Tomorrow is a big day… we are hosting our first Raising Entrepreneurs Conference for the Charlotte NC area (3rd conference ever)!!! As of today, we have well over 100 people signed up and are so excited about what the Lord is going to do through this conference. Please keep us in your prayers, that the Lord would use this to grow our faith in Him, and to encourage us, as well as all the many families who will be attending – even from different states.

Today we did LOTS of preparation for the conference. Bethany and Josiah went shopping for their snack stand this past week, and set to work making signs for the table they will set up outside the auditorium at breaks. I baked 40+ giant cookies, 50 bran muffins, and 2 pans of buttery black raspberry bars made with natural sugars, for the snack table. It was a LONG day filled with excitement and planning. Several of us worked on our testimonies/talks that we will be giving this weekend, and printed workbooks/handouts for the registration table.

We are looking forward to a good night’s rest, and an early start tomorrow! Stay tuned for updates from the conference.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

Gratitude is thanking God for His abundant blessings in our everyday lives. It’s acknowledging the big and the little, the complex and the simple. It’s realizing that what I have, I don’t deserve; and what I think is difficult, could always be worse.

Yes it is all those things! But Gratitude is so much more…

Gratitude goes beyond the sweet, the lovely, the pleasant, the gift-wrapped, bow-tied packages… Gratitude is realizing that whatever I’m going through today, and whatever my family is facing, is part of a bigger picture that God is painting. While I see only a line on the paper, a streak of color, He sees the completed work – perfection. Gratitude trusts a holy God with a divinely appointed plan. It is knowing and believing that the joys and blessings and smiles, as well as trials and challenges and tears, are all part of life’s classroom – and the test we face is the choice to receive or resist the grace of God – today, tomorrow, next week.

We all face difficult moments in life. Some are harder than others. Today may seem darker than yesterday for one person; but perhaps the sun is beginning to break through the clouds for another. Day begins to dawn, with the rising sun; but with the end of the day comes a season of darkness…waiting, watching, praying, hoping. These are the moments that we are offered God’s incredible grace, and the chance to trust His bigger purposes when we cannot see beyond the pencil lines of today. But it is a choice each person must make – each family must make.

Recently we began to have a time of sharing around the table at each meal, as a family. When we gather together for a meal, we go around and share areas of gratitude, things that we are grateful for. What a joy it is, to exhort one another daily – to hear father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter – sharing what they are grateful for, and why! It brings peace and harmony to the table. It fills the home with joy and gratitude. Hearts overflowing with praise and thanksgiving – it is bringing glory to God’s name. When we would have been tempted to complain, or be anxious about the upcoming events of a busy day, or to fall beneath the burden of a trial hard to bear… we are reminded of so many wonderful blessings that God has bestowed upon us, that we are not worthy to receive.

This week we were reminded of Paul, who endured unimaginable trials, and was deprived of all his worldly possessions but the very clothes on his back – yet even then, he exhorted his fellow believers to be thankful for everything, always, and to be anxious for nothing, fully content.

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness…” (2 Corinthians 11:24-27)

We are learning as a family, to put aside the worry, fear, grumbling, complaining, murmuring, despair that could accompany the trials we encounter in life. Rather, let us watch and wait for the dawning of the morning. Let us rejoice and be thankful, that we serve a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. His compassion fails not. Praise the Lord!

What are you facing today as a family, or as an individual. If you are not facing a trial right now, you are sure to face one at some time in the future. Purpose to take the path of gratitude, even when you do not feel like it.

The choice to be grateful, is the choice to receive God’s blessed gift of overwhelming joy! Gratitude and joy go hand in hand; yes, they are inseparably linked!

Only He sees the bigger picture. Remember, He is the Master Artist. We see only the glimpse of today, the moment of time we are living in. Trust the One Who sees the perfect ending. He knows best!

