Stand FIRM. Gain LIFE.

"By standing firm you will gain life." 

~Luke 21:19~

In a world where it seems every day the winds of evil are blowing harder and harder, it is imperative to stand firm and be strong in the Lord. As Jesus predicted in Luke 21, troubles and turmoil will come and will increasingly become more terrifying. But take heart! Salvation is near!

By standing firm in faith, you will gain souls. Others will see the winds have no effect on you. Others will desire that security, that strength. Others will wonder how you can be so certain in an uncertain world. 

Let Jesus' light shine as you stand firm in the darkness of today's storm. Through you, His light will draw others out of darkness. Praise God! A firm faith gains life!

WorshipFULLWednesday...First

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

~Matthew 6:33~

Every time this song comes on, I'm jamming~singing~feeling it. I want to be the kind of person who is seeking God first, making Him first, and keeping Him first in my life. Regrettably and understandably, I've been attacked at making this happen. 

Satan plays with my emotions and my desires. I'm not getting out of bed to do devotions because I'm falling into the trap that I need more sleep. Consequently, I run late to work--allowing no one-on-one time with God--and then my whole day feels out of control. This has got to STOP! I'm giving Satan a foothold, and he's giving me a downfall. But thankfully, I know even in the falling down, I can look up to my Heavenly Father. {Hallelujah!} My God is there to lift me up because He has made me first. Jesus' sacrifice is proof. The awesome thing is...He didn't just put me first, He put you first, too.

So, bring your heart to God. Make every effort to put Him first in your life. He will be faithful because He is faithful. And according to Matthew 6:33 He will give you everything you need.

I tell you what...I'm going to keep trying. I'm going to start by fighting those deceptive thoughts that are already attacking me before I get out of bed. I'm going to make time for God even if it means I don't get my makeup on before work or I have to skip my shower for the day {Eek! Lord, help me!} because I know my efforts will not be in vain. Will you join me? 

Okay, okay, still shower, but get up earlier and have some one-on-one time with God. Let's fight back. Let's not allow Satan to have any more hold on us. Let's make God first and in the process find ourselves in a much better position of being the kind of people we want to be.

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

~Matthew 7:7-8~

Unfading Beauty

"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 

This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands."

1 Peter 3:3-5

My sister and I were talking the other night about beauty and the things we women set our minds on. We set our minds on the weight we've gained and the clothes that don't fit, the teeth that aren't gleaming white and have gone crooked even after years of having braces, the frizz in our hair or the frizz we call our hair, the unwanted wrinkles and zits on our faces, the double chins and the saggy-ness of places that we would prefer not to see sag.  We then try to cover-up these undesirable imperfections.  We spend time, money, and energy to beautify the fading beauty. We try desperately to hold on to something that God never intended for us to hold onto.

A voice said, "Shout!"

I asked, “What should I shout?”

“Shout that people are like the grass.

Their beauty fades as quickly

as the flowers in a field.

The grass withers and the flowers fade

beneath the breath of the Lord.

And so it is with people.

The grass withers and the flowers fade, 

but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 40:6-8

Outward beauty fades.  Inward beauty, however, doesn't.  Unfading beauty is within our hearts.  My sister said she needs to work on the beauty within before she can ever tackle the beauty on the outside.  So true.  When we begin working on the the unfading beauty of gentleness and peace (quietness), then we become beautiful from the inside out.  Less time, money, and energy will be spent. So how do we do this?  

We seek God.  We live intentionally for Him.  We make what matters to Him more important than what we think matters to the world.  We "set our minds on things above and not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2), and we maintain the look of our hearts.  

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 

1 Samuel 16:7

Don't let beauty fade.  Rather, maintain your inner beauty with the One who makes all things beautiful. God is so divinely good, and you are so precious to Him.

FeeDiNG SouLS and SToMaCHS: White Cheese Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

Another Monday. Another gathering. Another discussion. Another meal. Another full night--both stomachs and souls.  The topic: The Belt of Truth and The Breastplate of Righteousness.  The menu: White Cheese Chicken and Spinach Lasagna and Chopped Tomato and Cucumber Salad (to be posted).

