Stone the Messenger Repost

I Can't Hear You !!
courtesy photobucket.com

 

I don’t want to hear it!!  I’ll do as I please!  Don’t tell me what to do! 

This is the way some people act when the messenger brings something they do not want to accept.

Young children should be instructed to listen to their elders, but when they are older, they often decide to go against what they have been taught.  It is just plain old fashioned rebellion and stubbornness which is in the heart of many of us at times.

The Prophets and messengers in the Bible were often censured and criticized, and sometimes stoned and killed. 

The people did not always appreciate the words “REPENT,” turn from your wicked ways and serve the Lord.  They had planned to sin, and no one was going to mess with their decisions or their lifestyle.

As a young lad, Joseph had dreams of grandeur that were opposed by his brothers.  In fact his dreams caused much family friction, and the brothers hated Joseph.  One ill-fated day, they decided to kill him because of his message. 

Joseph’s brothers declared; “Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”

In the book of Numbers, Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb, tore their clothes because the people would not receive their message - - - The congregation was so angry with their words that they challenged everyone to pick up rocks and to stone Joshua and Caleb to death.   God stopped their foolishness by appearing as the “Glory of the LORD” in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

I am reminded that at church not all the messages preached by the minister are received by everyone.  Some of the congregation will listen and receive, while others are not willing to hear, and are not ready to apply the ministry lesson to their lives.

Not all words from God are heard or read at church.  God has many methods to get his point across.   Some messages coming at us through the gate of the ear or eye cut across the grain, and pull up the hairs on the back of our necks.  Ouch!

In today’s world we do not stone the messenger, or kill them, but we can stop up our ears and not pay attention.   Some will say, La, La, La, I can’t hear you!!

If some of these Words from the Lord are coming your way by what ever means, and the Holy Spirit is urging you to make some changes, please do not hesitate to hear His Voice.  Listen carefully and then by all means obey.

Proverbs 29:1The man that with a stiff neck despises him that reproves him, shall suddenly be destroyed: and health shall not follow him.

 

Spaghetti Sauce Home Made

Spaghetti
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At least once a week when our children were growing up, I made spaghetti for dinner.  Usually I added a can of whole kernel corn to the mix.  When my son married, and his wife fixed him spaghetti, he said to her, “Where is the corn?”  Adding corn to spaghetti was new to her, but I had a recipe from a cookbook and it became an addition we enjoyed. 

I always mixed the sauce and spaghetti together so that the sauce would go further.   I could not find my recipe, but this one is very close to the one I always made.

Serve with a side dish of corn or green peas, a green salad and French bread. 

Directions for “Best ever French bread:” Purchase a whole long loaf of French bread and cut it in half length wise.  Butter each half of the loaf.  Next sprinkle garlic powder liberally over the butter.  Place the halves back together and cut into pieces.  Then wrap in aluminum foil and pop in the over for 5 to 10 minutes when your spaghetti is ready. 

Spaghetti Sauce serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1  lb ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced ( to taste)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 can water in the tomato paste can
• 6 (8 ounce or 3 large) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (large) cans diced tomatoes
• parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in olive oil with seasonings, salt and pepper.
2. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
3. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium to low heat.
4. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Use sauce to top your cooked spaghetti.
6. Pass the Parmesan.

This post is linked with Ann Kroeker’s  Food on Fridays   

 

Home Made Barbershop

 

Hair Cut
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Mother always cut my brother’s and my dad’s hair and when our first child needed his hair cut, I brought him to visit my mother.

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She used her old fashioned hand clippers and scissors until he looked like a little man and no longer a baby. 

A few weeks later he needed another hair cut, so I returned for another visit to Mom.

 

This time she surprised me by saying, “It is time you learned to do this for yourself.”  She gave me instructions and said, “Begin, and if you make a mistake, not to worry because it will grow out again.”

When I was finished, we looked our boy over, we both said, “Not bad for a first try.”

courtesy photobucket

Soon I made a visit to our local department store and there I selected some electric clippers with attachments.  This was a small investment now for big savings down the road.

Once the neck and around the ears was trimmed, the attachments would help me cut the rest just about right. 

In the summer I gave our son a buzz cut which was cool and easy to care for.

Twelve years went by and then Uncle Douglas came to live with us - - and the hair cuts changed. 

Doug said in no uncertain terms, “You are NOT cutting my hair,” and so it was from then on we visited our local barber shop.