So let us die to self, that we may live for Christ. Let us endure the pruning, that we may bear more fruit! Let us press on through the times of refining and purging, that we may come forth as gold (Job 23:10). May the likeness of Christ be seen in our lives, as we choose to respond with gratefulness!!! It is a choice.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice…Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true…honest…just…pure…lovely…of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

Dear Grandpa,

It’s so hard to believe that one year ago today you said goodbye to this world and passed into the arms of Jesus. I was hundreds of miles away when they called and said you were gone. It was evening, and I went out on a great big beautiful hill in the middle of Michigan, and watched the sunset while I cried tears and talked to God. We had watched and waited and sat there beside you for more than three weeks. We had sung your favorite songs, shared the glorious gospel with you, read you passages from Scripture, fed you meals, talked to you, and watched you slowly slip away. There were times you didn’t know who we were; you saw things that weren’t really there; you cried, and were afraid, and fell out of bed. You asked Jesus to save you and have mercy on you. I got to know you so much better, as my friend, as my grandfather.

It’s been a long time since that day, and somehow still it’s hard for me to understand that you’re really in heaven, because I never saw your eyes close for the last time, never heard your heart stop beating. It felt like a dream. I still picture you tucked into bed back home, watching the birds and flowers outside your window, calling for someone to get you something.

Grandpa, I don’t remember much about you from my growing up years, but what I do is special. I saw you draw beautiful pictures like none I’d ever seen. You told stories about your life that made the past come alive. You made me imagine your childhood as though I had been there. You were kind and sweet and gentle. You taught us new things and patiently worked with us until we mastered the rules of your favorite card game – which we still enjoy as a family.

Those are faint memories from my younger years. The most special memories I have that I cherish, are the last days we spent with you in PA last year – those long days of sitting by your bed, praying, talking to you, sharing Jesus with you. At that time I was afraid and anxious and worn out. It was difficult. I didn’t know what would happen, and how much longer you would have to live. I wasn’t prepared to be away from my family in an unfamiliar place when you passed away. But now looking back, it was such a blessing from God to have that time with you as a family leading up to your farewell. It brought joy to my heart and tears to my eyes to hear you talk to God, to witness your humble cry for mercy. When you felt unworthy, the words to your favorite song (Just As I Am) were a constant reminder to you of the Father’s redeeming, saving love! As you lay there suffering in body, troubled and weary, you cried out to Jesus, you thanked Him for His grace. I saw you reach out and receive His gift of eternal life. “Just as I am without one plea; but that Thy blood was shed for me. And that thou bidst me come to Thee, o lamb of God I come, I come.”

God gave me such a deep love for you during those weeks. I sat beside your bed memorizing Psalm 119 out loud, so you would be comforted in your delirious state. I fed you when you could no longer feed yourself, and my heart went out to you. I got to know you better in those weeks. You accepted your physical weakness without complaining. I never heard you murmur about being bedridden or confined to the house. You smiled, and held our hands, and always told us you were doing just fine. My love for you grew so much deeper. I learned so many wonderful lessons from you.

Grandpa, I look forward to the day when we will see you again face to face – with no tears, no pain, no sickness or sorrow. Then we will be reunited with Christ together in heaven. I am filled with joy to know that you will be there. I’m so glad you are not suffering any more. Your pain is gone. You don’t need your oxygen or your bed or your medicines anymore. You don’t have to look outside the window and long to feel the freedom of the fresh air outside. In heaven there is so much joy and beauty. Life is glorious and perfect with Christ. Truly you are at peace.

I love you grandpa. I miss you so much!

Love,

Sarah

I made this recipe for our family last year, using whole wheat flour and sugar like it called for (see link to original recipe below). This time, I experimented using some gluten free baking flour, and natural sweeteners. One thing I learned recently that has really improved our cornbread recipe, and added a nice touch to our gluten free breads, is a simple principle about xanthan gum! Xanthan gum helps hold the bread together so it is softer and more bread-like vs. crumbly and dry.

When baking with gluten free flours add the following amounts of xanthan gum to your recipe.

