~ JOY In The Kitchen ~ 
A FREE weekly newsletter from Sarah's Tent, a Loving Internet Community of Pastor's Wives. 
Isaiah 51:1-2 ~ Isaiah 54:2-3 ~ Heb 10:24 ,25

A Time To Rest
by TentDwellr@aol.com (Christina)

"And the apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.
And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)
And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves." 
Mark 6:30 -32

There is a saying in the ministry that goes like this ..."The ministry will take as much as you give it." I do not state this in a negative sense, so to speak. The ministry is a never ending process. From the beginning of time God has had a plan and has used people to carry out this plan. Therefore, as workers in the ministry it does not take us long to realize that the work is never complete. There is work to be done, people to be discipled, buildings to maintain, relationships that need to be kept up, people who need to hear the word, and on and on... I could make a list of thousands of things that could be done for the ministry and you could still think of one more. Yes, the ministry is a position in life that will take as much as you give it.

Each and every week we do our best to be workman/women for the Lord. We strive to do our best in all areas (at least we try anyway). We do what we feel the church needs. If there is a position that needs to be filled and no one else is taking it, often times we step in to fill the void. We often times put our church before our families, realizing that a spiritual need is worth the sacrifice of a few hours with the family. We are on call 24/7 and no matter what the occasion, we will leave it if the need is great.

We are running on empty and in serious need of refreshing... However, how many of us say.. "But I can't possibly take a break .. there is just too much to do; We can't afford to take any time off; We may lose ground if we go now; I just can't fit a spare day in my schedule."

The above versus are just another example of how Jesus wanted us to live. He saw that his disciples were working very hard. He knew that there would be many more people that would need to be evangelized. Yet, instead of saying, "Hey, you are doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work." He prompted them to rest. "Come away by yourself to a lonely place and rest for awhile."

Jesus knew that His disciples needed some time of refreshment. He knew that in the long run they would be more effective if they had a time of rejuvenation. You too, my friend need a time such as this. How effective are you really if you are working on your last bit of energy. If you are pushing yourself because you know that it needs to be done.

This weekend I had the opportunity to get away to the coast for 3 days. Just me and a friend. No kids, no hubby, nothing. We went to the coast for a time of refreshment. This was going to be my last chance at doing this before the baby was born and life took on a whole new avenue. It was also the last opportunity I had before other "church" things started popping up again, that I knew I needed to be involved in.

What a glorious time it was. Not that we did anything spectacular. In fact, most of the time I sat in a chair and stared at the ocean. Oh, the restoring that brought to my soul. To be able to just sit there and watch the glorious handiwork of God in action. To see and hear, without interruption the gentleness and peace that can be experienced when one takes the time to just stop.

God does not expect you to be Super-Christian. He knows that rest is important. Jesus Himself went off to rest. Don't put it off. If only for a day, take time to get away from it all. Leave the church, and all its problems (or blessings) and take time to restore your soul. There is a time to work and a time to rest, don't deprive your soul of the latter. God has been here for more years than you and He can take care of things while you are away Ü
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Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:10-12
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Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but
beautiful old people are works of art.
E. Roosevelt
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Subject: [Memo from God]
Submitted by: msyackki@hotmail.com (Michelle Smith)

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse.

You could be them!!!!
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Remember what God told the Israelites....
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Exodus 20:2 
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The First Lady Conference

The Urban Alternative will host its first 
"First Lady Conference" 
September 28 - October 1, 2000 
Dallas, Texas 
at the Omni Mandalay Hotel. 
The conference is designed for "First Ladies" only in mind.  The goals and objectives are to instruct, encourage, network, strengthen, fellowship, motivate, rekindle the flame, and give joy in the journey.  Also to encourage women to develop chapters across the nation where "The First Lady" can find refuge.

For more information or to register, 
call 1-800-800-3222

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BUDDY GROUP TIPS

What do you do when you don't have anything to say, but still want to keep conversations going in the groups?
Funny how, when you least expect it, you can find all kinds of things to talk about.  But set aside a time to talk, and the mind goes blank!  What you need is a jump start!  Try sharing: funny stories, most embarrassing moments,  special moments of revelation, favorite childhood memories, or favorite vacations...some where along the way, the conversation will pick up.  By the way - the great thing about email is that you don't have to write an entire letter each time!  Just a sentence or two can keep the conversation running!
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WHAT'S NEW?

IT'S A GAME!  Find this colored ball on one of our web pages, (not this page) and be the first one to send us an email telling us where you found it, and you will win a free art print!


John 15:12
This is My commandment, 
that you love one another as I have loved you.
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You'll love the recipe today! It's a super-easy, but delicious one that I received from PrasHm a long time ago. 

Roast Beef
1 pkg. Lipton's onion soup mix (I use generic)
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Mix together in floured brown-n-bake bag, put in roast and bake at 350 degrees until done. 

She adds 2 cups water and meat tenderizer to make sure it is extra good and moist. (I don't use tenderizer, but a long, slow cooking time...250 for several hours.)

I'd love to have you share one of your really-good recipes with us!! --Dot
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THE OTHER SIDE
Submitted by: ricmar@theramp.net (Mary)

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was leaving the room 
after paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. 
Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is 
on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door, on the other side 
of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he 
opened the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him 
with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice that dog? 
He had never been in this room before. He did not know what 
was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, 
and when the door opened he sprang in without fear. I know little 
of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: 
I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And when the 
door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but with gladness." 
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"I don't believe any world leader 
will write the last chapter of history-
God will write it. 

I believe ... that there is a destiny 
for the human race far beyond anything 
we can dream. 

But it will be God's kingdom 
and will come in God's way."

- Unknown
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CHUCKLES & THOUGHTS


A father sat in the morning worship service of the local 
church with his wife and three-year-old son. His wife took 
communion as it was passed down the pew while her husband, who 
was not a Christian, let the emblems pass without partaking. As 
the trays were passed to the end of the pew, the three-year-old 
yelled out at the top of his voice, "My dad didn't get any of 
the refreshments!" The very next Sunday the father made a 
personal commitment to the Lord and was baptized, bearing out 
the statement in 
Isaiah 11:6, "...a little child shall lead them."__

WEB SITES & RESOURCES
BH&G Recipe Center - 
cooking / recipes / gardening / decorating / home etc
http://recipe.bhg.com/ 
This is a great site full of many wonderful ideas.

 Visit our LINKS page at: www.sarahstent.com!

Joy in The Kitchen Volume 4 Issue 15