Pumpkin Nut Bread - Hazel

"Could you please bake a loaf of nut bread for Church for next Sunday?" the new Pastors wife asked me. The bread was to be enjoyed during the fellowship time with the members.

My apple tree was producing so, checking my file of recipes I found a perfect quick bread that called for pumpkin, but could be varied with apples or zucchini.

As the church grew, baking this bread became a ministry for me! New members were being added and the Pastor asked my husband to teach a morning class. We were happy to serve!

About that time, I had applied for a job with the County and was hired.

Since I was already in the habit of baking nut bread each week, I began to bring various nut breads to work with me each Monday.

Each Monday, the bread was expected and enjoyed. The staff even dubbed the bread, “Hazel Bread.” Not only was this an act of love, but it also was a ministry. Many times throughout the duration of my employment, I was also able to share about The Bread that is from Heaven. What joy!

There is nothing too small for God to use. Whatever your hand finds to do – do it!

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the bread that will truly satisfy our Spiritual Hunger.

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. - - - I am that bread of life.

PUMPKIN NUT BREAD (Makes 2 loaves)
Adapt this recipe with zucchini, apples or blue berries.

Place into your sifter:
3 cups flour, 1 tsp soda, 1 tsp salt, 3 level tsps cinnamon, 1 ½ cups sugar.

Mix in a large separate bowl,
4 beaten eggs, 2 cups pumpkin (or other fruit) 1 cup vegetable oil.

Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid and stir well. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts and gently mix all together.

Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 350 one hour. Let cool on a rack. Serve warm or cold.

Wrap the second loaf with plastic wrap, put it into a freezer bag and freeze.

This post was shared at "FOOD ON FRIDAYS" at: http://annkroeker.com/ Please check out Ann's site. Also shared at: Simply Sweet Creations:

Children are quick to Believe

Thinking back to when I was very young, perhaps 3 or 4 years old, I was willing to believe the older neighbor boys who offered me candy. They were full of mischief and mean little critters.

“Close your eyes, and open your mouth and we will give you some candy,” they excitedly told me.

Naive and believing as I was, I did as I was told, and received a mouthful of dirt!

Sobbing loudly and calling out Mama, Mama, I ran for home and was soon cleaned up.

That incident did not cure me of trust, for I continued to believe what I was told by others, but as time went on, I also learned to study and seek out what is truth.

Jesus chose a mottled group for his 12 closest followers. Most were unlearned men.

Why would the Christ select such simple ignorant men of unrenowned fame?

Why would Jesus state that we must come to him as a little child?

A child will believe and accept as truth even before they see it.

Many argue that there are difficult truths in the Bible that are hard to accept, such as speaking in other tongues, and the spiritual gifts spoken of in God’s word.

If instead of squabbling and disputing God’s gifts, perhaps we should as little children, come and receive the MORE that God offers to us as believers.

“Ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you,” were the words of Jesus.

Yes, all believers have the Holy Spirit when they acknowledge Jesus as Lord, but the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct experience.

The most widely gift not accepted by the sophisticated and prideful, is the gift of tongues.

There are several excellent reasons to receive the gift of tongues.

First it is the initial evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit Baptism.

Second it a prayer language between you and God. You may not understand the language, but you will have a general idea what you are praying for. The wonderful thing is that other spiritual powers trying to hinder your prayers will not be able to interfere with your direct line to God.

Thirdly you yourself are edified and built up when you worship God while praying in other tongues.

Fourth this is a gift to be used when accepted by the church that may proceed a second gift called the gift of interpretation. These two gifts will bless and encourage believers.

Paul said, Do NOT forbid to speak in tongues, and then he said, “I speak in tongues more than you all.” He referred to his spiritual praying to God using his powerful gift.

This very gift enabled Paul to follow his course until the end.

He Prayed with His Head in a Box

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In the year 1905 a humble non-educated African American preacher, journeyed by train from Houston to Los Angeles.

There he was only to be locked out of the church that had sent for him. His message was too wild for the majority of the sophisticated and prideful leaders of the group.

Rev William Seymour turned to God in prayer along with a small following of believers, as they prayed diligently to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

On April 9, 1906, at a prayer meeting in a modest home on Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, a few men and women spoke in other tongues. They had been meeting to pray for "an outpouring" of the Holy Spirit. The tongues speech convinced them that they had "broken through."

