Answers in Faith ~~ "Be still, and know that I am God"

BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Many years ago, I was walking to the barn to tend to the animals.  A light snow had fallen softly on the ground.  I looked down and found a small bird lying in the snow.  I picked it up wondering if it was injured or maybe just cold.  I held it in my hand and tenderly stroked the bird.  He stayed still in my hand as I gently stroked his head, his wings and his tiny body.  

I sensed a spiritual moment happening as I felt the gentle touch of the Holy Spirit tugging ever so slightly upon the strings of my heart.  It was as if time stood still, and I felt the awesome presence of the Lord.   Suddenly the bird came to life and flew away.

What had just happened?  The whisper of the Holy Spirit spoke softly to my heart.  “Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and let me pour my love upon you.  You are like that fleeting bird, and you flee away when I get close to you.   I want to touch you, warm your cold heart, and let you know that I am here. I will never leave you or forsake you. Take time to be still, and let me love you.”

Our Heavenly Father wants to touch us with His love. But we, like that bird, fly away because we think we are too busy with too many things to do, too many places to go, too many people to see, too many responsibilities on our plate, too many, too many……….

Let us learn to be still before God and let His love envelope us and fill us with His Presence.


Contributed by Ted and written by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures. 

"God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; 
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.   Selah.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge."  Selah

Psalm 46, NKJV

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Sweet & Savory Monday ~~ El Quicko Crustless Crab Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces flaked crab meat
• 4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 4 eggs
• 1 - 4 oz. can diced mild green chilies
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt, optional
• 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Dash Hot Hungarian Paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl combine the crab meat, cheese, and onions.
• Press the mixture over the bottom and up sides of sprayed pie plate.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, diced green chilies, salt, mustard, and cayenne pepper.
• Pour over crab mixture.
• Sprinkle with Hot Hungarian Paprika.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS &/OR SUBSTITUTES:

• You can use either fresh crab meat or imitation crab.
• Egg whites can be substituted for regular eggs.
• Any variety of cheese can be added.
• Shelled and deveined shrimp may be substituted for the crab.
• Evaporated skimmed milk can be used instead of the regular canned milk.
• This is a meal that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
• You could use a bottom crust for the recipe if you so desired. Baking time would be increased to approximately one hour at 350 degrees. Insert a knife into center of quiche.  If it comes out clean, the quiche is thoroughly cooked.
• A variety of condiments, garnishes and/or veggies could be served with it.

Here's to healthy eating and happy dining!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "His Paintbrush"

                                The serene evening sky
                                     flashed its pinks and blues,
                                 What a treat for my eyes
                                     as I fixated on the hues.

                                 The rose colored blend
                                      appeared to the left
                                  While the bluish-purple one
                                      veered to the right.
                                  I wondered if the neighbors
                                      had witnessed this glorious sight.

                                  The clouds appeared so 
                                       low on the horizon,
                                   I had to look carefully.
                                   It seemed as if they touched 
                                        the ground,
                                   But I knew that couldn't be.

                                   A perfect picture was framed
                                       with the clouds as a background,
                                   Dotted lush green landscapes
                                       and tall trees did abound.

                                   God must have used His paintbrush
                                       to decorate the big sky.
                                   I'm just thankful I saw it
                                       as I was leisurely driving by.


Photo credits ~~ Sharon Breshears Photography, Gooding, Idaho.  For a real treat, take a gander at Sharon's photo gallery on her Facebook page.  Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.breshears.1/photos_all

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence.

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Sweet & Savory Tuesday ~~ Pomegranate Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce or use fresh tomatoes from your garden
• 1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste or use fresh tomatoes from your garden
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 4 cloves diced garlic
• 2 medium sized onions 
• 1 - Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning or use fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary
• 1 - Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 - tsp. salt, optional
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Puree onions in food processor
• If you are using dried herbs for Italian seasoning, grind them in your mortar and pestle

• Combine all ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan
• Stir until smooth
• Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer you allow the sauce to simmer, the better the flavor will be.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Serve with spaghetti noodles or pasta of your choice
• Pair with tossed green salad and garlic french bread

Pomegranates are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. For additional information, here is a link:

https://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-pomegranate/

I have such fond childhood memories of my maternal grandmother, Lenna Grace, sending a box of yummy pomegranates to our family each year for Thanksgiving.  The area in which she lived was very conducive to growing ones with exceptional color and flavor.