It was time to retire the old hair clippers and pack them away. 

Times change and we change with them.

I am reminded that the Bible says that God never changes and I am thankful that He is always the same.

This post was shared at Wednesday Welcoming Spirit

 

 

 

Pom Pom Girl

 

Pom Pom Girl
courtesy Doll Cake

 

This post has been entered in Peter's Tuesday One Word Carnival.
The word is ORANGE.

Halloween is a time to dress up and pretend that you are someone else other than who you really are. 

The year was 1936 and we had just moved to Oakland  a few months before, and I had entered kindergarten in September.  I was five years old and needed a costume for Halloween but our finances were very low, yet my mother was creative. 

At the five and dime store she purchased a five cent package of orange crape paper, the stretchy kind.  Then she got out her treadle sewing machine, and began to cut and sew me an orange dress.  It puffed here and there with ruffles.  She attached it to one of my under-slips and it was beautiful.   I asked her, “Who is it that I will be?” 

Her answer puzzled me because even at my young age I knew very little of the world outside my home.

“You will be a Pom Pom girl,” mother told me, and who ever asks you, just tell them that.

To this day I still don’t know for sure what I was, but it may have been something like a cheer leader outfit that mother remembered from her High school days.

My teacher did ask me what I was and I proudly announced, “I am a Pom Pom girl.”  Her reply was, “You surely are and a nice one at that.”

Do you ever wish that you were someone else? Putting on different clothes will not change us into another person. God is the one who will change us into His image when we come to him.

I do believe as Christians that we should not dress sloppy or wear dirty clothes, unless our work calls for clothing like that. When work is done it is time to clean up and be presentable to the world and to your family. This also applies when we attend God’s house because we need to honor Him and have respect for His sanctuary.

Many times I have dreamed of being famous and winning multitudes of sinners to our Lord Jesus.  I have also dreamed of becoming rich so that I could help others with my worldly goods.  

Usually these are only dreams and God is not asking for something that you do not have.  He only asks that you use the talents that he has given you to help others. There are many things we can do that do not require money. Time spent helping others, listening and praying is a gift that we can freely give.

When I consider that God has given us spiritual clothing to wear and as soon as we put it on, we become righteous in His sight.  Now that is a miracle if I ever heard of one!

Put on the garment of Praise and enter into His courts with singing.  God will know who you are, and He will recognize you as His child.

This story is a chapter from my Book: Rescue the Stories Book One.  My book has close to 100 true stories each one different. 

This story is entered in “Tell Me a True Story.”

At:  http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/

Willing to Take a Risk

Queen Esther Risks her life to Appear before the King
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10  9:20-22

Gleaning from Pastor Jerry’s sermon; as he read about Queen Esther and her bravery to take a risk in order to save herself and her people.

The Feast of Purim is celebrated today with gladness and feasting, as a holiday by the Jews in honor of Esther and the risk that she took.  She spoke the facts of life that brought forth deliverance.  Notice that she did not lead a revolution. 

Esther’s Uncle told her, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Her skillful intervention saved the Jewish nation at that time.

Pastor said he was not suggesting that we take risks such as sky diving or unwise financial risks, but that we should be willing to step up and do even the small things asked of us by God within our world.   Not to hold back or button up.

Most of what we do for the Lord may not be spectacular, but the reward will be for our obedience.  We may find a time that it is necessary to speak up and let our voice be heard, using wisdom and help from God to say the right things at the right moment.

As Christians we are in the world, but we are not of the world.

We live in an alien culture where superior authorities dictate to us how we should live.

Our times are uncertain, and who knows if even here in America we may be called upon to die for our faith.  Some would question that statement, but we need to be willing to do so if that be the case. 

Remember all the genocides against the Jews, the terrors used by Hitler and others.  Even today there are enemies attempting to destroy the Jews.  Thousands of Syrians are attempting to get over the border, and the Arabs and their supporters seek to ignite another Holocaust

May we take risks for Jesus as he asks of us.  May we speak for someone who cannot speak for themselves. 

Be brave to take a risk and step out perhaps slowly at first, then to advance with little gestures of acts of kindness.

Who knows but perhaps YOU have been called to take a risk in such a time as this!

 

This post is Linked with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

Also Linked up with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday

 

Scallywags

BarbeQue
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I suppose the scallywag mischievous child was still somewhere deep inside, because as kids, my brother and I loved to play jokes, as long as they did not harm anyone.   

