Stupid Easy Paleo Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs / Mrs Stacey Korner

 

Mrs Stacey Korner

Slocum, PA

 

Stupid Easy Paleo Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

 

 

One medium spaghetti squash.

One pound of ground Italian sausage.

One can of tomato sauce, I used a 14 ounce can.

2 tbsp of hot pepper relish (optional).

4 to 6 cloves of garlic, whole.

2 tbsp of olive oil.

Italian seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Thyme) to taste, I used about 2 tsp

1. Make sure you use a large 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe. 
2. Dump your tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, hot pepper relish and Italian seasoning into your slow cooker and stir well.
3. Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
4. Place your 2 squash halves face down into your slow cooker.
5. Roll your ground sausage into meatballs, then fit as many as you can in the sauce around the squash. I was able to work in about a half pound worth.
6. Cook on High for 3 hours or cook on low for 5 hours.
7. Use a large fork to pull the “spaghetti” out of your squash, then top with your meatballs and sauce.
8. Garnish with parsley if you feel fancy, and enjoy

Remember Who You Did It For!! / Mrs Amber Garcia

 

Mrs Amber Garcia

 

Remember Who You Did It For!!

There’s a quote I love and it hangs in our Dinning Room.  It’s a great reminder of who we do it for.  It’s called 
“Do It Anyway”
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

There are so many forms of distraction that will get hurled at us.  We must keep our focus on the main thing – The Lord!  My favorite verse is I Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart:  for consider how great things he hath done for you.”  This helps put things back into perspective for me.  

Remember that as you live for the Lord, persecution will come!  II Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  We don’t always embrace that part of Christianity but recently I heard a message my husband preached at Bay View Baptist Church in Washington, Illinois, on “Troubled Waters Heal.”  He reminded us that the Lord calls our trials PRECIOUS!  Now, I think the Lord is precious, The Bible is precious, but TRIALS?  I had viewed trials as something to endure, not something to embrace as precious.  1 Peter 1:7 says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”  The thing about trials is that, if you let them, they bring you closer to understanding the heart of God.  Our relationship with Him goes to new depths as He pulls us aside to be tested and tried.  God sees our circumstances from the other side and He alone knows what is necessary to mold us into the servant He needs.  No matter what comes our way, let’s stay focused on the Lord, because in the end, that’s all that will matter.

Easy English Muffin Bread / Mrs Sandra Lantrip

 

Easy English Muffin Bread

From the kitchen of...

Mrs Sandra Lantrip

Okanogan, Washington

5 C. All-Purpose Flour ( I usually use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flour)
4 1/2 tsp. Dry active yeast
1 TBS. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
2 C. Warm milk
1/2 C. Warm water
Cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix half of the flour with the yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and water. Make sure water and milk are warm so they help activate the yeast. Mix together for a few minutes to give the yeast a chance to activate.

Add in the rest of the flour and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix.
Grease 2 loaf pans and sprinkle cornmeal in bottom of each pan.
Divide the batter into the pans.
Sprinkle more cornmeal on top, and let rise in a warm place till doubled in size.
Bake 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Enjoy

My Bodyguards / Mrs Virginia Harris

 

 

 

Mrs Virginia Harris

Pastor's Wife

Beacon Baptist Church

Welland, ON, Canada

 

 

My Bodyguards

When I was a little girl and felt afraid, as long as my dad was close by, I felt safe and secure.  Since I’ve been married, the same has held true as long as my husband was near.  Our eldest two children are boys and they are now 13 and 15 years old and they are so tall that they tower over me.  I’ve recently come to the realization that I feel safe and secure when they’re around.

Earlier this week, I needed to go to the mall for a couple of things and Luke and AJ came with me.  With one of them on each side of me walking through the mall, I felt like I had my own personal bodyguards.  They carried my bags and no one DARED mess with me.  J  It was a really great feeling.

As we go through life, we can rest in safety and security knowing that our heavenly Father walks beside us.

John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

We can have peace.  We can be happy (of good cheer).

I’ve heard a song before that contains this line: “I’ve read the back of the Book and we win!”  It’s true!  Despite all of the “stuff” we have to deal with on a daily basis, we can rest in the knowledge that God is in control and loves us.

Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.

9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

In my dictionary, “refuge” is defined as “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.”

If I’m upset about something, a lot of times a big hug goes a long way to helping me to feel better.  I find that safety and security which I need.  When we are worried, scared, or depressed we need to run to our Refuge, our Safety, and we will find that peace and security.

A few practical ways that I can run to Jesus for security is by faithful church attendance (encouragement from brothers and sisters in Christ, exhortation from God’s Word), getting involved in a ministry (giving of yourself), visiting someone who’s sick (focusing your attention on others), reading my Bible and praying, listening to and/or singing uplifting Christian music.

