WELCOME, NEW FOLLOWER, SHARON!

THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS, AND THE FAITHFUL READERS WHO HAVEN'T FOLLOWED YET.

In honor of the special readers I'm sharing my tasty, healthy pumpkin pie! Yowza! It's good. Let me know what you think. Here goes. Ready?

Share your recipes for favorite holiday food in the comments or email me at audrey4j@yahoo.com.

HEALTHY PIE CRUST

You will not find a flakier crust! It's healthy, with olive oil and sea salt.

                      1 1/4 cups unbleached flour

                      Pinch of Stevia sweetener powder (optional)

                     1/2 teasp. sea salt

                     1/3 cup olive oil

                     2 tablespoons water or soymilk

Mix the flour, sweetener and salt together. Make a hole in the center (a well). Mix oil and water or soymilk together and pour into the hole. Mix with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Knead slightly and place in a 9-inch pie pan. No need to roll out. Press with fingers up the sides and across the bottom until crust is smooth.

OPTIONS:

Use only 3/4 cup flour and add 1/2 cup oatmeal that's been pulsed in your food processor,

or whole wheat flour. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired.

HEALTHY PUMPKIN PIE

Grandson Josh luvs punkin pie.

         Set oven at 425 degrees.

         In a mixing bowl add ingredients one at a time and mix well--

            2 eggs, beaten well

            1 can or 15 oz. fresh pumpkin

            1/4 cup honey or four packets Stevia powder**

            1/2 teasp. salt

            1-2 teasp pumpkin pie spice (or make your own pie spice--1/2 teasp ground cinnamon,   3/4 teasp ground ginger, 1/4 teasp nutmeg, 1/4 teasp ground cloves)

            1 1/2 cups soymilk or 1 can evaporated milk

         Pour into the unbaked (9") pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

         Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees, reduce to 350 degrees and bake about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

         Cool and serve with real whipped cream.

**Make a test pie first to be sure you like the Stevia flavor. Some folks don't like it in baked goods. Or use part Stevia and part honey.

REAL WHIPPED CREAM

Be sure you have enough for everyone--This recipe can be multiplied as many times as needed.

Pour 1 box (8 oz) heavy whipping cream into a chilled bowl. Whip with an electric mixer or hand held rotary beater until soft peaks form. Be careful--overbeating results in butter! Add 1 tablespoon  sugar to taste. Continue beating until firm peaks form. Add 1 teasp vanilla, to taste. Keep chilled until you're ready to serve pie! Yum!

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO... ????

What do you do when the house burns, money runs out, and people spread false rumors about you? _____ Fill in your own blank if I missed your crisis, but we all agree—Bad things happen in this world. There is a fail-safe solution. Let's talk about it.

I've watched people wrap their arms around themselves and crawl into a corner when bad things happen. Two years later they're still whining about the situation. Exact date and time? They'll tell you without being asked.

Many of the people I mentor start out in whine mode, but if they do what the Bible instructs, they'll use the winning-the-battle methods God describes. Follow His three-step method, and you'll win any battle that you face, even if you're slicing onions.

Yes, onions. Today I sliced onions and put them in the freezer for next week. My eyes watered. I blew my nose. Until I spoke the winning words any Christian can use in any type of battle. The words were barely out of my mouth before my eyes dried up and I finished the job in peace. I chuckled and whispered, "Thanx, God."

I could sense His smile. "Piece of cake." His laugh rumbled through the kitchen.

STEP ONE: KNOW GOD'S WORD.

You don't need to know all of the Bible, especially if you're a new Christian. Ephesians 6:10 is a good verse for lots of situations, including this one: "Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power." Repeat the verse until you know it backward, forward, and upside down.

We're in a war! Put on your armor. (verses 11 & 12)

The Apostle Paul mentions the source of all our trouble. ALL?

Paul knew what we forget—My brother/sister is not the enemy. The Enemy(Satan) is the enemy. We waste our time and hurt God's heart if we blame our fellow man for our problems.

STEP TWO: STAND.

What gives us the right to stand/ resist the enemy? Not our money, not our good grades or degrees, not our nice clothes or bank account.... When Jesus died on the cross He won the battle between Himself and Satan. If we've made Him Lord of our lives, the Bible says we're in His family. We're winners! How? Jesus gives His winner standing to His entire family. Wooo hoo!

