Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending the day with family, relaxing and sharing a good meal together. It also serves as a reminder to reflect on all the ways in which God has faithfully provided for me throughout the year. I am thankful for His care, provision, protection, and guidance in every aspect of my life. As I get older, I realize more and more that life is not always linear. There is a measure of predictability to our days, but God remains sovereign over all things and allows trials in our lives. There may be many reasons why we encounter trials, but I believe one of the underlying reasons is to learn from them and be drawn into an even deeper and closer relationship with the Lord.

In 2 Chronicles 20, we read about Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who has just learned that a great army of Moabites, Ammonites and others is marching against him. As you read through this chapter, you can learn a great deal from his response to this situation.

• The first thing he did was to seek the Lord (v3).
• He recognized God's sovereignty in the situation (v6).
• He recalled His faithfulness in previous trials (v7).
• He recognizes his lack of wisdom and capacity to handle this situation (v12).
• He declares his intent to wait before the Lord for direction by standing before Him and turning his eyes to Him (v12-13)

The Lord responds in v15 and says, "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's." He continues in v17, "you will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."

It says in v 21 that the next morning, Jehoshaphat appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised {Him} in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting." Verse 22 states, "When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed."

How should we respond to those trials in our lives that often take us by surprise and can overwhelm us with fear? Scripture tells us to give thanks. Jehoshaphat didn't lead his army into battle with weapons, he lead it with people who were offering praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His lovingkindness. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Note that this passage instructs us to give thanks in everything....that means the trials of life too. This lesson is a difficult one to master, but so rich with encouragement and promise. Hebrews 13:15 says, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." To praise and give thanks to the Lord in the midst of a trial is a sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of our will and our pride. It often takes every ounce of our will to do this, and according to this verse, we find the strength to do it in the Lord Himself.

I am thankful for God's sovereignty in my life. He is my Shepherd and I willingly submit myself and my life to His care and governance. I will praise Him on the mountaintops and I will praise Him in the midst of the storms.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Psalm 118:29)

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

'Tis the season for making pumpkin goodies! This recipe (from recipelion.com) caught my eye, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. The muffins made my house smell wonderful, and taste good with Autumn Spiced Tea!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 6-ounce package of semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; make a well in the center. In a small bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, butter and egg; add to the well in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips, stir until dry mixture is moistened. Spoon mixture into greased muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pans, completely cool on racks.

Notes
Instead of pouring the batter into the muffin tin, I decided to use the paper liners. Unfortunately, the muffins stuck to the paper! I've never had that happen before. Next time, I will either pour the batter in the pan or try foil liners. These muffins are very dense and rich, and oh so yummy!

Pumpkin Patch!

We took advantage of the one day of sunshine this past weekend to take our annual trek out to the pumpkin patch!
After getting off the hay wagon, Noelle seemed more enamored with the muddy "horsey feet" than the sea of bright orange pumpkins that lay before her!
So many pumpkins, so little time...
Noelle was very happy with her selection!
...so was Nathan! WOW!
Papa and Nathan...
Mama and Noelle...

Fun times!

Bacon-Wrapped Apple Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and grated
Juice of 1 lemon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
8 slices bacon
Salt and pepper

In small bowl, combine barbecue sauce, grated apple and lemon juice. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around each chicken breast half. Place wrapped chicken in slow cooker and top with barbecue-sauce mixture. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
(Recipe from All You magazine, October 2009)

Healing Words

This week's proverb was "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18) We discussed what "reckless" and "pierce" means, and about how these kinds of words are very hurtful and hard to forget if someone speaks to us in this way. I also shared with her James 3:8 which says, "...no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." We talked about what wisdom is, and came up with examples of wise things to say. I helped her make these little band-aids so that she could be looking for ways to bless others with her words when she sees that they are hurting or upset.

The Power of Words

During school today, I presented my daughter with these two spoons. The one on the left has coffee grounds, a chunk of old toast, empty grape vine and a strip of fruit snack wrapper. The other had honey.

Me: "Which would you like to eat?"
Noelle: (after giving me a quizzical look) "The one with the honey."
Me: "Why?"
Noelle: "Because it is sweet and looks good."
Me: (Wiggling the garbage spoon a bit) "Well, why don't you want this one?"
Noelle: "Because it is yucky and full of gross stuff."
Me: "Where do you think I got this stuff?"
Noelle: "Um...from the garbage?"
Me: "Right! God says in Proverbs 16:24, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

We had a great conversation about how important it is to speak good and kind words to people, because people don't want to hear meanness and other garbage coming out of our mouth. I think this was a very powerful lesson that she will always remember!

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

Directions
Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until blended. Stir in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Notes
I give this recipe a 5-star rating! I had all of the ingredients on hand, and I only had to dirty one bowl. The cookies were flavorful and had the perfect blend of chewy and crispiness. It would be very simple to substitute a cup of raisins instead of the chocolate chips too! This one is definitely going to the front of the cookie section in my recipe box!

Our Newest Family Member

Meet our new kitten! At first glance, he appears to be a black kitten, but in the sunlight he is a rich, dark espresso brown. He has a sweet disposition and is very tolerant of the children fussing over him. His name is Truffle.