While on a shopping trip down town, I noticed a magic shop with some tricks to play on others.  In the window I spied some fake vomit and decided that there should be lots of fun with this gadget. 

The adult class at Sunday school was having a barbecue at our place and the setting was right because everyone had brought their small children.

Positioning the fake vomit on the kitchen floor, and handing a paper towel to one of the Dads, I asked him to please clean up what his small toddler had done.  Instead he hollered for his wife to please come and hurry as there was an emergency in the kitchen.  She came running.

Once the dad realized that he had been tricked, he joined in with the laughter.

The fun item was soon put away, and the barbecue was a big success.  Years later our boys discovered the fake gadget and had some of their own fun with it. 

In the Bible there are several instances where people disguised themselves hoping to trick and deceive the prophet and receive a good word from him.  Amazingly enough, the prophet was always shown by God who the person was even before they arrived.

There is no hiding or playing tricks on God.  He is the all knowing one and even our thoughts go before him.

Our Father God also knows the real from the fake, and our lives must always ring true.

God does not play tricks on us, and he offers us His True Gift of Salvation

John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Cheese Pie Royal

Cheese Pie
courtesy photobucket.com

If you are like me, when I visit someone and they are serving something that I especially enjoy, I usually make a request for their recipe.

As Robert and I were newly weds, our friends, Jean and Rex from church often invited us to dinner.  One Sunday afternoon she served Swiss steak, and to be honest, I did not know what it was.  It looked like liver to me, so I only took a small piece. 

 
Growing up as a child, steak of any kind was NOT something my family was familiar with.  I asked her how she fixed the steak, and a verbal account was enough for me to begin to add this to our diet, especially when we had company.  She pounded her steak, dusted it with egg, then with flour and herbs, and fried it. 

We began to invite new people from church, over for Sunday dinner and I would serve this round steak with mashed potatoes, green beans and some French bread.  If we had unexpected company, I would dice the steak into small slices and smother it with gravy.
 
Back to my friend who invited us to dinner.  Her desert was so amazing that I eagerly requested a copy of her recipe for her Cheese Pie Royal. 
 
I was use to apple, berry, and peach pies, and even cream pies, such as lemon, and banana cream, but never a cheese pie.  This recipe was added to my favorites, and through the years it would appear for special occasions.

I hope you will enjoy this lovely pie.

Cheese Pie Royal

Crust:  Mix and press into a deep dish Pyrex pie pan.

 20 graham crackers crushed

 1/4 cup melted butter

 2 T sugar

 
Filling:

2 eggs

12 oz Philadelphia cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon sprinkled on top

Beat eggs; add sugar and other ingredients, pour into crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool then add toppings.

Topping:

1 1/2 cups sour cream mixed with 2 T sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla – top the cooled pie and
Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees.  Cool and refrigerate.

 

Current Events and Small World vs. Large World

Praying
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Prior to World War II, my world was pretty small.  “Current Events,” at our grammar school consisted of  our “Weekly Reader” that gave us a peek into new inventions, the World’s Fair on Treasure Island, and our beautiful Bay bridge - -that the powers that be had promised that they would remove the toll charge as soon as the bridge was paid for. 

When World War II happened, my world became a bit larger.  Each week at our school assembly, we were shown propaganda films about the war that was supposed to enlarge our patriotism.  It did that and at recess we would sing songs about Hitler and in his face.  The songs must have been on the radio, because we did not learn them except on the play ground.

image courtesy
photobucket.com

The war was over and time went by and in the eighth grade, our teacher requested that we bring a blank scrap book to class and collect current events from the Newspaper.  The most exciting event was that of Israel being declared a nation.  My mother helped me collect the articles from our local paper.

More time went by – in fact a lot of time, and wanting to re-enter the work force, at age 60, I took a Health Class, and our teacher asked us to bring in articles from our newspaper dealing with anything about health.  It was amazing that what was not visible at first became our object to collect and bring to class.

Remembering back in high school, our government teacher urged us NOT to give away our right to vote.  Read carefully the propositions and do not allow appointments to be made because that is out of the control of the people she said.  Government is by the people and for the people !!

As time went by and voters became more and more lazy and not involved, appointments were made and today many corrupt leaders have overruled the will of the people.  Propositions have been voted into law by the people, and “one” judge or President can decide to void the entire law and make a different one that is opposite of what the people voted on and won.

