
great plan for my summer. He did not show me what
would happen in the end because He knew that
through all my labors I would receive the greater
blessing.
God has a plan. Just as He has a plan for my
husband and I as we minister in the church. He
knows the end result will be like that beautiful
garden. He also knows that there are steps we
have to take in order to get to the end. I thank
the Lord that He loves us so much. That despite
our impatience to know, He guides and shows us
things when we need to know them. When they will
benefit us the most. Lord help me to wait upon
the Lord (Isaiah 40:31)
Isa 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and
they shall walk, and not faint. (KJV)
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What's New?
PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD!
Saturday Evening Bible Study Chat
September 12, 19, 26
8:30 PM Eastern
7:30 PM Central
6:30 PM Mountain
5:30 PM Pacific
Where
We Live This link is only accessible through
America Online (Stay tuned for Internet chat room
soon!)
Study notes and chat log will be available
through Sarah's Tent. For more information please
write to SarahsTent@aol.com
Chat Topic Drawn To a Close
The Sexual Abuse Chat that was being
held on Friday nights in the room above has been
suspended indefinitely due to a change in
LouBear's busy ministry schedule.
HEARTFELT THANKS!
We praise God for the wonderful ministry
Brother Lou has provided to many through this
painful but necessary chat. Reports have flooded
in regarding the loving and freeing ministry
provided by this faithful prayer warrior and
spiritual dad. Thanks Lou, you've been such a
blessing to this ministry! We wish you well in
the exciting turn of events in your ministry and
speaking schedule!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It only takes a spark to get a fire
glowing.
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POT LUCK!
CANDY BAR PIE
Submitted By CWEIMER4
Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Crust:
2 Egg Whites
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Beat until Stiff.
Fold into egg whites:
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Chopped Almonds
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Pour meringue into a greased 9-inch pie pan
and spread on bottom and sides. Bake 50-55
minutes. watch for air bubbles, and poke any that
rise.
Filling:
8 oz. Cool Whip
10 oz. Hershey Chocolate Bar w/almonds (melted
over low heat or in a double boiler)
Cool chocolate and fold into Cool Whip. Pour
into pie shell. Garnish with chocolate curls and
shaved chocolate. Refrigerate 3 hours then serve.
(Tip for whipping egg whites. Stop whipping when
they are glossy and smooth)
Be sure to check out ministry tested recipes
at: Doffycook's
Nethome
For even MORE recipes, click on these! More
Recipes and Once-a-Month
Cooking (OAMC)
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NEEDING PRAYER?
Contact Sarah's Tent at SarahsTent@aol.com
, and not only will we pray, but your request
will be sent to the proper prayer chains as well.
Just be sure to send your praise report when God
moves on your behalf!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
CHUCKLES
Sent in by PrasHm (Who got this from a
friend, who got this from a friend...)
My wife took our 8-year-old son to a Christian
bookstore to purchase a gift. He found one of
those bracelets with W.W.J.D. (What would Jesus
do?) on it and asked if he could buy it. My wife
asked him if he knew what it meant, thinking this
to be one of those "teachable moments."
"Of course I do, Mom," my son said.
"It's Jesus' Web site."
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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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