Timing

I enjoy reading about King David's life and I am continually amazed at how you can re-read a portion of scripture you have read before and new things continually come out each time.

1 Samuel 26:9-11

By this time in David's life he has already been anointed King over Israel but Saul is still living and has plotted and made attempts on David's life. In chapter 26 we find David a second time with the advantage over Saul but he refuses to kill him. This time when I read through the passage the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart some key things that ment so much to me.

1. You may know God's call on your life long before the doors open up to walk in that calling.
   God gives you a dream but you may have to wait to see it come to life.
2. Don't take things into your own hands.
3. God's timing is perfect.

1. David was anointed by Samuel as a young man but waited many years before he was ever crowned. God may have spoken to your heart or planted a dream there and you're waiting and waiting thinking, is this ever going to happen, God you gave me this dream you gave me this promise but, I'm not seeing it. It is during this time of waiting God is preparing us mentally and emotionally maybe physically for what it is he has for us to do. Do not get frustrated, God is faithful to work out the things he has birthed in your heart. During this time of preparation be faithful with what God has given you. David didn't start out with a nation but led a band of 400 needy people and as his journey went on more and more joined him. He didn't turn them away saying, “Well you know I have been anointed to be King so when I get my crown then I'll see to your needs.” He began right where God put him and with what God entrusted Him with. If you are waiting until you have position you will not be prepared when you get there. “Grow where you are planted” ~ Pastor John Lindell
2. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed....
   David could have killed Saul and taken the throne the next day but, he realized that God was the author of his life. David believed that God said he would be king and he would be king in God's time not his. In our lives we can try to make things happen. We can work hard, network, look beyond our dream or settle for less than what our dream is. When we do that we are not only saying that God doesn't know what he's doing but we are saying we can do it without him. That was something that David was not willing to do (Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed) When we do things on our terms we lose the lessons and experiences that will prepare us to fulfill the dreams he has given us. We lose the full blessing that God has for us. We trade for good instead of waiting for God's best. Don't want your dream so bad that you would sacrifice God's best to get it.
3. God's timing is perfect. He is never late. He is never early. He knows what you need before you need it. If God has enough foresight to see the good works you are predestined to do and to package you with the gifts and talents you will need to accomplish them (see Ephesian 2:10) then he is more than big enough to work out the time line of how everything will fall into place.

God is good, he is faithful. He has such amazing plans and purpose for our lives exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think. (see Ephesians 3:20 KJV)

Mid-Summer Planning

Well here we are in the middle of summer and realizing that it is only around 6 weeks until school will be back in full swing. That's 6 weeks for me to get all our school stuff and cirriculum together. The good thing is it gives me an excuse to check out my favorite book store, Redeemed Music and Books, in Springfield.

Yummy

I love good food and I love to cook good food. This week Grace and I were watching TLC and saw an episode of the Kitchen Boss. All of his recipes are Italian. In this episode he made sausage and pepper sandwiches, calzones, and zeppoles. Well, thoroughly inspired tonight I set out to make my own version of the sausage pepper calzones with the ingredients I had in my kitchen. Here is what I ended up with.

Sausage Cheese Calzones
3 Venison Polish Sausage- I think regular will be good too.
1/2 onion chopped
1-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Garlic minced
Italian blend cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper
Pizza Dough divided into 4 dough balls. If these roll out too large you could either double the meat mixture or do what we did and make zeppoles for desert with the extra dough.
Preheat oven and pizza stone to 475 degrees
     In a skillet, I used my cast iron, heat your oil and add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. When the onions are nearly translucent add your 3 whole polish sausages to the pan and cover them with the onion and garlic and allow to simmer for around 15-20 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and cut them up, mix with the onion and garlic. Next divide the mixture into 4 equal servings.
     Take one of the dough balls and roll it out to 1/8 inch thick. Place the sausage mixture and cheese on the dough and fold it in half. If you are making zeppoles cut away extra dough and then press the seam together to seal. Place on stone and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Zeppoles
Left over dough- using this dough versus freshly raised dough makes the Zeppoles chewier.
Pan of vegetable oil, I used canola, heated to 350
Powdered sugar
     Pull the dough and cut with kitchen scissors into bit size pieces. Once the oil has heated drop the dough into the oil until golden brown. Remove them to a paper towel and then into a bag of powdered sugar. Shake to cover them with the powdered sugar.

These were both hits and definate do agains. Buon Appetito!

