Annual Missions Week

This week is Missions Week at Victory Tabernacle. We love missionaries and have them visit often, but this week we will take new financial commitments along with awarding our "Missionaries of the Year" among our children and young people. The winners have been consistently involved in giving to missions throughout the past year and will have their way paid on one of our annual missions trips.

All of this has me thinking about two missionary trips I took as a young person. It was such a privilege and an eye opener to see how people live and worship in other parts of the world! So for this week I'm going to take you back... Back to 1983 Western District Youth Corps (WDYC) - Puerto Rico and Haiti. And 1984 WDYC - Hong Kong and the Philippines!

If you EVER have the opportunity to go on a trip like one of these - DO IT!! You will never forget. I was 19 the first time and some said, "Why don't you spend the money on a car?" My response was, "There will be plenty of time for a car when I'm older, but I may never have this chance again." I don't regret a single penny!

The first part of my first trip was to Puerto Rico. There were 27 young people with our counselors, Pastor and Mrs. Clifford Clark and Pastor and Mrs. Dennis Warren. We boarded Eastern Airlines flight #80 from LAX to Atlanta at 10:20 p.m. on July 28th and our trip had begun! After flying all night to Atlanta, then a short stop in Miami, we arrived in San Juan at about 11:00 a.m.

This was the Headquarters church in Villa Prades.

Choir practice

Bro. Clark preaching


The guitar player on the right was also our bus driver, Bro. Joaquin.


Another of our churches. The man in the middle was the pastor.


Passing out invitations in Corozal



Service in Corozal



Another of our churches


Of course no trip is complete without a little site seeing. And with this many young people there was LOTS of laughter! I seem to recall being involved in a wedding while we were there... it could have even been mine! Alas, I left my groom (but not my heart) in San Juan...

This is our group at the Rain Forest.


Doing a little shopping in Old San Juan.


Tomorrow... Haiti

Friday Foodie

I've been so negligent in posting recipes! I actually have TWO new recipes to share, one I tried this week and the other was about a month ago. That's what happens when you're in revival!

Both of these recipes originated with the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. I was looking for something new and went in to recipe overload on that site. It's wonderful!

The first one is Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta. The original recipe can be found here. I started with that and made a few changes, the most important being the addition of Italian turkey sausage. I was pretty sure the sauce was going to be sweet and thought the addition of the sausage would balance it out - I was right!

• 1 whole Butternut Squash, Peeled & Cubed
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1-½ cup Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
• 6 cloves Roasted Garlic
• 3 cups, Ravioli
• 1 Italian Turkey Sausage link
  
• ⅛ cups Shredded Parmesan

Preparation Instructions

Bake butternut squash at 350 until softened. You’ll want to cut off the ends of the squash first, and then cut it in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds/guts. Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler–you may need to make more than one swipe to get all of it. Slice crosswise, and then cut up each slice to cube it.

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet and when it’s hot, dump in the cubed squash. Salt & pepper the squash to taste and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Go ahead and start boiling your water to cook your pasta. Cooking the squash is a very fast process! But before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta’s cooking water and set aside.

After cooking the squash in the oil, add in the chicken broth (which can be replaced with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian-friendly) and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for up to an additional 10 minutes or until the squash cubes are easily split in half with a fork.

Put the cloves of roasted garlic * into a blender or food processor along with the squash and any liquid still left in the skillet. Blend until the squash is smooth with no lumps remaining. Put the puree back into the skillet and put it over very low heat. Expect the puree to be too thick–that’s what the reserved pasta cooking water is for. Add in a little at a time until the puree is thinned to your liking!

Spoon the sauce over ravioli and place in baking pan. Put in oven at 350 for about 20 minutes (everything is cooked, this just helps the flavors to blend).

While the sauce and ravioli bakes, cook sausage according to package directions. Slice sausage and top pasta dish in final 5 minutes of baking.

For the Roasted Garlic:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops of the heads of garlic off so the cloves are exposed. Peel a couple of the outer papery layers off. You can roast these on a cookie sheet or you can use a muffin tin. Place all of your heads of garlic on your pan and drizzle each with olive oil. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Pop the tray in the oven for 30-40 minutes. The garlic is done when it gives when gently pressed on the side.

Nutritional info: Sauce only: 54 calories/1.75 g fat / 1.5 g fiber/ 0.9 WW points. Complete dish: 294 calories / 7.5 g fat / 3 g fiber / 5.9 points. Makes 4 servings.


I tried Recipe #2 this week and forgot to take a picture. It is Chinese Chicken Casserole, the original recipe is here. I added Knorr brand Asian sides Teriyaki noodles and omitted the mayonnaise.