All around us is enough corruption to cause us to not read the head lines or the news page on our computer or watch the news on TV.  Yet, please do NOT give up.  I am reminded that God is still on His throne.

As Christians, we need to pray that our leaders will have wisdom to make wise choices and it behooves us to also be wise as we go to the polls to vote.

We may not get on a soap box, but we can let our voice be known by our vote and hope that it will matter.  My husband writes letters to the Editor and they get published !!

One of the men at our church was ranting, raving and actually red in the face from his anger at politicians.  I suggested that he stop reading the newspaper and see if that helps,

It seemed that his world was too large.

This post was linked with Joan Davis at: Sharing His Beauty

Also shared at:  Tell Me a Story

http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/     

 

The Odd Commandment

 

Thou Shalt Not Covet
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Gleaning today from Pastor Jerry’s sermon as he read from James 3:13-18, 4:3, 7, 8

We know about the ten commandment’s which we understand the first 4 are living for God, and the next 6 are living with each other. 

The tenth is the odd one; Do not covet, and it is about lusting after things - - and the “I want” syndrome.

James 3:16   For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

Small children early learn to establish what is theirs!  MINE they say.  If they think it is mine, it is mine.  “Finder’s keepers,” next follow the conflicts and disputes.

The first 9 commandments are very clear but the 10^th is not so clear.  We want what we see and desire.   Temptation is within the heart, and not necessarily what God wants.

Early in life babies learn three words. Usually the first word learned is Mama as they recognize their mother, then the word NO is popular, as they learn to respect the word, and then to use it to assert their own stubborn will.  Lastly the word; “Mine.” A young child determines that everything they want is theirs.  I Want - - it is mine.

As we grow older warnings are not heeded and our will is often asserted over the will of God.   Lust and desire bring coveting and greed, along with it confusion and chaos.

WE WANT  !! 

The simple diagnosis is to want the things that God wants, and this brings peace and avoids conflict.

It is obvious when there is a pebble in our shoe that we must stop and remove it to prevent problems further down the road.

Today if God seems far away, the simple answer is to return, to go back to the place where you once felt him.

Sing hymns, pray with others, and stop and listen to the Holy Spirit.

Could it be this simple?  The answer is yes, but yes isn’t always easy.  It often is a life time struggle because our lives get so full of junk. 

Allow God to reveal the rubbish and to remove it.  Why keep it as it is worthless.

There are no magic answers, just a simple one - - to chose God’s way, for peace and harmony will follow.

This post is Linked up today with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday

 

Pizza for the Heart?




Murphy's Combo - courtesy Papa Murphy

 

“You need to get your heart checked out,” is what some of my friends told me.  My shortness of breath and a 20 minute period followed with my heart pounding had alerted me that something might not be right.

So an early morning appointment was made and traveling the 75 miles to our HMO is a given.

Our appointment was one of the first, and our Dr listened to my heart and ordered an EKG.  He asked me if I had been taking the cholesterol medicine and I told him, “No, the bottle hasn’t been opened yet.”  He told me to begin taking it please.  I replied, “Okay.”

In a few minutes the report came back; possible left blockage.  My Doctor scheduled me for a stress test on the treadmill and as there were no appointments available on that day he asked us to come back tomorrow in the late afternoon.

Usually my husband is worn out by afternoon, so we decided to bring an overnight bag with us - - just in case we needed to get a hotel and spend the night.

Arriving at our destination there was only short wait.  Very soon they brought me in for the test and hooked me up to gauges that would give information to the computer.  By the end of the test, I was huffing and puffing, but no real problems like a week ago. 

When the test was over the nurse looked at the print outs, and said, “I don’t see any blockage in your heart, but this report will be sent to the Cardiologist who will decipher it with his expert knowledge.

By 4:00 pm we were ready to leave, so my Robert realized that we could make it home before dark. 

We were gaining distance and soon would arrive at our city, when Robert said, “I have been hankering for one of Papa Murphy’s® combination Pizza’s, so what do you think?”

I figured to myself, “He needs this,” so I replied, “Why not?  Pizza will be good for our hearts.”  J

Actually Pizza was probably not the best choice for dinner - - but it sure was good!

 

This post is linked with Ann Kroeker’s  Food on Fridays   
Do visit her site and gather up some delicious and nutritious recipes.