Relax

Relax and let Me lead you through this day.  I have everything under control:  My control.  You tend to peer anxiously into the day that is before you, trying to figure out what to do, and when.  Meanwhile, the phone or the doorbell rings, and you have to reshuffle your plans.  All that planning ties you up in knots and distracts you from Me.  Attentiveness to Me is not only for your quiet time, but for all your time.  As you look to Me, I show you what to do now and next.

Vast quantities of time and energy are wasted in obsessive planning.  When you let Me direct your steps, you are set free to enjoy Me and to find what I have prepared for you this day.

From Sarah Young's devotional, Jesus Calling. 

It sounds amazingly simple, doesn't it.  This realizing God is in control and letting Him direct our day.  When the phone or doorbell rings, what if we said "okay God, I guess You have other plans for today" instead of muttering "I hope it is a wrong number" or "I really can't be interrupted now by guests". 

I am a big list maker.  Especially on weekends I have the list of things I'd like to accomplish.  Rarely am I able to cross everything off.   And usually I'm okay with that but there are times I feel anxious over getting side tracked or interrupted. 

Oh to have such a closeness with God that the now and the next activities of my day would be a dance with Him.  That I would allow Him to lead me in the next moves and be fulfilled with that. 

Amazing Father, let's start with this weekend.  You lead.  I'll follow. Let's see what plays out!

Your Face

I am mesmerized by this picture of Baby C.  Her daddy snapped it last week.  Just what was she thinking as she looked outside?  And to have her hands folded like that.  As far as I know, Favorite-Son-In-Law did not pose her hands.

Below is a daily devotion that I think goes along with this picture.  From Max Lucado's Grace For the Moment daily calendar, read this:

         He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  Psalm 40:3

 

God invites us to see his face so he can change ours.  He uses our uncovered faces to display his glory.  By his fingers, wrinkles of worry are rubbed away.  Shadows of shame and doubt become portraits of grace and trust.  He relaxes clenched jaws and smoothes furrowed brows.  His touch can remove the bags of exhaustion from beneath the eyes and turn tears of despair into tears of peace.  How?  God's plan is [simple].  He changes our faces through worship.

What reflection is on Your Face? 
 
Do you have the peace, contentment and wonder that Baby C has on her face? 

Isn't it amazing that the answer is simple....worship God.  Spend time giving Him thanks and glory and honor.   All things He is worthy of. 
 
The benefit of worshipping God is a cheap face lift!  Our countenance changes and as mentioned in the devotional, bags of exhaustion disappear from beneath our eyes.
 
Give this amazing tip a try.  Let's watch our faces change!

Cancer and Chemo Suck

Suck is like a swear word for me.  When I use that word in a sentence that doesn't have anything to do with Popsicles or Tootsie Pops, I fully intend it to have an impact and intensity.  Tonight I feel great intensity when I say:  cancer and chemo suck.

 

This picture of my dad was taken last weekend.  He is holding his great granddaughter, Baby C (the world's cutest baby).  Dad looks great despite the fact he's had four cycles of chemo.   The first weeks of chemo were uneventful except his gallbladder went on a rampage and he had to have a quick surgery to have it removed.  The past month he has had to skip a chemo cycle because his blood counts were too low.  Now a sense of being cold all the time, extreme fatigue and a loss of appetite are side effects daily.  Today a permanent tooth fell out and a dentist won't see him because of his low immune system.  That tooth held his dentures in place.  It is hard for him to eat now!

Dad has such a great positive outlook.  He really is trying to keep up with his garden and projects in between naps.  Over the weekend he and I fished together and it was a special time for the both of us (I kept him busy taking my fish off the line).

Tonight my emotions have caught up with me and I find myself crying because his tooth fell out.  It sounds silly but it is another sign of that terrible disease and the treatment that have invaded our lives.  After I cry a bit then I get angry that Dad has to go through this.  My mom is such an encourager and helpmate for my Dad and all of this takes a toll on her, too.  Then I feel bad for my mom.  And I cry again. 

Cancer and chemo suck.

But that isn't what I want you to remember from this post.  There is a sure foundation that isn't moving or crumbling through all of this.  Our relationship with God is our sure foundation.  God has been very faithful to my parents over their entire lives and He has been so present for them these past three months.  God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow so the promise of His faithfulness for tomorrow is a sure thing.  Praise God. 

Should you feel The Nudge to pray for my dad, thank you!  Please also thank God for His hand of healing and wisdom for my dad. 

And please forgive me if I've offended you with my I-Really-Want-To-Swear-When-I-Say Cancer and Chemo Suck. 

In all this, I do remain, So Amazed at what God is doing in and through our lives.

Mini Muffin Smores

***Warning***

The food item described below is dangerous.  You will not be able to eat just one of these mini muffin smores.

This evening we arrived home from a multi-day vacation.  Within an hour of our arrival home, Kidlet Three needed to leave for hockey practice.  Thankfully I had shredded barbecue chicken in the freezer that I could thaw for a quick supper. 

After supper, my sweet tooth was not satisfied and I started craving something chocolate.  One of the recipes floating through Facebook came into my mind and I just knew that was what I needed to make tonight.  The recipe is called Smore Cups aka Mini Muffin Smores.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7 whole graham crackers, finely crushed
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 T. butter, melted

Combine the above ingredients.

Drop a spoonful of graham-cracker mixture into each cup of a mini muffin pan.  Gently press the mixture down.

Bake 4-5 minutes.

Remove from oven. 

I used chocolate chips instead of Hershey bars.  Into each cup I dropped four chocolate chips.

Cut large marshmallows in half.   Place marshmallow cut side down in each cup.

Bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside for 15 minutes.
Remove the smores from the pan. 
As I 'snacked' on them, I decided to not add the additional chocolate to the top. 

Bet you can't eat just one of these amazing treats!