Welcome to my monthly newsletter! I will be posting this the first Sunday of every month! You’re invited to remove yourself to a quiet place to welcome the Lord in. Few things nourish us more than time set apart to follow the thoughts of our hearts. Grab your coffee and join me for Sunday Afternoon Pause: Chapter 2
“He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2
“My heart needs Thee, O Lord my heart needs Thee! This world has not provided for my heart. It has provided for my eye; it has provided for my ear; it has provided for my touch; it has provided for my taste; it has provided for my sense of beauty--but it has not provided for my heart. Provide Thou for my heart, O Lord!” George Matheson
Devotion: As we continue to follow Joseph’s story today in Genesis 37-38 we are welcomed right into his family drama. Talk about airing your dirty laundry, whew! Kelly Minter shares, “That being said somehow we all “get” Joseph on some level. We can relate to him. We’ve probably never owned a multicolored robe that nearly cost us our lives or traveled as a slave by camel to a foreign land, but we understand difficult relationships. We know unfair. Broken dreams that have nearly sunk us. And almost every one of us has wondered at some point in our lives, Where is God?”
“God can take the stones thrown at us with evil intent
and use them as the bedrock of His good plans for our lives.”
What does this all mean to us? As we continue in the months ahead we will see how deeply God loves us and wants us to love others – even those most difficult to love. God can take the stones thrown at us with evil intent and use them as the bedrock of His good plans for our lives. Genesis 50:20 sums it up this way, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good…”
“Whether in a prison or in a palace,
His presence changes everything.”
Pause Memory Verse: “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good.” Genesis 50:20
Pause Quote: “Whether in a prison or in a palace, His presence changes everything.”
Pause Question: "His presence changes everything." In what circumstance can this give you hope today?
A Home to Keep: DIY!
When you go to take a meal to someone the food is surely a gift in itself but you might want to try this easy DIY idea. Click here to find out how easy it is to decorate those foil food containers! I got this great idea from Adina Bailey who is the founder of TakeThemAMeal.com. She has a wonderful blog with so many insightful ideas on how to reach out to others and bring them comfort. You’ll love her website for so many reasons!
Mixing Bowl: Recipes!
I can’t wait to share this recipe for Classic Shepherd’s Pie with you. It makes a delicious meal and it ranks right up there with one of our favorite comfort foods! It’s also easy to double which makes it perfect for sharing with a neighbor. Click here for the recipe.
Wonderfully simple, cripy, small (have another). A bit ago I cut out a newspaper article for a Crispy Oatmeal Cookie/Biscuit from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. “What makes this cutout cookie so special, Edie Klebacha says, is that they’re not the sweet sugar cookie everyone expects. Rather they are made with a simple no-nonsense oatmeal batter that bakes into a crispy-crunchy cookie/biscuit.”
I added orange zest to mine. They are perfect with coffee or tea, I think you’ll agree! Click here for the recipe.
A Look Ahead. I have a new series called Consider It Done: Christmas! On the 25th of each month I will show you how to prepare for a season that sometimes overwhelms us and we end up missing out on its best moments. Join me for a jingle of a good time!
From my house to yours, Linda