Trusting Builds Strength

When I am weak then you are strong.  Why then do I feel so weak?  Why do I feel so inadequate to accomplish the tasks before me?  It's only in this moment that I realize it's because of my weakness I rest upon your strength to carry me.  His sufficiency sustains.  My lack of focus and ability to see the super in the natural sits on the curb.  I allow the pressures of the day and the distractions of the moment keep me from fully trusting.  That is really what it boils down to.  Trust.  Simple faith expresses itself in total surrender of trusting a Mighty God who is able to do more than I can imagine.  I recognize in this moment that I am in a state of neediness so desperate for a Savior.  In rides the white horse...Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father -- he saves the day again.  In my weakness I begin to sing the song of thankfulness.  I am truly thankful for the opportunity of weakness that forces me to recognize my great need for God in my life.  I can't say it enough...in everything, give thanks!  Every obstacle becomes a tool the Master uses to shape us into His image, turning ashes into beauty and making something out of nothing. Once again I know I am just where He wants me.  Totally and utterly dependent upon Him alone for He sustains the weak.

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." James 4:6

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for thiers is the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3

Fall Links (Ideas to Encourage You)

Ideas for a Fresh Fall

Maybe it's time to re-visit those New Year's resolutions.  Just in case you are like me I have forgotten completly about them and need a fresh start.  Fall is just a perfect time to start fresh again.. With the kids back in school I feel a sense of fresh order in the house.  Its the perfect time to clean out the basement, organize a few closets or do some painting.  No that I really have time to do all that, but the thoughts are there.  So here is a list of a few things I am pondering in my neck of the woods this Fall.

Project tips for the home

Organizing  your child's room (fun times!)

Painting Tips

Talk About Sharing (Money) Kid friendly too!

Autumn Leaves Activity Book (PDF downloadable for the kids!)

Must Reads...or read it again!

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Why study God? An article from Focus on the Family

Improve Your Marriage (How to be Thankful)

Photos to enjoy over and over again

Scripture to meditate on always and forever

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only begotten Son.  That whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. John 3:16

Be joyful always! Pray Continually; Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

 Philippians 2:3

He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13

For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.  He turns the lights of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth.  The Lord of heaven's Armies is His name! 

Amos 4:13

In Light of Eternity

What really matters? What are the tasks before me that, in the end will really count for something great?

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal:  "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."  "For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Mathew 6:19-21

In the midst of my crazy, busy and often stressful day I am bombarded with choices.  How to spend my time.  Where I give my devotion to or for.  I sense a deep pulling a tug-of-war in my soul.  Everything is pulling at me.

• Family
• Friends
• Laundry
• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Animals
• Garden
• Yard work
• Bills
• Email
• Facebook
• Pinetrest
• Netflix

It's the struggle I know Martha was too familar with.  So many tasks to do in a day.  Feeling like know one even cares or notices how many things I have to do.  Yet in the early morning, before dawn, in the silence I make a radical decision.  Yes I said radical.  Jesus was radical.  I begin my day as I listen, I wait, I ponder, I medidatate, I pray.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

In that quiet moment I hear His voice, above the noise and distractions of my life and long to do list. My sense of direction is restored.  I am now ready for battle.  My mind, body and spirit are prepared for action.  I have laid down all those things that pull at me.  My heart has been changed.  I begin to see things differently.  Things that really don't matter - in light of eternity.

The weeds have overtaken my yard and for that matter the farm itself.  Yes at some point they may come under control, but for now they can wait.  It is far better to sit here at the feet of Jesus.

I have noticed a shift in my thinking.  It doesn't happen all the time.  But, it does happen more often.  I hear a voice and it's the Spirit prompting me to pray - to pray for others and not to focus on self.  All my wants can be surrendered.  I can trade them for the burdens of others in Christ.  This happened to me the other day, so I thought I would share...