For the White Cheese Chicken and Spinach Lasagna you'll need:

10 oz bag of baby spinach, lightly chopped
2-3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (use 1/4 c with spinach, the rest with the white sauce)
pinch of salt

2 cloves garlic
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c milk
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper

9 lasagna noodles (I used the oven-ready kind to save time, but I prefer the kind you boil)
1 c ricotta cheese
2 c cooked, cubed chicken (Again to save time, I used the store oven-fresh whole already cooked chicken! I just cut-up the breasts and kept the rest of the chicken in the fridge to eat for sandwiches.)
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional: fresh grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for topping

Step 1
In a large sauce pan or in a dutch oven, braise the fresh spinach. To do this, pour about 2 T of oil on the bottom and lightly sauté 1/4 c onion.


Place all 10 oz (lightly chopped) spinach into the pan/dutch oven, and pour 1 T of oil on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt, and cover. 



 Let braise (or wilt) over medium to medium-high heat.  Stir occasionally.  Once spinach is all wilted down and has a nice dark green color, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

Step 2

In the same sauce pan/dutch oven, sauté the onion in the 1/2 c of butter.  When the onion is soft (about 5 min.), press 2 cloves of garlic and add to the sautéed onion.



Stir in the flour and salt; simmer until bubbly.  Stir in the broth and milk and boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  

Stir in 2 c mozzarella and 1/2 c Parmesan cheeses.  Add the oregano and black pepper.  Set aside.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350˙F. 

Using a ladle or spoon, spread 1/3 of the white cheese sauce mixture on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.

Add one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread all of the ricotta over the noodles.

Sprinkle half of the chicken, then add another layer of noodles, sauce mixture, 1/2 of spinach, and 2 c of mozzarella cheese. 

Add another layer of noodles, sauce, the rest of the chicken and spinach; and the Parmesan cheese.

Top off with a final layer of noodles and sauce. (Optional: top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese  and fresh chopped parsley.)

2nd layering of noodles, sauce, chicken, spinach

{The beauty of lasagna is that you can layer it any which way you want just as long as you have moisture a.k.a. sauce next to the noodles.}

Step 4

Bake for 35-40 minutes and enjoy! {Sorry, I don't have a finished product picture...I believe my small group and I inhaled it before I thought to take a picture of the final result!  When I make it again, I'll post a pic! :)}

And feeding our souls...

From the Armor of God study, Week 3 video:

"The Holy Spirit's job is to chip away at everything that doesn't look like Jesus." ~Priscilla Shirer

That means, if we expect to walk with Jesus, we must be willing to look like Jesus; and anything that doesn't (habits, friends, situations, traits, et al) will be chipped away by the Holy Spirit.  Are you willing?

"Righteousness is not manufactured; it is released." ~Priscilla Shirer

Whew! Good stuff. Good food. Can't wait for more!!

WorshipFULLWednesday...Just Be Held

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.

Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

~Isaiah 41:10

Ever need to know someone has you?  Has your back? Has you on his mind? Has you in his heart?  Has you in his schedule?  Has your burdens? your pain? your worries? your fears?  Good news!!  God does.  He has you.  He has all of you. In his hands.  So, let Him hold you.  Let Him have you. Let Him have all your burdens, pain, worries, fears.  Just be held.

DIY Project! ~ Scripture Calendar

Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 

Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

~Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God's holy Word is full of commands and compassion, and more importantly it is the truth by which we ought to live. Therefore, I'm determined to put TRUTH all over my house. 

Today, I made a Scripture Calendar.  I took an antique, wooden frame that I had already prewired with eyelet screws, attached wire to, and clipped on small wooden clothespins; a stack of Project Life cards that I purchased from Michaels craft store; and my computer and printer.

I printed the days of the month on one side of the Project Life cards, and then, printed some of my favorite scriptures on the other side (some of the cards already had sayings on them, so I didn't print scripture on them). I also used some cards to

make the calendar months of the year.  

