Empty again ...

Our nest became empty again this morning.

Michael has headed back home to Florida. We had a great visit. There were two family reunions, a wedding he attended, good times with friends and a lot of special patio and dinnertime chats.

We already miss him and I know the visits will never be long enough. But we also know that he's where he needs to be at this time. We want what is best for him, not what is best for us...

'Letting go' implies generosity, a talent a good mother needs in abundance. Separation is not loss, it is not cutting yourself off from someone you love. It is giving freedom to the other person to be oneself. Separation is not the end of love - it creates love.'

But I'm not ashamed to say ... I can't wait for Christmas!!

Until later :)

Mired?

Oh Lord, I needed this one today! I'm sharing in case you do too ... ;)

Understanding peace does not guarantee the presence of peace. I can fill my days with so many tasks, meetings, appointments, tasks and activities that peace disintegrates before noon. In Colossians 3:15, Paul encourages us to “let the peace of Christ rule” in our hearts. The word “rule” is an athletic term meaning “to preside at the games and distribute the prizes.” Sounds like a typical day in the life of a woman to me!

In the Greek games, there were judges who rejected the contestants who were not qualified and disqualified those who broke the rules. Today, we would call them “umpires” and the playing field of peace would be our hearts. “Heart” refers to “the center of one’s being.” Peace begins its reign in the center of our being; then works its way out into every nook and cranny of life - if we allow peace to rule.

Admittedly, there are times in life when an umpire seems like a good idea because many of us relish a good fight. We say we want peace, but not at the price of giving up control or surrendering personal agendas (can I get an Amen?). We must stand firm in our resolve to pursue harmony and peace, even if it means giving up rights and yielding control.

Relationships must be committed to peace. It is difficult to wage war with someone who has laid down their weapons in an act of surrender. Ah, there’s that dreaded word again - surrender. Surrender is the heart beat of peace. The choice to surrender initiates the process of allowing peace to rule. I guess you could say the peace of God is our “umpire” and in every situation and stands ready to make the calls that will lead us to rest in and trust Him – when we choose to let peace rule. The work of peace is always unleashed by our choices which invite the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.

Choose to be obedient.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:16-17, NLT).

The lakes in Florida are beautiful, but relatively shallow as well. Over the years, they fill up with the silt and mire that wash off the shore. In time, they accumulate 2 to 3 feet of mire and decaying vegetation at the bottom. Soon that mire begins to deprive the lake, plants and fish of valuable oxygen and eventually the lakes literally die.








In order to halt this process, a program has been put in place to drain the lakes periodically and expose the mire. After the mire is exposed, workers come in and dredge the mire – restoring the lake bottom to its original condition. The lake water can then be raised and soon the lake, its vegetation and fish are thriving again.


Our lives are much the same. We need to regularly expose and eliminate the "mire" in our lives. The more we seek God, walk in obedience and nurture our relationship with Him, the stronger our peace will grow.


When we have a personal relationship with God, we also have access to all of God’s power and all of God’s peace. How much power we receive from Him and how much peace we experience in Him depends upon how right our relationship is with Him.

After planting several pine trees in our front yard, I was concerned that they were not growing straight, even though we had planted them straight. One of our neighbors told me not to worry. “The winter winds are coming,” she explained. “The pines will grow against the wind and naturally straighten themselves while gaining strength to survive the winter.” Her words of plant-life-wisdom ring true for each one of us. Obedience and accountability encourage peace and strengthen us for the storms of life.



And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. (Colossians 3:15a, NLT).



M.S.


Until later :)

Gotcha!

The empty nest was busy last night. We were asked to dog-sit our granddog while the Priss spent some time at the gym. Jaxon is active, to say the least. We love having him over, but I guarantee you that Simba does not share our enthusiasm.

Simba is an old man (dog). He's set in his ways and not the least bit interested in learning any new tricks. His home is his castle and he doesn't like sharing it with anyone. Particularly some young whipper-snapper who shows up occasionally and steals his thunder. It's a wild time for sure. But we're hoping that Simba will eventually adapt, Jaxon will learn to be more respectful of his elders and Mike and I will be able to remain in neutral territory.



I used my crock pot again yesterday. I just love my crock pot(s). I can tell it makes the Mr. nervous when I try a new dish though. He grew up a beans and taters kinda guy and some habits are really hard to break. However, he wasn't complaining when he left the table last night :) Delicious!!

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Stroganoff

6 frozen chicken breasts
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom
1 16 oz. tub of fat free sour cream
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
Mushrooms (optional)
Splash of white cooking wine (optional)

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low all day. Serve over egg noodles.

Now how stinkin' simple is that?? And for you WW fans - 6 servings, 4 pts each.

Priss and I did a little Walmart-ing Sunday afternoon. I picked up a cute little bag of apples, which turned out to be a huge mistake. Along with them came of herd of pesky little 'fruit flies' (aka GNATS!) Those irritating little creatures were in full force by the time I got home yesterday, so I swatted and cleaned off and on all evening. I finally got online and found instructions for making a 'Homemade Fruit Fly Trap.' Who would've thought??



