Endurance

By Bethany

I love looking at wedding photos. There’s nothing sweeter than the nervous grins of anticipation, the bride practically fainting from happiness, and the groom with an exuberant grin plastered on his face. The way they look at each other makes me smile and almost fills me with the same amount of joy that they have. It’s beautiful. They love each other.

Images from stockfreeimages.com

Being a gal, I naturally focus on the bride. I like to dissect her mysterious smile as she grasps her father’s arm and steadily gazes at Mr. Someone standing at the end of the aisle. The world might crumble beneath her feet, but I’m convinced her gaze wouldn’t falter. She wasn’t looking where she was walking, anyway.

I think we can learn a lesson from her. The church was often called the bride of Christ. Through reading the scripture and daily life itself, I’m truly convinced that our half-hearted, lukewarm “ daily Christianity” doesn’t even qualify as halfhearted "girlfriend" of Christ – if you understand my metaphor.

As Christians, God is not our “religion”. He’s not “part” of our life. He is our life. Yeah, so what? If you haven’t heard this before, I certainly have. I don’t think I quite understood what I got myself into. Or what “life” really means.

Take up your cross and follow Me. Is it just me? But when you think of cross, it doesn’t remind you of an hour worship time on Sunday morning. And, to be frank, it doesn’t remind me of even five hours of “spending time with God” each day. Actually the whole verse goes like this: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” ~ Luke 9:23 emphasis added.

A cross wasn’t five minutes. It wasn’t even an hour with a toothache (I’ve heard that’s painful). It was agonizing – for who knows how long. Could you imagine doing that daily? Hourly? Every second? Exhausting?

Yes, exhausting. And frankly, impossible. Truly.

This was probably one of the things that stumped me. Once I realized how ridiculous I was, and how half-heartedly I was, I decided it was time for serious action. Only made the mistake of doing it, myself. Need I say how it went? God has a new lesson for me each day, and one I keep relearning over and over again is that I can’t do it.

Someone once was talking about endurance. He said that it’s like gazing at Jesus – being that adoring bride – and not focusing on anything else but Jesus. Steadfastly, eyes locked, determined to continue past anything as long as you get to Him.

That endurance of a completely in love bride of Christ – I can’t do it. The only One who gave me sight, and the strength, and the muscles to gaze straight at my Goal, is the very One I’m walking towards.

Life is not just breathing and “living”. Life is a passion. If you don’t have a purpose, the point of living is hopeless. It’s meaningless. And it certainly is unfulfilling. Once you find that purpose, namely Jesus Christ, it’s not to be dumped on the “to-do list”.