We have been working on our sprinkler system and landscaping.  My pump for the grass is non-operational.  So for now I drag hoses around the yard and move a sprinkler to get the grass watered.  Honestly it's not that hard to do, but I have made it hard.  My attitude and heart were jaded, bitter and resentful.  As I sat the other afternoon in the the shade, breeze blowing I heard the Spirit's quiet voice speak loudly.  He said, Anna, Anna why are you so worried about many things?  You're concerned about how much water your grass is getting to stay green -- yet in other places on earth people do not have Water (Living Water) to sustain them.  What about their worries?  What can you do about that?  I was convicted.  Immediately I thought of faces of children in Sudan -- here I am bent over worried about grass.  Grass that is here today gone tomorrow and has no soul. So I close my eyes and pray.  Because that is really all I can do.  It's so much better than worrying about green grass.

Now when I I have these feelings of anxiety and stress floods my earthly tent, I am reminded that this life is short.  I have an opportunity to choose to lay up treasure in heaven or not to.  To choose to continue to seek gratification in the "perfect green lawn."  It really doesn't matter.  What matters is how my heart is.  When I choose to replace my worries with prayers for those in greater need than my self, it keeps me humble.  It takes the pressure  off and lifts the burden of those things pulling for my attention.  Amazingly I am re-energized and able to face the tasks before me with greater strength and a better attitude. Just maybe the grass will stay green.

Prayers to pray:
Lift up our Christian Brothers and sisters in the Middle East and northern Africa whose lives are threatened by Islamic terrorists.  Pray God will use Christian organizations to save lives, strengthen believers, spread the Gospel in the face of persecution.

Missionaries around the world to be encouraged and strengthened in their personal faith and relationship with Jesus.  Pray for opportunities to build relationships with the people and communities they live in.  Pray Christ is glorified in their work.  Pray also for safety for them and their families as they travel and preach the Gospel.

Pray for orphans, widows and the poor.  That God would be merciful and hear their hearts cry and send them food, resources and Hope.

Pray for America. 

Pray for teachers in our local schools.

Pray for your Pastor and his family.

Pray for your family.

Simply pray and store up treasures in heaven, for that is what matters in light of eternity.

August Joy Dare

Join me in counting gifts! View the PDF file at: August Joy Dare
633. White trim
634. Glue sticks
635. Paper plates
636. Peppers
637. Chocolate
638. Smoothie
639. Clean house
640. New table cloth
641. Cool evening breeze
642. Dogs
643. Pondering
644. Calm - Stillness
645. Peas from the garden
646. Air conditioning
647. Alphabet letters on fridge
648. Algae eater still alive in the fish tank
649. Squirt gun fight
650. Cleanses
651. Psalm 142
652. I call & You listen
653. Hebrews 12:11 fruit of righteousness
654. Late nights
655. Sleeping in
656. Popsicle's
657. In my favorite comfy jeans
658. Summer peach pie
659. Glass of fresh OJ
660. Forgiveness
661. Waiting again
662. Holy humbling
663. Spatula
664. BBQ tongs
665. Wedding ring
666. Magic of an airplane ride
667. Power outage
668. Pennies
669. Freshly mowed grass
670. Plants in my bathroom
671. Grandma's birth stone ring
672. Garden hose
673. Soccer ball
674. Tough love
675. Discipline
676. Standing together
677. Unity
678. Sharing
679. Laughing
680. Clean rugs
681. Dirty mop water - clean floors
682. Garden delights
683. Tomatoes galore
684. Who is like our God?
685. Blog writing
686. People
687. Serving people
688. The WORD preached & taught
689. Chara
690. Gratitude for the opportunity
691. Growth as a leader
692. Straight rows of sweet corn
693. Odd shaped cucumbers
694. Placing lids on canning jars
695. Sun rays early morning
696. Flashlight and batteries that work
697. Night light in kitchen
698. Nannies cedar chest
699. Photos of family
700. Iron skillet
701. Quad
702. Children playing
703. Dogs running
704. Bud vase
705. Roses
706. A child's heart
707. Sunflowers from the garden
708. Apron
709. Wrangler jeans
710. Flowers from a friend
711. Serving Plate
712. Napkins - pretty
713. Blue ribbons at the county fair
714. School to start
715. Blackberries to be ripe
716. One tea bag
717. Two eggs from the coup
718. Three dogs on the bed
719. Sweet raspberries
720. Miniature roses
721. Cherry tomatoes off the vine
722. Hay bales
723. Eating fair food & loving it!
724. Facetime