You'll need:

Glass jar
Paper
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dish Liquid



Instructions:

Pour about an inch of apple cider vinegar into the jar and add a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent. Form a funnel with the paper so that the top rests agains the edge of the container. Cut a 3/4 inch opening in the bottom of the funnel. Place funnel in container, but do not allow funnel to touch liquid.

Note * Ok, confession. I didn't have a jar, so I used a tall narrow drinking glass. And I wasn't sure what they meant by 'paper' so I used paper towels & scotch tape to make my funnel. I also didn't have apple cider vinegar, so I used white distilled vinegar and added some Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing and a little sugar :) WHAT??

Regardless of the glitches, the thing is amazing!! I hope you never have a need for one of these, but if you do you won't be disappointed.

Within 5 minutes of putting it together, there were several little pests already on their way to Fruit Fly heaven. And when I checked it first thing this morning I was extremely proud of my little project. GOTCHA ... mess with my apples won't you??

Until later :)

'baa-baa...'

Sharing a devotional today - from one sheep to another ...



He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. (Isaiah 40:11, NLT)




Shepherds live with their sheep, finding places for them to eat and drink, providing shelter from the storms and protection from the heat. Sheep must eat the right amount of the right kinds of grass at the right times or they will die. If the sheep eat too little one day and too much the next day, some of the bacteria that live in the stomach of the sheep will reproduce abnormal levels, creating toxins which cause sudden death. (I did not know this!) The shepherd must carefully plan the path and lead the way so the sheep have neither too little nor too much grazing and are able to get to the water hole on time. Pastures are often lost to extreme heat which means the shepherd has to scour the countryside in search of green grass.

Several flocks of sheep are gathered together at night in a sheltered place so shepherds can share the watches of the night, protecting the sheep from wild animals and thieves. Good shepherds are always willing to risk their lives to save their flocks from any harm, any enemy and even from themselves.

The needs of sheep, compared to the needs of other animals, are greater because of their instinct to be afraid and when faced with a fearful situation, to run. Without a shepherd to care for the sheep, they would not last long. Sheep are dumb (Amen), can never be left alone and often stray (Amen again...), requiring the shepherd to continually find and rescue them. A shepherd never pushes his sheep but rather leads his sheep, going before them, making sure they are not walking into danger.

Personally, I definitely fit the profile of a sheep. I can’t count the number of times I have stubbornly stuck to my plan, foolishly thinking that it was better than His plan, only to end up in some pit somewhere, calling for help. Psalm 40:1-3 has become my life maxim – with one exception. I rarely wait patiently. Remember, I am a sheep!

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:1-3 NLT)

I sometimes allow fear to drive me to a place where I am trapped by doubts and darkness until He rescues me. I satisfy my hunger by eating the wrong things from the wrong hands found in the wrong places at the wrong times. The result is always the same; my soul is soon ravenous for what is good because I have been stuffing my heart and mind with what is bad.

Like every sheep, I don’t like to be pushed. Good shepherds do not push, no matter how great the temptation. A good shepherd stands in front of his sheep, gently calling their names, leading them to a place where he has already been, positioning himself between danger and his sheep. When I am tired and ready to give up, I tend to withdraw from the other sheep and even from my Shepherd. Many of us have somehow bought into the lie that we can make it on our own or that the rules and commandments of God do not necessarily apply to us like they apply to those other sheep. The longer I walk with God, the more I realize just how much we need each other and how much we need Him. When will I learn that I cannot do life on my own – as a sheep or as a shepherd?

Let’s think about the sheep for whom we are responsible as shepherds here on earth. We are all called by God in different ways to do different things, but we are all called to be a shepherd to someone. We live in a world filled with people who, like sheep, are lost, confused, hungry, lonely, and in desperate need of a Savior. Family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors are all part of our flock. And sometimes their needs are overwhelming.

You live with your sheep or everywhere you go you run into someone from your flock. Your phone rings off the wall, e-mails pile up and you are constantly trying to rescue one of your sheep who is in trouble. The feeding schedule of your flock is not an easy task either. Since sheep must eat the right amount of the right foods at the right time, you must always be prepared to feed them, according to their needs – not yours. As a shepherd, you must know your sheep so well that you can lead them – not push them – in the right direction. The natural inclination of every sheep in your flock is to run when they sense danger. You may be trying to lead your sheep, but they are either too afraid or too stubborn to let you lead. You may be standing in the middle of their escape route, which may also mean that they will run right over you in their frantic stampede to escape. Remember that they are afraid and in desperate need of rescue. Your job, as their earthly shepherd, is to care for them and to continually point them to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Remember, a good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for his sheep, just as Jesus Christ laid down His life for you and for me. Do you love your flock enough to lay down your life for each one – the cute, fluffy ones as well as the dirty, broken ones? (M.S.)

Until later :)