2 pkg. Frozen chopped spinach 1 large pkg. Cream cheese (8 oz.) 1 stick of margarine, divided in half grated rind of one lemon Pepperidge Farm dressing crumbs (herb seasoned) Blend cream cheese, ¼ stick of margarine and lemon rind. Cook spinach according to directions. Drain well. Squeeze out...
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Every October, with its falling leaves and brilliant colors, I’m reminded of my father’s death: October 30 the night before Halloween. My mother had died three years earlier, leaving our father, stroke-ridden, in our house. What was curious, whenever I visited Daddy, I could feel my mother in...
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. An opal is an amazing stone of iridescent colors. It can pick up the colors around it. Just like October, there is an array of vibrant colors surrounding us. Red, yellow, orange, rust, gold, and green cover the hillsides...
“Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 The American Gem Society website (www.americangemsociety.com) says that those folks born in October get to choose between two birthstones—tourmaline or opal. Each gem unveils nearly limitless possibilities offering a...
This is an all-time family favorite! Just use a deep dish pyrex or other oven-safe pie plate. 1 pie dish (or aluminum pie pan) Pie Crust (from Pillsbury’s “All-ready Pie Crust”) 2 heaping tablespoons flour 1 pkg.(2 or 3 cups) Of grated, mixed cheese (colby-jack, or 4-cheese Mexican Blend...
The gemstone for September is sapphire, who knows why? (For that matter who made up the order of any of the 12 monthly gemstones, or put another way—to whose financial benefit? ) Well, I’m not even going to go there. I want to talk about the color blue and...
Have you ever noticed how many songs have the word “blue” in their titles? Moody Blue, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?, Blue Moon of Kentucky, Blue Velvet, and Blue Suede Shoes just to name a few. Very often we use the...
These are great cookies to start the fall season, not too heavy but the right amount of spice to get you ready for the chilly fall weather. They are also incredibly easy to make since they start with a cake mix. Ingredients: 1 spice cake mix (18.25 oz) 2/3...
Blue is my favorite color. The beauty of a pristine azure blue sky brings happiness to my heart and a smile to my face. My bedroom is even painted a peaceful blue hue. This summer I spent a few days traveling to 4 national parks in Colorado and Utah....
I know that it is September when the leaves begin to turn brown, or I find them in little fluffy mounds all along the ground near the creek. The spiders are still out in force with cobwebs that festoon our back porch and other insects are still sneaking into...
How quickly my opinions change. One moment I am sneering at Michael Cohen, the President’s long-time lawyer and fixer, a hired hand whom we see dipping his fingers in the milk of corruption, sipping from a bowl that is growing larger and larger as he sits before it...
The phrase “green with envy” can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. And years later, William Shakespeare wrote these lines in Othello: “Beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on”. Envy usually precedes jealousy…and unchecked jealousy can lead...
A favorite character of The Muppets is Kermit, the Frog. He has a long term relationship with Miss Piggy. There is an understanding of love. However, Kermit admits that he has been somewhat of an outsider because of his color – GREEN. In his song, “It’s Not Easy Being...
You can use almost any kind of summer fruit for these shortcakes, whatever you can find that is fresh! Ingredients: 8 cups pineapple, slices thin 5 tablespoons sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons sugar 8 tablespoons...
Perhaps because of my name and its derivation (philo-sophy: the love of wisdom), I have a special relationship with wisdom. I remember when I was a teenager that my prayer — with heart-yearning anguish — was “To Understand.” “Understand what?” someone might have asked, had I opened the secret...
My childhood years were spent in a rural farming community—not a lot of folks. Amidst that small population I can remember at least three ladies named Ruby. It must have been a popular name during the times they were born. It was never one of my favorite names but...
Make a half of a cup of simple syrup. Let it cool to room temperature. Use 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Simmer (cook slowly) over low heat until the sugar dissolves. (Do not stir the sugar while it is dissolving, just keep an eye on it to...
Proverbs 2:6 (NIV) For the Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. For the United States of America, Independence Day, July 4th, is a family celebration.There are bar-b-ques, picnics, parades, and fireworks. From small town USA to New York’s Macy’s and Washington D.C.’s spectacular fireworks...
July is one of our family birthday months. Ruby is the “birthstone” for that month. I never see a ruby without thinking of my sister, our late father, and a nephew. The stones are found (and polished) with such wonderful hues of red. Even the word “Ruby” creates a...
As the earth swings in its elliptical arc around the sun and approaches the July 4 aphelion, its farthest point from the sun (94.5 million miles), you’d think the earth would be colder than at other times. But because the North Pole tilts toward (or away from) the light...
No matter what the calendar may say, I think Summer officially begins the day I see my first firefly of the year. And that event happened on May 31st this year. Since childhood I have been fascinated by the firefly although in those growing up years, we called them...
Walking on the beach Sounds of the ocean Finding a patch of thick green moss in the woods and taking your shoes off and standing barefoot on it. A game of horseshoes A game of croquet Homemade ice cream Swimming Water skiing Eating a Georgia or South Carolina just-picked...
This is a recipe for two 8″ cakes for one tier of cake.To make a 6″ tier half the recipe, for a 10″ tier double the recipe. Ingredients: 4 eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2...
Hooray for Summer! Time to visit family, explore beaches, hike mountain trails, join in a service project, or just relax around the swimming pool (if we are lucky!) God created this glorious beauty in the world for us to experience everyday. Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created...
