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Monday, January 26, 2015

Jesus is More than Enough!

God is so faithful to me.. ALL THE TIME!  When I think I'm at the bottom of my well, He refills it from the most unsuspecting direction!  
I prayed 2 very specific things this morning (that required faith, shutting down the doubt in my mind and believing for His provision) and both were answered before the day barely got started!  I still am amazed.  I am not saying this to boast in my praying, but to boast in our God, who answers prayers and wants so desperately to connect with you and intercede into the life He created for one purpose.. to know Him.  Are you fulfilling your purpose today? There's nothing better. 
I challenge you that whatever you are facing today, whatever your discontentment is in.. Finances, Physical, Emotional, Relationship, Spiritual.. Would you turn to Jesus and place Him in that space?  Because more than wanting to answer our prayers and grant our needs.. He wants to bring us to a place of contentment.  Not in ourselves, but in Him.  That no matter what, Jesus is more than enough!  
Last week I read in Philippians 4 :10-13 where Paul says he has found the secret of contentment in any circumstance, whether plenty or hunger, abundance or need..  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 
Sometimes God takes us to a place where we lack.. in finance, in relationship, in our health, brokenness, (you fill in the blank)… He brings us to these places where we can learn that He is all we need.  Our God is a jealous God, he demands all of us.  I thank God for the trials in my life that have gotten me to this most precious place of rest in Him. 
It's Monday!  Where are you?  Start your week and start talking with a God who loves and desires your all, and see what He can do in that place! 

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Freedom Fighters


This is pretty awesome.  When you don't know where to start beyond praying... this is something we all can do! 

27,000,000 are trapped in slavery. We've raised our voices, broken our hearts.. now it's time to take action.  Turn our awareness into ACTION.  

1. Create your own team of FREEDOM FIGHTERS
2. RECRUIT 27 of your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, acquaintances... to join you. 
2. Invite them to GIVE $7, then create a team of their own. 
4. Let's watch the ripple effects of what happens when we TAKE ACTION TOGETHER. 

visit ENDITMOVEMENT.COM for more information and to join the movement to END IT!

Want to join my team, message me with an EMAIL here and let's get it going!  We're in it to END IT!  #Enditmovement

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Are you looking at the patterns or groundswell in your life?  


Once you perceive the pattern, you can ask God for help with the next step!  Thank God, that we do not journey this walk alone.. He has sent us a helper, the Holy Spirit! (John 14:16) 

But here's a caution:  Don't keep putting it off and "circling round the base of the mountain".  Don't keep ignoring that helper's gentle voice and nudge.  I believe one of the most harmful things we can do, as a Christian, is to ignore the Holy Spirit.  Choosing our choices and decisions, our will, our way over His.  In doing this we build up an immunity to Him, and His voice becomes more difficult to hear.   I've been there, thought that it was my luxury to listen or not, pick and choose where or how much I wanted God to be in my life.  Giving only partial throne of my heart. And not too long, I didn't hear His voice and the enemy was right there attacking my thinking.. and that voice became louder.  The lies always there.. in my thoughts.. "Does God even exist, is this even real? after all, God is in all of us.." Years of that eventually became a life without Him, a life for myself.  And one very dark night where I looked into the mirror and I didn't believe that God was who the scriptures say He is and Jesus was just an amazing teacher on earth.  The scary thing here and what I want to warn about is that I don't believe that it's "one day you wake up and make the choice to walk away from God".. it begins with the small, gradual choices that we make and open doors for the enemy to creep in.  And then one day you look back at how far away you really have gone.   What are we without Him?  It's not just that sin makes us bad.. sin makes us dead.  And while religion can help make you better.. it can't bring you to life.  Only Jesus can bring you from death to life!   

I challenge you in this moment to submit to His will, allow the hard work which will catapult you forward and enable you to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy.  It's not a question of IF the storms will come, but WHEN!  (Perceive the pattern!)  Will you be tossed about and battered, surprised at the storm? Or are you firmly planted in Him, listening to His voice and obeying where He leads and keeping a watchful eye, ready for the next storm, knowing that He's right there with you? Choosing to submit to the hard work that the storms bring and when He's ready, He calms the waves or brings you to shore.  Which will it be? It's your choice... tossed and battered about with every storm that comes or tucked into His unfailing love for us, willing to go where He masterfully leads. 

Be encouraged, that no matter what you may think, plan or envision for your life.. what God has for you is BETTER!! It's hard to see in the midst of the storm, so keep His word, which tells us the truth of who He is and His heart for us, in your day.  Put on that helmet of Salvation! Guard your thinking!!  His plan for us is to prosper, for a future and a HOPE!  (Jer 29:11)  He brings us through these storms that we just hate to weather, and we see on the other side the beautiful fruit it brings to our lives.  And how fabulous does weathered wood look anyway?! Trust in your Savior!   
God bless your day! 

