Try a Little Kindness

Her name was Tabitha, although some referred to her as Dorcas.  The passage in Acts 9:31-41 that tells us about her gives very little information but the few words contain a powerful insight.  

She was known for her kindness and generosity.  

She sewed dresses for the widows of the town.

She was greatly missed when she died.

These nuggets that summed up Tabitha's life are small and great at the same time.  She had no impressive title.  She held no place of authority in the community.  I don't see a woman of power and influence.  Well, at least as the world around would define power and influence.

But I see something in the response of those who had been touched by Tabitha's kindness and generosity--the widows of the town.  

They wept at her passing.  

They felt a deep sense of loss.  

They wondered what they would do without her.  

And all of this was generated by a woman who was just being kind and generous, just doing what she could do to make the lives of those around her a little easier, a little better.  She sewed dresses.  

A commercial that has been running on TV for a while shows a series of kind acts, each one done in response to observing someone else doing a kind act.  A pay-it-forward sequence with a twist.  Each person is inspired to be kind and generous just because they saw kindness and generosity in another's life, not because they experienced it themselves. 

I heard the story of a young woman who lost her cell phone on a recent road trip and then was shocked to find out from her parents that the stranger who had found it called her home and was sending it to them.  A totally unexpected outcome for the gal and she was impacted by it.

My conclusion is that I underestimate the power we have to influence the world around us just by being kind and generous.  And I have been amazed at the opportunities to be kind and generous that present themselves every day if I look for them.  Kindness and generosity do not require any special talents or abilities, do not require advanced degrees, do not require much time and effort even.  I am discovering that God just asks me to be available and willing.  

I am grateful for the "Tabithas" in my life.  Those who chose to be available, to extend a bit of kindness, to give a bit more than is necessary.  I am thankful for the person who returned my purse to Customer Service after I left it in the shopping cart.  I am thankful for the person who left his name and phone number on my car windshield after his car door hit mine.  I am thankful for the friend who dropped off a vase of fresh flowers after I participated in a half marathon.  And I'm thankful for those who have offered an encouraging word to think on the truth about me, my life, my circumstances.

The power of kindness and generosity isn't one of those "I've never thought of that before" ideas but what a great reminder for me to keep my eyes open and my ears attentive to put them into action in my life.

  

Too Hot to Bake But I Want Chocolate!

It's Hot!!

So what are you going to do when it is 103º outside and you want to eat something chocolatey but you really don't want to heat up the oven?

Whip up a batch of No Bake Chocolate Fudge Bars.  

These were my go to chocolate fix when my kids were young and the "gotta have some chocolate now" urge hit me during nap time.  They are quick to mix up, take only a few ingredients that are usually in my cupboards and are GOOD! 

I don't think this is a unique recipe and you can probably find one that is similar in many cookbooks and web sites.  I originally discovered it in one of my all time favorite cookbooks, "Favorite Recipes of the Nebraska 4-H Club", that I have had since high school.  It is obvious that it has been a favorite from it's condition.

No cover.  Binding gone.  Stained and dog-eared pages.

I loved this cookbook so much that when I ran across a duplicate copy at a garage sale about 20 years ago I snatched it up, knowing that my first copy wasn't going to last forever.  Unfortunately, the second copy has suffered a similar fate.  

First copy on left.  Second copy on right.  I have to keep both copies because each one is missing different pages.

For the bars, combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a saucepan and heat over medium high until butter is melted.  Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter and stir until the peanut butter is lost in the chocolate pool.

Do not mistake that yellow blob as mustard instead of peanut butter.  

Then add in oatmeal and vanilla (and nuts if you are feeling adventurous. I always skip the nuts.)

Quick cooking or regular oatmeal seems to work equally well in this recipe.
It's really all about the chocolate anyway! 

The mixture all gets spread into a 9x9 or 11x7 greased pan.

Save the wrapper from the butter to grease the pan.

Now, patiently wait for the bars to set up before cutting. Or impatiently put the bars into the freezer for 20 minutes to speed up the process which allows you to cut and eat much faster!

Guess which method I chose?

Another option it to drop the mixture by teaspoons onto was paper to make individual No Bake Chocolate Cookies rather than Bars.

I like making bars best.

Now you have no excuse for denying yourself your family something yummy on the hottest days of the year. 

And, by the way, this is one of my new favorite cookbooks....

Wonder what she (meaning the book, not Ree) will look like in 20 years!

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE FUDGE BARS or COOKIES

            from "Favorite Recipes of the Nebraska 4-H Club"

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups oatmeal

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Combine sugar, milk, butter, cocoa in saucepan and heat over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted.  Allow to come to a boil and continue boiling for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, add peanut butter and stir to combine.  Add oatmeal, vanilla and nuts (if desired).  Stir until blended.  Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper or spread in greased 11x7 or 9x9 pan.  Once cooled, cut into bars.