• 1 Tablespoon Butter Or Margarine
• 1 whole Small Red Bell Pepper, Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 package (about 6 Oz. Package) Sliced Fresh Mushrooms
• ⅓ cups Slivered Almonds
• 3 whole Green Onions, Chopped
• 1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
• 3 cups Cooked Chicken, Chopped
• ¼ teaspoons Pepper
• 1 can (5 Oz. Can) Chow Mein Noodles
• Knorr Asian sides Teriyaki noodles
  

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute the red pepper, garlic, and mushrooms until tender. Stir in almonds and the remaining ingredients (except the noodles). While this cooks, prepare Teriyaki noodles according to package directions.

Pour everything into a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This was very simple and tasted good. It seemed a little dry, but a little extra soy sauce did the trick.

Nutritional info: 228 calories / 7.2 g fat / 2 g fiber / 4.8 WW points. Makes 8 servings.


I also made butterscotch oatmeal cookies this week that were delicious!! Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix + 1 cup butterscotch chips. Mmmm!!

No Man

Jesus said a very powerful thing in John chapter 10 verses 27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."


We are not in the middle of a tug-o-war between God and the devil. Yes, Satan will try to pull us away, but he has NO power to do so. On more than one occasion I have spoken with a struggling young person. While trying to encourage them, I've said, "You can make it." It breaks my heart when I hear, "I hope so," as a response. There should never be fear or doubt that we will survive the storms or temptations of life. When Jesus said, "no man" that is exactly what He meant.

Our Value in God's Eyes

Sunday night's service reminded me of a message that Pastor White preached a couple years ago. He talked about our value in the eyes of God. He gave an example of a $100 bill.

When the bill is new and crisp, its value is $100.


If the bill gets crumpled, its value is $100.



If the bill gets stepped on or torn, its value is $100.


And that's how God views us. No matter what turns our lives take, our value is the same.

When we're a newborn child, our value is the same.

When we're broken and used up, our value is the same.

Whether we've strayed far from home or stayed nestled in His arms, our value is the same.

Jeremiah 31:3 "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

The Opryland Hotel

I received these pictures of the flooded Opryland Hotel from my friend, Tammy Batson. You may remember that we celebrated Bill and Dolly's 50th wedding anniversary at the beautiful hotel last August. I am in shock at how quickly the damage occurred.


Last August...


Last week...

Before...


After...



I think this...


is where this picture was taken...

Proverbs 27:1 "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

Saying So Long to the Jackson Five

Not these guys!


But this precious family...


We closed out our revival with the Jackson family last night and what a great time it has been! Bro. Jackson truly had the mind of God for our church this entire time. His wife and darling kids were just an added bonus. We are sorry to see them leave, but so thankful for how God used them. Only eternity will tell just how much was accomplished during this time.

We ended our meeting last night with an incredible service. Bro. Jackson preached about "The Only Time God Gets in a Hurry." He gave numerous examples of Jesus' earthly ministry when He didn't get in a hurry - when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He waited two days before going to Bethany. When Jairus' daughter was dying, Jesus stopped in the crowd as the woman with the issue of blood reached out to Him.

It is only in the story of the prodigal that we see God get in a hurry. Luke 15:20 says, "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." We enjoyed a great time in the altar as God ran to meet those in need of salvation and restoration!

I couldn't help but think of this old song. So glad God ran to me!

When God Ran
Benny Hester

Almighty God, The Great I Am
Immoveable Rock, Omnipotent powerful
Awesome Lord, Victorious Warrior
Commanding King of Kings
Mighty Conquerer,
And the only time, the only time I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me,
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again".
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
He said "Son, do you know I still love you?"
It caught me by surprise when God ran

The day I left Home, I knew I'd broken His heart
I wondered if things could ever be the same,
Then one night, I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road, ahead I could see
It's the only time, the only time I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me,
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again".
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
He said "Son, do you know I still love you?"
It caught me by surprise, He brought me to my knees
When God ran
I saw Him run to me
And then I ran to Him

Holy God, Righteous One
Who turned my way
Now I know, He's been waiting
For this day

And then He ran to me,
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again".
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
I felt His love for me again

He ran to me,
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again".
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
He said Son, He said Son, My Son!
Do you know I still love you
oohhh...He ran to me
When God ran

Three Generations of Moms

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms! Enjoy your day.

I was blessed to know both of my grandmothers and two of my great grandmothers. They are all gone now, but their love lives on in the lives of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

My two great grandmothers were both on Mom's side. They were both born in the 1800s and lived well into their 90s.

Lola Pearson was Mom's paternal grandmother. We all called her Granny.


Granny lived in a little trailer in Oxnard. Visits to her home were rare, but each was memorable. She didn't mean to be funny, but she kept us laughing whenever we were together. For a time she had a myna bird that could talk, it's favorite sayings were "pretty bird" and "Lo-La."

Grandma Lancaster was Mom's maternal grandmother. Her full name was Maude Atlantic Lancaster. I have no idea who came up with that middle name!


