No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

 

Looking for a yummy treat that you don't need to heat up the oven for?

You can find the recipe HERE

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: July 29, 2024

AROUND ME: cooler temperatures predicted for today...mid 70s and low humidity.  Ahhh...my kind of days. :)

I AM PONDERING:  Colossians 3:17 ....  what my priorities are in life and how they can make a difference for those around me when I fulfill them as doing them unto the Lord. 

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  being able to be at church.  I'd missed the last two Sundays in a row from being ill and I was able to be there yesterday.  It was so wonderful to be among my brothers and sisters in Christ and hear our pastor begin a new study.

 BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  

  Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional.  So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.

The Soul's Conflict  by Richard Sibbes

The Journals of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot

I AM THANKFUL FOR:  friends who listen with their hearts.

FROM THE KITCHEN:   

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  

My paternal grandmother always had Snapdragons in her flowergarden and these that Strongheart started from seed remind me of her.

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY: Laundry and cleaning.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 91:12

Be Encouraged

 

I'm having trouble with the program I normally use for the Be Encouraged quotes.

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;  therefore will I hope in Him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

Ridiculously Easy Maple Pecan Scones

 If you are looking for a yummy scone recipe, please allow me to introduce you to 

Ridiculously Easy Maple Pecan Scones

These are not your typical British scone, but their tender flakiness and the combination of the maple glaze along with the pecans in the scone make for a delicious treat with tea.

The recipe has a unique (to me at least) way of putting the butter into the mixture and I have to say I am a fan!

You can find the recipe HERE .

Wordless Wednesday

 

The Deeper Life - A Book Review

 

The Deeper Life by A.W. Tozer was given to me as a gift last autumn.  I'm sorry that it has taken me this long to get around to just now reading it because it was an interesting read.

The book consists of nine chapters in its 97 pages as Tozer deals with the state of the Christian church during his time.  He lived from 1897-1963 and I must agree that things have not improved any in the Evanglical churches of today.

I've heard the author's name for many years, but this is the first of his books that I have actually read.  I did a little research and found that the first church he pastored was actually in West Virginia...not all that far from where I live!  He is described as having had no formal training for the pastorate, but he remained faithful to his calling for 44 years with the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination.

Tozer deals with what is missing in the majority of churches...the lack of desire by Christians to have more than just a nominal relationship with God.  In the nine chapters he covers what he believes to be the reason for this and shares ways that a Christian can have what he refers to as a deeper life.  

I honestly cannot recommend this book.  The title of the last chapter of the book might help to explain why..."The Five Vows for Spiritual Power".

From My Journal

TODAY IS: July 22, 2024

AROUND ME: traffic going up and down our road, the sky is overcast and there's a 94% of rain today and tonight.  We are thankful for the 1/2 inch of rain that the Lord gave us last week!

I AM PONDERING: the lovingkindess of our Heavenly Father.  I've been sick with an upper respiratory infection for the last two weeks and in the middle of it I came down with a major fibromyalgia flare.  Yet He was in the midst of it all and gave me the time for a much needed rest during which time I was able to spend time doing a lot of reading, listening to preaching videos and more time for Bible study.  It made me think of 2 Corinthians 4:16...therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is renewed day by day."

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  being able to be at church.  I'd missed the last two Sundays in a row from being ill and I was able to be there yesterday.  It was so wonderful to be among my brothers and sisters in Christ and hear our pastor begin a new study.

 BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  

  Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional.  So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.

The Soul's Conflict  by Richard Sibbes

The Journals of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot

I AM THANKFUL FOR:  Strongheart's successful laser eye surgery this past week to unclog the drains in his eyes so that his eye pressures could go back to normal.  May God be praised for His mercy and protection!

FROM THE KITCHEN:   

My friend Granny Marigold who blogs by the same name, posted a picture a few weeks ago of her Mixed Berry Impossible Pie.  It looked so good and I have plenty of fruit in the freezer, so I looked up the recipe and gave it a try.  It's still amazing to me how the ingredients of this Bisquick Impossibly Easy pies is just all thrown into a pie dish and it develops its own crust, but I know the pie was delicious!

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY: 

The Stargazer Lily finally bloomed!

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY: Laundry.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 91:12

Taking a Break

 

Just a note to say that I will be away from the blog for a short break.

At this point, I don't expect it to be longer than a week.

Hopefully, that's the way it will turn out.

Be Encouraged

 

The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen - A Book Review

 

The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen by Sinclair Ferguson is a fairly easy read but one that is filled with so much information and good solid theology.  It is worth noting that John Owen was someone who Sinclair Ferguson greatly admired and felt that Owen was someone who greatly influenced his own life as a Christian.

Because this book is filled with theology, as one might expect from the title, I find it a bit more challenging in doing a review of it.  I have so many pages turned down at places that spoke to me personally that it would be impossible to write a short review.  I will do my best to just state here the greatest highlights.

Discussing whether the doctrine of the Trinity had any practical relevance, Sinclair Ferguson shares, "Yet Owen believed that rather than being speculative, the doctrine of the Trinity provided the light by which everything else became clear.  Rather than being impractical, it was the most practical truth of all - for what can be more practical than knowing God in Jesus Christ and through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit?" pg. 29

John Owen believed that "to suggest that the Trinity is an irrantional doctrine is to be guilty of making man and his reason the measure of all things." page 32  Also, "Owen did not see the Trinity as an impractical and abstract doctrine, it is for him - by necessity- the most practical of all doctrines, simply because knowing God is eternal life." page 34

That's a bit of an introduction for the book.  It contains five chapters and a conclusion in its 128 pages.  Beginning in Chapter 3 and continuing through Chapter 5 Ferguson takes us through Communion with the Father, Communion with the Son, and Communion with the Holy Spirit, as he shares Owens' insights into each area.