Soon the small house where they held meetings could not contain the large crowds that began to gather. An old warehouse that had at one time been a church became their meeting place. This setting was the beginning of a spiritual Revival known as the Azusa Street Revival. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival

The church building was sparse in its furnishing, with benches that had no back, and no pulpit. Rev Seymour sat behind two empty shoe boxes stacked on top of one another.

Rev Seymour would put his head inside the top box and pray until it was time for him to preach.

This was his way to escape from the distractions around him, and to be alone with God!

The intermingling of races and the group's encouragement of women in leadership was remarkable. The rich, the poor, and all denominations came to seek God and were blessed to overflowing. Mighty healings occurred, and prayers in other tongues were offered for missionaries, and for the many prayer requests that were brought in.

Over 50 nations were influenced as ministers traveled from other countries, and they along with new missionaries went forth to preach and teach what became known as the Full Gospel message.

Doctrinal differences abounded, and many separate organizations and denominations sprung from the initial revivals. The Church of God in Christ was formed in 1907, the Assemblies of God and United Pentecostal Church were formed in 1914, and the Pentecostal Church of God was formed in 1919 at the Sharon Bible School.

Today, there are more than 500 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers across the globe. The Pentecostal denomination is currently second in size behind the Roman Catholic Church and is the fastest-growing form of Christianity today.

Perhaps it is the hour that more of us should put our head in a box as we pray for a Supernatural and powerful move from the Lord.

Arthur Katz a Jew for Christ

He was extremely vehement, anti-religionist and anti-Christian.

Our children attended the High School where this Jewish teacher, by the name of Art Katz taught classes on history, and practiced his right to free speech.

One eventful day, one of his students handed him a New Testament, and challenged him to read it through. The teacher accepted the book, and took it with him as he left on a summer trip to Europe to hitch hike and to live as a vagabond.

Having nothing better to do, he decided to read the New Testament he had been given. Art was stunned as the words virtually leaped from the pages striking direct into his heart.

This cynical and unbelieving atheist was radically apprehended by a God who was actively seeking him. This encounter with Jesus left him dramatically transformed and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Returning from his trip to Europe, he sought out a church that was close by to where he lived, and found our church. He was bubbling and ready to share his salvation experience with all who would listen.

One of our board members, remarked to me, “He will not last, but will backslide soon.”

I couldn’t believe the negative attitude of my Christian friend, so I spoke up and declared,

“You and I will not allow him to fall and this is what we will do.” I continued - - -

“Each morning as we prepare to leave for work, at a set hour of the morning we will pray something like this - - Lord, give Art Katz a good day, surround him with your love, and keep his steps from falling.” My friend the board member, hesitated, but agreed to participate in this short ritual.

We determined to believe that if two or three agree on earth as touching anything, it will be done. We continued this short prayer for many months, until we could see that Art was established and strong in the Lord.

Rev. Art Katz, a great scholar, became one of the outstanding Charismatic Evangelists of our day, writing several books and winning many to Christ. His basic message was of Jesus and the cross.

Art Katz passed away a couple years ago, but his messages still linger on. http://artkatzministries.org/about/

So, you see my friend, no matter how small it is when the Holy Spirit leads you to give a blessing, a word, a testimony, a prayer, a book, or perhaps a New Testament to a friend, just obey that leading.

You never know how far reaching your small act of obedience will go in changing the lives of others, by the ripple effect !!

Baking Soda - Salt and White Vinegar – Hazel

Wouldn’t you know it? My kitchen sink did not drain again. I was fresh out of Mr. Plumber, but I remembered my Hints from Heloise that I had recently saved to my word documents.

I did a quick search and found her simple recipe and I soon mixed it all together. Before you could count to ten, we had sweet smelling drains for only a few pennies.

Here it is for you to copy and paste because you may need it later on.

Unclog drains. Combine one-half cup of baking soda with one-quarter cup of table salt, and then pour the mixture down the drain. Pour one to two cups of white vinegar in after it – The drain will foam and bubble. Place a rag or stopper in the drain and wait 30 minutes. Fill a large kettle with water and heat it to boiling. After waiting 30 minutes, remove the stopper from the drain and gently pour in the hot water to flush the drain.

Moving on - - to consider that which clogs our daily lives; I don’t believe the Soda, Salt and Vinegar will work. Perhaps it is time to pause and reexamine our priorities.