Cookies……………………………1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Cakes and Pancakes………………1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour
Muffins and Quick Breads…………3/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Breads………………………………1 to 1-1/2 tsp. per cup of flour
Pizza Dough……………………… 2 teaspoons per cup of flour
For Salad Dressings…Use 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum per 8 oz. of liquid

For instance, if I am baking muffins (which I am!), I will need 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum per cup of flour. In the recipe below, I am using 2-1/4 cups gluten free flour (in place of regular flour), and the recipe will not turn out as it normally would with regular flour. In this case I will use about 1-3/4 tsp. or maybe even 2 tsp. xanthan gum just to be safe. In case you’re wondering, it turned out WONDERFUL!!!

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

For the original recipe (containing whole wheat flour, honey, and sugar) click HERE!

2-1/4 cups all purpose gluten free baking flour (We have tried King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill)

3/4 cup cooked oatmeal (I made mine using steel cut oats)

1 tsp. salt

1-3/4 – 2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground flax seed powder

3 eggs

1 cup applesauce

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

3 tablespoons agave syrup

1/2 cup coconut sugar or date sugar

10 drops vanilla creme flavored liquid stevia

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded carrots

In a large bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and flax seed powder. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, applesauce, yogurt or sour cream, sweeteners, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix in the zucchini and carrots. Spoon batter into well greased muffin tins, and bake at 400 F. degrees for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool a few minutes before removing muffins from the pan.

For a yummy topping, we mixed together about 4 oz Quark cheese (We buy it at Earthfare – a healthy local food store) with some maple syrup, liquid stevia, and finely ground pecans. It makes a delicious sweet cream cheese filling to spoon over top.

Note: Try substituting the carrots and zucchini for blueberries and/or grated apples!

It’s nice to be able to enjoy bread again (after what seems like FOREVER) even if it’s gluten free! The quark cheese and sour cream are two dairy products that we have added back in in small quantities, as well as farmer’s cheese, kefir and plain yogurt on occasion. With the last two, we’ve been having fun with the blender (fruit smoothies on Saturday!).

Enjoy with people you love!!!

It’s always fun to come up with something new and unique for dinner! We threw this recipe together one night and really enjoyed it! It’s a basic recipe that you can’t really mess up on, and of course there’s plenty of room to add or take from whatever, if you prefer to experiment with your own ideas. That’s one thing I love about cooking!!!

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients~

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

3 cups water

16 cups chicken stock or broth

3 cups wild rice (Add or take depending on how you like your soup)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

10 large carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

(Note: the crock pot is an ideal way to cook up a batch on a busy day !)

Frozen baby broccoli florets, thawed

Frozen cut green beans, thawed

Frozen sweet peas, thawed

Instructions~

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil over med-high heat. The onion should be translucent when you are finished. Add the water, chicken stock, rice, and some salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, and carrots, and bring back to a boil again. Lower the temperature and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Cut the chicken breasts into small bite size pieces and return to the pot. Add the black beans, broccoli, green beans, and peas. Simmer until the rice is cooked, and the carrots are soft.

Enjoy with people you love!!!

Tuesday is sweet potato day. We look forward to it because it is one of our favorite things to eat on this diet- maybe because it’s sweet . We have a couple of ways we like to make sweet potatoes, but recently we discovered a new recipe that everyone loves!!!

We make our yummy Apple-Berry Crisp once a week, for a Saturday treat. The idea occurred to me one day that we could work with our recipe to do something more like a sweet potato casserole, or pie… Since daddy’s birthday was coming up (March 16th), we decided to experiment with it for the occasion. My mom was a huge part in helping create this recipe! It has the consistency of a pumpkin pudding or pie (depending on how long you choose to bake it) but of course it’s much more healthy. It lacks the usual sugar you would find in a regular recipe, but to someone who is on the Candida diet or committed to a healthy diet all the time, it’s a real treat!

Sweet Potato Apple Dessert

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt 1-2 TBSP butter, and brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13″ pan.

Sprinkle 1/8 cup almond flour in the bottom of the pan, on top of the butter.

In a food processor or blender, combine the following ingredients and blend until smooth:

4 medium yellow apples, peeled, cored, and shredded

4 medium sweet potatoes, baked (until soft) and removed from their skins

3 TBSP Agave Syrup

10 drops liquid stevia (I used vanilla creme flavored liquid stevia)

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

4 eggs

5 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Pour the mixture into the buttered and floured baking pan.