Jesus isn’t just something we do, He’s something we are.

~~~

You may read Bethany's blog here: http://graceofmyredeemer.blogspot.com/

The Devil is In the Details

By Gail Purath

“The devil is in the details” is a distortion of an earlier adage: “God is in the details.” 

Overlooked details can result in huge problems. Careful attention to details can lead to success. God's interest in details is evident everywhere...in creation...in Old Testament descriptions of the tabernacle, sacrifices and laws...and in the New Testament:

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10, KJV)

It matters to God when we: 

• compromise on the little things
• tell little lies
• misuse small amounts of money
• fail to follow through on small commitments
• refuse to repent of small sins 

I'm praying for attention to detail, praying that God will find me worthy of greater things. How about you?

Remember: GOD IS IN THE DETAILS! 

About Gail:
Gail Purath has been married to her best friend for 41 years, has two married children and seven grandchildren. Her blog Bible Love Notes features one-minute devotions each weekday.

You may read more about her here.

Jesus Christ - The Second Adam

By Amanda T.

Romans 5 has become a very special chapter to me. I remember the first time that the words really reached out to me with a special meaning. I would like to share that special meaning with you.

                                        

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12

When God created the world, He created it in the beauty of perfection. However, it did not take long before the one man that God created sinned. That sin passed from Adam to Cain and to every man born – including you and me.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Romans 5:14

It took only one man to bring the curse of sin to all mankind, but the next verse holds very blessed news!

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:15-17

Since it took only one man to bring sin into the world, it only took one Man to bring the gift of grace and righteousness. That one man had to be perfect: a humanly impossible feature. That is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be transformed as a man living on earth, living a perfect life.

Jesus Christ was born in a manger (see Luke 2:7), lived a perfectly sinless life (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), took the sins of the world on Him when He died (see 1 Corinthians 15:3), and rose after three days to bring us the gift of new life (see Matthew 28:5-6).

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19

The free gift of eternal life is made available to every single man, woman, boy, and girl on this earth. There is no sin so great that Christ’s blood cannot cover it.

Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: Romans 5:20

Like any gift, it is held out, offered to you. But it does not become your own until you reach out and receive the gift. (But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: John 1:12) To receive the gift, one simply has to admit that they are sinners and unrighteous before Holy God, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to earth to die for our sins, turn away from their sins to God, and confess that Jesus is Lord.

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21

Because Jesus Christ came down to be the second Adam, we can receive God’s gift of grace, be made righteous in His eyes, and live eternally with Him.

Jesus Christ - Our Passover Sacrifice

By Amanda T.

When God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He established several feasts. One of those was the Passover.

“The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.” Numbers 9:11-12

When Jesus Christ was crucified, He became the new Passover sacrificed for us (see 1 Corinthians 5:7). Just like the Passover lamb, His precious body was not left on the cross until morning (see John 19:38) nor was any bone of His body broken (see John 19:36).

“But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.” Numbers 9:13

Just like in Passover times, God requires us to respond. Every soul that does not accept Jesus Christ as the Passover, will be judged one day, bearing his sin (“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23).

“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13

Just like God passed over the houses that had blood sprinkled on the door posts, He looks to see if we have Christ’s blood sprinkled on the posts of our hearts and will judge us accordingly. Have you been covered by that blood? Have you accepted the Passover Lamb as your sacrifice for sins?

How Our Relationship with God Affects Our Sibling Relationships (Part 3)

By Guest writer, Grace

When we decide to faithfully pursue a right relationship with the Lord, we will begin to see His blessing pour out and help us in many areas of our lives. As we begin to see and feel how our attitude and response towards our siblings change, there’s something we should be mindful of.

Our relationship with God affects ourselves only. We cannot expect the Lord to work in a sibling’s life in the same area, at the same time as us. There are two aspects of this we need to be warned in.

Number one, it is our duty to keep our eyes focused on Christ and our relationship with Him, and not look at anyone else. Scripture tells us that “but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (2Corinthians 10:12)

Not only is it not wise, it can be dangerous for us and our relationship with Christ to compare ourselves with someone else, especially our siblings. If we feel we are doing better than them, we can easily fall into the category of becoming prideful, and then if we feel we are so much below others, we can become discouraged and despairing of our walk with Christ.

Number two is that many times, especially when we first begin to respond in the way we should to our siblings, they may not understand or take too kindly to the change. I know for myself, when I was angry and struggling, nothing irked me more than to see one of my siblings sweetly following Christ. I unconsciously did my best to tear that person down or to show some fault in them. Just as we saw in the verse about Cain yesterday, someone who is not necessarily doing all they could to work on their relationship with the Lord, may have a negative response to someone who is.

“And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3: 12)

There is a very good possibility that our siblings will not respond very graciously to our cheerful or loving responses, but we must be prepared to follow the Lord’s leading anyway, no matter what our siblings may do or say.

In conclusion, I’ll have to speak with King Solomon.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