A Kitchen With a Motto

My kitchen now has a motto.  

Over the weekend I finished up a project that had been in the "Idea To Do Someday" category of my life ever since I picked up two black rectangular frames from the 60% off section at Hobby Lobby earlier this year. 

I love it when something gets completed or at least started from my "Ideas To Do Someday" list.  I am much better at adding things to the list than getting them accomplished. Case in point-I added ideas to my "To Do" list as I was working on this project.  The list never gets shorter!

When I brought the frames home I knew they needed to end up on my kitchen wall on either side of the vinyl decal clock I found a couple of years ago at Kohl's for 50% off.  (Yep, I'm a cheapskate.)  

But the question was--"What to put inside those frames?"  

I decided to jump on the chalkboard paint wagon that has been traveling around the design blog world for a while and do a black chalkboard insert for one frame and then when my daughter brought home a wooden spoon and fork set from Africa I knew they would get framed in the other one. 

 

I  cut a rectangle from some thin wood stuff (highly technical description) that I had in the garage and painted it with two coats of black chalkboard paint.  After drying I "primed" the surface by rubbing it with white chalk and then wiping it clean.  Once it was secured to the frame with small nails I added my new kitchen motto taken from Luke 15:23, a portion of the Prodigal Son parable told by Jesus.

When the father sees that his son is returning from being gone for so long, he calls for a celebration and a feast and declares: 

 

That would be my desire for the preparation and eating that takes place in my home.  I want my kitchen to be a place of celebration and merriment.  God richly provides us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17) and this new motto is a reminder for me to have fun and enjoy the moment, even if that moment involves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or peeling carrots or doing the dishes (which always needs to be done if there is eating involved at home).  


 
And as the chief cook and bottle washer in our home the responsibility to see that this happens falls on me.  My attitude can make or break a celebration in my kitchen.  

As an added reminder the Scripture verse also shows up on my condiment caddy that sits next to the stove.

So...what's the motto of your kitchen?

 

Who am I believing in?

I recently was introduced to the writings of William R. Newell, a pastor in Chicago and administrator at Moody Bible Institute beginning in 1895.  It is said that he had a clearer grasp of the magnitude of God's grace in Christ than some others had or have.  One quote in particular that has drawn my attention is:

"To be disappointed with yourself is to have believed in yourself"

It caused me to look back through notes from my devotional time because I remember having a similar thought from another Bible Study I was involved in last year.  I had written:

Expecting myself to fail is not trusting in God's power working in me, but in my own weakness.

This was an "Ah Ha" moment for me at the time but now I realize it was God opening up a dialogue with me that is continuing to unfold.  You see, I probably have seen myself as a less-than-productive, too-laid-back, not-motivated-enough, somewhat-lazy, undisciplined creature for most of my life.  Those who know me have tried in vain to encourage me that such thinking is invalid but I have been sure I knew better and brushed aside their comments as mere flattery or as ill-informed well-meaning kindnesses. I have been quite familiar with my short comings, my weaknesses, my failures and disliked them all. 

I think that being aware of our weak spots is important though.  It has kept me from volunteering for positions I knew I was not qualified to do.  It has helped me set priorities and boundaries in my life.  But to dwell on those cracks in my facade with disdain and wish them away and feel inferior because of them is not what God intended when He created me in His fearful and wonderful way.  At least that's the conclusion I am coming too and what I think Rev. Newell was getting at in his quote. 

When I have been or am disappointed in myself, it is the same as thinking I should be better or should get better.  It is saying I believe that I am capable of more.  It is saying that I am better than this.  That I am not living up to my potential.  That I need to more "perfect".  And it is easy to see , in my case anyway, how this line of thinking leads to a conversation with me that goes something like: 

"What's wrong with you!" 

"Why can't you be like so-and-so!" 

"You are such a loser!" 

"You blew it again!"

"Why would you ever think that you can do that!"  

You get my drift?  And did you notice all the "I" statements there?

God tells me in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that I, like Paul, should "most gladly, therefore, boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me" because God's power is perfected in my weakness. If I let my shortcomings put me in a funk because I think they shouldn't be there, isn't that wanting to be strong in myself and not strong in the power of Christ?  Isn't it believing in myself rather than what God can do in and through me?

The Apostle Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

 

God, through Paul, is telling me that who I am is a sign of His grace.  I have abilities, and some strengths, because He put them there.  I also have weaknesses because He put them there.  And He did that because I need to need Him.  And that's where He extends more grace to shore up those weak areas and let His own incredible strength come through.   When I mess up and get down on myself it is the same as saying I deserve to be perfect on my own.  That I want to be able to trust in myself all by myself to be who I want to be.  Again, a lot of "I" mentioned there.  