Recipes from Anna's Garden

It's finally here!  The long awaited harvest! The payoff is finally sitting on my kitchen counter tops.  Waiting for the harvest takes some patience.  I though I would share some of my favorite recipes I use.  Maybe you have an over abundance of zucchini from those super prolific plants. Or maybe you need some salsa know how. 

Zucchini Bisque

4 medium zucchini, shreadded
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh basil, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, saute zucchini & onion in butter for 5-6 minutes.  Stir in broth.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover & simmer for 12-15 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Transfer to a food processor or blender.  Process on low until smooth.. Return to saucepan.  Stir in the cream, salt, basil, pepper and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat & simmer, uncovered for 1-2 minutes.

This recipe is a big hit in my family.  It freezes well also.

Tomato Salsa for Canning

4 cups tomatoes chopped
2 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
1/2 cup seeded, chopped jalapeno peppers
3/4 cup chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Ladle hot mixture into pint jars, leaving one-half inch head-space.  Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.  Yields about 4 pint.

Radish Relish for Canning

1 pound radishes
1/2 pound celery stalks
1 cup sweet onions
2 hot red peppers
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp mustard seed
2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dill seed
Vinegar to cover

Grind radishes, celery and onion coarsely.  Seed peppers and dice.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cover with a layer of vinegar and let stand for 3 hours.  Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes.  Pour into pint jars and water bath can for 5-10 minutes. Makes about 2 pints.

Dill Pickles for Canning

1 quart cider vinegar
2 quart water
1/2 cup pickeling salt
Dill
Dried red peppers
Garlic cloves

Pack jars with cucumber, dill, red peppers and garlic cloves.  Heat cider vinegar, pickeling salt and water to rolling boil.  Add to jars.  Option 1: flip jars over to seal and then return to upright on counter. Option 2: water bath can for 10 minutes.  Wait about 3 weeks to open and enjoy pickles!

Happy Garden Harvest Season!

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:12

July Joy Dare

Join me in counting the gifts: July Joy Dare
541. A hug
542. A welcoming dog tail
543. Soft sheets on the bed
544. A.W. Tozer
545. Jesus Calling
546. Rooted in Good Soil
547. 1 year post cancer!
548. Time away - creating memories
549. Celebrated in the body of Christ
550. Necklace with USA stars
551. Whip cream
552. Blueberries in my pie
553. Memorizing scripture
554. Weed control
555. Taking vitamins
556. Winnie of the horse
557. Dog tails thumping on wood floor
558. Kids splashing in pool
559. Motherhood
560. Unresolved - pealing the layers off
561. Sunday School
562. Swimming lessons
563. Fun in the Son days at church
564. Pastor Jackie's homemade slip-n-slide
565. Ticking clock
566. (Rhyme)
567. (Reason)
568. Apologizing again
569. Opportunity for prayer
570. Grace abounds
571. Golden plum jam
572. Mom's canned cherries
573. Coins - saving for a rainy day
574. Second chances
575. Watching the garden mature
576. Aging parents
577. My hair curling & flipping out
578. The hem of my favorite jean skirt
579. Leaves about to open
580. Yellow Labrador Clancy
581. Golden yellow wheat fields
582. Butterflies in the garden
583. The original stone tablets - 10 commandments
584. Foundation of the house
585. Rock piles along fence lines
586. Ceiling fan
587. Basket of flowers
588. Branches of trees
589. Laugh at myself
590. When to ask for help
591. How to wait in the Lord
592. Borrowing my sisters guitar
593. Children singing
594. Christian radio
595. Pumpkin roll
596. Bread
597. Cake
598. Sun rays beaming through the front window blinds
599. Boys playing with flash lights
600.
601. Sharing kid stories
602. Mom teachable moments
603. Reading books
604. The air we breathe
605. Health
606. Friends
607. Bird nest in the tree
608. Humility on my knees
609. Mom
610. Remembering Hawaii sand
611. Tractors digging in the garden dirt
612. All sticky between my toes
613. VBS week
614. End of a long day
615. Last chapter of a book
616. Tomatoes off the vine
617. Blueberries
618. Paint
619. Rest
620. My bed
621. Quiet
622. This day
623. New habit
624. Serving
625. Watering the chickens
626. Dinner
627. Children praying
628. Podcast Jesus Culture
629. Phone call from an old friend
630. Speaking truth in love
631. Saying No
632. Keeping organized