If you happen to give this pasta sauce with a new twist a try, I would love to hear from you.  So would my blog readers!

Happy eating in Pomegranate's Presence.

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Sweet & Savory Friday ~~~ Retro 50's Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 pork chops or thin loin chops
• 2 cups rice
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 1 - 4 oz. jar diced pimentos
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• Seasoned pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Lightly brown pork chops and sprinkle with seasoned pepper, optional
• Place rice in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking pan
• Heat water to boiling and pour in baking pan
• Add package of onion soup mix
• Add jar of diced pimentos
• Mix thoroughly
• Place pork chops on top
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Since I just harvested fresh tomatoes from my horse trough gardening receptacle yesterday, I sliced some of those to serve with the pork chop and rice casserole.

• No pork chop dish is complete without a little applesauce.  Pork chops and applesauce. That's sort of a tongue twister along the lines of Sufferin' Succotash!
• A nice summer salad is a tasty compliment with any dinner.

When I was a young girl being raised on Sage Creek Farms, I have fond memories of my sweet mother, Rita, preparing this dish which is a family favorite. A variation of it first appeared in some type of farming magazine in the 1950's; ergo, I have titled my blog post Retro 50's Casserole.  I just thought that wording would add a little extra pizzazz.  What say you?

Happy Dining & Retroing!

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Tomatoes - Straight From The Horse's Trough

August delivers many things including fresh tomatoes along with corn on the cob and other healthy veggies. Those featured photo above include the Roma variety along with the Heinz slicing ones.  Roma's are good for making salsa or canning of tomatoes to use in your winter soups and stews. Here's the finished product all lined up:

A few years back my ever lovin' surprised me and installed a couple of horse troughs in our back yard in which I could grow my herbs and vegetables. To find out why tomatoes thrive in this type of receptacle, please check out my digital E-book titled Straight From The Horse's Trough on Amazon.com. 

Here is the link:   https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Horses-Trough-Gardening-Suburbanite-ebook/dp/B00C2YU5Z2/ref=la_B004S20HAO_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470775255&sr=1-5#nav-subnav

It can be a challenge to grow your own food in a small space, but it's amazing what you can do with just a bit of ingenuity, creativity, and elbow grease.  Here's a picture of this year's plants half way through the growing season:

If you are short on time, put the heavy scope on these 20 Recipes for Fresh Summer Tomatoes featured in this web link: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/summer-tomato-recipes/view-all

For all of you health experts in blogger land, here's the scoop: http://www.floridatomatoes.org/news-events/10-reasons-why-you-should-be-eating-more-tomatoes/

What is your favorite way to use tomatoes in your meal planning other than serve them sliced with a dash of salt or sugar on top?  Please leave a comment as our readers would like to hear from you!

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Poetry & Prose ~~~ "Generations"

When my first generation began
           I have no clue,

Dwelling upon it now and then

            I certainly wish I knew.

Who married who

            and how did they become acquainted?

Was it love at first sight

            or a romance quite belated?

Where did they live

            and how did they get to the states?

Was it by air, land, or sea

            as they awaited their fates?

Were their life spans

            lengthy or short?

How many of their dreams

            did they have to abort?

Occupations, interests, and hobbies

            were probably quite varied.

If they were listed on a wall

            it probably couldn’t be carried.

God ultimately decided

            in which clan to place me.

My children and I would become

            part of my family tree.

Since He makes no mistakes,

            I’m exactly where I need to be.


~~ Excerpted from my newest book titled Poetry Time which is available on Amazon.com or in my Etsy shop.  Here is the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Time-Inspirational-Collection-Traditional-ebook/dp/B01G7J4SSC/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#nav-subnav

Do you like the black and white bead work ensemble featured at the top of this blog post?  I certainly do!  It was handcrafted by my fellow author, Carol M. Green, who is also a spectacular social media coach.  Speaking of Carol, she designed my fabulous blog page.  In terms of giftings and talents working their way down through the generations, here's a glimpse of Carol's siblings and what they do in their spare time ~~

Kaye is a seamstress and painter.

