Merry Christmas!

No matter where you are celebrating and with whom, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. While Christmas is not all about gifts, it is nice to give and to receive. I believe the Lord blesses us when we give to others. The happiness we see on the faces of friends and loved ones when they find what is wrapped beneath the festive paper adds joy to our hearts.

Merry Christmas!

If you are one of the blessed few who have holiday gathers go perfectly each time; I'm thankful for your experiences. If you are dealing with difficult people, just remember Jesus loves you. He willingly came to be born and placed in a lowly manger for you. He came to fulfill a promise God made long before His birth to send a Saviour, a Substitute, a Sacrifice for you and me. He knows what you are going through; He sees it and He hears it all. Lean on Him, trust Him and He will give you the strength you need to make it through this holiday.

I wanted to share with you a little of an email I received last week; it touched my heart and I hope it blesses you.

"The true message of Christmas is not meant just for a few days in December, but for all of our lives. The world around us urgently needs the Good News that Jesus’ coming to earth offers.

Keeping Christmas simply requires that our own hearts are where they should be. Mary lived in a nation ruled by a foreign occupying force, under a brutal king who would soon order the murder of all the boy babies in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill her son. She gave birth to her baby among the animals because there was no one willing to take her in. Yet circumstances could not take away what she kept in her heart."

You can find the rest of the devotional email HERE.

O Holy Night

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from the Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

If you haven't already, stop what you are doing and worship the Lord. Focus on Him, give Him part of your day. After all, it is the day we celebrate His birth, won't you spend time with Him today?

A Look at Isaiah 9:6 {part 2}

Today we are continuing our look at the character aspects of Jesus in Isaiah chapter nine. This week I’m sharing The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.

One fact we need to remember, these are characteristics of God that Jesus has. While they are separate beings, they are yet the same.

The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace

The mighty God – Just who is this Mighty God? The very Son of God Himself. He is mighty in all things! The work He does, no one else can do. He can only do it because of the mighty power and authority He has. He saves. He delivers. When we go to Him in prayer, He is there listening. We no longer need to have someone go to Him and pray for us because He is available to His children at any time.

The everlasting Father – Jesus has never had a beginning nor will He have an ending. (Isaiah 41:4, Revelation 22:13) Each day our lives change - jobs lost, promotions given, loved ones die or cut relations with family members - Everything about us changes, but nothing can change Jesus. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus gives eternal life when we accept Him as our Saviour. One day, we will spend all eternity with Him, our Everlasting Father.

The Prince of Peace – Everywhere we look, we see people talking about wanting peace. But the peace most individuals long for is not what they need – Jesus. He is the only One who can give perfect peace in this world. No, we are not promised a smooth road to walk in this life, but the peace that Jesus gives helps alleviate that rough road we deal with every day. When Jesus left this world, He told the disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. (John 14:27)

It’s a joy to know He is what we are looking for in this sin filled world – He is the Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the promised Son of God, who fulfills these titles. He is the One who is worthy of the glory and honor we give. May we accept Him for who He is and what He offers.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, They everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Last week, I wrote about Wonderful Counselor.

If you came here looking for the Thankful Thursdays Linkup, please read this post.

Grits and Greens a Recipe for New Year's Day

New Year’s Day brings traditional good luck foods to the forefront in many homes. In the South, peas, greens, pork, and cornbread are found on a lot of tables. The greens vary, for my family, it has always been Collard greens. For others, Turnip greens and even Cabbage are considered the tradition. Several years ago, I found a new tradition for my little family - Grits and Greens.

Grits and Greens a New Take
on an Old New Year's Tradition

When I was a little girl, our family went to south Georgia to visit a favorite great aunt on New Year’s Day.  Only the older generation were there that day, and the food was not like that of the family reunion each summer. This time the food was simple; food I grew up eating. We always visited my grandmother and ate ham on New Year’s but this particular day I saw pork in a whole different light.  My sister and I were out on the back porch and there on the shelf out of the way sat a crock pot, we asked a great aunt what was in it. We heard “chicken”, so we lifted a lid and found that it was not chicken, but chitlins (pig small intestine). That was a light I never wanted turned on. While it is a tradition food in the deep south, it will never be a tradition found in my kitchen.

Let’s be honest, okay. I’m not a big fan of collard greens because they are more on the tough side than turnip greens. The bigger the leaf, the tougher they are. So I always make a small batch with turnip greens for me.