Finally, I hooked them on using small wooden clothespins.  I really should get a bigger frame, but like I said, I already had this one (I use it for an advent calendar...stay tuned for that project idea).  

When the day begins, I can just flip the previous day over and read the encouraging words on the other side.   I'm so excited because this will be a great way for me to memorize scripture as well as be equipped for the day ahead!

I need more wall space. #problemsofsmallcondolivinginthecity #officespace

FeeDiNG SouLS and SToMaCHS: Beef Stew

Mondays get a bad rap. I get it. It's the start of a work week, an end to a weekend.  But Mondays for me are the best day of the week because I have the honor of meeting regularly with a group of women who come hungry both for food and for God.  (We are currently engaged in Priscilla Shirer's Armor of God study, which I highly recommend if you're looking for a Bible study.)

Comfort food is my go-to food when trying to figure out what to make for my small group.  I've had a hankering for soup lately plus fall is just around the corner (well, not so much for us here in Houston but anyway), so beef stew was on the menu.

Here's what you'll need:

• dutch oven    
• pre-cut beef for stew (2 lbs., 1" pieces)
• 64 oz  beef broth
• 1/4 c  red wine
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2-3  bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/4 c  diced onion                 

• measuring glass
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c water
• optional: french bread or other crusty bread cut into pieces and buttered

Step 1:

Over medium-heat, in nonstick Dutch oven cook beef until browned, stirring often.  Drain off fat.

Step 2:

Add broth, wine, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and keep covered for 1 and a 1/2 hours.

Step 3: 

Add carrots, potatoes, onions. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 30-45 min. more or until beef is fork-tender and veggies are done.

Step 4:

In a measuring glass, combine flour and water until smooth.  Gradually add to broth mixture.  Over medium heat and stirring constantly, cook until mixture boils and thickens.

Step 5:

Discard bay leaves.  Serve hot with crusty bread and butter.  Serves 6-8 people.

"Satan's suggestions can never stand up against the light of God's Holy Word."

~Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God, Week 2 : The Belt of Truth

WorshipFULLWednesday...No Longer Slaves

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

~2 Timothy 1:7

"I'm no longer a slave to fear.  For I am a child of God."  Can I get a HALLELUJAH?! And an AMEN?!  I need to know this.  YOU need to know this.  Satan wants us to doubt, fear, question, worry, and weaken in our present circumstances.  Why?  Because when we do, we separate ourselves from the power of God within us and we separate ourselves from God.  

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  ~Psalm 28:7

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” ~Isaiah 12:2

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31

See! This is the power God desires us to have.  This is truth.  He knows our present circumstances, and He knows if we trust instead of doubt, if we trust instead of fear, if we trust instead of question, if we trust instead of worry; and if we trust instead of weaken, then we have the power we need, the STRENGTH to have the victory over our present circumstances.  Seek Him and PRAISE Him!  

Praise Him when it seems hopeless!  Praise Him when it seems hard!  Praise Him when it hurts!  Praise Him right now! Praise Him!  Because our God IS GOOD.  Our God IS TRUSTWORTHY.  Our God IS LOVE.  Our God is MIGHTY.  Our God STRENGHTHENS.  Our God SAVES.  And YOU ARE NO LONGER slaves to fear. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Hallelujah! Amen!!

Choose God.

"When the author walks on to the stage the play is over.  God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else--something it never entered your head to conceive--comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left?  For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature.  It will be too late then to choose your side.  There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up.  That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it before or not.  Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.  God is holding back to give us that chance.  It will not last for ever.  We must take it or leave it."~from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (emphasis mine)

C.S. Lewis really got me thinking today.  Life is a string of choices.  Every choice has a consequence. Most of the time we know where a particular string leads us; sometimes we are surprised.  The consequences range from simple to complex, from right now to later, from immediately aware of it to didn't really see that coming.  But there are also some areas of our lives where we have no choice.  For example, I have no choice that the hair on my head grows curly.  No matter how I cut it or if I take a straightener to it, the fact is, my hair will still grow out curly.  I also don't have a choice that I'm 5'9".  I can, however, choose to be taller by wearing heels, but the fact of the matter is that when I take off my heels, I'll still be 5'9".  

