Wordless Wednesday Trail Running Edition

Friday Foodie

Here's another recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, Monica, while we were in Indy last month.   Les has requested it more than once and I finally made it!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

18-20 Graham Crackers
3 cups milk
2 pkg (3 oz) French vanilla instant pudding
8 oz. cool whip
1 tub chocolate icing

Mix pudding, milk and cool whip together. 
Line bottom of 9" x 13" pan with graham crackers (my pan is slightly sloped so it took exactly 6 for the bottom)
Put 1/2 pudding mixture over crackers and top with another layer of crackers (this took 7 crackers for my pan.)
Put remaining pudding mixture over crackers and top with another layer of crackers (another 7)
Spread chocolate icing over top of cracker layer and refrigerate for several hours.

This is SO good - it's extremely rich but I made Indian food this week so it was a great offset for the spiciness.  I could not find French vanilla pudding and was ready to settle for plain vanilla when I spotted butterscotch.  Butterscotch is a favorite of Les' so I went with that.  When he saw the first piece he said, "This looks darker..."  After one bite he said, "Butterscotch!"  I think it made it even richer, so I'll probably go back to vanilla next time.  You might be tempted to cut right into it, but let it sit for several hours so the graham crackers become soft.  One bonus - this is a great summer dessert since there is no baking involved at all!

According to His Purpose

I am still on track with my daily Bible reading.  I've made it from Genesis to 2 Chronicles, Matthew to Romans, Proverbs 18 and am on my second time through Psalms.  This has been a great reading plan - I love the variety of Old and New Testament.

Today's reading took me to Romans chapter 8.  Verse 28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Commentary by Albert Barnes puts it extremely well:

And we know - This verse introduces another source of consolation and support, drawn from the fact that all things are under the direction of an infinitely wise Being, who has purposed the salvation of the Christian, and who has so appointed all things that they shall contribute to it.

All things - All our afflictions and trials; all the persecutions and calamities to which we are exposed. Though they are numerous and long-continued yet they are among the means that are appointed for our welfare.
 
Work together for good - They shall cooperate; they shall mutually contribute to our good. They take off our affections from this world; they teach us the truth about our frail, transitory, and lying condition; they lead us to look to God for support, and to heaven for a final home; and they produce a subdued spirit, a humble temper, a patient, tender, and kind disposition. This has been the experience of all saints; and at the end of life they have been able to say it was good for them to be afflicted.
 
For good - For our real welfare; for the promotion of true piety, peace, and happiness in our hearts.
 
To them that love God - This is a characteristic of true piety. To them, afflictions are a blessing. To others, they often prove otherwise. On others they are sent as chastisements; and they produce complaining, instead of peace; rebellion, instead of submission; and anger, impatience, and hatred, instead of calmness, patience, and love. The Christian is made a better man by receiving afflictions as they should be received, and by desiring that they should accomplish the purpose for which they are sent; the sinner is made more hardened by resisting them, and refusing to submit to their obvious intention and design.
 
To them who are the called - Christians are often represented as called of God. The word κλητός  klētos is sometimes used to denote an external invitation, offer, or calling. It is evidently used in this sense here - to denote those who were true Christians. The connection as well as the usual meaning of the word, requires us thus to understand it. Christians are said to be called because God has invited them to be saved, and has sent into their heart such an influence as to make the call effectual to their salvation. In this way their salvation is to be traced entirely to God.
 
According to his purpose - The word here rendered “purpose” πρόθεσις  prothesis means properly a proposition, or a laying down anything in view of others; and is thus applied to the bread that was laid on the table of show-bread. Hence, it means, when applied to the mind, a plan or purpose of mind. It implies that God had a plan, purpose, or intention, in regard to all who became Christians. They are not saved by chance or hap-hazard. God does not convert people without design; and his designs are not new, but are eternal. What he does. he always meant to do. What it is right for him to do, it was right always to intend to do. What God always meant to do, is his purpose or plan. That he has such a purpose in regard to the salvation of his people, is often affirmed.

There's really nothing I can add to that!  God has a plan, He has always had a plan.  And it's so much more than we can ever dream.  Always remember - it's for good.

"The Glorious Unfolding"

By Steven Curtis Chapman

Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

God’s plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing Love
And the story has only begun

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
We’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding
We will watch and see and we will be amazed
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
We’ll see the glorious unfolding

Just watch and see (unfolding)
This is just the beginning of the beginning (unfolding)

Cover Me

Our choir sang Mark Condon's "Cover Me" for service last night.  This is truly a powerful song.  I testified a little before we sang.  The complete testimony is one I posted on January 21, 2013 and felt to repost it this morning.  I don't know what you're going through today, but let the peace of God cover you.