When I first found this recipe, I used garden grown greens I cooked and froze during the summer months. While we were living in Montana and could find nothing but bags of fresh greens that were mostly stems, I used canned (27 oz) greens. I drained and rinsed them in water. Fresh greens are always best, but if you can’t find them, use what you can find. A bag of fresh or frozen greens will always work.

A tip or two: If you are using canned or frozen Collards you won’t need all the chicken broth. You'll want to use enough broth to cover the greens and heat them through.

Grits come in instant, quick, and old fashioned/stone ground. Don’t use the instant grits for this recipe. Quick grits cook between 5-8 minutes, this is what I use. Old fashioned grits take about 15- 20 minutes to cook. If you are new to cooking grits - TIME them - You want them to be thick similar to oatmeal.

Grits and Greens

Ingredients:

• 6-8 pieces of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups grits (not instant) I use quick cooking grits
• 1 bunch of fresh greens, chopped ** see tip above
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (reserve 1 cup)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• up to 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a hot skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside to cool for crumbling. In the drippings, cook onions until translucent and add to pot when cooking greens.

In a pot large enough to hold your greens, add 4 cups of chicken broth and cook your greens until tender. (You may need a little more while cooking) ** see tip above** Drain and squeeze out as much liquid from the greens as possible. Reserve the liquid to be used in cooking the grits.

In a large pot, melt butter and add the reserved greens liquid plus enough cups of broth to equal 6 cups. (a total of 6 cups of juice/broth) Add heavy cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the grits and return to a boil, turn down to low and simmer. Stir occasionally to keep lumps from forming and sticking to the pot. When the grits are done according to the type you are using, {quick 5-8 minutes, old fashioned 15-20 minutes} add the Parmesan cheese and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, stir until well combined. Add the drained greens and onions, mixing well.

Pour into a well buttered 9x13 baking dish. Top with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Do you have a favorite New Year's Day tradition food?

A Look at Isaiah 9:6 Wonderful Counselor

Throughout the pages of the Bible, we see everything pointing to our Lord. No matter where we read, we see God. But when we dig a little further, there is one verse in the Bible that gives us a magnificent view of our Lord.

Within this verse, there are several characteristic aspects identified. A simple comma is used to create Wonderful and Counselor depending on the version you use. While this comma doesn’t change Him or his character, I will share both aspects of our Lord.

For unto us a Child is born; unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor... (Isaiah 9:6)

Wonderful Counselor

Wonderful. God is wonderful, He has done some amazing things. He created our body in a manner that scientists are still learning how parts of it function. The beauty we see scattered throughout creation is marvelous. Every day we experience something wonderful He has done - if you are healthy today, it’s because of Him. If your loved ones are safely at home this evening, it’s because of Him. He gave His only Son to pay our sin debt. Only a WONDERFUL God would do that. The more we learn about the Lord, our hearts should be full of amazement, because He is Wonderful.

Counselor. The Lord, our Counselor is the only One who can lead our lives in the right direction. We can seek council from others or do as we like, but no one will lead us like our Lord. When we are in need of wisdom or advice, we don’t have to make an expensive appointment to talk with someone; all we have to do is call on Him. (James 1:5)

Sometimes we need to hear from someone else on a matter. The Lord may use their advice to help lead us, but we have to make certain it is godly advice being given.

However we combine or separate these character aspects, Isaiah combined them later in chapter 28.
This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel... (Isaiah 28:29)

He is Wonderful; He is a Counselor; He is a Wonderful Counselor.

We can be thankful in saying we know the Wonderful Counselor!

I hope you’ll join me next week as we look at The mighty God, The everlasting Father, and The Prince of Peace.

If you came here looking for the Thankful Thursdays Linkup, please read this post.

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin, Not Your Momma's Recipe!

As a girl visiting a classmate’s home, I was served a dish I loved. It was a new potato dish, the thinly sliced potatoes covered with cheese looked as if it had been made for a magazine. To this day, I can recall sitting at the dinner table and my friend’s mom giving me a big spoon of those potatoes. I remember how the potatoes where carefully arranged in a 9x13 baking dish so they would be stacked with no gaps and how the cheese was a bubbly golden brown. I can’t remember anything else about that meal except that Potatoes Au Gratin.

My mom is not adventurous in the kitchen. When we were children and we talked about a new food we tried somewhere else, it was very rarely prepared for our family. It wasn’t until after my husband and I were married and we went to a reunion where I was reintroduced to yummy Potatoes Au Gratin. After trying two or three times of making this cheesy goodness and something not turning out right, I gave up on having my own Potatoes Au Gratin recipe, until now.

