What's Cookin?

Here's a cooking tip for you if you need an easy way to peel garlic: turn it on the flatter side and press with the heel of your hand until you hear a "pop". That loosens the outer peel that contains the clove inside. You can then peel the garlic clove easily so it can be prepared for cooking.

So why would I put a cooking tip in my blog? Well, sometimes when I am doing the most mundane things like peeling garlic, God says "Write this!"

As I was popping and peeling my garlic cloves a verse came to mind from 2 Corinthians 4:8 "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed".

The weight of that verse sat on my heart...so many have felt something heavy in their life. Sometimes it's just this old broken world that we live in. But could it be that sometimes, the loving Father in Heaven is causing this pressure? Could it be that the all-loving Creator literally has his child in a tight spot on purpose? Would God do that to His kids? Of course He would.

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed.

How else are we to grow stronger? If he doesn't remove that tough outer husk of "self" after some pressure, how are we going to enjoy the real flavor of life?

Garlic is most pungent when it has been broken off the whole bulb, pressed and peeled...and yes crushed. And the more you break down that tiny piece of plant, the "louder" it gets with the fragrance. Pretty soon someone in the other room can smell it!

Have you ever met a real Christ follower who has had an easy life? A life of no problems, no issues, no sin? I think not. If you are a Christian and haven't come upon hard times, well then you better get ready!

My dear reader, one day you will awaken and find yourself in God's kitchen and He's stirring the pot of your life. And you will find yourself like that little garlic clove, getting pressed until you feel like you're going to break. But remember, this recipe is not for disaster but a magnificent culmination of His will intersecting with your life. And what an amazing recipe that is!

So when that day comes, pray, seek His will, ask others to pray that you will persevere and that your life becomes so fragrant to others they will be drawn to Christ from near and far!

As some comfort remember this: He wouldn't ask you to go through anything that Jesus had already been through Himself. (Check out Isaiah 53:5)

I'll get back to my roasted tomato and pepper salsa...and garlic cloves. Why don't you check out your Bible today and see what He has to share with you?

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8

Being Still

We had an afternoon summer thunderstorm the other day. I was enjoying the rain and lightshow by my window until a bolt of lightning hit very close. So close in fact that I saw the fireball and felt a wave of static electricity like a slap. The dog and I then did something very brave...we ran to the bedroom and trembled.

We didn't lose our electricity. I figured all was fine until I tried to turn on the tv for a weather update. Nothing. Then I tried the internet. The computer wouldn't turn on, and the modem was dark. Then I tried to call for cable repair and the phone was dead. I had lights and air conditioning, but I was still "in the dark".

When my hubby arrived home with our only cell phone, I started the calls so we could get repairs to all that was zapped. Yesterday I had the last technician leave our house. We are finally back with all our technology humming happily. But I have to ask myself...have I lost some spiritual connections?

You see, the last four days I have had time for quiet. No pitchmen selling shamwows, no popup ads and no telemarketers to interrupt my day. I had extra time to read, to study and to just listen to the quiet.

They say if you exercise part of your body limb too much, the other may become very weak. I must say that these last few days have proven my spiritual senses had weakened a bit without me realizing it. Losing the access to information overload has been good. It has proven to me that my walk is still not at the level where I thought it should be.

You see, when you become a Christian it doesn't end with a sinner's prayer. It opens the door to a whole new life, some say a life of restrictions and no fun. But I say that's not true. I have found real freedom, strength AND fun. It is a constant daily walk down a road of pitchmen, popup ads and phone calls that try to beckon you down other paths that cost you money, time and scruples. Then, when we find our days wrapped in the worries of the economy or health, sometimes the only way God can get our attention is with a lightning bolt in our front yard.

What has happened recently to you that has you thinking about God more? Is it an illness, a job loss or something that has upended your life completely?

I want to encourage you today to stop, turn everything off and pick up a Bible. Go to the book of John and get to know The One who speaks in the storms of our lives. When we finally realize we've been living life "in the dark" and seek the Light of the World, you will be blessed with a peace that carries you through the next storm that is coming even now across the horizon.

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to {Him} and woke Him, saying, "Save {us,} Lord; we are perishing!" He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:23-27

Fey Fay

The name Fay means elf or fairy. It’s a lovely name. I have a new friend named Faye. It is a delicate, female name. Even the pronunciation of the name takes a small bit of breath.

When news came of a tropical storm named Fay was on her way, I did not take much notice. We had been through tropical storms before, and they seemed to be a regular Florida rain storm. We bought our hurricane supplies like the drill that it was and waited for the rains to come. Little did we know what was in store for us.

Tropical Storm Fay arrived like one of those unwanted stealth water balloons. Only she had a more lasting blow—rain gauges could not keep up with the 30 inches of rain that pounded our homes.

Fay was no lady…she was more like a two-ton fairy who left a wake of water in her path that flooded the most unsuspecting neighborhoods. And she overstayed her visit. She seemed to relish hanging out in Brevard County, pulling on the ocean breezes to supply her endless deluges. Her synchronized water dance would win no medals—but several trees fell prostrate, and power lines dipped low to the ground. When she finally tottered north, her skirts gave our county a few more slaps and thousands went without power.

You could say Fay made a name for herself in Florida. You could say we were thoroughly baptized; sprinkled AND dunked.

She underestimated the spunk of the people in Brevard County. Neighbors crossed property lines to check on each other. Strangers drove their big trucks in streets that were now rivers to rescue elderly trapped in their homes. Even a teenager became a siren for her mobile home park—calling, emailing and asking for help as the waters rose around her elderly neighbors.

People change in the face of calamity. Some of them crumble, yes. But others rise to the challenge and step in to the flood with little fear for themselves. They seem to know exactly what needs to be done at that moment.

I want to ask you…what kind of storm is on the horizon for you? Is it just another one of those drills in life? Do you have a doctor’s appointment, a subpoena, a hunch about your teen, a phone ringing? Does it not seem like a big deal for now?

It is a good idea to make sure you have your supplies stored up. If you don’t have a church family, it is never too late to begin looking around. When a crisis appears, yes they are human and some may not step up. But then there are others who will, and they do it because the love of Christ compels them to.

Do you have a Bible? It is the Bread of Life and Living Water. The Word of God has been my sustenance in times of great tragedy. T.V. is chewing gum for the brain, there is no nourishment. You may get a sound byte of wisdom between hours of hypnotic broadcasts…but His word “will not return void”. (Isaiah 55:11)

Next time you see a storm brewing on Doppler radar, expect it to be a water logged, two-ton fairy. Be prepared spiritually and learn to rely on God. He knows a lot about floods.

"As for you, you meant evil against me, {but} God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20