FATHER'S DAY

I have been privileged to have some very Godly men in my life. My father didn't get saved until later in life, I was probably in my mid teens. Up until then he was a heavy drinker and smoker. But when he got saved - oh what a difference that Jesus made! He & I would sit and talk about the Bible all the time. He loved it when I had Spiritual questions that he could answer. He drove a semi truck all of his life, with the exception of a few years when he was trying to start his own cabinet business. I still remember the smell of fresh cut wood, out on our closed in porch, where he had set up shop. He used to let me come out and help him rub the wood down with almond stick. When I was a little girl he made me an entire bedroom suite: dresser, closet, and nightstand. Then when I had little girls of my own, he made them a table and chair set to play with. He was wonderful with wood and so badly wanted to make a go of that business, but it didn't bring in enough consistent work to pay the bills. I was sad for him when he had to let it go and go back to driving. I remember one Summer when he let me go on some of his runs with him. He drove a milk tanker at that time. We had a lot of fun together. My Dad taught me how to work, and how to work hard. How to really give someone the days work they were paying me for. My Dad loved me and seemed to always watch out for me especially. I guess that comes with being the only girl. I don't know how he put up with my antics as a kid though. We lived on a big farm surrounded on 3 sides by corn fields. We constantly had snakes in our yard and I am petrified of snakes! I would be out there mowing and hit a snake, rip it to shreds, scream, leave the lawn mower running and hightail it for the house! He would say, "Well, it's DEAD now! Get back out there and finish the job!" LOL Or the year of the locusts, I was deathly afraid of them. You'd go outside and they would jump on you and stick! One day I ran outside for something and several of them jumped on me. I was so mortified, I ran to our big suburban, jumped in and started honking the horn for someone to come rescue me! LOL My Dad came out, but it wasn't to "rescue" me! LOL
My Dad passed on to Heaven in 1988 after a long bout with heart disease, and I still miss him today. I was only 26. I'm so glad he got saved and I get to see him again one day, in his brand new, pain free body!

UPDATED

I've updated some of the pages on my cooking blog if anybody is interested. Mainly the Summer camp page and the catered events page. Both of those links are on my main cooking blog. I have SO much more post on the catered events page! I was looking back through all my pictures and it's going to take a while to get all of it up on there. So if you're lurking, waiting, please be patient. We are heading into the busiest time of year for us - SUMMER. You pastor's wives know how that goes. Lord willing there will be a vacation squeezed in there somewhere!

Cleavage, cleavage, everywhere!

I'm confused. It's interesting the various styles that come and go and how they infiltrate the church and Christian women in general. So many styles these days to choose from (actually, I would say NOT many styles to choose from). It used to be the mini skirt that you would see popping up here and there in the church. Now it is the deep plunging neckline. The kind that reveals way too much of how God created a woman. My Honey and I were at several functions over the weekend, some of them, where Christians were attending. I was shocked to see so much cleavage. And not just a little bit, a lot. I'm convinced I'm not just an "old fashioned" gal here. The Bible is very clear on modesty for women. Yet we continue to see Christians touting the styles of the world. I know God looks at our heart and man looks at the outward (I've heard that argument for years). But that is one of the VERY reasons why we should dress modestly - because man DOES look at the outward. What happened to the desire for an outward testimony? I wonder what the average Christian feels that separation means, when we are instructed to "come out from among them be ye separate." I'm not so narrow minded that I try to cram my dress standards down another's throat. Nor do I think Christian women ought to wear gunny sacks, turtle necks in the Summer, skirts to their ankles, etc. But just some simple modesty would be so refreshing. Covering of the breast area and the thighs. Both areas, that when exposed, can cause a man to lust. When I was first saved, my precious Pastor's wife taught me the 4 finger rule. After you are dressed, place your hand at your neckline. If the neckline is lower than your 4 fingers, it is too low. Some even suggest 3 fingers to be more modest.
I came across a couple one liners of how the world flaunts their immodesty: "Cleavage: as if we need a reson"; "Never underestimate the power of cleavage"; and finally, "Cleavage is an accessory." How sad. And what's even sadder is, little girls, adolescents are allowed to wear such revealing tops. Have mercy. Don't their mothers realize the dangers there?
While my daughters were growing up, I taught them to dress, then go look in a full length mirror and ask "Jesus, is this alright with you? Are you pleased with how I look?" Then I said, if you have any doubts whatsoever, don't shrug them off, that's the Holy Spirit. Go change into something more modest.
We actually used that standard for every area of life. Some have given it the moniker "WWJD?"
We taught all 3 of our children to invite the Lord to partake of whatever it is you are doing. Ask him to sit and read your book with you, to watch the TV show with you, to go with you to your destination, to listen to your music with you. If you can't ask Him to do those things with you, then you ought not do them yourself. It's a good reminder that the Lord DOES accompany us in ALL that we do, in the person of the Holy Spirit. I'm afraid He's a bit grieved over what He sees today in the lives of believers. Christians have grown so immune to the things that used to be so shocking years ago. We're losing our "saltiness" by blending in with the world. If I don't have the time to witness to someone for whatever reason, I want them to know even by looking at me, that there is something different about me. Oh how we need to let our lights shine BRIGHTLY in these last days.