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

My friend Sue shared her recipe for Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes on her blog. It was a little different from the other recipes I’ve eaten and I knew I had to try it and so I did. While my husband and son love green peas, they asked me to not add them to future dishes, because they wanted to enjoy them by themselves. That’s okay with me because I don’t have to worry about coming up with another side dish. Yeah, I went there.

While my recipe looks nothing like the dish I was served as a girl, I think it tastes a whole lot better!

One big time saver for me is peel and thinly slice the potatoes before cooking. I usually just boil the potatoes until tender before adding them to the pan.

I made a few slight changes from the original recipe – more bacon and I used a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream. Just yummy goodness when you think about it!

Oh yes, if you don't have a lot of potatoes, you can still make this dish, just dice your potatoes or cut them in bigger chunks. Anyway you cut them will work out. Just remember you may have to cut back on the mayo, sour cream, and milk.

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

Ingredients: 

• 8 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon bacon drippings
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cups cooked potatoes, peeled and sliced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk. Set aside.

In a hot frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve one Tablespoon of drippings in the pan. Add onion and cook until tender; layer with the potatoes, salt, and ½ of the cheese and bacon. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. If using cooled potatoes cook until heated through.

Pour mayonnaise and sour cream mixture over the potatoes and bacon. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes until mayo mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Do you have a favorite recipe that has a similar story as mine?

A Look Back {Thankful Thursdays Linkup #86}

Several months I prayed for guidance before taking the leap. Writing a weekly subject was something I felt drawn to do, but was afraid of getting off course, as in the past and not being able to keep at it. As a member of a large blogger help group on Facebook, I found my answer, the Thankful Thursdays Linkup.

For 21 months, I’ve hosted the Thankful Thursdays Linkup.  I shared things I was grateful for and the things I was not really all that thankful for when they happened. But as I continued sharing every week, my heart softened towards them.

A Look Back on Thankful Thursdays

Over a brief time span, my Thankful Thursday posts moved on to a study of the names of the Lord found throughout the Bible. Each week, I learned much as I studied and shared what I found. Many of you left words of encouragement or a quick thought that stood out to you. Some of those thoughts and encouragements taught me even more than what I had learned; many of them are written in my devotional journal. It blesses me to know for many months what I have learned helped encourage you.

Because of the Thankful Thursdays Linkup, I have made many online friends who are striving just like me to continue in our walk of faith with the Lord. I’ve found new bloggers who have a genuine heart for the Lord and others and it shows in every word they share. My heart was softened to decisions many families are led to make with their children. Through the linkup, I was introduced to new authors and new books. My reading list is a mile long thanks to the reviews being shared. :)

Since May a lot has taken place within our family. While praying for something, the Lord shook my world. Hopefully, soon I will share our story. During this time, the Lord has shown me a project I  started three years ago that I need to finish. He has also shown me that my family  needs me during those times of visiting, reading, and scheduling links on social media (not just for Thankful Thursdays).

When I started the Thankful Thursdays Linkup, the technical goal I had was to make certain every link shared had a visit and comment by me. I understand what it is like to share a link and not receive a visit with a quick comment from the host(s).  Because of this, I wanted those who took the time to linkup to know I was grateful for them and the post they shared.

When I asked the Lord for direction on what to do in creating more hours in the day, He showed to me to not continue hosting the linkup. While I preferred to wait until the end of the month to share about this decision, the Lord has shown me now is the time.

While I will be writing my Thankful Thursday post every week (hopefully), the linkup will be put on hold until the Lord shows me differently. If/when that time comes, I’ll share it on social media.

Dear friends, I just want to thank you for sharing with me each week for I have truly been blessed. I pray each of you has been blessed by the links you’ve visited while here at Thankful Thursdays. I pray you all have a very Merry Christmas.

Since this is Thankful Thursdays, one last linkup is needed.



You can view the LINKUP HERE.

Charlie the Tramp by Russell Hoban Book Review

After 50 years, the children’s book Charlie the Tramp is being introduced to a new generation. I remember this precious little book being on the book table in my kindergarten class. It was my favorite and I enjoyed learning to read to Charlie the Tramp. I was able to pass my love for Charlie on to my son when he was little. As parents, we do all we can to teach our children to be productive adults. Sometimes, we have to allow our children to pursue their dreams so they will show just how responsible they can be, just like with Charlie.

this post contains affiliate links

Charlie the Tramp Book Review

The new updated cover while a little different from the original paperback cover I read as a little girl gives a look of simplicity from my childhood. When I first sat down with the book, I couldn't help but feel like a little girl again seeing the images Lillian Hoban had lovingly created for this book. As I read the words I was taken back to my childhood in my kindergarten class learning to read the sweet story about Charlie wanting to grow up and be a tramp.