If all we do is look to God and be totally and constantly pursuing Him and follow His leading, we are doing all that He has called us to do. This will not only give us complete peace and fulfillment, but will ensure a godly response in our relationships with our siblings.

How Our Relationship with God Affects Our Sibling Relationships (Part 2)

By Guest Writer, Grace

As we have already seen, a life lived for Christ will have a wonderfully positive effect in our response to those around us, namely our siblings. The Scriptures are full of examples of this. I love the story of Joseph as it gives us a prime example in how Joseph followed the Lord, and he was able to demonstrate remarkable love and forgiveness to his brothers.

But just as our relationship with our siblings can be affected in a positive light by our relationship with God, the opposite is also true.

When we are lazy in our devotions, or turn a deaf ear to the Lord’s prompting for more study, Bible memorization, or prayer, we distance ourselves from the only One who can help us to have true love and appreciation for our siblings and those around us.

I’m sure we have all had times when we were struggling with a specific concept or conviction, and we found ourselves in a very touchy and irritable mood. Our responses to our siblings were probably not as they should have been, and we find that we had dug a pit of hard and hurt feelings that we later have to go and try to fill with repentance and apologies.

There are many things we do wrong that affect our relationship with the Lord that will also negatively affect our relationships with our siblings.

“Only by pride cometh contention; but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4)

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

These are just a few, but as we can see, there are a number of things that can cause conflicts in our relationship with God. Conflicts in our relationship with God will cause conflicts in our soul, which in turn will cause conflicts in our sibling relationships.

We see that this has been a problem from the very beginning of Scripture. The story of Cain and Abel is found in Genesis 4, and from reading it we see that Cain’s conflict with God caused a very harmful and deadly response in his sibling relationship.

“Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3: 10b-12)

We would be wise to learn from this example and take our relationship with God seriously. All righteousness comes from the Lord, and if we are not living our lives in Him, we may very well sink down to doing some very painful or destructive things against the people we love and are closest to.

Come back for Part 3 tomorrow.

How Our Relationship with God Affects Our Sibling Relationships (Part 1)

By Guest Writer, Grace

Sibling relationships can be one of the most difficult things for us to be Christ-like in while living our everyday lives. After all, even in the Proverbs it says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (17:17) :-) It is so much easier to be pleasant and God-honoring when we are with friends than when we are with our siblings day in and day out. Of course, I may be miss-using this passage just a bit, but it seems to be used in this way quite often.

I find that if we really look, we can find a multitude of articles and books that address the issue of proper relationships between siblings, and some of them have a lot of practical and helpful information. But when we really dig down to the heart of the issue, we find that most of the time it is missed altogether in these how-to writings.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

How often do we need to be reminded that if we work on having our relationship with God where it needs to be, He will work through us and help us in every area of our lives?

The number one focus for each and every one of us as believers is to tune our hearts and lives to the One who gave us life. Our Creator is more than worthy to be first in every aspect of our lives, and this includes relationships.

A very important factor in our relationship with God is to establish exactly what we believe about Him, or how much we believe in Him. If asked, I’m sure we would hasten to assure the questioner that we believe in God with all our hearts! This may be so in our hearts and minds, when we are alone, and in the quiet of our devotions, but what about in our everyday lives?

For many, believing in God is deciding that they are going to believe in this invisible Creator, whether or not they feel He is real. This is what most people call faith. But if we are truly striving for a live of intimacy with Christ, this will not be enough. We not only have to choose to believe, but act on it.

 “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?” (Psalm 113:5-6)

We must realize that God is an actual, real being and that He is not somewhere in heaven or the sky looking down at us every once in a while to see if we are following Him, but that He is RIGHT HERE. He stays close beside us every moment of every day, taking deep interest in our interests, sorrows with us in our sorrows, smiles with love and pleasure when we serve others, and many times stands by in sad disappointment when we chose to disobey Him.

Once we realize this, we will find that this knowledge affects every action and decision we make. Thus we see how a heart in close unity with God will spread to our response and reactions to those around us.

Just as God’s love no depth knows,

His love our hearts will overflow.

Whence can it flow? Out of our lives.

With those around we’ll harmonize.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22)

As this verse plainly states, if we keep the eyes of our hearts focused singly on Christ, our whole life will reflect the light of His presence. How awesome!

Come back for Part 2 on Monday.

The Ministry of Letter-Writing

By Guest Writer, Amanda T.

Letter writing is an old art that is still continued by a select few young ladies. Girls write (or email) for amusement, to keep up friendships, for communication, and to get a reply. All of these are fun reasons to write, but I like to think of writing as a ministry as well. We see a vivid example of ministering by letters in the New Testament. Paul wrote many letters to different churches and men, challenging them in their walk with God and sharing truth.

Our notes can bring a smile to one’s face and brighten their day. A word of encouragement can help a sister in her walk with God. A question can challenge one to stay faithful. Most importantly, a letter can simply show the love of Christ.

In my love for letter-writing, God has shown me a few ways that I can minister with letters:

     1. Pray that God will give me some way to encourage my pen-pal

     2. Write not just to those who are “fun” to write to, but those who will need the encouragement

     3. Pray for the person to whom I am writing

     4. Include a verse with which God has been challenging me