What a Day

Today has been great. Dustin took care of a few things in town today while we had school. While he was out he ran by Lowe's and picked Grace up her first sled. She was so excited. We all bundled up and Dustin hooked it onto the truck with a strap. He drove and I took pictures from the back. A few wipe outs and tons of fun and laughter later we headed for the house. I do not think Grace has ever been so cold.
I hate to be cold but looking back over our pictures and realizing the memories we made makes it worth it all. She will always remember her first outing on her new sled, how fast Dad drove, and how Mom sat in the back freezing but got good pics.
The day is not over. There is still supper time and then basketball practice. Still more opportunities to make more memories and to shape the character of the young woman that our beautiful daughter is becoming.
Lord, help me to be ever vigilant for teachable moments, ever cautious of my words that they build and not tear down. May I always be faithful to Your Word and the call You have on my life as a Your daughter, Dustin's wife, and Grace's mom.

He Is Jealous For Me

I was fixing my cup of coffee this morning and David Crowder Band's song How He Loves came across my mind. The first verse says, "He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane I am a tree. Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy..." I began to focus on that word jealous. In our world it is a negative and it should be it leads to; envy, coveting, the desire to control people, and even abuse. That is why several places in the New Testament it is listed as part of the sinful things we battle against. God's jealousy however is holy and loving. We could have a lengthy discussion just on the holy part but the loving side is what stuck with me this morning. I am filled with awe at how the Creator of the universe is jealous for me. He longs for and desires time with me. He hangs onto my every word, cries every tear with me, understands every emotion I am feeling, cares about every detail of my life, wants to spend every hour of every day with me, totally gets me in every way. Oh how He loves...

The Rescue Station

This is a story from a book that I have been re-reading called, Thinking Missional becoming the people God intended.

Once upon a time, there was a rescue station on a far away shore, intended to save lives from ships that had been broken up on its rocky shoreline.
Those who served in the station had time on their hands between emergencies, so they built a recreation room with pool tables, bowling lanes, a hot tub, and a sound system with couches and recliners. As a matter of fact, their quarters became so enjoyable, that soon those they had needed to save became a nuisance, upsetting their society.

Over time they had virtually given up their initial purpose and had become a club for recreation. However many were incensed at the departure from their roots and purpose. They split off and moved down the coast to begin a new rescue station committed to the original charter. Soon however, the new station also sought diversions and became distracted from its purpose, and it too split.

Its original charter however, was kept mounted on a table with a model of a ship beside it illuminated by soft lighting to remind all of its historic, noble beginnings. Still the new work had the same struggles, the same temptations, the same distractions, and the same splits. Gradually, a host of buildings rimmed the coast as a testament to a once gallant effort. Each station had its old documents and relics mounted in soft lighting to remind them of what they once were. And the clubs continued as did the shipwrecks...and men perished.

Lord, may my focus be outward not inward, viewing people and the world through your eyes, not my own.

In Hiding

This morning was Missions Sunday at church. On the second Sunday of every month we spotlight missions. Our Kid's Church emphasizes missions through BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade) lessons, but just before worship we let the kids go around and fleece the adults in the sanctuary of their change and then dismiss them to their service. It is a great time. The kids enjoy going around the church gathering the change and occasionally the dollars the adults eagerly dig out from every corner of their pockets and purses. I have even over heard some mention that they keep track of 2nd Sunday to remember to bring the change they have saved. This is the Sunday that I teach Kid's Church. Today's lesson focused on Honduras and all that God is doing there through BGMC. Along with interesting facts about the country and it's people there is always a lesson for the kid that they can apply to their life. Today the lesson was a good reminder to me too.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. ~ Selah Psalm 32:7

It is not that I have ever forgotten that He is my hiding place but this is a scripture that I have not read in a while. I am constantly amazed at how God's word is so fresh and so precious each and every time that I read it. The lesson to the kids was that in times of fear, uncertainty, or even temptation we can run to God. His great arms surround us with His unfailing love and protection. In other psalms it describes the Lord as our strong tower and our refuge. When I read these passages it makes me think of how when Grace is troubled or afraid. She doesn't run to our friends or hide under the covers. She runs to us, her parents, who love and care for her. How much more does our Father in heaven want us to run to Him. To many times I think we run and tell our problems to our friends and family or try to pretend nothing is wrong. Granted we need close friends that we can confide in and count on to be in prayer with us, but the first place we should run is to our source. The one who can meet any need we have. The one who can surround us with songs of deliverance. No matter what we face God is faithful to see us through every challenge every issue we face.
Thank you Lord for being concerned about me and what my struggles and challenges might be. Thank you for promising that you will be there and although I may not see the deliverance of my situations at the time I praise you that you promise to be there and never leave me.