Monday, February 21, 2011


This picture is from a "compassion" magazine. It has been photocopied and taped to a piece of construction paper with the scripture above reading "do all things without complaining" and that scripture comes from Philippians 2:14. This picture is of some children and mothers walking along a dirt road, carrying jugs of water. Some of the children are not wearing shoes. And look at the child on the far left; the one carrying the white jug. He cant be much older than my daughter, who is three years old.

This was used in a lesson that I taught to my Sunday school class of fourth graders. That was about two and a half years ago. The lesson was more or less about being thankful for the lives that they lived, and to show them how some children around the world lived. I had each student take a photocopy and tape it to a colorful piece of construction paper with the instruction to hang it where they would see it everyday. I wanted my precious little students to remember to not take their life for granted. I, too, made myself a copy to be hung in my laundry room, which was where I endured my least favorite chore. Two houses later, it still hangs in my laundry room....only when I made this, I had a "normal" laundry room. A nice space that was temperature controlled, with some cabinets overhead for storage, and nice tile floors. These days my laundry room is a space separate from the house, very cold in the winter~sometimes the water lines freeze and it is unusable, no cabinets, and no dryer. Only a funky washer that, at times overflows if I don't keep my eye on it, and plywood floors.
Notice this scripture does not say: "Do all things without complaining, unless its really bad, then you can complain, after all you deserve to have a decent laundry room (or fill in your own blank)"

No...It says "do all things without complaining and disputing" Philippians 2:14

Sometimes its not easy to do things without complaining...but God continually works on my heart. His grace is sufficient for me. And how dare I complain about the blessings I have been given....How dare I complain about this when people are living like the ones in this photo....

So I have learned to be content....and perhaps one day I will again be blessed with an ideal laundry room....but i don't need that to be happy. And if i live the rest of my life this way~ I will thank God for the clothes that need to be washed...for the day that it takes me to wash and dry at the laundromat....for the child I have to clothe....and for the husband that pays this water bill!

Yes I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content....I know how to be abased and I know how to abound.....I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Sweet Cornbread (the best ever!!)



MMMMM This cornbread will make ya want to move to the south!

2/3 cup butter (soft)
1 cup Sugar
3 eggs
1& 2/3 cup milk
2& 1/3 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
4&1/2 tsp baking POWDER
1 tsp salt

cream the butter and sugar
add the eggs
blend
add all other ingredients

AND THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE IT EXTRA DELICIOUS...

Pour into a cast iron skillet

bake at 400 degrees for 25~30 minutes

Yum! My family loves this recipe!