     5. Humbly share an area in which God has been growing me

     6. Ask them about a specific area of their walk with God (prayer, Bible reading, memorizing)

     7. Ask if there is a specific area that I can pray for them

There are many ways we can minister to a friend in letters – sometimes we simply need to ask God to show us what He would have us to do and be tender towards His leading.

The next time you go to write a letter or type an email, let me challenge you to make it worthwhile. Do not just “chat,” but leave your friend with something that ministers to her heart.

What if I Already Messed Up? {Part Two}

By Guest Writer, Jordan Elizabeth

{Continued from yesterday}

Yes, there are Christian girls who have already ‘messed up’, or who have gone willingly down the wrong path leading toward sin and are now sorry. What do we say to our sister who has given away her purity, who no longer measures up to the standard we have set? What do we say if we are that sister?

Is hope left for someone who has made a big mistake?

Short rabbit trail: Define big. Tell me a story, plot your scheme well, because I don’t demand of you a tri­fling tale of an accident of which you had no control. Explain why a “Big” mistake, a big sin, changes the gospel message. All sin separates us from God. Jesus died for the angry thoughts as well as the murder; He died for our bad attitudes as well as our bad actions. He died for the women who compromised themselves physically as well as for the girls who never kissed a boy until their wedding day.

Art from reusableart.com

Yes, tell me how big the sin was, but also let me tell you how big God’s grace is. He can more than handle impurity. He didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance. He came to take the impu­rity from us and clothe us in His righteousness. He has provided a way through repentance for us to go on serving Him from where we are, not where we would have been. He is a loving, gracious, and an ALL-POWERFUL God. He can give us grace to move on.

 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all good­ness and righteousness and truth ;) Ephesians 5:8-9

However true this is (and it is), there is still a problem. Sin, in all of its deceptive non-glory and ugliness, is discouraging. I believe everyone has asked themselves this question before: Why bother going on trying to ‘do good’, to be pure, as it were, if it’s really too late. I can never get it back, so why should I care?

True believers, repentant Chris­tians who are brought to the understanding don’t choose to sin because they know God will forgive them, we choose not to sin because we know God has forgiven us.

As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Romans 3:10

In God’s view, there is none who is truly pure, none who is without blemish, who is ‘clean’. Only through Him can we be given purity and righteousness. Our seeking to be pure in our lives is a reflection of His purity in us, showing an understanding of God’s law and God’s forgiveness; showing that we love Him and desire to please Him.

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them, as thou hast love me. John 17:23

All of his children are under grace. All of His people are redeemed from wickedness. All have been given the purity of Jesus. Those who have sinned ‘more’ or in different ways than others are great examples of His sav­ing glory; those who have been spared much sin and heartache are also a great picture of God’s mercy and love.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revela­tion in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.

Ephesians 1:17-19

What if I Already Messed Up? {Part One}

By Guest Writer, Jordan Elizabeth

Art from resuableart.com

If there is one thing that is easy to do, it is to mess up. It is also easy to get discouraged when we have made mistakes or sinned willfully. When we mess up, that is, when we don’t live up to our expectations or someone else’s desires, we tend to lose heart. When we genuinely are sorry for actions and thoughts we have had, it is difficult to move past the hurt that occurs.

For godly sorrow worketh re­pentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. II Corinthi­ans 7:10

Purity is a by-word today in the Christian culture, and rightly so. But what makes purity im­portant? Why is it so hard to achieve? And what do you do when it’s ‘too late’ for you? As God’s people, we love what He loves and desire what He desires. He places high emphasis on purity.

We need to have purity in our actions, in our motives, and in our thoughts. Purity of doctrine, purity of heart, purity in worship; all these things must be true and pure and untainted by sin. In more recent times however, purity is primar­ily understood in context of physical and emotional purity in relationships between men and women.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. Ephesians 5:3

But…

In older, more Christian times, women were valued deeply because people understood that God had made them to be a crown of glory for their husbands and fathers. The purity, or virtue, of a maiden was cause enough for a war, it was important enough to lay down your life to defend it. Even the ancient and pagan Romans placed great importance on physical purity for their women, but not always did they have a Biblical solution to the problem. With the Hebrews, God placed women in families to be protected and loved by men because they were valued, we were important and were fulfilling our own calling.

In many countries, baby girls are aborted or left to die. The importance of protecting girls from evil is lost; even in America, so many find themselves fending for themselves in a lost environment.

What is the outcome? Girls are devoid of protection and lose their purity; they have something taken from them that cannot be replaced, and they lose it to a lie. Young men are robbed of purity- the enemy of our souls desires to destroy purity in the world and he wants to destroy the people of God as well.

In any case, God’s people have taken a stand for it now in our day and age as they did in time past. We know that it is important to save our bodies and our love for the person we marry so that we can be a true picture of Christ and His Church.

Countless couples have come together in godliness and purity to honor God in their relationships. Count­less small groups have been started, conferences have been held, and books written on this topic. We know what is right to do.

But…

Yes, there are Christian girls who have already ‘messed up’, or who have gone willingly down the wrong path leading toward sin and are now sorry. What do we say to our sister who has given away her purity, who no longer measures up to the standard we have set? What do we say if we are that sister?

Is hope left for someone who has made a big mistake?

{To Be Continued Tomorrow . . .}

