~
There's JOY in the Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
The most wasted of all days is that on which one
has not laughed.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *
THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES
By JoyfulArt "Mommy? Will you watch
a movie with me?" Guilt instantly washed
over me. The 'boys' were gone, leaving to my
daughter and me, the house all to ourselves.
Frankly, the sudden quiet inspired me and I had
just sat down at my computer to begin to write.
With fingers on the keys, my daughter poked her
head in between the computer screen and my face
and gave me that pleading, puppy-dog look that
kids know so well to do. That's when the guilt
came rushing in. "Okay Honey" I said
cheerfully, although not feeling it.
Now we were set, with a bowl of hot popcorn in
my lap, my daughter snuggled along side me and
the "Little Princess" tape popped into
the VCR. "Aw, this isn't so bad I
thought" as I let everything slip from my
mind, melting in the presence of MY sweet
"Little Princess" now clinging for dear
life to my arm, buried in the covers she had
thrown over our laps.
As the movie drew to a close, my mind once
again drifted over to the computer keyboard,
inspiration welling up inside. A commotion
sounded at the top of the stairs as my husband
and son returned from their evening out. Running
excitedly down the stairs, the quiet moment
exploding in happy chatter. Realizing what we
were doing, he plopped onto the couch on my free
side and buried himself as well, snuggling up on
my chest. I sighed. "Looks like I won't be
getting much writing done tonight" I
thought. Then my husband said those delightful
words, "time for bed guys!!", and as
the movie credits rolled up the screen they both
jumped up and ran to their rooms. My son turned
around and begged, "Mommy? Will you come
pray with me? "Okay Honey" I said,
feeling the 'mood to write quickly slipping from
my fingers, "I'll be right up".
You guessed it. It was another 'Precious
Moment' written forever on my heart. Smiling and
now filled with renewed inspiration to write
after that sweet time of prayer with my children,
I floated down the stairs to the waiting
keyboard. "Ahhhhh, I thought" fingers
poised above the keys."
"Honey? Would you come sit with me?"
I wanted to cry as my husband spoke the words.
"Okay, sure." I said, resigning to the
fact that my night of inspiration was a wash out.
Shutting down the computer to give my husband my
total attention, I chose to release the anxiety I
was feeling towards not being able to write down
what had inspired me so. No sooner had I sat down
than my husband nodded off, snoring in time to
the drone of the evening news.
Sighing, I went upstairs to clean up the
dishes. That done, I gathered the trash and
stepped outside to drop it in the cans. The very
moment I stepped into the fresh evening air, I
felt things lift off my shoulders. Dropping the
bag in the can I turned to leave, but the early
moon caught my eyes. Hidden behind a fine mist of
clouds, it gave an eerie mystic, golden glow, the
tree branches painted white with it's light. I
had to stop. And gaze. Taking it all in I let my
eyes close and my head relax back. "I miss
my time with you. . "
The words echoed in my heart. "I know
Lord. I'm sorry, I was so busy today".
Silence. Okay, so they were lame words. Love
swelled into my heart as I felt my Heavenly
Father kiss my cheeks with the night air. Some
where in the distance I could hear the drone of
cars, rushing here and rushing there. But this
moment. This one moment, life came rushing back.
My gentle daughter, my loving son, my faithful
husband, and a loving Heavenly Father. Wasn't
this what was inspiring me to write in the first
place?
Where are you right now? What is your moment?
You may be dealing with strife at the work place
or perhaps the enemy has ravaged or is ravaging
your marriage. Sickness may be knocking at your
door with despair clawing at your mind and heart
and finances may seem non-existent. I've had
moments like that. We all do. Those are terrible
times. Even in those times, I would run out into
the night and stand among the stars, gazing at
the handiwork of God - His footstool. The throne
room. His ever waiting presence. Never there to
strike me, but always to receive me, to love me,
to gently guide me.
The "Pause that refreshes". Running
into the Fathers lap. He already knows my
weaknesses, and He already knows my heart. No
need for masks and pious prayers. He accepts me
as I am. In His great mercy, He created seasons.
The season you are now in, whether a good season
or a terrible season - will pass. All seasons
come, so that they may pass. But one thing never
fades away, and that is His eternal love for you.
~ ~ ~ ~
2 Tim 2:4 No one engaged in warfare
entangles himself with the affairs of this life,
that he may please Him who enlisted him as a
soldier.
~ ~ ~ ~
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE. . .
Submitted by JMT214
In case you are like me, having one of those
days . . . here is something that will give you a
better perspective on your situation. Hope this
brightens your day.
The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on
a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly
for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned
the horizon for help, but none seemed
forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to
build a little hut out of driftwood to protect
him from the elements, and to store his few
possessions.
But then one day, after scavenging for food,
he arrived home to find his little hut in flames,
the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had
happened; everything was lost. He was stung with
grief and anger. "God, how could you do this
to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened
by the sound of a ship that was approaching the
island. It had come to rescue him. "How did
you know I was here?" asked the weary man of
his rescuers. "We saw your smoke
signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are
going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because
God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of
pain and suffering. Paul wrote, "...I have
learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want"
(Philippians 4:12). Paul had confidence that good
would come out of everything (Romans 8:28), so he
learned to be thankful, not bitter, even when he
was suffering. Who knows? Remember next time your
little hut is burning to the ground it just may
be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Heb 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the
sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy set before him
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sarah's Tent Book Club
(Meeting the last Thursday of each
Month)
Selection for the Month of March is:
" I'm Trying To Sit At His Feet, But Who's
Going to Cook Dinner?"
by Cathy Lechner
Creation House Publishing
March 26 8:00 pm Eastern The Book
Club Save This Link!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sarah's Tent FIRST Annual PW Retreat
Vintage Resort in the mountains of
WinterPark, CO
April 30 - May 2
If you would like more information on this OR
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!