I personally enjoy this type of book but I have to admit that it may not be something that everyone would enjoy.  It has proven to be extremely helpful for me.

Wordless Wednesday

 

A Dinner Idea

 

I thought I would share a one pan meal that we had last evening for our dinner.  It's super easy to make.

I used my largest cast iron skillet which is known as the chicken fryer, heated a bit of olive oil in the pan and browned four pork chops on each side after seasoning them with salt and pepper.

I then added my veggies...last evening I used sweet potato, parsnips, golden beets, onion wedges, and dried cranberries. 

Then I drizzled a small amount of maple syrup over it all and put the skillet in the preheated 400 degree F oven for about 35 minutes.

I make this type of meal about once a month or so.  I've done it with steak and chicken as well as the pork.  You can use any veggies that you like.  I've done it with butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes and it was really good as well.

You don't have to use an iron skillet...just make sure that the skillet you do use is oven safe for high temperatures.

From My Journal

TODAY IS: July 8, 2024

AROUND ME: the birds are singing, the mourning doves are cooing, and the temperature is 64 degrees F, with a high of 92 predicted for the day.

I AM PONDERING: just how blessed we are to live in a country where we still have the freedom to meet in our houses of worship.  May we never take that for granted.

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  laughter of children playing and enjoying life.  Our little neighbor children have been away all week on vacation and I've missed hearing their laughter when they are outside playing.

 BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  

  Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional.  So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.

The Soul's Conflict  by Richard Sibbes

Abiding Presence by Ron Block

I AM THANKFUL FOR:  the few showers that we had this past weekend.  It's good to see the gardens wet now and then.   Strongheart is still having to water the tomatoes and strawberries. May the Lord see fit to give us some more.  

FROM THE KITCHEN:  

Apple Crisp

Cinnamon Sugar Scones

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  watching for buds turn into blooms on some of my flowers...especially the Begonias and the Stargazer Lily.  

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  Clean the house and more organization of the upright freezer in the mudroom. 

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

Be Encouraged

 

It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail - a book review

 

It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail by S. Truett Cathy is the amazing story of the life of the founder of Chick-fil-A.  We always enjoy stopping at Chick-fil-A for lunch when we are out running errands and our son, at one time, was the general manager for a free standing Chick-fil-A unit in NC.  When I did a post on genuine kindness in the world of business, my friend Barbara commented that she had read his book and that at one time had been given a tour of Chick-fil-A.   Her comment made me curious about the book.

I'm so glad that I ordered the book because it truly is amazing the obstacles in life that Mr. Cathy overcame in order to bring about such success.  He had two primary mantras in life...put God first and don't be afraid of hard work.  

He and his brother Ben started out with a little establishment called Dwarf Grill, which was named so because of how small it was.  That business flourished and he eventually opened a second establishment called Dwarf House.  Both places of business did very well...until the second establishment burned down to the ground.  

There was a point when Mr. Cathy struggled with his health...serious health issues, but he didn't give up.  

He also lost two brothers, Ben (who had been his business partner from the get go) and Horace, in a plane crash. While devastated by this, S. Truett didn't give up.

He and his wife had three children...two sons and a daughter.  At one point, all three of his children were involved with Chick-fil-A at the Atlanta headquarters.  Eventually, his daughter gave up her position because she and her husband felt called of God to go to South America as missionaries.  The two sons continued on.

Before Chick-fil-A came into existence, S. Truett "practiced" his chicken sandwich on his customers at the Dwarf Grill.  He tried different spices in his breading until his customers quit saying anything about it.  He felt that was a good indicator of their satisfaction with the taste.  

You will need to read the book in order to find out just how Chick-fil-A came into existence, but I have to say that I highly recommend this book.  It's not only the story of a successful business man's life, but it's also a very inspirational book in many ways. 

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: July 1, 2024

AROUND ME: wonderfully cool temperatures predicted for today...72F.  It will be glorious after all of the high temperatures we've been experiencing with very little rain!

I AM PONDERING: how fun it is to surprise people with visits!  

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:   blueberries finishing their ripening

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  

  Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional.  So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.

The Soul's Conflict  by Richard Sibbes

John Owen by Sinclair Ferguson ...I did make some progress in this book last week, but still not quite finished.

I AM THANKFUL FOR:  Last Thursday was one of Strongheart's sisters birthday.  She lives about two hours east of us so we surprised her with a birthday visit.  She was so tickled.  While we were in the same area we visited Strongheart's last living aunt on his dad's side of the family.  That was also a surprise visit for her.  We really enjoyed our time with her and her daughter.  Such a fun day...sharing memories of days gone by as well as making new ones.

FROM THE KITCHEN:  using lots of fresh veggies from the garden...lettuce of different varities, spinach, kale, radishes, golden beets, yellow summer squash, zuchinni, red raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants.

Currant Pie fresh from the oven.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  being able to get caught up on housework.  I was able to reach my goals for the month of June where this is concerned.  I finished on Friday by washing up all of the curtains and doing the blinds and windows on the main floor of the house. There were things I wanted to  make certain I had done in June because I know canning, freezing and making jam are in my near future. 

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  A quick clean of the house and begin organizing the upright freezer upstairs.

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12