God has given us choice.  He did design us in His divine image without consulting us on the design.  (Can you just imagine if we did have any say in our design?!)  However, He has given us the freedom of how we choose to take care of His design.  He also has given us the freedom of whom we follow.  We all--every single one of us--will follow someone or something!  We were designed to.  Even great leaders of nations follow someone or something.  

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua 24:15

Think for a moment that you suddenly became blind with no chance of ever seeing again.  The choice of going to see what Paris looks like from the Eiffel Tower is gone.  The choice to see your baby smile for the first time is gone.  The choice to see the display of colors hidden in the corals and underwater caves of the Caribbean Sea is gone.  Your bucket list of things to see and do have become extremely reduced and limited.  This is how it will be when Christ returns.  

We will no longer have a choice of who we follow when He returns.  Right now we have a choice.  Who we follow will determine where we will be for all eternity.  Your choice is: Christ or not Christ.  It's as simple as choosing: right or left; up or down; on or off.  Some of you might be thinking, "Well, I have a hard time even making those simple choices!"  Let me help you out, then: Choose Christ.  You'll never regret it.  And when He does return--and He will!--or when He decides to take you from this earth, you'll never mourn the loss of ever having the choice again.  You'll be standing behind your choice with joy and thanksgiving.  In fact, if you choose Christ today, you won't have to wait for that joy and thanksgiving.  You'll be living it.

Don't wait or delay in choosing whom you will follow.  Choose God. He has already chosen you.

More of God

If you know anything about who God is, you would know His timing is IMPECCABLE, perfect, spot on.  You would also know that not only is His timing perfect, but what He provides at that precise moment is also perfect.

My small group takes a break over the summer months as many of us travel and our schedules are a bit more difficult to match up, so I had been thinking about what Bible study we would do when came back together in August.  I had several in mind, but none of them seemed like they were "the one" we all needed to hear.  Do you know what I mean?  Any of the selections I had thought of would have been great and we would've certainly gotten a lot out of them, but none of them felt like they would hit us in the deep core of our beings, where we needed to be hit with the truth the most.  I briefly (and I mean briefly like a passing thought) prayed about it.  Without any effort God directed me to our next study.  Don't you love when He does that?!

The best part about being directed to this next Bible study that my small group will be doing is that God provided me with the opportunity to be a part of the launch team in promoting this new Bible study for women!  How awesome is that?!  Truthfully, when I applied, I did not think I would be selected to be a part of the team.  I doubted and came up with every reason why I wouldn't be selected.  How often in life do we sabotage ourselves like that?  Didn't God Himself pick out people who appeared "Least Likely to Be Used by God" for His great purposes?  Remember Saul/Paul?  He was killing the very people He later risked His life to save for the kingdom of God.  And what about Moses?  He was very self-conscious about His leadership skills and speaking abilities, yet God chose Him to speak to and lead millions of people.  Why does God do that?  So that His glory is shown; so that He is known.  The less we are, the more He is.

#ArmorOfGodStudy
http://bit.ly/AOGLaunch

The less we are,

 the more He is.  

As I write these words, I realize how challenging this--being less--is for me.  I have to ask for your forgiveness if any part of this blog glorifies me.  My intention is to glorify God.  I'm at constant warfare over how to make Him more and me less.  I know it involves a daily (even a second-by-second) surrendering of self.  This is the battle we all face.  This is the war we are in. Which brings me back to the excitement of this new Bible study by Priscilla Shirer that's coming out August 1: The Armor of God.  God has fully equipped us to fight in this ongoing spiritual warfare, and I CANNOT WAIT to find out more about this "equipment" and how to use it in my daily battles!  God's faithful provisions are perfect, and His timing impeccable.