Satan lost the battle. Anyone who follows him is a loser. Satan doesn't want us to know he's a loser, and he puts up a good fight, but in the end he will be defeated and Jesus will win. Yippee Skippee!

We can allow Satan to win. How? By neglecting to use the power Jesus wants us to have. I've already said anything we need at any time has already been provided. Read the remaining verses in Ephesian 6, or at least through verse 20. You'll understand what I mean.

STEP THREE: DO WHAT EPHESIANS 6:10-20 TELLS YOU TO DO.

Get those ten verses in your knower. Then apply them.

Study 2 Chronicles 20:1-29, the story of how God won a great victory for the Israelites when defeat stared them in the face.

Sure, studying these verses will take more time than usual, but it will be worth it. When people start throwing curses, when you're being abused, when you don't know which direction to drive, whatever the crisis, call out the words—"The battle belongs to the Lord."

Let's say it all together— 
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!

Tell us in the comments how God helped you when you called out this verse. I call it a battle cry. Not an onion cry (grin).

Learn more in R U Bullied? Buy yours today!

THANX TO MY FAITHFUL READERS!

For some reason the Lord definitely wants me to write these blog posts, without my bio, most photos or illustrations. I omit most names and a lot of details to stay under the radar of the Google machines. Yet the readership rises!

Maybe God wants to prove that He can build a blog without help from the extra pfoo-pfoo? Beats me. So I wobble along, doing my best to obey Him. Sometimes I fall flat on my face; Other times I soar in the clouds. And God keeps on loving me, regardless.

Obedience is necessary for all followers of Jesus. (Mark 8:34). I hope you're asking the Lord to teach you what He wants you to know. (Psalm 25:4) I've been praying the prayer in Psalm 25 for almost 35 years. I assure you, you'll be amazed at what He wants you to know.

Some things I'm sure of--
|| The battle is the Lord's. My job is to praise and worship, and He will do the offense.
|| Jesus loves me intensely.
|| He will never leave me or forsake me.
|| He heals my body.
|| He will always provide my needs.
|| He gives me wonderful friends, including YOU! Thanx again for reading!

Share in the comments what the Lord has taught you that enables you to walk with Him.
Or email at audrey4j@yahoo.com.

Nebraska Assistant Coach Ron Brown's face, and his name, are closely connected with his faith. Last Friday he met with a friend, one of Penn State's assistant coaches. They discussed the high emotions and rioting associated with the firing of beloved coach Paterno, who neglected to deal with a sexual predator within his department.

Some people thought the game between Nebraska (Go Huskers!) and Penn State should be cancelled. But the decision was made to play. Brown and the powers-that-be agreed a prayer should be said Saturday before the game.  The link below shows what happened. Put yourself in this picture, as 100,000 fans and two teams quiet. Many people bow their heads, helmets and hats come off, and Coach Brown's voice rings out with petitions to the Almighty God.

Ron Brown is a role model any young person can follow without fear of having him "drop the ball." Do a search and you will find many YouTube videos and articles with his name and face, along with his consistent example of God's love and grace. God bless Ron Brown.

Tongue in cheek comment: God did answer--Nebraska won!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuIOReiCmEo&feature=related

WHO KNEW?

Do you sincerely believe you can do something wrong and hide evidence where no one will find it? Or do you agree with me that if you sin someone will find out about it, possibly the entire world. It may take years, but sooner or later the truth will come out.

The fire storm at Penn State University this week helps prove my point. That wicked assistant coach had his way for many years, but he was found out, and he will be punished.

Where did I get my view? I don't remember when my parents first quoted Numbers 32:23: "Be sure your sin will find you out." They didn't bother checking the context  for the verse. They quoted it to keep me in line.

Since then I've learned the verse is not a threat to little children. I no longer develop fear chills over reminders that God is always watching me, either. At age five I grabbed I John 4:8, "God is love." I printed it everywhere my five-year-old fingers could reach. This three-word gem has held my faith firm and steady all these years.

Guess what streamed through my mind yesterday as the horrible Penn State story zinged around the world. "Be sure your sin will find you out."

With that thought came the reminder of how many times the above verses have proven true in my life, and perpetrators against me were found out. You and I could tell many tales of how someone kicked us to the curb with steel-toed boots. The bad memories sometimes haunt us for years. Finally I started acting on my belief that the God of the Universe truly does see everything, and He loves and cares for His own. Especially when I forgive the perpetrators. I quoted I Samuel 17:47: "The battle is the Lords."