To make the crumbs, mix together the following ingredients in a mixing bowl:

2 cups finely ground pecans

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup (4 TBSP)  very soft butter (partially melted works best)

10 drops liquid stevia

1 TBSP Agava syrup

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Use a pastry blender or fork to mix the crumbs together. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato filling.

Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes. (Watch the crumbs on top. You may want to take the foil off sooner or later, depending on how brown you like the top).

Cool completely, and then refrigerate. This dessert is best served completely cold – for a sweeter taste!

Recently we were blessed with the opportunity to attend several sessions by Dr. Jim Logan and Rev. Paul Jordan, at the JAARS Center here in Waxhaw, NC. Dr. Logan spoke at the Regional ATI Conferences back when the Nashville Conferences were located in Knoxville (before I was old enough to remember him ). We had heard his series on spiritual warfare, over several weeks of hosting Sunday night small groups, and were very encouraged and challenged by them as a family.

So it was with great excitement and anticipation that we traveled the short distance to JAARS each morning and evening, Sunday through Wednesday. What an incredible blessing it was! I was deeply challenged by many things that Dr. Logan and Mr. Jordan shared, and wanted to share some thoughts from the week. I took pages of notes in my devotional journal, and have been looking back over them throughout this week. So many valuable truths from Scripture have stuck to me and become fresh reminders again and again and again, to keep on the right path and walk in victory.

 ”Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” – Galatians 5:1

3 Steps to Intimacy with God:

1. Be Still – without stillness, there is no knowing.

2. Be quiet before the Lord.

3. Be slow – learn to meditate and glean insights from the truths of God’s Word.

Other meaningful insights shared by Dr. Logan and Mr. Jordan:

• You’re not godly because of what you don’t do; You’re godly because of what you DO do.

• Believers have a distorted view of God, because they are bitter about negative life experiences, and they walk through life with a distorted view of God – especially if they have a bad relationship with their earthly father (as God is a heavenly father).

• If I don’t take a wrong thought captive, it will captivate me, like a snowball that becomes an avalanche because it wasn’t stopped…

• I can’t choose what I will go through in life, because God is sovereign, but I can choose how I respond to what I go through. Circumstances won’t change; but my attitude and answer can. The worst things can be the best things when I learn to see God’s bigger picture and choose to respond rightly…

• Satan can only control me to the extent that I let him. He cannot have any ground that I do not release to him. I am just as free to say no, as to say yes!

• The good can keep me from the best; often good is the enemy of the best.

• Satan is not satisfied with an inch. He always wants just a little more. And once I give him ground, what is to stop me from giving him more and more and more…?

• People always say, “…you just don’t understand what I’m going through! You just can’t imagine the pain I’m feeling...” as if they are experiencing the exception to the rule. The real truth is, “You just don’t understand HOW powerful God is!“

• We think, “Why this trial?” But we should be thinking, “Why have I experienced so many blessings and joys and comforts that life is not ALWAYS one huge painful trial?”

• The most beautiful rugs are the ones with the flaws hidden inside… (Read the story HERE).

• I can become better or bitter. It is my choice. – P.J

• What I am going through doesn’t even compare to what Jesus went through…

• People don’t look at a butterfly as a converted worm. It is an entirely new creation. The butterfly’s nature is to crawl on its belly, but it has been given the ability to fly – it can fly! Likewise, believers are made a new creation at salvation. Our tendency is to walk after the flesh, but we can walk in the spirit. (Read the story HERE).
  

• Forgiveness doesn’t undo the past. It doesn’t bring back a dead person, or heal a broken bone… but it gives us freedom to live a power-filled walk for Christ.

• Forgiveness is always first a choice. Feelings may come later.

• We are not to resist temptation. That places our focus on the very thing we are trying to resist. We are to resist the devil.

• We’re never tempted to do what we wouldn’t do. Satan knows our weak spots. He goes right to the areas where we have failed in the past, and could easily fail now.

• Information doesn’t change a life. Scripture needs to be internalized!

• Never underestimate the power of the enemy. It is okay to overestimate the power of God.