* * *
"...forgetting what lies behind and
reaching forward to what lies ahead..."
Philippians 3:13
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE SWEETEST VERSE
Submitted by JMT214
The old saint was not far from the pearly gates
when his minister came to see him, as he had done
many times. Looking tenderly down on him, he
said, "I'm not going to weary you now, but
I'll read to you the sweetest verse in the Bible,
and then we'll have prayer together." He
then opened his pocket Testament at the
fourteenth chapter of John's gospel , and read:
"In my Father's house are many mansions; if
it were not so I would have told you," and
was closing the book and kneeling in prayer, when
the dying man stretched out a delaying hand, and
whispered, "No, that isn't the sweetest
verse. Read on." So the minister read:
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also." At
that a seraphic smile spread over the face of the
dying saint, "That's the sweetest verse. It
is not the mansions; it is Himself I want."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Walk in wisdom...redeeming the time.
Colossians 4:5
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
POT LUCK!
MELT-AWAY COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1/4 cup (3 Tbsp.) honey
2 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup chopped nuts
Optional: powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Cream shortening and honey. Add flour, vanilla
and nuts. Shape into 1/2 inch balls and flatten
slightly with a fork. bake on a lightly greased
cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
OPTIONAL: Dip in confectioners sugar.
For even MORE recipes, click on these!!
More
Recipes and Once-a-Month
Cooking (OAMC)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
You can accomplish more in one hour with
God, than one lifetime without Him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~ 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 OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES
Submitted by COOPSTERS7
A Sunday School teacher asked her students to
draw a picture of the Holy Family. After the
pictures were brought to her, she saw that some
of the youngsters had drawn the conventional
pictures--the Holy Family and the manger, the
Holy Family riding on the mule, etc.
But she called up one of the little boys to
ask him to explain his drawing, which showed an
airplane with four heads sticking out of the
plane windows.
She said, "I can understand you drew
three of the heads to show Joseph, Mary, and
Jesus. But who is the fourth head?"
"Oh," answered the boy, "that's
Pontius the pilot!"
-------
A Sunday School teacher asked little Willie
who the first man in the Bible was.
"Hoss," said Willie
"Wrong," said the teacher. "It
was Adam."
"Ah, shucks!" Willie replied.
"I knew it was one of those
Cartwrights."
--------
The Sunday School teacher was describing how
Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar
of salt. "My Mother looked back once while
she was driving," contributed little Johnny,
"and she turned into a telephone pole."
-------
The same Sunday School teacher asked her class
to draw a picture illustrating a Bible story. One
paper handed in contained a picture of a big car.
An old man, with whiskers flying in the breeze,
was driving. And a man and a woman were seated in
the back seat of the car. Puzzled, the teacher
asked little Johnny to explain his drawing.
"Why, that is God. He is driving Adam and
Eve out of the Garden of Eden."
--------
"Daddy, I want to ask you a
question," said little Bobby after his first
day in Sunday School.
"Yes, Bobby," answered his dad,
"what is it?"
"The teacher was reading the Bible to
us--all about the children of Israel building the
temple, the children of Israel crossing the Red
Sea, the children of Israel making sacrifices.
Didn't the grownups do anything?"
-------
A young woman named Murphy was teaching a
Sunday School class the 23rd Psalm. As the little
voices chorused out, she seemed somewhere to
detect a false note. She heard the children one
by one, until at last she came across one little
girl who was concluding the Psalm with the words,
"Surely good Miss Murphy shall follow me all
the days of my life."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
For your Exploring Pleasure,
Nebraska
District: Ghana Work
(http://members.aol.com/luthdeafmi/ghana.html)
Shannon sent me this site telling about Dacia and
her husband's ministry. I found it fascinating!
It tells their story (why they're there and what
they're doing), has an e-mail link, and even has
pictures of Ghana and Dacia & her family too!
Check it out!!!
America's
Homepage- Where the U.S. Finds Its ... (http://www.usa.com/)
I accidentally stumbled upon this site and
thought it had some potential. It has many, many
links to different things, both regional and
national in scope. If you're interested in
geographical things, this might be a good place
for you!
Shamelessly borrowed from Christianity
Online: FamilyStyleª Movie Guide http://www.familystyle.com/
"I thought this movie was rated PG!"
How many times have you said that during a movie?
Now you can go to the movie theater without being
surprised by undesirable content. Just stop by
this movie guide before you hit the ticket booth!
Perhaps you're heading over to the rental store
to bring a movie home -- not a problem. Search
the reviews of past blockbusters and flops in
this site's vast collection of flicks that are
already out of the theater. Reviews include
ratings and descriptions based on five categories
to help you decide whether or not to spend $7.50
on that ticket. (editor's note: it's only $6 in
Arkansas! tee hee)
If you have any web sites you would like to
recommend, please send them to PattieRWR (Pattie)
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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