A Season of Reflection
By Christina Weimer (TentDwellr@aol.com)

Everyone has his or her favorite time of the year.  Mine happens to be fall.  I just love the crisp mornings; the beautiful fall colors and the various types of breezes that carry the leaves.  There is peacefulness about this beautiful season of the year.  It is also a season of reflecting on all that God is doing in my life.

 Many times we get caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle of life.  We feel that things are just never going to slow down.  There is always something that needs to be done.  There are people to visit, events to attend, phone calls to make, functions to plan, problems to solve, Bible studies to attend, schedules to make, on and on.  There is always that needy person in church that seems to require so much of your time.  There is also that never ending problem that seems to come with the territory, when one is in the business of working with people. 

In all that we do how often do we just stop and take time to reflect?  When is the last time when you actually sat down and listed the various "Fall Leaves" of life that God has given you?  Do you see the beauty in them as they fall around your life?  Or, are you so caught up in the next event that they just look like a mess that needs to be cleaned up.

 A leaf falls gently to the ground.  There is a reason for that.  God could have made a tree in such a way that it would dump all its leaves in one shot.  Instead, they float gently to the ground.  I would like to believe that one reason for this is so that people like me can enjoy the beauty of the change that is occurring in the tree.

 Like the tree, God allows things to fall from our life.  Whether beautiful like the red, yellow, and orange leaves, or ugly, like the dead, brown dry leaves, God brings a fall time in our life.  Instead of fighting it, or looking at it like a big mess, we should see the beauty in it.  God is allowing things to gently fall from our lives for a reason.  He is preparing us for something wonderful in the future.  It may have to come after a time of remission and winter's cold harsh conditions.  However, the change will come.  God loves you so much that He does not leave you where you are.  Instead, He allows the leaves to fall in order that He might bring about new growth, new leaves, in a future season of life/Spring.

 As you reflect, this year, upon all that God is doing in your life, and the leaves that are falling, I pray that you would indeed see that God is in it all.  As you enter this season of reflection do not look at the mess on the ground that the leaves have caused.  Instead, notice the beauty of the change and the gentleness and peacefulness these leaves produce as the float to the ground.

 This is a season of reflection and God is in the process of reflecting beautiful colors in you. 

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 But as for me, my prayer is to Thee, O Lord, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Thy loving-kindness, Answer me with Thy saving truth.  
Psalm 69:13

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Way back in June, Krstylor@aol.com sent us this wonderful crock pot recipe.  Since the weather is turning cooler, I thought now would be a great time to share it.  Dot has sent us a plethora of recipes that will make any person’s mouth water … look for those to begin next week!

- Shannon (Editor)  Here’s Kristen’s recipe:

 I wanted to share my three best "Guests for Dinner After Morning Service" meals.   

HOT BEEF

 3+ pounds of the cheapest cut of boneless beef you can get!  

The cheaper the better.  Use as much as you think you need depending on the size of your group.  I've served 15 people plus some kids with about 7 pounds of meat.

1-2 packages of dry onion soup mix

 Put the meat in the crock pot on HIGH on Saturday night before bed.  In the morning just before church check the meat to see if it's done.  "Done" means it will pull apart easily with a fork into little shreds and strings of beef. If it's done, add a little (1/2 cup) water if you think it's looking dry, and turn down to LOW until after church.  If it's not done (meaning it doesn't pull apart easily and wants to hang together) leave it on HIGH until after church.  Again, you may want to add a little water if you're afraid it will dry out. 

 Serve the hot beef on buns with an assortment of BBQ sauce, horseradish, mustard, etc.  I usually serve veggies and dip, pickles and olives, and chips.

NOTE:  You will want to test this out as every crock pot is different.  Mine is the large round kind with the crock that lifts out.  If you have the one-piece kind you will need to adjust the time and temperature as I think these cook much hotter than the lift out kind.  Also note, every time you lift the lid on the crock pot you add 30 minutes to your cooking time, so leave the lid on as much as possible and resist the urge to check it until morning.

 The second two are oven recipes that do not require an oven timer!

 COMPANY CHICKEN

 1.  Skinless boneless chicken breasts (if you buy them individually frozen in the bag they can still be frozen), as many as you need or can get in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

2.  Dried beef (this comes in slices in a jar)

3.  Uncooked bacon, 1/2 slice for each chicken breast

4.  Two cans of cream of chicken soup

5.  16 ounces of sour cream

 On Saturday night put the chicken together.  Tear the slices of dried beef into pieces and lay in the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish.  Lay the frozen or thawed chicken breasts on top of the dried beef.  Lay 1/2 slice of uncooked bacon on each chicken breast.  In a bowl, mix the soup and sour cream together, and then pour over the chicken.  Cover with tinfoil and put in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, bake covered at 275 to 300 degrees for at least four hours.   

This is delicious because of the blend of meats and the time it has to "sit" in the fridge.  It's absolutely not the same if you leave out the "sit" time.

 Now for the last no-timer oven recipe.

 BBQ RIBS

 Place 2 to 3 pounds of boneless pork County Style ribs in a 9x13 pan.  Salt and pepper and cover with foil.  Bake at 325 for approximately four hours. 

 When you get home from church, drain the ribs (VERY important) and pour your favorite BBQ sauce over the ribs.  Turn the heat up to 350 and cook uncovered for another 20 to 30 minutes.

 When I make these oven recipes I usually do potatoes and carrots in foil packets.  I slice one potato for each guest (peeled or unpeeled) into about 3/8" slices and put it on a large piece of foil.  I add baby carrots, sliced onions, mushrooms, etc. to the potatoes.  I put a 1 tbsp sized pat of butter on top and sprinkle with Lowry’s salt.  Fold the foil over the veggies to make a packet and bake alongside the ribs or Company Chicken.  I usually put these in at the last possible minute before I walk out the door so they don't get too overcooked.  Except for a salad and pouring water into the glasses, my dinner is ready to go almost as soon as I get home, much to the appreciation of my guests and family!

 Thank you for all you do with Sarah's Tent.  You cannot know how many times your newsletter's theme was "right on" for my life.  Keep up the good work. 

You are in my prayers.

 Kristen

Dot loves to hear from you and answer your questions.  
You can reach her by writing to: DOTMI@aol.com 

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A father often read Bible stories to his young children, One day he read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt."

 His son asked, "What happened to the flea?"

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Joy in The Kitchen Volume 4 Issue 35