I was especially challenged by the sessions on prayer, because I had the opportunity to wake up extra early each morning before we left the house, and spend over an hour in prayer with the Lord. Since that time I have been continuing to apply this principle, and it has been so freeing and powerful in my spiritual walk. Truly, I cannot afford to not pray! It has made all the difference in every area of my life – as well as in my family as I pray for them!

Insights on Prayer:

• Prayer must be real and from the heart. The significance is not in the words or tone of voice, but in the heart motive.

• If you miss prayer and it doesn’t bother you, pray about it…

• God is more concerned about where I’m going, not where I am.

• If I want a godly man, I must be the kind of godly woman that a godly man would look for…

I was so encouraged by Mr. Logan’s story about the two trapeze artists, and his enlightening illustration and application to Psalm 37.

Insights taken from Psalm 37

• “Trust in the Lord and do good…” – To trust = a lame man with a crutch, completely dependent.

• “Delight thyself also in the Lord…” – To delight in something = to spend time studying it, reading about it, thinking about it, participating in it, giving time and energy to it…

• “Commit thy way unto the Lord. Rest also…” – The flyer and the catcher… The flyer must do nothing. He must wait on the catcher to catch him, with full faith and trust. If he tries to help the catcher, or go to the catcher, he could suffer severe consequences. He must do absolutely nothing. The catcher has to do the work. I must not only commit to wait and trust, but be still and do nothing…abide.

For more information on Dr. Jim Logan and Reverend Paul Jordan’s ministry, or to find out more about their free resources, visit the Biblical Restoration Ministries Site.

Today a lot of people in this world will wake up to hugs and chocolates and big red hearts. There will be flowers on the table and a very special card and maybe an invitation to go out for the evening…

There’s nothing wrong with setting aside a day to celebrate the very special person God has placed in your life. There’s nothing wrong with taking time to say, “I love you, and I’m thinking of you.” In fact, that should be an everyday thing – but it’s not.

Why is it that most of the people that wake up today would consider divorce tomorrow on certain terms? Why does their love become hatred when when they see the others person’s unlovely side?

Today I’m thinking of the perfect, pure, unfailing love of Jesus. His is a love vast as the ocean, mightier than the hugest, strongest mountain; His is a love that will not vanish should I betray Him for a lesser affection; a love that will not become cold and dead because I chose to do my own will; a love that does not show itself only on good terms or in favorable circumstances. His is a love that is unconditional and everyday; constant and perfect. His love is not based on what I can feel or see or touch. It is by faith. It is by promise. It is by covenant.

Why is it that most people who will wake up today view love as a hug or a kiss or an affectionate string of words? Why is it that their love only shows on days when the sun is shining?

My God is a God of sacrificial love; love that is not just based on emotions. Sometimes love can be tears and pain and a choice. It can be going against the cries of my flesh and being made willing to receive the sufficient strength of Christ.

Love is a beautiful thing. God’s love is in sunflowers and rainbows and wind whipping through tall grassy fields. It’s in the rain and the thunder, and the rays of the sun. It’s in the voices of little children praying before bed, and in the silence of a quiet black night. But His love is more than that. It does not always come across like a hug or a kiss or a diamond ring. It is so much bigger, so much vaster, so much deeper.

His love is beyond comparison. It is outside my imagination. I cannot fathom the depth of it.

He gives me things no man could ever give me – peace, joy, hope, faith, strength…

He shed His blood for me. He shed tears for me. He came to rescue me. He gave His life for me.

Because He loves, I love. I am what His love has made me to be.

He loves a husband through a wife; He loves a father through a daughter; He loves a little boy through a Mama; He loves a family through each individual member, and then makes them a whole.

His love is beautiful. It can come wrapped in a box tied up with a bow; it can be written in a card on the table; it can be displayed in special time spent together. But it’s not about the gift, or the card, or the time, as much as it is about the heart. It is about true love. Constant love. Unfailing love. The pure, priceless love of Christ at work in the lives of His children.

Today I am thinking about my Abba Father, and how very much I love Him.