Grandma Lancaster was mother to 11 children. She lived a godly life, she had the Holy Ghost for many years, but did not see the necessity of Jesus name baptism. Sometime in her 80s she finally believed and, more importantly, she obeyed the plan of salvation! The last time I saw her was in 1984. She had been in poor health for many years and was in a nursing home. I was leaving in a week or so to spend 2 weeks in Hong Kong and the Philippines on a missions trip. I told her my plans and she was so excited about the blessing we were going to be. She also reached out for my long hair - hers was almost gone, but still uncut. She died while I was on that trip and I always treasure that last visit with her.

Grandma Luella Ray Pearson was Mom's mom.


She was another one who kept us on our toes and laughing! Grandma had quite the ability to tell a story. I'll never forget the one she told when her false teeth fell out! The story was funny, but the telling of it was even funnier. Grandma loved to give gifts. She didn't have a lot of money, but would spend all year finding Christmas gifts for every family member. She also expected a prompt thank you card...

Grandma Ruby Marie Fultz was Dad's mom.


Of all the "Moms" in this post, Grandma Ruby was definitely the gentlest of them all. That's not to say that she wouldn't take care of business if she needed to, but her tones, even her laugh, were gentle. She's been gone a short time, this is our first Mother's Day without her and she is definitely missed.

And then there is Mom...


Here she is holding her first grandchild, but there could have been hundreds of pictures just like this. She loved babies! For many years she babysat so she could be home for her kids. Her favorite age was newborns and she was ready to send them on when they hit the terrible twos!

Of course, Mom was known for other wonderful traits. Baked goods that were second to none. Homemade craft items that she would spend hours creating. I've searched high and low for her "Fat Hymns" - hymns that she rewrote about dieting, such as "Slimming down, down, down..." to the tune of "Coming down, down, down..."

I'm sure I'm a mixture of all these ladies, the good and the not so good, but I'm blessed to have had them in my life.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my wonderful Dad's birthday!


You've been full of hugs...


A helping hand...


A steady one to lean on...



A nice pillow...

The giver of treats...


Not afraid to have fun...


Gramps to three pretty cool kids...


But best of all you're Dad!


I love you, Dad! Hope your day is the best!!

Love,
Kid

I Love a Good Deal!

I've been spending birthday money this week and it has been so fun! I'm a little less careful with gift money, but I still love a good deal. I picked up a little jacket for $17 at Stein Mart and was quite pleased with myself. Then there is this skirt from Coldwater Creek:


Original price - $89.95. Don't think so!

It was on sale on Monday for $44.99. It's birthday money... but still.

Checked back yesterday - marked down an additional 40%! Yee haw! $26.99!! Hello, new skirt.

I have this jacket:


It's a fun, lightweight jacket that I got at Kohl's last Spring for $12. It has a twin at Adidas for $160.

There's also nothing like a good BOGO. Buy one, get one half off. Or even better, buy one, get one free!

But the best deal of all is absolutely free:

John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

John 10:11"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

No way will I pass up this deal!

Profound Thought of the Day

My Weight Watchers leader gave us this quote yesterday:

Ask not what you can do for your country.
Ask what's for lunch.

- Orson Welles

The choice is yours!

Introducing My New Running Partner!

After more than four years together, my Polar S625X and I have parted ways. It was a wonderful relationship while it lasted, but 10,000 miles later my Polar foot pod just couldn't take it anymore! The continual pounding on the pavement and dirt wore the thing out. I asked for and received a new partner for my birthday. Introducing...

The Garmin Forerunner 305!


It's a lovely watch with heart rate monitor, but best of all it has a GPS receiver. No more making sure my foot pod is calibrated. It also has three customizable screens that I can scroll through while I'm running to see how far I've run, average heart rate, calories burned, and much, much more! When I get home I download my file to SportTracks and have a handy map of exactly where I've been. Here is this morning's 10 mile jaunt:



I am looking forward to many happy trails together!

Sunday Morning Explosion!

We had great church this morning! During the song service and other preliminaries you could tell God was up to something. Bro. Jackson preached about becoming a new vessel. At the end of his message he urge anyone who had not been baptized in Jesus name to seriously consider doing so. Our baptistry was made ready and altar call took place...

First, Eric Wilson, a young man from our church was baptized. Then a Spanish speaking lady who has been coming for a while was baptized. While she was still praying, two others approached Pastor White about being baptized. Then one of our van riders got in touch with her father, who came and gave permission for her to be baptized!

That's right, we had FIVE baptized in the name of Jesus this morning!!!

I guess I should say afternoon, since church wasn't dismissed until about 1:30. But it was wonderful to stay and be a part of this great time! Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures to post - I was playing the piano the entire time. Can't wait to see what happens next...