Bread Alternative

I just tried this and it's good... albeit different. It's from my Yeast Connection Cookbook.

Yeast-free, Egg-free Buckwheat Cakes/Flatbread

1 C buckwheat flour

1 tsp sea salt (optional)

(I added a pinch of fructose... optional.)

1 to 1 1/2 C water (or more if needed to make batter thinner)

1 Tb oil

Make on griddle as pancakes on medium heat. (Don't forget to oil the griddle/fry pan.) These cook very quickly because they are very flat and thin. Flip each when bubble-holes form.

Use as bread for sandwiches for brown-bagging, or serve for breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt on top... maybe even with maple syrup or honey!

Use wherever you would use bread.

I made an open-face sandwich snack with deli chicken (Naturals brand--no preservatives) and brown mustard on one buckwheat cake. Delicious!

P.S. I stored them between wax paper (saved from cereal boxes!) in a pita bread bag I already had. :)

I Can Trust Jesus

God picked up a sparrow that could no longer fly,
He brushed off its wounds and then watched it soar into the sky;
If He's mindful of creation, on this I can depend,
I am His child, and I can place all my trust in Him.

I can trust Jesus, I can trust Jesus,

He never once has failed to meet my need;

He is my strong tow'r, 
The strength in my weakest hour,

I can trust Jesus, He takes care of me.

I have prayed some prayers and felt they never were heard,
But I held to God's hand and kept right on trusting in His Word;
My wants and God's desires don't always agree,
But I lean on His will, for He always what's best for me.

I can trust Jesus, I can trust Jesus,
He never once has failed to meet my need;
He is my strong tow'r, 
The strength in my weakest hour,
I can trust Jesus, He takes care of me.

Songwriter unknown; sung by the Collingsworth family

You will be blessed if you watch the song here.

It's a simple truth, but I need to be reminded today. I am so thankful that He takes care of me. I can trust Him. He's working all things together for good (Romans 8:28).

The Collingsworth family

Life's Rough?

There are days when I catch myself thinking life is rough. 


I have many challenges, just as most people have. And when I start to dwell on those hard things, and imagine how it could get worse, Jesus usually reminds me of Bible characters and people in history who had it tougher than I have it... Jesus Himself, the Apostle Paul, Esther, Corrie ten Boom, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. 


These perspectives help, but what gets down to where I really live is reading about or meeting someone who is living it right now... someone who is walking with Christ right now in the midst of more difficult circumstances than I have ever experienced.


Meet my virtual friend Sheri. She and her family are missionaries to Brazil. I have yet to meet Sheri in person, but by testimony of those who know her, she is a true Christian inspiration. Here's something I saw in her comments to someone on Facebook recently: "I just want to participate with God and what He's doing 100%!"

Sheri has gone through some unspeakable horrors as well as some very rough living conditions on the mission field, living in the jungle, seeking to be a godly wife and mother through it all. Most women who have been through something like that on the mission field would have come back home feeling that they have "paid their dues," and that "now it is time to relax." Not Sheri. She couldn't wait to get back to Brazil after their first term.


As I write this, they are sitting in their new home in Lages, Brazil, a home not as primitive as their jungle home, yet primitive by North American standards. When they set up housekeeping, they found out the water had been cut off. It's winter in Brazil, and they had no heat in the house for several days. 


They are roughing it without any furniture except a small kitchen table, a small 4-burner stove to cook with and air mattresses to sleep on for now, as they wait for their container of household things to arrive and clear customs. Literally all Sheri has in her kitchen is a sink. Homes there do not come with refrigerator, stove, cabinets, etc. They lived like this for many weeks--indefinitely--not knowing when the container would arrive. (Thank God it finally arrived last Friday!)


How many would have quit and said, "OK, now I want to go home!"?


Yet Sheri is thankful. She is happy. You can see the love of Christ radiating on her face in every picture of her. 