~~~

Miss Jordan Elizabeth writes for her blog, Fly FAR {For All Righteousness}

Saving Our Gift

By Guest Writer, Amanda T.

One word that sends a thrill of excitement through any girl is the word “wedding.” Most of us cannot wait for that special day when we shall become the wife of a handsome young man.

The first “wedding” took place in Genesis 2, when God brought Eve to Adam to be his wife. Eve was a gift to her husband just like each of us girls will be a gift to some young man. How special it will be for our dad to walk us up the aisle and present us as a gift to our husband.

Photos by Amanda T.

Here, we must stop dreaming and ask a sobering question: in what shape will this present be when our husband receives it? I do not mean will we be slender and attractive; we must look deeper – on the inside. Will our heart be pure and reserved only for our husband? Or will we be tattered and worn from living a life of “play” with every handsome young man we meet?

If you picture a gift, you might think of a beautiful package with shiny, unmarred wrapping and ribbons tied at the top. Change this picture to a young girl. She is pure in heart with innocence hovering over her like ribbons. This young lady reaches her early teens and her perspective of life changes. She notices that there are handsome, likeable boys that are more than willing to give her attention. So, she dangles a ribbon in their face, tempting them, saying, “You want to get a peek of what I’m like?”  This is called flirting. Many boys react to this flirting by accepting the young girl’s offer. Often, this step is repeated again and again, until the ribbons are all frayed, tattered, or torn from pulls by young men.

As a girl gets older, she begins to “date around” to find her husband. Instead of living a life of peace and contentment, her life is filled with worries about “Will he like me? What if he breaks up with me?” In the meanwhile, her wrapping is getting soiled and perhaps torn in places.