If you are one who believes in being politically correct, this book is not for you. But, if you still believe in the way things "used to be" in the home and haven't read this book, you need to. Sharing our past (and present for many) with our future generations is a must. The cute story about Charlie is a great reminder of how things used to be.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Charlie the Beaver wants to be a tramp when he grows up. “Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams. Tramps just tramp around and have a good time. Tramps carry sticks with little bundles tied to them. They sleep in a field when the weather is nice, and when it rains they sleep in a barn.” Charlie sets off with his bundle. But when he hears water trickling, he can’t get to sleep. Will he be able to resist the urge to make it stop? As Grandfather Beaver says, “You never know when a tramp will turn out to be a beaver.”

“An especially memorable character study of a runaway beaver...unique, humorous, precise of speech...How touching the moment when Charlie’s father looks at his truant one’s first serious nighttime labor and says, ‘Any tramp that can make a pond like that is going to be some beaver one of these days.’” – The Atlantic Monthly, August 1976

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Russell Hoban (1925-2011) first became famous for his children’s picture books about a badger named Frances and other animal characters that have a lot in common with children we know – Bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances, and Emmit Otter’s Jug-band Christmas.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Lillian Hoban (1925-1998), one of America’s favorite children’s book illustrators, is best known for a young chimpanzee named Arthur and his little sister, Violet. She also illustrated six of Russell Hoban’s books about Frances the badger, which have taken their place among the great classics of children’s literature. Lillian Hoban was born in Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. She studied dance for ten years and became a professional dancer. She began to write and illustrate her own stories only after having children, basing her tales on their experiences.

Hardcover
Pages: 48
Book Size: 7 x 8.75
Age:  3-8 years

You can purchase your own copy from Christian Book.

I  received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest opinion. I was not required to give a good review.

Charlie the Tramp By Russell Hoban / Plough Publishing House

5 Pages from My Journal: the Book of Psalms

In the autumn of 2012, I started journaling what touched my heart while reading the Bible during my morning devotions. I began this for two reasons: I wanted a way to remember special nuggets I found and for my son and future generations to learn a little something about me through my thoughts on what stood out to me. Since all of my journals except for one are stored away, I’m sharing 5 pages from my journal from the book of Psalms.

5 Pages from My Journal: the Book of Psalms

From chapters 52-57: 

• The goodness of God endures forever.

• I will trust in the mercy of God forever.

• God is my Helper.

• Through everything have FAITH in God. He will HEAR when I call on Him.

• God is for me, His child, all I have to do is put my trust in Him.

• I will sing and give praise to God.

• The glory of the Lord will be exalted above the earth.

From chapters 68-70:

• Life here on earth is a TEMPORARY journey. It comes with a lot of hardships, but the Lord SEES and HEARS everything. He will lift me up and carry me through.

• The Lord hears my prayers. He knows my heart. He knows everything I do – NOTHING is hidden from God.

From chapters 77-78:

• God is good ALL the time! When I feel He is not listening, remember what He has done in the past.

• He hears and will give GRACE and MERCY at the right time.

• God can’t work in my life when I don’t live for Him.

• THINK on the PAST – God has done some amazing things for me. REMEMBER those things and teach them to Jamie and his future family.

GOD CAN DO ANYTHING! There is NOTHING too big for Him. DON’T LIMIT WHAT GOD

CAN

AND

WILL

DO!

From chapters 81-82:

• God LONGS to bless me and my family.

• How long will I judge others? – DON’T JUDGE!

• How long will I CONTINUE accepting sin?  Sin is disgusting in God’s eyes; I should see it the same way.

From chapter 89:

• There is NO ONE who can be compared to God.

• No matter what I do, God WILL ALWAYS love me. He will not let me go unpunished, but He will continue to be FAITHFUL.

There are too many wonderful encouragements and directions throughout the Bible for me to keep in my heart. I have found journaling my thoughts on them can be helpful in remembering. It’s nice to look back on these 5 pages from my journal to remember the things the Lord showed me while in a time of distress. Those little comforts were given at the perfect moment and I’m thankful to have a written record of them.

Do you journal your Bible reading?

Because of Thanksgiving, I did not choose a featured post this week, but I will share one again next week.

You can view the

LINKUP HERE

.