I am humbled in the midst of my own complaining spirit. There are so many verses the proclaim how good God is! 

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Hebrews 6:10

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. Job 34:12

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Psalm 31:19

Do I beat myself up for complaining? Sometimes. But when I do, I am really just jumping from one ditch into another. I want to remember that is not the answer. I want to be on the balanced highway in the middle. Just resting in Him and walking with Him. Yielding every area of my life as He reveals it, and not worrying about the areas He has yet to show me. He will reveal them in His time. And I pray that I will always remain soft to His promptings to yield.


Life with God is good!


(Click here for Sheri's latest blog entry: Saturday and a Pillow.)

Once

I remember listening to an old LP record of Lester Roloff singing this old hymn by A.B. Simpson (see below). It means so much more now than it did when I was a kid ... because through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come!

These dangers, toils, and snares have enabled me to understand the "grace life" more fully. The words of verse two are oh-so-true for me! "Once 'twas painful trying/ Now 'tis perfect trust."

And, believe me, I'm still learning to lean on Jesus. That's what it's all about: yielding to Him so He can live the Christian life through me. It's so much more peaceful than painful trying!

Once
A.B. Simpson

1. Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
Now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.


CHORUS
All in all is Jesus,
Jesus will I sing;
Everything in Jesus,
And Jesus, everything.


2. Once 'twas painful trying,
Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation,
Now the uttermost;
Once 'twas ceaseless holding,
Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting,
Now my anchor's cast.


3. Once 'twas busy planning,
Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring,
Now He has the care;
Once 'twas what I wanted,
Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking,
Now 'tis ceaseless praise.


4. Once it was my working,
His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him,
Now He uses me;
Once the pow'r I wanted,
Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored,
Now for Him alone.


5. Once I hoped in Jesus,
Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying,
Now they brightly shine;
Once for death I waited,
Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored
Safe within the veil.

~ A.B. Simpson

Additional reading on the "grace life": The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith; Charles Trumbull's writings; Oswald Chambers' writings; F.B. Meyer's writings; etc. Message me (or comment below) if you would like more info.

My New Diet

Working with naturopathic and medical doctors, I am finding some health issues that require a serious, albeit temporary, change of diet (though I will have to keep certain things in moderation for life so the symptoms do not return). So I'm trying to gradually change over my kitchen along with my diet. Not easy! Here's what I made for supper tonight: Quinoa Casserole and a French Salad. Taste tests are good! We'll see what Peter and Kyla think! :)

Quinoa With Walnuts and Rosemary

Easy Quinoa Stovetop Casserole Recipe, With Walnuts and Rosemary

Quinoa, Walnut and Rosemary Casserole is simple and easy, a hearty & flavorful, light yet filling stovetop casserole recipe.

4 Servings: Preparation time, approximately 45 minutes from start to serving.

Quinoa Casserole Ingredients:

▪   1/2 cup walnuts, soaked in water for 6 hours or longer - we soak overnight in the fridge, in a covered container, then drain and rinse

▪   1 c quinoa, soaked 15 minutes, rinsed and drained in a colander

▪   1 Tbsp olive oil

▪   1 - 2 garlic cloves

▪   1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

▪   1 stalk celery, diced

▪   1 unsalted veggie bouillon cube

▪   1 1/2 cups boiling water

▪   1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary leaf, or 1 tsp fresh

▪   1 bay leaf

▪   Optional: 1/2 tsp salt

▪   1/2 cup frozen peas (I used mixed vegetables.)