My post yesterday was really the end of a chapter.  Today, I'll tell you about the chapters we have lived since September.  In September we had our annual Youth Alive services.  That Friday night the choir sang "Cover Me" by Mark Condon:

Peace of God, cover me
Cover me, cover me
Peace of God, cover me
Through the storm, cover me.

Only in You I am safe
Only in You I'm secure
Only in You I find peace
So cover me, cover me 

Cover me when I am hurting
Cover me when I'm not strong
Cover me when I am going through the storm
Cover me when it all seems hopeless
Cover me when my faith is gone
Let the peace that passes all I understand

As I stood on the platform singing, I thought of friends who were hurting.  I sang for them.  But sometime in that song I felt like I was singing for me.  I didn't know it that night, but my life was getting ready to be stormy and I would need peace like never before.  I haven't blogged about every part of the storm we went through, but here it is...

Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

On the following Saturday, September 15th, Dad was hospitalized in Fresno, then transferred to San Francisco.  This started a very long journey that we are still on today.  Dad spent 7 1/2 weeks in San Francisco (hospitals and rehab center) before returning to Fresno.  He was back in San Francisco in December for surgery and is now back in Fresno.

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

On the weekend of October 7-8, Les and I traveled to Fresno.  That Saturday Kim and I drove to San Francisco to visit Dad.  On Sunday morning, Les and I went to church in Truth Tabernacle.  We drove home that afternoon with plenty of time to make it to church that evening.  When we got home, we discovered that our house had been broken into.  Nothing was taken, the police said they were looking for cash and jewelry.  But it was a horrible feeling!

Only in You I am safe

Only in You I'm secure

Only in You I find peace

On October 22nd, Les was laid off his job.  In today's economy, we knew it might be a while before he found something else.  That ended up being three months.  But during that time, everyone of our needs were met.  We paid our bills, we had food on the table.  We were covered.

Cover me when I am hurting

Cover me when I'm not strong

Cover me when I am going through the storm

The same week that Les was laid off, Dad had his worst week in San Francisco.  For several days we were very concerned that his body was just shutting down.  His chemicals were completely out of balance.  The doctors were concerned about his heart.  After a few days back in the hospital, he started doing better and returned to the rehab center.

Cover me when it all seems hopeless

Here we are four months later and the peace of God has covered us through the storm.  There were days that I felt I was barely hanging on, but the peace would come.  Days when I worried, until I prayed and found peace again.  It's been a journey, but one that I never walked by myself.

Cover me when my faith is gone

Let the peace that passes all I understand

 Peace of God, cover me

Cover me, cover me

Peace of God, cover me

Through the storm, cover me.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
~ Philippians 4:7

Courage to Start

This quote came in an email last night and I really love it:

It takes so much courage to start something new!  23 years ago I was a new bride in a new city attending a new church.  I was content to slowly find my place in Victory Tabernacle.  I wasn't looking for any platform time, I was happy to help where needed.

A need became apparent when Pastor and Sister White were gone for Senior Camp one Sunday.  Our organist was missing and we were hurting big time!  In Fresno there was a never a gap - there were so many musicians that half of them could be on vacation or at camp and we'd still have plenty of music coverage.  That was not the case 23 years ago at Victory Tabernacle.  On our way home that Sunday morning I asked Les a couple of questions:

"Doesn't anyone else play?"  "No."
"Doesn't anyone else want to play?"  "Not that I know of."

And that's when I had to take a HUGE step of courage...

I enrolled at Moorpark Community College for a semester of Class Piano.  I knew nothing about music, so I was starting at middle C!  I tried to keep it a secret that I was attempting to learn the piano.  Long before I was ready, Sis. White found out and before I could do a thing about it I was playing a keyboard in church!  Actually, I was attempting to play a keyboard in church! 

I was terrified.  Even though I could hide behind the organ, bass and drums, I was still terrified.  My keyboard wasn't plugged into the house system - I just had a small amp that I usually kept so quiet I couldn't hear it myself!  It took a lot of courage in those early months to come to service and try to play along.

I have had so many people help me through the years.  I don't consider myself a great musician, but I can carry a service entirely if I need to.  Victory Tabernacle is now blessed with many musicians who started at a much younger age and have far surpassed my abilities.  But I do think my courage to start was an example to others that they too could be a blessing to the Kingdom!

It also takes a lot of courage to start over.  I remember walking into a Weight Watchers meeting in 2005.  My head hung in shame as I stepped on the scale, knowing I had regained all the weight I had previously lost and added more.  But I courageously attended meetings every week until I reached my goal once again.  Then I continued going to meetings for another 5+ years.  I was determined to get it right this time!

What are you hoping to finish?  Do you need to make some changes in your life?  Does that task seem overwhelming and you wonder if you can do it?  Have the courage to start (or start over) today!

I've Heard That Before...

It's summer time, so along with swimming and lots of ice tea, that means peach cobbler around here.  I made one last night and it was so good.  Les said, "Why haven't you made this before?" 