Click on this link (see below) to find out more about this Bible study for women and join me in fighting for the cause of Christ!

http://bit.ly/AOGLaunch

All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 

~2 Corinthians 4:15~

GREAT is our GOD

"For great is The Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods."

~1 Chronicles 16:25

There's nothing like the presence of God in your life to make you realize that everything else you put attention to is really worthless.  But how often do we give attention to God and his greatness?  I know for me,  I sometimes go through a whole day and give attention to everything but God.  I realize I am making idols of other things when I make my life about them and not about Him.  Sadly then, I miss out on the most exciting part about living…the greatness of God.

If you're at all like me, then the question is what we do?  I believe the answer is we do what King David did in 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.  He planned, prepared, placed, and worshipped.

1. Plan.  Have a plan of when and how you're going to take time each day for God.  
2. Prepare.  Prepare for that time with God by praying, gathering the things you need such as a bible, a notebook or journal, pens and pencils, etc.; and  prepare by setting up a place whether inside or outside your home to have that quality time with God.
3. Place.  Place yourself in God's presence during that time by acknowledging who He is, what He has done for you, what He expects of you, and who you are in Him.  
4. Praise.  I believe the more we worship God, the more he wants to show us his greatness.  Therefore, worship Him in that time. Great is our God!  He is worthy of praise!

I know I have to work more at making God the center of my life.  I know that I want my life to be about Him .  I pray that beginning with these four steps, idols will be removed and God will be where He belongs in my heart.  I pray, also, for you.

THaNksGiviNG Thursday...It Is Well

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night."

Psalm 92:1-2

I am deeply thankful for worship music.  It is what inspires me to be in the right mindset, it motivates me, it uplifts and encourages me, it brings me peace, and it gives me reason to give thanks and praise to God for all He has done and even what He has not done in my life.  If there's something you're in need of right now, turn on some worship music.  Let the Spirit fill you and guide you.  Most importantly, if anything, allow yourself to simply worship the Lord.  He is worthy of it.  

To give you a place to start, here is Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music with "It is Well"... 

May God keep you always in His perfect peace.

Directed Steps

"A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?"

~Proverbs 20:24

When my friend Amy and I got off the plane and through customs at the San Jose del Cabo airport in Baja California Mexico, we didn't know what to expect.  We just knew we had to find the exit and a ride to our resort.  We had gone through our last checkpoint and started walking only to realize we did not know where we were going.  There weren't any signs.  

We entered a section of the airport that I would name, if given the opportunity, "Beware: White Overload and Vultures."  This was the only way to go.  So signs or not, we were heading in the right direction.  The "vultures" were timeshare salesmen and women.  They were lined up in a row (behind the counters and in front of them) on either side of us from the moment we stepped into this section until the moment we actually exited out of the doors of the airport, and everything was white.  The walls, the floors, the counters were all white, and, again, there were zero signs to give direction or explanation.  It was all overwhelming and intimidating to say the least.

It's so easy to feel lost and confused without direction.  Satan stands by and waits to devour us at our most vulnerable moments.  Meanwhile, God is there already at work directing our steps.  He's just waiting for us to follow Him.  Sometimes we hesitate because we are unsure about where He's taking us.  Sometimes we refuse because we are afraid.  Sometimes we decide to go our own way because then we at least know and understand and have control over the direction we are heading.  But if we were to let go of the need to understand, face our fears, and step out on faith to follow God, then we would discover a life worth living for and many beautiful things we wouldn't have otherwise experienced.  

Amy and I did make out of the airport and safely to our resort.  God put the right people in our path to help us, including one of the "vultures" who set us up for a shuttle ride and who failed to win us over with his sales pitch. We had an amazing time in Cabo, and I know that if I were to fly there again, I would be so much more confident walking through the "White Overload and Vultures" section.  My advice to you is to not let uncertainty, fear, or confusion to keep you from following God's plans for you.  He is good.  All the time.  Trust Him and see where He takes you!