▪   1/4 cup parsley, minced

▪   Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak the walnuts ahead in the fridge the morning or evening before cooking

2. Soak quinoa 15 minutes to an hour, rinse three times through a fine metal strainer, leave to drain

3. Heat olive oil on medium in a large sauté pan or frying pan

4. Crush, peel, stem, and mince garlic cloves

5. Wash and dice celery (slice lengthwise, then crosswise, in thin slices)

6. Peel and dice carrot (slice lengthwise in four, then crosswise in thin slices)

7. Stir fry garlic, celery and carrot until beginning to brown

8. Shake quinoa to get out any remaining water, add to pan, and sauté until dry

9. Add crushed rosemary leaf, and bay leaf, stir to heat through

10.          Cooking Tip: To 'crush' rosemary, we whizzed whole dried rosemary leaf in our trusty spice grinder (aka coffee grinder). You can also use a mortar and pestle, or just crush it with your fingers

11.          Cooking Tip: If you use a salted bouillon cube for this recipe, you'll need very little added salt. Check the label on the box.

12.          Stir in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, optional salt and bouillon cube, bring to boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes

13.          Add the frozen peas on top, cover and simmer another 10 minutes

14.          Chop walnuts coarsely, mince parsley, and stir into casserole with the peas

15.          Turn off heat, stir in fresh ground pepper to taste, then serve

French Salad with Walnuts, Beets, and Feta Cheese

(by Laura Calder, Food Network)

Ingredients

• 4 endives, quartered and cored (I used Romaine lettuce.)

• 1 medium beet, cooked, peeled and diced

• 6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I used Feta.)

• 5 ounces walnuts, broken up a bit and toasted if you like

• 1/2 cup walnut oil (I used olive mixed with vegetable oil.)

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper to season

Directions

3. Separate the endive leaves and fan them out on a plate. Scatter over the beet, blue cheese, and nuts. Whisk together the oil and vinegar. Taste to make sure the balance is right. Season, taste again, then drizzle over the salad. Serve.

What To Wear...

Recently, I read about someone's shock at seeing shorts and V*ctoria's S*cret sweatshirt sported at an evening wedding! My husband and I talk about this quite often--except we talk about it in regard to church. The question is so pertinent even to that arena: What do you wear to a wedding?

It seems to me that out of respect for the occasion, people would wear their best. (If that's shorts and a sweatshirt, it may be time to do some shopping!) It's sad to me that many people these days would dress up more for a wedding or funeral than they do for church. Why do they dress up for these occasions? Out of respect. {Key word.}

My question is: Why is everyone galloping full-speed-ahead toward casual, "come as you are" at church, when we are meeting with the King of kings? Would one wear shorts and a sweatshirt to meet the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Canada, or the Queen of England?

Of course, we all know and quote, "the Lord looketh on the heart" (I Samuel 16:7), and obviously that's true. Those who come to church with the "proper look and attire" but are proud and arrogant inside make me sick (Matthew 23:27)--Jesus didn't like it either!

It's also true that we should continually cultivate a love relationship with Christ. Someone will say, "Well, I just think I should be comfortable with the Lord, because it's about relationship; not religion." True, one should always comfortable around their loved one. Yet, at home and in intimate times, isn't the attire different than when one goes to the office?

Isn't there something to be said about one's attitude showing through what one wears (Matthew 22:11-12)? Can we honestly say that a casual approach to church led to a greater respect for God in recent years?

Please, no eggs or tomatoes... It's just food for thought!

Loving or Unloving?

‎"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (I John 4:7-8) 

Knowing God is a continual process. The better I know God, the more loving I can become as I yield to Christ Who is living in me.

I have all the power to love already IN ME. Knowing and understanding God more and more causes the natural effect of my loving others even more than I ever thought possible--even unlovable people, unkind people, or people who don't love me back.

My love for others is not my love... it's Christ's love in me. The love I show indicates that I am "born of God" (saved), but also that I KNOW God on an intimate level... not just "believing IN God." "Believing God" is different than "Believing IN God."

So if I find myself unloving, I don't need to beat myself up and "try harder to love." I need to get to KNOW HIM more. HE is love.

Knowing You, Jesus
Graham Kendrick

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this:

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and know as Yours;
To possess by faith what I could not earn,
All surpassing gift of righteousness.

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.