“We love Him, because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19

Life has its challenges. We are called to be soldiers in the army of the Lord. He does not promise that the road will be smooth, or the path easy, but that where we tread, He will be there with us; and if we cast our burdens upon Him, He will sustain us. He will not suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22) It’s His promise.

I’m sure we’ve all figured out by now that life is not always a glorious mountaintop experience. Rather, much of what we see from day to day is a slow weary trudge through the valley. We are called to love unlovely people; to view our enemies as God’s agents for our own good; to stand and fight when our flesh cries out in weakness – to just give up! Freedom doesn’t always feel like a butterfly. Forgiveness doesn’t undo what already happened. Love is not just a beautiful feeling toward another person. No, rather, in fact, these three are often at first the result of a fierce inner battle; a struggle to say no to the bondage of sin, and choosing to follow Christ. It can mean clenched teeth and tears. It is only by the complete grace of God! And this begins when I realize how great the love of God is for me, despite all that I  did (and still do) to Him. Then I will experience the joy of the Lord in life!

Today I saw a man, a servant of God, a child of the King of Kings. He said yes to God. He devoted time to study the Word. He opened his mouth in obedience, and shared the Word of the Lord with hungry people in our little congregation. And because he was just an ordinary man that loved his Lord, the words that came from his mouth were oh so extraordinary.

One of the first things he said was this: Don’t let Satan have a foothold in your life!

God knew I needed this. Because it’s been one of those in-the-valley weeks. It’s been long and exhausting and at times just plain hard. You know what I mean. You have those days too. Thank God for a loving family, and His precious Word, and His amazing grace!

The ordinary man that serves an extraordinary God said more. He went through Psalm 86, meditating on each verse, expounding to us with wonderful insights that the Lord showed him this week. I wanted to share a few of those verses with you, because they were a blessing to me.

(verse one) I must be poor and needy to be helped. I must be desperate, and dependent on God alone, not my own strength.

(verse four) I need to give my mind, will, and emotions over to the complete control of God. This is when Satan will not have a foothold in my life. This is when I will experience the complete JOY of the Lord!

(verse seven) I don’t usually recognize God’s goodness until I am “at the bottom”. I walk through the “good” times never realizing where I would be, or what it would be like without God’s goodness. God allows troubles often simply because He wants me to call out. When I do, He will always answer. And no can be an answer too.

(verse eight) Nothing compares to the Lord. Anything I love more than Him is a god. And yet nothing will satisfy, fulfill, complete, or perfect – except for Jesus Christ.

(verse eleven) Am I teachable? Am I yielded to Him? Is my heart sitting on a fence seeking after many different things, or am I undivided? If I ask, He will change my heart that I might fear His name.

(verse twelve) I need to praise the Lord with ALL of my heart, not just in my words.

(verse thirteen) He has raised me up from a shapeless hunk of clay out of the mire; He has molded me. By His great love and compassion, He has delivered me from the grave. He has made me what I am, and who I am.

(verse fifteen) The Lord is kind, stable, faithful, trustworthy. He is the one unchanging constant in the midst of all life’s inconsistencies.

(verse sixteen) He gives mercy. He gives strength. He saves. I must realize that it is His strength and not my own. He wants the glory due unto His name.

Don’t let Satan get a foothold in your life. The King of Kings has created us for so much more. He has made us to be more than conquerors, in Christ Jesus! And it begins with meditating on, and applying His Word to our lives.

While our friend Christen was here, she made fresh salsa and gaucamole with us! It’s super easy, really tasty, and lots of fun for everyone!

So here’s what you do for the salsa…

In a mixing bowl combine the following ingredients:

There’s really no rule as to how much of everything you add. Just mix, taste, and add a little more of this or that until it agrees with your taste buds!

Now for the guacamole…

In a mixing bowl combine the following ingredients:

And just like the salsa, be creative! Do what you like to it to make it perfect…

Since we are not able to have salad dressings on our Candida diet, we have been using fresh tomatoes and avocados with every meal. Some of us were doubtful about putting the salsa and guacamole all over our salad… at first! It was DELICIOUS and we have decided to do it often.

If you do decide to create your own Mexican salad, add a little cooked brown rice for more deliciousness.