Friday, January 9, 2015

Working in our Waiting



But they who wait (or hope) for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings (or sprout wings) like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31

Was led to this familiar verse last night and couldn't stop thinking about it. It has two themes that my brain has been circling around for a long time.. waiting and eagles.

This post is a bit lengthy.. just a friendly warning. 

Last night was a sleepless one, spent with a little girl and a fever. Woke with this verse in my head and just feeling the frailty of sickness.. somehow our health shows me most, how much we are truly not in control of this life (even no matter how many veggies we eat or fermented fish liver oil we take! and yes, we do. everyday.) And more importantly, that we all do live life with an expiration date.
Anyway, back to the eagle and this verse. So, this morning.. a new day, survived the fever and throwing up and while doing morning dishes looking out, a huge bald-headed eagle flies by. You all may be used to that around here, but I don't think this Jersey girl will ever get used to it. They are so magnificent, majestic or some awesome word like that.. and to behold this close amazes me. Same as Mt. Rainier. I won't get used to the awesomeness of it. Ever. The eagle flying by.. I think was God's hand guiding me to his word. So I did a little more study around it Isaiah 40:31 and I am loving what is found.
Last year, I did a study on Psalm 103 and it led me into learning about eagles.. which led me into a deeper understanding of that scripture. Amazed when that happens and LOVE it! So with that study in mind, reading this scripture is even more poignant. (I shared that study at our women's retreat last year and here on fb)
In the scripture above from Isaiah, I love how the translation can be what I added in parenthesis. "Wait for" could also be translated as "Hope in" and "mount up with wings" could be translated as "sprout wings". This goes back to the Psalm 103 study.. Learning about how an older eagle (around age 50) either dies or chooses to go through a difficult transformation where they sprout new feathers and completely regenerate their wings and eyes. It's beautiful how God's creation illustrates His heart for us, effect even our today.. helping our journey with Christ.

So, I want to share more..
This Christmas, I felt alive to Christmas for the 1st time. Not just the merriment and the season, that's nice and all, but to what God intended in it beyond Jesus' birth. Advent season or season of waiting. What He shows us about Himself during advent, during times of waiting. His heart. Learning from John, Mary, the shepherds.. it was beautiful and alive to me this year. His word opening up and illuminating my heart. I've always enjoyed (loved) Christmas but this was the 1st time I felt alive in Christmas. The first advent was Christ's birth and there is much to be learned from those who were in that place of waiting for the Messiah. And now we are in the 2nd advent waiting for Christ to return as He promised, and there is so much to be learned in this time of waiting. I think a prayer I say most is "Come, Lord Jesus, come." Watching Fox news at all brings that prayer on!

But one of the things I loved learning from most this season .. were the shepherds who were "watching their flocks by night". At our women's Christmas tea early in December, I read from Louie Giglio's advent devotional titled "Waiting Here For You". He went into the lives of the shepherds and it was the 1st time I ever thought anything about them! Who these people were, what their job was, why they were there? What we can learn from that most humble part of the Christmas story? I mean anyone is capable of being a shepherd in the Christmas play, right? All you needed was a towel around your head and a stick. It's an extra's part. Not exactly one of the most coveted parts of the story.. (unless you were a guy in drama that really didn't want to participate much or learn any lines). But l see how these people can illustrate a huge lesson in our journey. These shepherds were hired help, which was probably one of the lowest rungs of the town of Bethlehem.. they actually had to live outside the city gates and were unable to even participate in the thing they were working at.. Raising these sheep for sacrifice at the temple, to cover the sins of the people. The shepherds were also considered unclean by law. Their job was to watch the sheep through the night, chasing off predators on what we call the graveyard shift. I think I heard that is was just six miles from where these shepherds were that night to where Jesus took our place on the cross for the sins of the world. How awesome is that? Jesus came to take the place of these sheep.
What I love and can learn from this humble group.. is to be faithful in my "watching" or keeping guard. Be faithful to where God has called and placed me. The tension in our lives is most often that "we are not really where we think or know we should be". If we were "in the place where we should be".. I could serve God. Or more faithfully or better. "Once I get there".. then I can do something worthwhile. I am encouraged by the humble shepherds who received probably one of the most important messages of all time.. God breaking into our dark world, entering our story.. providing a way through Jesus. No better message than that. God is intervening for us. In their mundane, not ever glamourous position.. God chose to speak to them. How amazing?! God chooses to use the things which the world considers low or broken or not of much worth or even the places we consider to be stuck in. Love that. We need to be faithful where God has us, no matter, as if it were "the most perfect place" for us to be. Because it is just that. It's where God has us now. And that is where He will work.. in your waiting. In our obedience of this place. Sanctifying us. It's so easy to get caught up in the grass is greener or one day mentality.. it robs us of what God wants to do in and use us for now. How exciting to think that God will use us and our story in a part of His big story that has been unfolding since time began. I don't know about you but I get blown away by that and I want to jump up and use every day of my life to fulfill His purpose. Because, I know, I do have an expiration date. 