We can feel as safe and secure as if we have our very own personal bodyguards.  The trials may come and we may suffer, but through it all we can have an abiding sense of peace that only comes from our loving Savior.

Oreo Balls / Mrs Amy Sapp

 

Mrs Amy Sapp

O'Fallon, MO

 

Oreo Balls / aka...  Oreo Truffles

(These are like a little piece of Heaven on Earth!!)

 

1 - pack of Oreo's (yes the generic brand works just as well)

1 - 8oz pack of cream cheese

Chocolate Almond Bark (1/2 package)

 

1.  In food processor, crush oreos until powder consistency.

2.  With hands, combine softened cream cheese and crushed oreos.

3.  Roll with your hands into balls (size of your choice / I usually do 1 1/2 inch balls)

and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

4.  Melt Almond Bark.  Then dip each ball into the bark,

place back on paper and allow to dry / harden.

 

 

**I will tell you, I made these one time for a church function.  And now I need to make them every time we have a church fellowship!  And I can't set them out with the other food, because people will grab tons of them!!!   Enjoy!

 

 

 

Priorities / Mrs Sarah Green

 

Mrs Sarah Green

Charlevoix, MI

 

Priorities

 

I love stories. I love to read them, listen to them and watch them unfold. Because of my fondness of a good story it’s no wonder that the Gospels are four of my favorite books. When I’m reading in them sometimes I can feel like I am helping the servants lug the heavy jars of water back into the marriage in Canaan – only to find those jars aren’t water any more but the best wine that has ever been served. I love reading about Elizabeth’s baby John leaping for joy when Mary entered the house, how Jesus healed the blind men, forgave the adulteress and even how Peter always had to be saying something, USUALLY the wrong thing.

But, with all the stories there is one that I understand more than the others. It is the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Poor Martha. She gets quite the rap for her demanding, bossy attitude. (Luke 10:40  “But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?...” ) I am like Martha. I am a “bustler.” I dictate school schedules, play secretary to my husband, and I’m maid in my house, nurse to my children. Mothers and wives everywhere are muli-taskers – we must be! That is why I understand Martha. Many times when I’ve read the story of these sisters I’ve thought:

“Now, Lord, if we were ALL Mary’s, we might all go hungry. Our children would go naked because there wouldn’t clean clothes. Mary was doing a wonderful thing, sitting at your feet but really, what was Martha doing that was so WRONG? She was serving YOU, meeting YOUR needs.”

Then I read this same story in John. (John 12:2-3 There they made him a supper: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair…”)

While Martha worked, Mary worshipped. Jesus said in John 12:7 “…Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.” And John 12:12 says that the NEXT DAY Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. Only Jesus knew that as the crowds cheered for Him that in a few short days they would be jeering at Him. Mary’s ointment arrayed Him for this brief moment of glory and just 72 hours later Jesus was hanging on the cross. He had been betrayed with a kiss, His friends had fled, His body beaten beyond recognition, His flesh exposed to shame Him, the sin of the world on His broken body and even His Father had turned away. In His darkest hour, Jesus was reminded of Mary’s reverential love with the smell of the ointment that surrounded Him. Mary knew how to truly love Christ.

When I saw this – that how in the same meal Martha was etched into history for her work ethic and Mary for her love and worship – my heart was smitten. How often do I go through my day, working in my own power? I tell myself “I’m serving Jesus!” But while I’m so busy being His hands and feet I forget to seek His heart.

Mary’s love and worship taught me three things.

1.     It required sacrifice. The ointment was costly, yes, but she also sacrificed her pride. She was so broken with herself and sin that she had to show our Lord the depth of her gratitude to Him. She wanted Him to feel the love that she had been shown. Does He mean that much to me? Can I go an hour, a day or even DAYS without seeking Him, showing Him what He means to me? Am I willing to sacrifice my money AND time to seek His heart?

2.     It brought criticism. Martha berated her in front of everyone. Judas scoffed at Mary’s stupidity in wasting that much money. It’s hard to be criticized but she didn’t even notice. Mary’s eyes were on her Saviour, her heart full of love, and the clanging of this word’s opinions had no effect on her sold-out passion for Him.

3.     Mary’s love and worship had eternal rewards. Jesus said in Mark 14:9 “Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” Jesus, the One who gave all and was servant of all was ministered to by this woman, and He blessed her eternally for it.

Martha did well by serving, we ARE to serve but before we serve, we need to love and worship our Lord. He needs to be our dearest Friend, the One you turn to for advice, comfort and love. He truly is a “Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” As wives, mothers or just as women, it’s hard to stop, be still and commune with Him – but we must. It’s my challenge to myself this year to take time each day to “be still” so I can know the Lord and so I can love him like Mary did.