Failure is disappointing and not fun at all.  I hate to miss the mark and fall short of the finish line or make a mess of things or come off looking like a doofus.  But the real disappointment shouldn't be in the reminder that I am less than perfect, but in the realization that I was depending on myself again.  That once again I believed in my own ability to get it right.  Beating myself up is not putting anything in order.  Order comes when I get my thinking back in line with God who says that:

"we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves." 

(2 Corinthians 4:7) 

I am a cracked pot of clay.  Why do I expect to be a silver clad urn on a pedestal?  If I was, there would be no need of Christ in my life.  I wouldn't need His power to work in me.  I wouldn't need the support and encouragement of others. I could take all the credit myself and the "surpassing greatness" would be all mine.  

Oh, but that is not God's desire.  He desires a relationship with me.  He wants me to need Him so that I will depend on Him and His inexhaustible love for me, so that I will recognize that apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5) but with Him, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).  God wants me to believe in HIM and trust in HIM, not me in either case.

Just to be clear...I don't thing my weak spots should just be ignored by me.  God gives me plenty of guidelines in how to address them in His Word.  My conclusion, so far, is that my response to my failures or stumbles or trip ups has to turn me to my need for Jesus and His strength and not to my lack of ability or perfection.  My eyes have to be turned away from Me, Me, Me and focused on Him, Him, Him

I imagine that this dialogue with God is not finished yet.  Maybe He intended it to include someone who reads this and sees the flaws in my thinking or agrees with some of it or is wondering some of the same thoughts.       

10:30pm Peanut Butter Brownie Temptations

Once there was a time in my life that the only time I could get to the grocery store was at 10:30pm.  Long after the munchkins were tucked in their beds and pappa was settled in for the night I would head to the local 24 hour grocery with my list in hand to gather the supplies to feed my hungry family.  It was such a treat to wander the aisles and take time to consider my choices and contemplate what I could make with "that", all at my leisure without the distraction of the little people in my life.  They were good little shoppers, mind you, but my ability to concentrate while multi-tasking (shopping, answering questions, figuring out which was the better buy, keeping track of three little bodies, crossing items off the list, making sure the littlest body was still sitting in the cart, replacing items that mysteriously appeared in the cart, etc.) was always compromised.  So shopping alone at night was my solution.  

At that time the bakery section of this grocery offered many temptations to their shoppers and the one that always got me at 10:30 at night when I was all by myself were the Peanut Butter Brownies.  They started calling my name as soon as I walked in the store and invariably a package of six of them ended up in my cart.  And there was nothing "mysterious" about how they got there either.  

These brownies were a chewy delight of peanut butter, frosted with a generous layer of peanut butter frosting and drizzled with a touch of chocolate on top.  Melt in your mouth goodness!!!  My mouth is watering now just typing about them!

And, again not so mysteriously, at least two of the brownies were gone before I made it home.  The remainder were tucked away into a cupboard where the little hands of my munchkins would not find them and I enjoyed one for breakfast and one for naptime snack and one for an afternoon pick me up and one for a bedtime treat the next day.  Yes, I confess, I hid them from my family and did not share a bite!

Eventually I decided that this deception had to stop.  And I came clean and started to share.  This presented a problem because now that package of 6 brownies did not last as long.  My solution was to find a way to duplicate these yummies at home.  

And today I share with you my version of the 10:30pm Peanut Butter Brownie Temptations.  I think they are a reasonable copy of the grocery store recipe and they still taste so good late at night after all the house is quiet.  So, beware!

Ingredients for the brownies include sugar, peanut butter, eggs, shortening, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine the shortening, peanut butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla....

 ...until they are creamy and smooth.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add to peanut butter mixture and mix until smooth.  Spread batter in greased pan and bake until golden brown.

Brownies are ready to be consumed but don't! until you have completed the next step--the frosting!!!!

Combine powdered sugar, peanut butter and milk until smooth and creamy (I'm using those two words alot in the description!)

Spread on top of brownies (leaving just enough frosting in the bowl for licking!)

Yup, you could eat 'em just like this but wait!  There's more!

Melt chocolate chips and a dab of shortening together in the microwave.

Stir until smooth and creamy. (Last time, I promise)

Drizzle over frosting.

And, now, you eat them.  


Peanut Butter Brownies
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt


Cream sugar, peanut butter, shortening, eggs, vanilla thoroughly.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until smooth.   spread in well greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350º.


Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter
2-3 T. milk (or amount necessary for spreading consistency)


Combine until smooth.


Chocolate Glaze
1/2. c. chocolate chips
1/2 T. shortening


Melt in microwave or on stove top.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle over frosting.                                 

Run, Mary, Run!

It was another first for this 50-something gal. 