There are definitely “summer savers” that restore our hearts, minds, and bodies. These are places such as the beach, the mountains, another village or town with friends or family, and new opportunities for learning and sharing. I have discovered that each time I travel or experience one of these,...
By Grace Brewer As I reflect on my time in Kenya, I am reminded of one certain thing, the people. I was able to spend two weeks of my July on a mission trip in Mombasa, Kenya. I was accompanied by a team of thirteen other students...
Sophy Burnham is the author of “A Book of Angels”, “The Art of Intuition”, “The Path of Prayer”, “For Writer’s Only”, “Falling Lovestruck”: The God Poems, “Love Melba”, and many more!! Janine: What inspired as well as motivated you (Sophy) to become a writer? What “spoke” to your heart...
John 3: 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (NIV) As the March winds approach, it brings fond memories of childhood. Running freely with...
What does it mean to be a person of faith? Martin Luther, one of the movers and shakers in the Protestant Reformation, thought that it meant to be a theodidacta, a “person taught by God.” I like this definition. It suggests that faith is a gift from God that...
Lou is my very dear, elderly friend who is almost like a second mother to me. She is now 88 years old and still very active. Her husband had a military career as an Air Force Master Sergeant, and they have lived in more states than I have room...
These are super easy and a quick special dessert for Valentine’s Day. Ingredients: Fresh Strawberries (make sure they have the leaves, for holding) Dipping Chocolate (it comes in a microwaveable container) various toppings: nuts, toffee, chocolate chips Directions: Lay out the strawberries on a cookie sheet with parchment or...
When I automatically set the table for dinner, it never occurs to me that I have to prepare not only the “plate” upon which the food is placed but that I am actually creating the environment in which eating together makes memories. Which is to say that how and...
“For unto us a child is born. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (King James) In December of 2007, the Knoxville Choral Society had the opportunity to travel to Israel. The concert tour was entitled: “Prepare the...
This month I defer to another author, Vanessa, from “At The Picket Fence” blog. I confess that I avoided blogs for several years, unsure if I actually wanted to spend any of my precious (and rare) spare time there. I finally decided that I would limit myself to two blogs,...
These are a great light cookie for the winter, it works as a gift or just to have around the house. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup shortening 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup firmly packed light...
This is a bit more complicated than the recipe on the can of pumpkin but the flavors of the pumpkin and spices really come out. Ingredients: 1 partially baked 9″ pie crust 2 cups (16 oz) plain canned pumpkin 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2...
The last couple of weeks I have been struggling with remembering the Sovereignty of God. Thus speaks the ego of one who loves to be “in control.” One Sunday I came across much comfort in the book of Colossians. I began to realize that life is truly all...
Let me be at peace within myself. Let me accept that I am profoundly loved and never need to be afraid. Let me be aware of the source of being that is common to us all and to all living creatures. Let me be filled with the presence of...
In late January of this year, I embarked on my biggest journey yet: studying abroad for a semester in Scotland. After months and months of planning, filling out paperwork, and making sure every little detail was taken care of, I was more than ready to hop on a plane...
As I reflect upon the earth, I think of all the amazing photographs from space. What spectacular sights the astronauts have seen. From John Glenn first orbiting the earth; Neil Armstrong, landing on the moon with the famous quote, “One small step for man, One giant leap for mankind.” and Scott...
“O Supreme Spirit of Creation, from Your sacred breath came forth birds and beasts, fish and fowl, creatures of such variety and beauty that we are continuously amazed at Your divine imagination. These children of Yours have been blessed by You, their Creator, with simplicity, beauty and a cosmic...
A More Personal Side to Estate Planning Estate planning is a topic that conjures thoughts of spacious estates, jewelry, taxes and other financial matters. Yet, estate planning is really about our loved ones and providing for them in the event of our death or disability. When viewed in that...
Salt Water Taffy is something that I always identify with summer and the beach. My dad’s family lives around the Philadelphia area so we would go to Ocean City, New Jersey for a week in the summer. The boardwalk has stores selling salt water taffy about every ten feet....
“O Supreme Spirit of Creation, from Your sacred breath came forth birds and beasts, fish and fowl, creatures of such variety and beauty that we are continuously amazed at Your divine imagination. These children of Yours have been blessed by You, their Creator, with simplicity, beauty and a cosmic...
Amazingly easy and a great summer treat! Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups flour 1/4 cup plain yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2/3 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon orange marmalade 16 ounces fresh...
“Celebrate God all day, every day.” Philippians 4:4 (The Message) July 4th is one of my very favorite holidays. I like everything about the day…decorating with red/white/blue, having a picnic with family and friends, fireworks, flags fluttering in the summer breeze, parades, and celebrating the birthday of this wonderful...
This is a great sauce that works with pork, chicken, sausage and burgers. It is also incredibly easy to make and will last a while in the fridge so you can have it all summer. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced...
June; the month for weddings. Time for the couple to express their enduring love to each other with family and friends sharing in this special day. In 1Corinthians 13:4-7,13:(Revised Standard Version) love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist...
I was seated on the bride’s side of a large church sanctuary awaiting the beginning of a wedding. Prelude music filled the air, and I scanned the scene making note of every exquisite detail in the decorations—all breathtakingly gorgeous. The bride was an only child; her parents were not wealthy,...