Well...  I actually have made it before and I even posted the recipe on this blog!  You can read all about it here.  The funny part is what I wrote at the end of the recipe:

This was DE-LISH!! Les only had one question, "Why didn't you make this sooner?"

It has been almost four years since I made this, so I think the real question is, why don't I make this more often!

Do you have a favorite summer dessert?

Book Review: Sisters of Lazarus

I recently read "Sisters of Lazarus - Beauty Unveiled" by Paula K. Parker.  I've written twice about Martha this year (here and here), so I was curious what this fictionalized account would have to say.  The book description said this:

Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, couldn't be more different.

Martha, the elder, is plain and self-conscious; Mary, the younger, is beautiful. One sees her value only in serving, while the other believes her outward appearance is her only asset. Their worlds are turned upside down when Lazarus offers hospitality to an intriguing new teacher named Jesus

The author gave some very interesting insight to the customs of the day.  She added family members (an uncle in particular) that gave the story a different dimension.  She also included Nicodemus and Simon the leper, making them friends of the family.

I really struggled with how much emphasis was placed on Martha and Mary's outward appearance.   Why couldn't the hard working sister also have been beautiful?  Why couldn't it have been the plain sister who sat at Jesus' feet?  We don't know what the sisters looked like, but they could have been very similar in appearance.  I think the story would have been more interesting if outward appearance played a smaller role (or no role at all.)   The character of Mary, one so focused on her outward beauty, didn't line up with the Mary I've read about in the Bible.  There was no transformation from the selfish girl to the one who sat at His feet.  The sisters bickered constantly - I find it hard to imagine this was a home Jesus would have visited on a regular basis.

This book got very high reviews but it was disappointing to me. We live in a society that is overly focused on outward appearance when it's really what is on the inside that counts.  I think the author tried to weave that into the story, but it just wasn't enough for me!

Can I Get An Amen?

Sis. White sent this to me a couple weeks ago...

Any other choir directors know this feeling?

On a brighter note - Mark Yandris has a new project out and it is fabulous!  One of the best I've heard in a while.  A Sound for God's House is one you will enjoy whether you're a choir director, choir member, or just someone who loves good music!  My top two are "Thankful for the Blood" and "He's An Awesome God."

Home Improvements

Our house was built in 1987. We bought it in 2001. We've done a lot of work through the years, but there are a couple of rooms that haven't been touched. One is our downstairs bathroom. The toilet had a leak at some point and damaged the wood floor. Les pulled out the toilet on Saturday and tried to decide if he could just repair around it. He ended up tearing out the entire floor!

After talking it over, I decided to go ahead and strip the 1980s wallpaper while we are at it.  That's my project for today.  Then we plan to paint and put in tile (and when I say "we" I mean we will pick out the paint and tile and Les will do the work!)  I'll post the after pictures soon (I hope!)

Summer Delights

I mentioned getting some recipes from my sister-in-law Monica - I have now tried three of the four and they are all perfect summer dishes!  If you're planning a get together for tomorrow and need just one more dish, give one of these a try!

Layered Salad

1 head lettuce, break in bite size pieces
1 head cauliflower, break in bite size pieces
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 bag frozen peas
2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 lb. bacon, fried and chopped

Layer first four items in that order.  Mix mayonnaise, cheese and sugar, spread on top of salad.  Refrigerate overnight or several hours.  Add bacon.  Toss before serving.

I cut this recipe in half knowing that it would probably be soggy before we finished eating it - that did not happen!  We chowed down on this and it was gone in 24 hours.  I'm planning to make another one today - that's how good it is!  We had this with lunch and dinner on Tuesday and finished it off at lunch on Wednesday.  It was best the first time, after just a few hours the peas were still partially frozen and crunchy.  It is one of those dishes that each bite tastes a little different.  Very refreshing!

 Fruit Torte

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Add flour to melted butter, mix in brown sugar and press into 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Spread evenly over crust.

Top with fruit and chill.

I also cut this recipe in half and used an 8 x 8 pan - we still have some of it but it seems to keep well for a few days.  I opted for a red, while and blue mix in honor of Independence Day!  I think if you were in a hurry (or didn't want to turn your oven on for 10 minutes), you could buy a pre-made graham cracker crust.

Sunshine Chicken Salad

1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/4 cup honey
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup celery, sliced
1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes
1/2 cup slivered almonds or pecans, toasted

Combine dressing mix, mayo, cream cheese, and honey thoroughly in a small bowl.  Chill 30 minutes or overnight.
Place remaining ingredients, except almonds, in a large bowl.  Toss with chilled dressing.  Sprinkle almonds or pecans to serve.

This makes a great sandwich alternative!  I was out of grapes when I made this, so I added dried cranberries and of course cut the recipe in half.