What Makes a Good Friend?

There are many things a good friend will tell you.  Things like when you have food stuck in your teeth, if the jeans you are wearing really do make you look fat and that you really aren't crazy like the "real" crazy people in this world.  Friends can make us laugh, cry and talk way into the middle of the night.  There are seasons to friendships.  With the ebb and flow of life and the constant life changes we all go through our circle of friends changes too.  When we were elementary age we called them  all "best friends." In reality we had no idea what this really meant because one day Suzie was my best friend then she didn't pick me to play four-square so Angela was my best friend.  Then the next day Angela didn't want to play freeze tag with me but Suzie and now Linda wanted to swing from the Monkey bars.  It was all very confusing.  Friendships were only based on what the other person would do for me.  As I grew up and friends moved away I discovered it wasn't so much about them wanting to be with me, but how much I wanted to be with them.  This is a God given need created in each of us - to have friendship or fellowship. 

Today I don't consider myself to have a "best friend."  I have  lots of good friends.  It's hard to stay connected in a culture as ours.  We are more electronically connected than ever before. Truly we aren't really connected. Neighbors wave and then drive on by, no stopping for sun tea.  Garage doors open and then close.  The days of running next door for a cup of sugar are long gone.  I post my status updates, being sure my pictures match. It's all fake. It's not real.  It's just a front.  What I really want is a friend to see me for who I really am.  That I too leave dishes piled high in the sink, that laundry sits on my floor for days not folded and tucked away in drawers, and that mail clutters my kitchen counter-tops. But I post the homemade pie all Martha Stewart like. Why do we continue to pretend? Deep down we really do want a good friend.  We just go about it all wrong.  It's not a competition to see who has the best vacations, newest clothes or cutest kids.  No we just want to be accepted for who we really are. 

Many of my friends don't even live in the same city or for that matter the same state as me.  We can have a phone conversation today and then not speak for months.  When we do speak we pick up right where we left off.  There is no expectation that this other person has to do certain things for me in order for me to be their friend. A good friend listens to your heart.  They can stand with you as you weather the storms of life.  They pray with out ceasing on your behalf. A good friend will understand when you need to apologize for careless words.  They forgive you when you mess up.  They will gladly bring you another meal, wash your toilets and buy you another mocha in spite of your short comings.

We can't measure our skill level of aquiring or keeping friends based on the number of friends we have on Facebook. Remember it's just a click: click to accept, click to reject. No, this is not a number that can be measured.  To be called a friend is a high honor.  It is a noble thing.  It has to do with love.

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

It takes love to be a friend.  With out love we are merley clanging cymbals blowing in the wind. I must remember this each time I go to update my status.  For if we are called to love others, especially those we call friends and we fail at this, what hope then is there for those who we consider our enemies?  We are told to love our enemies also. For they themselves show love to others. (Mather 5:46-47)

A good friend of mine just came to visit. We spent time reminiscing.  We spent time catching up. We spent time listening,  We spent time crying.  We spent time praying.  This is what makes a good friend.

Love you T!