A Wake Up Call
By Shannon Parish (shannon@sarahstent.com)

Promise and price. 

The past two weeks have been rich with both. Last week held the promise and dreams of many women who attended the prophetic conference held at our church in Denver. So many women took major steps of faith and let down their guards, praising and praying freely with one another and receiving God's abundant blessings in this powerful meeting. 

I myself took a huge step of faith in speaking in a way that I had always seen myself in my mind to do, but had never had the courage to follow through. As many of you know, I am an artist and encourager. Throwing all caution to the wind, I illustrated my teaching with not only my cartoons, but with physical illustrations as well. The response was huge and a sweet confirmation of what God has placed in my heart regarding teaching on church strife and self image. 

The following Monday I and my husband went to see our Doctor who ran some tests on our exhausted bodies. Both of us were pointed in the right direction in the area of our health, and what foods we need to eat for our own personal well being. I'm not sure of all that was told to my husband, but the Doctor was very strong in her exhortation to me to take care of myself, and that if I continued on the path I was heading, I was setting myself up for cancer in about five to six years. 

Service, stress, working, and ministry had become so much a part of my life, I had been ignoring symptoms of a body that was threatening crisis. Things that I had chalked up to aging are not aging at all, but are signals of major stress burnout. (And I thought I was having fun being productive!) 

My family has not taken a vacation since 1996, nor have we had uninterrupted time as husband and wife for even an evening that lasted longer than 3 hours. For some unexplained reason, we've fallen into the trap of working seven days a week, either earning a living, or doing the work of ministry. Needless to say, many of you are in the same boat as us. 

The next day after receiving this rather sobering chastisement, we received a call from one of our church members. His wife had been suffering with breast cancer and had finally been moved to a hospice where she was expected to live for only a few more hours. We drove to the other end of town, and joined the family is saying goodbye to this wonderful young woman. As I held her hand for the next hour and a half watching her fight with the inevitable and struggle with body spasms and excruciating pain, I took inventory of my life. 

God has promised a glorious, joyful future for me. His plans are full of hope and exciting adventures. However, if I do not balance my life, energy, mind and soul, I will abort His plans for me. God does not give cancer. Nor does he take young lives because He is lonely in Heaven. The enemy attacks and steals, and we open the door with our works and poor habits. God forgive us for our excesses! 

As a part of pruning those excesses, I have decided to take another step of faith and change the distribution of the Joy In The Kitchen newsletter from weekly to by-weekly. Some of the e-groups that are not active will be eliminated, and a message board will be added for more interaction. There are so many more things we want to add to Sarah's Tent, but we must be wise in our additions. The children's page will come eventually, and I hope to see more chats – both for Bible studies and for fellowship. The E-commerce site is first and foremost in the near future so as to provide income for both the support of Sarah's Tent and the members who participate. 

We are excited to also mention that after I shared at the conference here last week, a little missionary from India came to me and asked if it would be alright to name her ministry to pastors wives in India, Sarah's Tent as well. I told her I would be honored, as it was by her testimony that I first envisioned an e-commerce site that would become an answer to missionaries and pastors in their financial needs, both in ministry and personally. After all, our heart is to network and support one another – not to engage in competition! 

Promise and price. God has a hope and a future for me and for you. The price is moderation, balance, and obedience. (Another word for this is TRUST, or FAITH.) We are out of order if we refuse to follow the example of Christ and take time away from our works. Let's encourage one another to excellence in a lifestyle of worship that honors God, not in works and busy-ness – no matter how good it sounds, amen?

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 Jer 29:11 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, 
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
NKJV

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EXTREMELY DELICIOUS CHICKEN CASSEROLE 

1/2 c. butter 
1/2 c. mushrooms 
1 c. bread crumbs 
1 1/2 c. macaroni shells (do not cook in advance) 
3 c. cubed chicken 
1 c. diced Cheddar cheese 
1 c. milk 1 1/2 c. broth 
1/4 c. green pepper (optional) 
1 t. salt 3 eggs, slightly beaten 
3 oz can chow mein noodles 

Melt butter and brown mushrooms in it very lightly. Add bread crumbs and stir thoroughly. Combine all of the other ingredients, aside from chow mein noodles and scatter them on top. (I add these in last few minutes of baking.) Turn into a large baking pan and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes. Serve with the following topping: 

TOPPING 

1/2 c. butter 
1/2 c. flour 
2 c. chicken broth 
1/2 c. mushrooms 
1/4 c. cream (do not substitute) 
1/2 t. lemon juice 
1 T. fresh chopped parsley 
Salt to taste 

Melt butter, blend in flour and then remaining ingredients.

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

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Submitted by SAL777SAL@aol.com

A small boy's prayer: "Dear God, I hope you take care of yourself. 'Cause if anything happens to you, we would all be in a terrible mess." After coming out of the water, a new member exclaimed, "Good grief, preacher, I forgot to remove my wallet from these trousers. It's dripping wet." "Hallelujah," exulted the preacher, "We could stand more baptized wallets."

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Joy in The Kitchen Volume 4 Issue 36