A half marathon!  

Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would attempt such a crazy feat!  But each time I would cheer on a family member as they finished a full or half marathon I would notice the participants who walked across the finish line, usually long after the runners and the thought would wander through my mind..."What if?"  

So last fall as I watched my son finish the Omaha Half Marathon I made a decision.  I would sign up for the Lincoln Half Marathon which would take place this spring.  I knew that I could not waffle with the decision because the slots fill up very, very quickly once the registration opens up in December.  So as soon as registration opened up, I filled in the on-line form, entered my credit card info and hit "Submit".  It was done!  I was in and I was entered in a very, very long road race. Longer and farther than any distance I had traveled on foot before.  

I had lots of encouragement from family, all convinced that I could do this.  

And bright and early last Sunday morning I waited with 10,000 of my new friends for the start of the 2012 Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon. 

It was a GREAT experience and amazingly (or not so amazingly) God used it to reveal some Spiritual truths.  

The current Ladies Bible Study I am involved in has been considering the importance of relationships between women in the Body of Christ and the value of community in our daily lives.  

As I was running the 13.1 miles I saw examples of how that plays out in my life.  

I was in a crowd of 10,000 people from all walks of life, with a myriad of backgrounds, a variety of reasons for being there.  Some were running for a personal best time, some were running just to finish alive and upright, a few were running to win even.  But no matter what brought each of us to this place at this time to participate in this event we had something in common--to finish.  

As I ran/walked/jogged (whatever you want to call it) I felt a connection with these relative strangers with whom I shared the road.  I realized that we had a common purpose and goal and that united us regardless of all the differences that could separate us.  We weren't dressed in the same running attire, we didn't wear the same shoes (in fact, I saw one gal with no shoes at all), we didn't run in the same manner, we didn't move at the same pace.  In the family of God, the people who have a relationship with Jesus, we can be separated by a number of reason but with the common thread of the Holy Spirit we are connected.  We have a common goal, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love each other as ourselves.  I have a connection with my brothers and sisters in Christ that supersedes all the differences that can separate us. 

Also, as I continued on the course I was cheered on by a crowd of people that lined the streets and paths for the entire 13.1 miles.  Here were people who appreciated the efforts of me and the others on the road and showed it through shouts of encouragement.  Again, I did not know any of the faces I looked upon and they did not know me personally but they cheered me on anyway.  They were my "cloud of witnesses" that surrounded me as I ran.  Their presence helped me lay aside the encumbrances (the fatigue, the monotony, the sore legs, the blisters) that could have hindered me.  The signs they displayed, the high fives they offered, the music they played all kept my mind occupied with the positive aspects of the experience.  And the unexpected results of all this encouragement and distraction was that I ran more of the miles than I walked.  I ended with a better result than I expected.  One could even say I excelled, all things considered.

My "cloud of witnesses" in everyday life keep me focused on the right things, keep me putting one foot in front of the other, keep my eye on the finish line.  Some of them I am intimately acquainted with, some I know only by name and some I don't know at all but each one spurs me on through encouragement, prayer, affirmation and admonishment.  And because of them, I find that I can excel, all thing considered.

And now that I reflect on my experience and the thoughts that it stimulated I see that the timing of this particular running event, my decision to enter, and the fact that my Bible Study was studying the value of community was all brought together by God's Sovereign hand to make an impression on me.  

So to those who stood along 10th Street holding signs that read "Run, Strangers, Run!" and to my closest and dearest friends who encourage me daily to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" I have received I say "Thank You!"  

We are all in this "marathon" together.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another."

Ephesians 4:25

 

Here We Go II

I am a blogger!

After being respectfully chewed out reprimanded yesterday by my good friend and fellow blogger (Thanks, Tami!) I decided to go public!  You see, I have been a sort of closet blogger since last fall. 

I started out last October by locking the doors, pulling the blinds, turning off the lights and hiding under the covers as I typed that first post, trying my hand at this new blogging thing.  You can read about it at Here We Go! 

    

But since I didn't tell a soul what I was doing the only traffic sources originated from Siberia and Eastern Europe.  Weird!

  

After I decided I kinda liked blogging I crawled out from under the covers and clued my family in to get their responses.  All positive. 

Then I turned the lights back on and let the extended family in on the "fun".  Again, positive feedback.

Slowly but surely, the blinds were lifted as I let the "secret" be known by a few others. So far so good.

And now, 

TA DA!!!!!

I am unlocking the doors and letting the whole world know--I am a blogger. Not a post everyday kind of blogger, just a post when the urge strikes me kind. And as you may notice I don't always get the urge to post the same type of info each time.  Variety is definitely the spice of my life so the stuff that makes me Mary is all over the place.  

So enjoy, World!  And, really, thank you Tami for the nudge.