So back to the eagles.. and more importantly waiting on the Lord. In our lives, I think the key is to know what is Spirit of God led and what we are doing that is led by our own brokenness. Because if the Bible is true, and I believe it is.. then whatever task that He gives us, or places in front of us.. he will strengthen us in. Just as Isaiah says, "run and not be weary, walk and not faint". I am encouraged in this to not be so concerned about where I think I might run myself down, or not have enough for the task.. if God is leading you, then His promise is true. You will have more than enough, which in our own understanding might seem impossible, He will be more than enough. I am encouraged and I encourage you in this walk to start doing more! Start following what He has put on your heart and trust that His word is true. Don't worry about schedule, boundaries or even worrying about the what-if's when you are being led by the Spirit of God to move. Step out in faith. I see God work this in my life. My well is full when I should be running on empty. He is faithful and His love endures forever


It is.  Friendship is magic!  Love finding these notes around the house..  


#FriendshipIsMagic #scarlettgiulia #kindergarten

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Scripture Meditation




The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;

The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.

-Psalm 19:7 (amp)


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Happy Birthday & Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Scarlett decorating the giant cookie for class. 


We love this chocolate chip cake, reminiscent of the big cookie "cakes" we would get from Mrs. Fields at the mall in the eighties growing up. There are a lot of recipes online and they all fall a little short.  This one is tried and true and works every time.  It comes out exactly like a really good chocolate chip cookie. Not cake.  Cookie.  A lot of recipes online fail here.  It can be easily sliced like a pizza.  Kids love it.  Adults love it. What's not to love.  Every year at school kids bring cupcakes, always cupcakes.  This is what we bring. And they all love it, something different.  And it's really delicious. 

I like to ice the cake, piping around the edge and then whatever design you want on the inside.  and Sprinkles!

Now you could use a round pizza pan for baking it.. but I prefer to use a flat cookie sheet.   1st off, it's a cookie and it spreads a bit.  And it really won't maintain the round shape.  In the end the cookie is all misshapen and I trim the edges anyway. You get a perfectly round giant cookie and bonus, you get to extra edges to eat! 

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake 

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the pan.   Either use a (light-coloured) round pizza pan or a flat cookie sheet.  Line a 14" pizza pan with parchment paper, trimmed and grease with butter or coconut oil (or use Coconut Oil spray).   If using a flat cookie sheet see note* below.  

In a large bowl or kitchen stand mixer, cream the butter and then add sugars, beat til creamed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beat well after each.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix together with a whisk. 
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix together then mix in the vanilla extract. 
Fold in the chocolate chips. 
Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes. 
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer with parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely.
Trim, if desired.  


*Note for flat cookie sheet:  
Take a piece of parchment paper and draw a circle with a sharpie, the size you want it to be when finished.  Using a large round platter or lid works well.  This will be your guide for placing and spreading the dough.  Flip the parchment paper over and lay on a flat cookie sheet (un-rimmed) or you could use a round pizza pan. 
After cookie is cooled, if you used a flat pan.. you will need to trim it to make a perfectly round cookie.  Using the same platter, plate or lid that you used to make your circle on parchment, use as a guide and cut to size.  The edges will be covered with icing, so don't worry about the cut edge too much.    


Icing Recipe for Cookie Cake

½ cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, and vanilla. 
Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beat well after each addition. 
Add in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. 

Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use. 



and the 7 year class cake! Frozen-inspired 

with the 7 year old! And you can see our homemade "pizza" box to carry
the cookie cake.  Usually we keep a clean pizza box just for this, but
somehow forgot this year! 


My beautiful blessing! God is faithful, merciful and gracious to me! 

Happy Buche Noelle Birthday to You







We love this cake and she wanted it for her birthday.  Shaped like a log, with meringue mushrooms.. it's delish.  Add some fairies and voila.. Birthday Cake for my sweetie. 


#buchenoelle #ScarlettGiulia