We can learn peace of mind and find answers for our problems when we leave the battle to the Lord. Does our Heavenly Father want His children worrying? No. What does He desire for us? That we spend our time worshiping and praising Him.

"Come unto me all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

Do you agree with my opinion, as stated in the first paragraph? email me at audrey4j@yahoo.com, or comment below.

ALL THINGS?*

Are you totally convinced that "all things work together for good to those who love God"? ROM 8:28.

Trish faced a struggle when she realized two respected pastors had been praying against her writing for years!

"I wondered why nothing worked," she said. "I hit a wall with my book, and I couldn't get it selling again. Do you suppose those pastors prayed against it?"

We may never know on this side of eternity why certain hurtful  events take place. One thing we do know--God has a plan for our lives. We need to check with Him. Maybe He wants us to slow down and wait for something else to happen first. Do we need to stop the project until the pastor forgets about it? Ask other people to pray? We will never know until we ask the Lord.

R U Bullied? has several references on how much God loves us, and scriptures telling us it's important to forgive. Have you read the ebook?

Trish was so hurt she almost stopped writing. "My jaw dropped and I just stood there when someone told me," she said. It took several weeks before she could freely forgive the pastors. "But when I forgave them, God's peace flowed over me, and now I'm willing to release the book and the hurt to God."

How does God guide all the twists and turns of our lives without a computer?  Won't it be fun to sit down together with God and let Him lay out the details of the plan He had for us.
I quoted PROV 26:2 for Trish, and it comforted her: "Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never light." (Good News version.) The enemy (and Pastors) may try to change God's will for our lives, but they will not succeed. No matter how bad it looks

The plan God shows us in eternity will be the blueprint He plotted when He created the Universe, and no one else can ever change that perfect plan.

* The subjects I promised to discuss had to be changed because Trish's issue came up. Let's try for Thursday, okay?

ALMOST

I almost took down the blog and planned to retire it along with my writing. But I just couldn't. Where else can I share all the marvelous things God does for me, and give Him glory?

I wish you could have shared Susan's victory with us. We ran an errand about twenty miles from home, when she made a vague comment about seizures. I knew she had them, but I'd never been with her when she had one.

What to do, so far from home? Susan doesn't go to a doctor for seizures. She has no money. Only one thing to do--pray.  I prayed silently as she closed her eyes and seemed to melt into the car seat. First I prayed silently but this lady was disappearing into unconsciousness! I headed east toward her home, reciting scriptures out loud and making declarations. She prayed too, as she was able. One time we dropped into the prayer language. She prayed in her PL and I prayed in mine. Suddenly Susan sat up, smiled and took more part in the petitions I was sending up to God.

Twenty minutes later we pulled up next to her home. She was too weak to walk inside. We sat in the car, praying and reciting scriptures. Slowly she sounded stronger and I knew she would remain conscious.

"I'm having a flashback!" she announced, and wept as she told the traumatizing story from her teenage years. Of seeing the gun  barrel pointed her way, hearing the threats, and wondering if she would live to her next birthday.  The terror of knowing she had no place to run or hide, that her mother had no intention of helping her. Finally the vodka did its work in the perpetrator's head and he passed out. "I knew I would live," she sobbed.

I realized Susan's traumatic experience was holding her back from spiritual growth somehow. I have had to deal with plenty of traumatic experiences in my own life. I've learned from experience that when I face the event and follow certain procedures, I get freed up spiritually. We kept on with the prayer language, and the Holy Spirit guided us through the steps of recognizing the trauma, forgiving the people involved, and claiming God's healing power. The angels dive bombed off the building in front of us, celebrating another victory for the Lord.

"I feel better," Susan announced. She hopped out of the car and tromped to the front door with a huge smile, a clear mind and strength to do whatever she needed to do. God did a permanent healing  as she released the trauma, fear and unforgiveness related to that horrible event in her life. Time will tell, but I'm believing she is healed of seizures for the rest of her life.

I'll post more consistently since I've made up my mind to continue the blog. Saturday we'll talk about traveling mercies and laying hands on my vacuum. Make comments below, or email me at audrey4j@yahoo.com.