Is it time to go to bed yet?

Wow what a day this has been! I woke up early so I could get over to the church and help my Honey fill packets for our city wide door knocking campaign that we are doing. We have been having 35 - 40 of our precious people show up every week to knock doors in our town! How exciting and thrilling! We have seen new families visit almost every week since we began. The strange thing is, not many of them are results of our door knocking. But they ARE results of obedience! Praise the Lord!
Anyway, I made my visits to my bus kids and ALL of them said they are coming tomorrow. If that is the case, I will be making 2 trips again to get them all to the church in our 15 passenger van. We have another bus route, but they go a different direction and they are full up too. I made 2 trips on Wednesday because we had 30 and I just couldn't squeeze that many in!
I got home from calling and 15 minutes later we were walking out the door to head 45 miles away to Lansing for a 40th wedding anniversary celebration. It was a missionary couple that we support. Actually it was the lady that I received a call from on my cell that morning when I asked her about needing toilet paper. That story is in a previous post. My daughter Sarah, made the cake for their party, but she had to work, so I was volunteered to cut the cake and serve it. I didn't mind, they are precious people.
We left there and drove home long enough to take a couple Ibuprofen for the headaches that were setting in and ran back out the door to an open house of one of our young people that graduated from our academy last Sunday night. Ashley is a sweet girl and has grown up here in this church. She'll be leaving for Bible college this Fall.
We came home from that, long enough for me to finish up the last few items on our Sunday bulletin - I don't believe in "boring" bulletins - haha. Then we headed out for a piano recital of 2 or our young ladies in the church. They did an amazing job. But 1 1/2 hrs into the recital (after they had already played their pieces) I turned to my Honey and pleaded, "Can we please go now?" I could feel myself sinking and I knew I still needed to copy and fold the bulletin before I could call it a night.
I was finally able to kick my shoes off my swollen feet and call it a night! But I was so determined to try a new recipe, that I just had to whip that up before I got jammies on and headed off to bed. It's called French Toast Casserole and you can find it on my cooking blog here: http://cookingwiththepreacherswife.blogspot.com/
Now I sit here posting on my blogs, trying to update them a bit. I am really LOVING my new cooking blog. I'm going to like filling that one in a LOT. I plan to have pages dedicated just to Summer camp menus and shopping, pages for my catered events and hopefully some pages for weekly menu plans. I love anything to do with food - you'd think I'd weigh a ton as much as I talk about it and cook it!
I'm looking forward to tomorrow - the Lord's day. It's supposed to be a cool 90 degrees tomorrow. That means the church van will smell like kid's head sweat! haha That's OK, I love em! The AC doesn't work in the van. Last year in the hottest part of the Summer, I got the bright idea that I might be able to stay cool if I used my "chillow" to sit on. So I filled it with water, put it in the fridge to get it nice and cold, put it on my seat and pulled out on my route. Half way through the route I realized it was leaking on my skirt! Then I thought, "OF COURSE! It's mean't to lay your head on, not sit all your bulk on!" Oh well... another bright idea gone by the wayside! It'll be a hot ride tomorrow, but onward, upward!

A chosen vessel

I have loved this poem from the first time I read it years ago. It is a good reminder, that it is the BROKEN things that God uses. If you have been broken, or are in the process of being broken, take heart - God has something in store for you!

A CHOSEN VESSEL

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;
On the shelf there were many – which one would He choose?
Take me, cried the gold one, I’m shiny and bright,
I’m of great value and I do things just right.
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest
And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!
The Master passed on with no word at all;
He looked at a sliver urn, narrow and tall;
I’ll serve You, dear Master, I’ll pour out Your wine
And I’ll be at Your table whenever You dine,
My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,
And my silver will always compliment You.
Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass,
It was widemouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.
Here! Here! Cried the vessel, I know I will do,
Place me on Your table for all men to view.
Look at me, called the goblet of crystal so clear,
My transparency shows my contents so dear,
Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride,
And I’m sure I’ll be happy in Your house to abide.
The Master came next to a vessel of wood,
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.
You may use me, dear Master, the wooden bowl said,
But I’d rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!
Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay,
Empty and broken it helplessly lay.
No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.
Ah! This is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find,
I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.
I need not the vessel with pride of its self;
Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;
Nor the one who is bigmouthed and shallow and loud;
Nor one who displays his contents so proud;
Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right;
But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.
Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.
Spoke to it kindly. There’s work you must do,
Just pour out to others as I pour into you.

~Author Unknown~