It may be time to go through the garage, our closets and cupboards, and gather encumbered items that we are not using and pass them on to someone who truly needs them.

There are times in life, when our daily duties seem to be bogging us down, and we cannot accomplish all that we must do, or think we must do.

Perhaps it is time to eliminate a few non essentials that congest our day. We may even pour out a few tears to God, and ask for wisdom allowing Him to show us how to clean out our surplus activities.

Our Spiritual life often gets cluttered too. If we find we have been too busy to read our Bible, or to pray, and our fellowship with the Lord gets out of whack. The oil of Gladness and Washing of the Water with the Word will make things better here too.

If sin is an issue, the best cleansing element is the blood of Jesus which will wash away every confessed sin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7CHddSMDXc&feature=related

Todays blog was submitted on Ann Kroeker's Food on Friday site check it out at http://annkroeker.com/

HEALING ANGER

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon, and as a child of 10 years old, I wanted to be playing outside, but for some reason, I was told to stay in the house and to sit on the couch. I can’t remember ever being that angry before, but I was violently ticked off.

Reaching over to the Sunday funny papers that lay along side of me, I hastily grabbed them, and viciously and quickly, tore them into small shreds.

My dad was in his chair, reading the sports section and he jumped up with a hop, into the kitchen, grabbed “the belt,” and with a skip he jerked me up and submitted a sound whipping to the back of my legs and back side.

When he had fulfilled his own anger, he explained to me that I did not get the thrashing because he had not read the funnies, but it was because I had destroyed something in a fit of anger. The lesson here of course was not to break, hit, tear or destroy something while angry. I learned a personal lesson, and that was not to display anger, but to hold it in.

When my children were growing up, I took out my anger on them. To hear them tell it, they received a beating every day of their early lives. Later as they grew older, the punishment turned to a short “time out,” giving them time to ponder what they had done.
Usually apologies were quick, and that would settle it, and it was considered closure.

My anger continued, turning into resentment and depression, with no outlet in sight. Repentance did not solve it, and I was at a loss for a cure!

One eventful day, I read a pamphlet written by Derek Prince. He spoke of all the emotions inside of us that could, and would destroy our peace. His solution was a Spiritual plan that involved, “Binding and Loosening.” The steps were simple enough.

Step 1. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and when time is not pressing!
Step 2. Desire to be set free from the disturbing emotion, or habit that is troubling you.
Step 3. Ask the Lord to show you the name of the problem you seek freedom from.
Step 4. Pause and wait. – There is no hurry.
Step 5. As you begin to realize an unwanted emotion, confess to God that you do NOT want to keep it, and release it to Him. Name it.
Step 6. Ask the Lord to show you a replacement and trade the bad with an opposite and good emotion to take its place. Name it.
Step 7. Tell Him that you receive the new, and then thank Him for his peace.
Step 8. There may be more emotions that you are not aware of, so begin again until all that might be troubling you has been released, and replaced with the new and better.

It is extremely important to replace the old attitudes and emotions with the new, because you cannot afford to have a clean but empty house!

Matthew 12:43-45, When the unwanted spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and clean. Then goes he, and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Now fill your spirit with praise and worship to God and with his Word.

This post was written in response to Bridget Chumbley's One Word carnival. The now word is Healing! Check it out at her site.
http://www.bridgetchumbley.com/

Squeaky the Mouse

Elaine our teenage daughter wanted something she could call her own. Something she could talk to and love. Something that was only hers, and did not belong to anyone else!

So one day, without asking permission, she visited our local pet shop and purchased a cute, small white mouse. She prepared a match box lining it with cotton to make a comfortable bed, and hid it, mouse and all into her dresser drawer.

One Sunday she proceeded to take the mouse to church in her coat pocket, and to share it with some of her friends. NOW, if you really want to keep something a secret, never share it with your friends!

One of my other daughters alerted me to this fact, and my reaction was not nice.

Yes, I hate mice! Even pet mice! We have had cats, fish, and dogs, but a mouse was where I drew the line.

Also, I was fully aware of allergies and potential disease from mouse droppings, and this was my main concern.

Upon arriving home, I took Elaine aside, and we looked at the mouse. It appeared healthy and perhaps a bit plump across the middle.

We talked about doing something like this without asking first. Then I told her the mouse must go.

Tears were shed, because she was not happy.

Next was the shock treatment! I told you I was not always nice!