Finally, “Mr. Right” comes and the girl proceeds to her wedding. When her husband receives this gift on their wedding day, it is no longer the beautiful package we first saw – pure and innocent – with clean wrapping and delightful ribbons. Instead, it is marred and in need of repair. What godly young man would like to receive such a gift?

For those of you who have not dangled your ribbons before boys; let me challenge you to stay pure! Do not worry about “catching” young men’s attention!! Instead, focus on serving the Lord and let Him bring your future husband to you. Purity is a gift that once opened, can never be re-wrapped in the perfect way it was before.

For those of you who have already spent your life flirting and worrying about attracting boys, may I challenge you to consider the path your feet are taking you! If the Lord is asking you to save your heart for the one young man that will become your husband, please hearken to Him! He will forgive and mend the broken heart and is so ready to help your feet find a straighter, safer path on which to travel.

“Keep (Guard) thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:20) You have a precious gift in your hands . . . will you purpose to keep it pure and clean for your husband?

~~~

Guest Writer Amanda Tero:

"My dad is the pastor of a Baptist church; Mom has been home-schooling us for twenty-three years; I am the fifth home-schooled graduate in our family of twelve and am waiting on the Lord's timing for marriage. Until He shows me a different path, I enjoy teaching piano, playing for our church congregation, arranging hymns, learning more about music, writing, taking pictures, and helping out around the house. My family and I have sung and played instruments (guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, and others) together for the past eleven years. God has opened the doors for us to share His love through song in the local nursing home and Council on Aging as well as various churches around our area and in a few other states.
You can visit our family blog at www.terofamilyministries.com."

Supper Solution

By Guest Writer, Amanda T. (read about her here)

Too often, we girls are sitting around the living room in bewilderment, tussling with the ever-present question, “What shall we eat?” Time gets later, and still no supper is on the table. Good ideas fly with, “We don’t have __________.” Of course we eventually scrounge through our odds-and-ends and find something . . . but our minds sometimes get tired with the puzzle of no menu.

Then up comes the suggestion, “Let’s find something on All-Recipes!” and to the computer we go. Allrecipes.com is a site my oldest sister found several years ago, and our family has greatly benefited from it (Though it does not always solve our problems :). My favorite tool is “ingredients,” where we can type in a list of things we have and a list of things we do not have. The computer will pull up any recipes on their site containing (or not containing) those ingredients. Previous consumers have rated the recipes and some have added helpful comments which all aid in our decision whether we want to experiment or not.

To enjoy this helpful tool, one does not have to be a member or pay anything, which is the best facet. Just go to allrecipes.com and you are well on your way to finding your supper.

~~~

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe or tip (with or without a picture) and be featured on "Bake on Wednesday" at Rubies Like Ruth. There is only one Wednesday left of this feature!

Recipe: Granola Bars

By Guest Writer, Amanda Tero

1 1/2 cups oats

1/2 cup flour (either whole wheat or white)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup applesauce