Eastern Oregon: A Photo Essay

On our return trip from Idaho, we took a day to do a photo shoot in Eastern Oregon for David's upcoming album entitled "Revelation." The Lord blessed us with a timely meeting of a sweet woman named Nola who gave us access to the church in Lonerock. We spent most of the day traveling gravel roads in the eastern Oregon desert. I thought it would be fun to share some of the photos that I like for their sheer simplistic, artistic beauty. To give credit where credit is due, David took these photos.

I never get tired of watching the wind turbines turn lazy, graceful circles against a beautiful blue sky.

The church in Lonerock, Oregon.

The keyboard of the piano in the Lonerock church.

Pews in the Lonerock church.

This shot was taken in the old pioneer cemetery of Lonerock. The earliest date I found on the headstones was 1815.

On a 17 mile stretch of gravel road, we were captivated by this lone tree.

I couldn't help but think about the "amber waves of grain" lyrics to America the Beautiful.

Sometimes the most beautiful things in life are simple. It's all a matter of perspective.

Trip to Blanchard, Idaho

We recently returned from a trip to Blanchard, Idaho to visit some friends of ours. They have seven children, and the husband is the pastor of a local church in this quiet, country community.

The tire swing was a favorite with the children!

We joined in the annual "Blanchard Daze" celebration of the town, complete with parade and local food and vendor booths. It just isn't a small town parade without a line of tractors!

The children were invited to ride on the church's float in the parade. Noelle got to be the princess!

The children thoroughly enjoyed the stick horse races! Noelle got second place in her division!

Go, Nathan, go!

The sheriff provided an opportunity to shoot blanks from his gun, with very close supervision.

Noelle's favorite activity was painting her own stick horse. She let Mama help a little bit, too.

Even David got in on the stick horse races! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

Quote of the weekend: We attended their church on Sunday morning. As we stood visiting in the foyer after the service, an elderly gentleman asked Noelle, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Without missing a beat, Noelle replied, "Normal."

Crater Lake, Oregon 2009

A family portrait, thanks to a convenient tree stump and the self timer!

It was a tad windy that day!

Crater Lake is one of those spots where you can't resist using your camera!

We went on a beautiful hike along a stream through meadows and canyons!

The wildflowers were absolutely beautiful!

The intense blue water never ceased to take my breath away. It was hazy that day, and believe it or not, this picture doesn't do it justice!

Camping at Crescent Lake 2009

Every year we enjoy spending a weekend with friends at Crescent Lake, and this year was no different!

Nathan helped Papa set up the tent...

We took the time to enjoy the clouds...(I spy a snail!)

We all took advantage of the warm water and enjoyed wading and swimming in the lake!

Boat rides for everyone!!!

The children thoroughly enjoyed making sandcastles and moats...

Noelle kept a very close eye on the bee traps...

We roasted many hotdogs and s'mores over the fire...

We were blessed both nights by a beautiful display of God's glory in the heavens!

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."
(Psalm 19:1)

Wordless Wednesday

Z is for Ziploc, Zinnias, and Zucchini!

It has been so much fun having a vegetable and flower garden this year! I spent the morning shredding zucchini in 2-cup amounts and storing it in Ziploc baggies for the freezer. Of course, I had to save a fresh supply to make zucchini bread! I have so many wonderful recipes from friends and family, so it was hard to choose. I decided to try my mother in law's recipe first. It couldn't be easier, and is as yummy as it looks!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 C oil
2 C sugar
3 C grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
3 C flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C dates (or raisins, or dried cranberries, or chocolate chips!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together and pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour, or until done.

Makes 2 loaves.

Garden Glory!

I picked the first zucchini and green beans from my little garden today! For those of you who don't know me very well, I'm TERRIBLE when it comes to plants and growing things, so this is a pretty big deal to me! The zucchini plant looks like it is going to be the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. I plan to freeze a lot of it and use it for soups, casseroles and breads this winter. There is such a sense of satisfaction in growing and storing your own food! I have already been online searching for a variety of zucchini recipes, and plan to cook the green beans tomorrow for dinner. Yum!

A Lovely Afternoon

I had the privilege and pleasure of spending this afternoon with two lovely women, one of whom I know, and the other I recently met and am beginning to develop what I hope will be a wonderful friendship. When I arrived at my friend's home, she had a beautiful table prepared for us. Each place setting had a small white china plate, with a small spreader and a floral napkin placed in the middle. A goblet of iced tea had been poured for each person, and the table had a lit candle and vase with roses in the middle. The house was filled with the aroma of fresh blueberry oat scones still baking in the oven. The conversation was delightful as we shared about our families, common interests, and current goals. As I drove home, I was reminded of Titus 2:3-5 which says, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored." This afternoon was a great blessing and encouragement to me, and I thank you, Anita and Dorcas, for being Titus 2 women in my life. Thank you for a lovely afternoon!

Blueberry Banana Bread

This is my banana bread recipe, but since I currently have a huge supply of fresh blueberries, I thought I would throw in a cup for a different twist!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
2 medium-size bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a medium-size bowl, combine sugar, bananas, eggs, and butter; beat until smooth. Add banana mixture to flour mixture. Stir until all of flour mixture is moistened. Add blueberries and gently mix. Place batter in a greased loaf pan, and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Makes one loaf.