So January is Here.....

Hello Sweet Ladies.  I pray and hope that all of you have had a wonderful break and are ready once again to dig into our study for a new semester and a new year!  As for myself, the break could have been better.  Our family joined us, but then again, so did sickness.  Everyone got sick except for myself and one of my daughters.  And this was a nasty sickness.  I truly believe that had my daughter and I not taken Echinacea and Vitamin C two to three times per day, we would have succumbed to the misery as well....but we kept it up, and it's got to be the only explanation, because there were many, many coughing people in my household.  So it could have been better.....but, at least we were together, and we had some good days.  Praise Him when things are good or bad, right?  Because things could always get worse! 



                          






And now in order to recover, I have holed up in my virtual cabin in the wintery woods to gather my thoughts and to pray and see what my Savior has for me.  What did I learn from disappointment over what I had been looking forward to for so long?  I know that we can take our memories and hold fast to the ones that have that sweet scent of our Master's spirit that we may not see as it's happening...but when it's over and we look back, we can clearly see the bigger picture, and remember the best times with fondness.  Cuddling a sick child, dancing around the kitchen with a toddler in my arms, playing Candyland, reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, the five year old singing "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" in his fancy voice....the hunt for just the right Christmas tree.  Ah you see?  Blessings in abundance were always there.  Thank you, Lord.


I invite you to come into my virtual wintery cabin with me and praise the One who makes all things possible.












Who does not need His sweet peace?

Rom 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

                               

Psalm 74:17 You have set all the borders of the earth;You have made summer and winter.

       

                                         

            

Now let's take a walk in our virtual wintery woods and reflect on being quiet and still - seeking what God has for us in this brand new year....ponder, pray, and listen on our snowy winter walk on our cold winter days in His presence:

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Philippians 3:13-14 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Lamentations 3:22-24

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!"

From GotQuestions.com - found an interesting and helpful article pertaining to Christians and new years resolutions....

Question: "What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?"

Answer: The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a New Year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31st and January 1st. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31st. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Common New Year’s resolutions are: to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money better, and spend more time with family. By far the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating healthier. These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to physical things. This should not be.

Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions: (1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make; (2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you; (3) Rely on God’s strength to help you; (4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you; (5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead allow them to motivate you further; (6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory. Psalm 37:5-6, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Please pardon me for having no Blogview this time.  On top of the sickness in our household, my last remaining computer went kaput....and so we had to buy a new one when we were able.  And then with all that was happening (including my mother being here and sick), I was just not doing well with my time.  Things are better now...mom is home and recuperating....all seems fine now.  But the blog did suffer, and for that I apologize.  I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year, but if you, like me, had some mishaps along the way, I pray you are able to focus where the Lord wants you to for now, and that this New Year gives you a new start, new outlook, new focus, new desire to please and serve our wonderful Creator.

I found a yummy sounding recipe that you all might enjoy from eatingwell.com:

Black Bean-Smothered Sweet Potatoes

For a quick and satisfying last-minute supper, it's hard to beat a sweet potato zapped in the microwave. The fragrant filling of beans and tomato adds protein, making it a nutritionally complete entree. Be sure to eat the potato skin; it's full of fiber.
2 servings | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place in a baking dish and bake at 425ºF until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.)
2. Meanwhile, combine beans, tomato, oil, cumin, coriander and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave on High until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat.)
3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Nutrition

Per serving : 351 Calories; 7 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 6 mg Cholesterol; 61 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 12 g Fiber; 468 mg Sodium; 541 mg Potassium
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat

"It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to whom I had drawn near in humble and child-like faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion."  Wolfgang Mozart
                                   

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed."  Robert Schuller

"The winds of God are always blowing, but you must set the sails."  Source Unknown

 Hope you enjoy as much as I did.....Happy New Year....a bit late.

Hope you all have a great week, great study, and great time with your group as we begin again. 

Bye For Now!

                                                        

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.
Isaiah 40:11