1 egg

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease a 9x9” baking pan. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add applesauce, egg, and raisins. Mix well. Spread into the baking pan and cook for about 30 minutes or until the edges are a light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Read about guest writer Amanda Tero here.

~~~

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on:

Recipe: Parfaits

By Guest Writer Aldona Barron


With summer coming on, many of us girls are looking for a cool, easy snack to make. Something fun that I have discovered is making parfaits. This layered dish can be a simple, healthy snack or a gourmet dessert. It all depends on what you put in it.


For healthy parfaits, simply layer fresh fruit and yogurt in a parfait dish or drinking glass. If you choose, granola or nuts may be added for a nice crunch. Eat the parfait just like it is, or place it in the freezer a couple of hours for a frozen snack.


If you wish to make a dessert parfait, layer things such as ice cream, crushed cookies, chocolate syrup, nuts, etc. Top with whipped cream and other garnishes for a truly gourmet look.


Parfaits are a fun and simple project. Berries, fruit, nuts, spices, and different yogurt flavors…the possibilities are endless! I’ve even tried cooked and mashed sweet-potatoes layered with cinnamon-sugar, all-spice and vanilla yogurt! After freezing, it tasted like a frozen pumpkin pie, only with sweet-potatoes rather than pumpkin! So, be creative! Try things out! And have fun!

{Sweet Potato Parfait}

{Strawberry Parfait}

Do you have a scrumptious recipe to share? Email it to rubieslikeruth@gmail.com (you do not even have to have a picture).


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Aldona Barron is an almost-home-school-graduate who enjoys singing, experimenting in the kitchen, drawing, and other interesting things. She is a Christians young woman who is seeking to know Christ more and more, trying to please Him in all that she does and says.
View one of her drawings here.
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Pictures of parfaits were taken by Aldona's sister.

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Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on:

Guest Post: Claiming True Beauty

By Guest Writer Amanda Tero

A frown crossed Marie’s face as she stroked the brush through her hair. It was not exactly a describable color – it wasn’t exactly a blonde, or brown, red, or black. It was just . . . some color. Her gaze left her hair and briefly studied her face. She tried to feign a smile, but her forehead creased with dissatisfaction. No, she was not at all pretty. With a small sigh, she turned and left the mirror.

How many of us are like Marie? The “girl in the mirror” is not nearly as pretty as our eyes would like to behold, but the “girl in the mirror” is the true, unchangeable “me.” A girl’s dream is perhaps to be slender, tall/short, with beautiful hair, and of course, pretty features. But more often than not, we stand in front of the mirror thinking, “I’m just plain and ugly.” In a frantic attempt to undo this insufferable ugliness we paint ourselves, changing what we can but leaving much more than we want undone.

When indulging ourselves in this vain self-pity, how often do we stop to consider what we are doing? The God Who told Jeremiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5, KJV) is also the God Who formed us. The God Who was praised “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) is the same God Who should be praised for His marvelous handiwork of our lives. The God Who made Adam in His Image (Genesis 1:26) still creates humans in His Image. The God Who did all this is the same God to Whom we are ungrateful for the appearance He gave us.

Have we forgotten that “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised?” (Proverbs 31:30) Even Jesus was prophesied as a man who had “no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) It was not outward attractions that drew people to Christ – it was Him, His perfect loveliness.

As Christians, we are to be like Christ; but too often I am afraid that we lose focus. Instead of perfecting that inward beauty, we look at outward beauty. Are we more focused on vain beauty than we are on significant beauty? Are we so concerned about what others think of us that we forget to ask, “Let others see Thee in me?” Is our physical face more important than the face we put on the title “Christian?”

If our aim is towards any beauty at all, should it not be the beauty described in 1 Peter 3: 3-4? “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” Facial flawlessness and a perfect form may be what the world sees as great beauty, but here the Bible clearly states that the meek and quiet spirit is “in the sight of God a great price.” Is the value of outward beauty so great that we would trade it for God’s acceptance?

Nothing is more beautiful than a girl or young woman who is sold out to Christ, and there is nothing uglier than a girl who has all the “beauty” of the world, yet is vain, proud, selfish, and etc. Which are we going to choose?

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Guest Writer Amanda Tero:

"My dad is the pastor of a Baptist church; Mom has been home-schooling us for twenty-three years; I am the fifth home-schooled graduate in our family of twelve and am waiting on the Lord's timing for marriage. Until He shows me a different path, I enjoy teaching piano, playing for our church congregation, arranging hymns, learning more about music, writing, taking pictures, and helping out around the house. My family and I have sung and played instruments (guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, and others) together for the past eleven years. God has opened the doors for us to share His love through song in the local nursing home and Council on Aging as well as various churches around our area and in a few other states.
You can visit our family blog at www.terofamilyministries.com."

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Artwork from oldbookillustrations.com