Our cat is an excellent mouser, and I suggested to her that if her mouse got loose in the house, it would absolutely end up as cat food, and it would be no one’s fault. I asked her if she would like the mouse to end up that way. Naturally her answer was a definite no.

The next day, I helped her take the mouse back to the pet store, and get her money back.

There could have been other solutions, but at the time, I did not want to consider them.

In my teen own years there were times, when I felt like there was no one in which to confide in or even to talk to. Yes, I had parents, siblings, and friends, even pets, but they still were not enough, and I knew it!

I was ripe for the Holy Spirit! My fulfillment was to be able to have Jesus as my friend and confident. I could share my innermost secrets and dreams with him, and there was never any condemnation.

Proverbs 18:24 - - - and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

ANTICIPATION

The day of anticipation was here. I had not been able to attend my church for several weeks due to an injury to my leg, but now I was much better. So my husband finally gave me permission to drive to my church.

On occasion, the Pastor allows a short sharing time, and today was the day. The Pastor looked at me and said, we are happy to have Hazel back. Using my crutch, I went to the front so I could use the mike and enable all to hear me.

I began my contribution with an illustration.

“When you order something from a catalog or from the inter-net; you have a glimpse of the article, and are in anticipation until your package arrives and you can see the real thing.

Having been gone from church for so long, I was in anticipation of being here, and I was finally happy that today I could experience the real thing.

The Pastor’s sermon was all about Jesus and viewing him throughout the book of John, and also in other places in the Bible.

The Pastor gave us a glimpse of Jesus, and in anticipation, we wait, and are anxious because one day we will see Jesus face to face.”

That concluded my sharing about Anticipation, and the Pastor said, “Thank you for that witness, it blessed me.”

The Lord is good, and I was blessed to be able to share. The Bible reminds us that when we cast our bread upon the water, it will come back to us again.

There is a double meaning here, for it means giving of ones finances to the Lord’s work, but also the kind deeds that you do in His Name, and the witness that you give to bless others.

In different manners, the Lord will return to you in ways you cannot now imagine. You can only wait for the return to arrive - - - with ANTICIPATION.

Unexpected Witness

Busy getting the dinner ready, I was not anxious to answer my teen age daughter’s plea.

She knew that my habit was to give everyone who came to my door, a Christian magazine, a tract or a short testimony of God’s Love.

This day, she entered the kitchen where I was occupied with cooking, and informed me that she had two persons in the front room that I could witness to. I asked her who they were, and she replied, “They came to the door, and so I invited them in.”

In my haste, I snapped back at her, “Well, you opened the door, so you can do the witnessing!”

To my daughter, my reply was unacceptable and frantically she said, “Please come and meet them.”

I had never met these people, but I did know who they were. Their religion required a certain amount of points given for hours spent in going door to door, or standing on a corner selling their magazines. These credits they believed would earn them salvation by their works. I had spoken to many of them at my door so this was nothing new to me.

I asked my daughter to stand next to me as we talked to the two smiling ladies. I told them I was happy that they had come to visit me, and I wanted to have a word of prayer with them.

All of a sudden their smiles vanished, and they decided that they needed to leave and meet their ride who was waiting for them. I did ask them to read the first chapter in the Book of John, where it calls Jesus the Word, and that He was with the Father God in the beginning and assisted in the creation.

I reminded them that in the book of Genesis, when God said, Let US make man in our own image, the US was God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all working together as a unit.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The ladies probably did not hear a word I said, but who knows? Often your words of
sharing Jesus will fall on deaf ears, but you are not the one to say how effective they are.

When witnessing, the important thing to remember is to pray first, then speak, and leave the remainder up to the Lord.

As we said our good byes to the two ladies, we simply left the rest up to God.

Apple Betty

Finally we are getting some apples from our formerly barren trees.

We washed, peeled and sliced a bowl full of the lovely fruit and poured them into a buttered Pyrex baking dish.

Here is my Grandma Ruth’s favorite recipe for Apple Betty or as know by some, as Apple Crisp.

Apple Betty
4 to 6 cups sliced apples
3/4 cups quick oats
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soft butter
Optional: add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Slice the apples into a Pyrex baking dish. Mix the other ingredients in a separate bowl and sprinkle over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve hot or cold. It is also good with some ice cream.

Autumn is the season for apples, so I do suggest you purchase some nice cooking apples and try this delicious and favorite recipe.

It will become your favorite method to serve apples.