Bonnie fashions fused glass necklaces, stained glass windows, and lamps.

Barbara crafts crafts.

Ted was a portrait photographer.

Claire is a seamstress.

Carol's daughter, Marie, is also a seamstress and makes the cutest bags.

Carol's granddaughter, Maggie, is an artist who has illustrated two children's books titled Gary Learns to Skate and Gary Learns to Fish both of which can be found on Amazon.
Carol's sister, Judy, makes gorgeous items from leather such as this handcrafted checkbook cover.

Are you a runner in real life?  Please check out Carol's blog page http://runninggrannygreen.blogspot.com/.  She also completes custom orders for her beadwork, designs websites, and writes books!

I would be remiss if I did not mention my youngest granddaughter, Ali, who has started authoring the first book in her children's mystery series titled The Cupcake Thief.  Imagine this if you will ~~ Ali sits to my left in my little office and dictates as I type on my keyboard!  She will be the fourth published author on both sides of my family.  It all started with my paternal great aunt, Dr. Effie Mona Mack, who wrote the state history for the Nevada public schools. Maternal aunt, Fern Hunt, penned beautiful poetry. Yours truly is just about ready to release her tenth book, and Miss Ali Faith is hot on the mystery trail. My oldest daughter, Cathie Richardson, is a freelance artist and graphic designer whose work is featured in such books as The Christmas Tin. This wonderfully illustrated book encourages young children to prepare a small gift for someone who is not expecting it in order to bless them.  It reinforces the timeless message of love is the greatest gift of all.  Cathie's designs are featured in Fine Art America  http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cathie-richardson.html

As you look back in your family tree what do you see?  There just might be some very pleasant surprises waiting there for you!  Inheritances are not always bank accounts, buildings, businesses or land.  Sometimes they manifest in the most amazing ways.  So, prepare to be amazed!

Happy Reading & Creating!

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Sweet & Savory Thursday ~~ Zucchini Boats

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large zucchinis 
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 - 15 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes or use fresh tomatoes 
• 1 - 15 oz. can cut green beans, drained, or use fresh green beans
• 1 - 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup minute rice
• Grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Wash zucchinis and pat dry with paper towels.
• Brown hamburger, season to taste with salt and pepper (optional), drain and rinse.
• Return hamburger to skillet and add tomatoes and both kind of beans.
• Add 1 cup of water.
• Bring mixture to a boil and add 1/2 cup of minute rice.
• Cover and cook until rice is tender.
• Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Fill zucchinis with beef mixture.
• Place a small amount of water in bottom of baking pan before placing zucchinis inside to bake.
• Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Can be served with or without the outside zucchini skin.
• This is a great way to make use of zucchini that has grown too large if you normally prefer them in a smaller size.
• Very tasty with garlic or regular french bread.

I grew the zucchinis in my horse trough and my friend Bobbie contributed the recipe. Teamwork makes it happen!

For additional information on horse trough gardening, please check out Straight From The Horse's Trough in my Etsy shop.  Thanks!

Happy cooking & dining!

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Poetry & Prose ~~ "Choices"

CHOICES

In the beginning when God breathed His life into man,

He had a specific purpose and eternal plan.

He gave us a free will choosing how to live our lives,

Giving us the choice to believe in Him and do what is right.

 Knowing that many opportunities will come my way,

I will try to make the right choices every day.

Learning to listen to the Spirit’s still small voice,

He will guide and direct me to make the right choice.

 Choosing life over death, love instead of hate,

Mending relationships before it’s too late.

Living a selfless life by taking up my cross,

Serving those in need not counting the cost.

Showing those around me that I care.

Spreading joy and gladness instead of despair.

Speaking life giving words of encouragement,

Bringing hope in times of discouragement.

Telling others about God’s love and gentleness,

Extending mercy through thoughtful acts of kindness.

Seeing the best in others, not looking for the worst,

Praying for blessings instead of speaking a curse.

Trusting in His Spirit, resting in His mercy and grace,

I want to make the world around me a better place.

Although I may stumble and fall, which no doubt I will,

I will always run to Jesus knowing He loves me still.

  Contributed by Lesta of Heartsong Treasures

Happy Reading in Poetry's Presence!

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