Donairs and Ladies Fellowship Lunch

 

Whenever my husband and kids see me bring in Pita bread and Hamburger, they get so excited!  They know the only thing I make with those are Donairs.  Donairs are one of our favorite dishes!  Of course they were a

little upset today when I told them I was making Donairs

for the luncheon I was having with a few ladies!

 

We love Donairs so much that we make several pounds of it as one pound is never enough!  For every pound of hamburger you use add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon flour, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning,

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,

1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

 

Put hamburger in and then mix, knead and beat the meat

until the meat breaks down into a smooth texture.

 

Put hamburger mixture onto a broiler pan.

 

Shape hamburger into thin loaf. 

My loaf looks big but I used 5 pounds of hamburger.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

 

As the meat cooks slice red onions, lettuce, tomato and shred mozzarella cheese.  Also make the sauce by using one can of evaporated milk,

3/4 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and

4 teaspoons of white vinegar.  Mix until thickened.

 

Pull meat from oven and slice into thin pieces. 

We eat the meat hot or cold, we love it either way!

 

I invited several ladies over for lunch and we ate and talked and laughed the afternoon away.  We had such a good time! I really meant to take pictures of us around the table but forgot as we got so involved talking and laughing!

 

For dessert I made a Melted Ice Cream Cake.  It was so good!

 

It was such a great afternoon and I plan to have a another group of ladies over next week.  Such a great way to bond with our church ladies!



For the Preaching of the Cross

I was 13 years old when my dad gave me a thin gold chain

 with a delicate cross on it.  I had been a Christian for many years and loved the sacrifice that Jesus made for me, redeeming me from my sin 

and giving me eternal life.  I loved my gold cross symbolizing this

and I wore it everywhere and never took it off. 

 

Living in Southeast Idaho and being in the Christian minority, 

not everyone liked me wearing my cross.  I can remember being 14 years old and I remember the exact spot I was standing in when one of my very best friends asked why in the world I would wear the thing that killed Jesus.  She then asked if I would wear the knife that my mother was stabbed with, if something horrible like that happened.  Being a young teenager, I stood there in shock, not knowing what to say but I remember being devastated by my friends words as that was not how I viewed the cross.

 

Over the next few years I continued to wear my cross everyday. 

The more I studied my Bible, the more I memorized Bible verses and the more

 I went to church, the more I fell in love with my Savior and my God.  

One day when I was 16, I was studying my Bible and found

a verse that would become my life verse.

 

1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us that are saved it is the power of God. 

 

I clung to that verse through the rest of my high school days. 

As I went to school each day and faced people who did not believe the way I did, I held my cross close knowing that no matter what anyone else said,

I knew Jesus loved me and I was secure in Him.

 

After Chep joined the military we found a wonderful church where there was a strong stand of the gospel and we loved worshipping there every week. 

We grew in our faith and dedication to the Lord and that was where Chep surrendered to the ministry.  At that church the pastor taught that you should not wear a cross as it was a form of idolatry.  I struggled with this and was deeply saddened by the thought of not wearing my cross but eventually took it off and put it in my jewelry box.  Looking back I can see that this was not my conviction but that pastor's and in our ministry now,

I am very careful not to push my convictions on others.

 

 Recently, as I was moving things around in my jewelry box,

 I realized that in one of our many moves I had lost my cross.  Over the years I have thought back on when I wore my cross and what it symbolized to me and I was heartbroken to find I had lost it.  I talked it over with my husband and he said he never fully understood why I stopped wearing my cross and said he was fine with me wearing a cross again.  I am very picky with jewelry and although I looked and looked in the last few months, have not been able to find a necklace that I liked.  When we were in Colorado last month,

I found this silver cross with inlaid blue pearl.  I fell in love with it

and my sweet husband bought it for me. 

 

Once again I wear my cross necklace everywhere and do not take it off.  To me it is a symbol of my faith, a symbol of my relationship with my Savior and my redeemer, a symbol of the hope I have in Him and a symbol of the strength, love, mercy and grace he daily gives me. 

 

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

 

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

 

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

 

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

A Run Away Week

This morning I am sitting here, no makeup, hair in pulled in a pony tail and wearing an old pair of comfy clothes.  I told my husband I will not be leaving the house or doing anything, unless of course, that God says otherwise!  Last week was totally filled with so many things and I felt like I never sat down for more than five minutes!

 

 

On Monday I ran around town with Mason as he got ready to do a special teen game night for a few of his teens who had done all their Sunday School homework and had perfect attendance for the last three months.  I cooked sticky fingers for them as they laughed and had an awesome time.  My husband spent the day at the hospital ministering to one our ladies and her family as she had surgery.  He got home just in time for us to run to a birthday party for another of our church members.

 

 

I spent Tuesday we had food bank come in, so spent the morning setting out food and helping and ministering to those who came by for food pick up.  I then had to finish getting everything ready or our Ladies G.A.B. Night.  Chep helped me cut wood blocks for the craft and then I shopped for a few supplies for our craft and ingredients for the finger food I made.  Also put the finishing touches on my devotion.   I taught on the Barchart Gardens and how Jenny Barchart had a vision to transform an ugly limestone quarry into one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.  God wants us each to transform our lives from ugly barrenness to a beautiful fruitful garden!

 

For our craft we took the blocks of wood and painted them as books with the Bible names on the side.  One our Sunday School teachers is teaching her kids the Books of the Bible and will play games and review with these as her class learns and memorizes.

 

Wednesday, after I had spent the whole morning preparing for Bible Adventures and then sent the puppet skit and Bible story pictures to the printer.  My husband called from the church saying the stuff I had sent to the printer had not printed as the printed had broken down.  Since our copier guy could no come until the next day I was left with totally redoing what I had planned.  I ended up running to the store and getting supplies to act out our story and the Bible lesson I was trying to teach.  It seems like everyone fed their kids sugar before bringing them to Bible Adventures and the kids were bouncing off the walls with hyperness!   I must say I was very relieved when the night was over! 

 

 

Thursday I had a couple of doctor appointments and afterward my husband and I went shopping for candy and gifts for our Couples Valentine Banquet and Titus girls. We then made up candy boxes to set on each table for the banquet.

 

 

Did I ever mention that our dogs have separation anxiety?  Badly!!!  They hate when they know we are at church and can hear us singing but can't get to us.  Often when they really get upset they will eat things, like all the cushions of my chairs!  We went a week without cushions but since I knew we had missionaries coming over for lunch on Sunday I thought I should spend my Friday morning getting new ones made.  I found fabric I loved and also bought the heap pillows at Walmart to use as the inside cushion.

 

 

I think I made them a couple of inches too short but they are not bad

 for a quick few hours of sewing!

 

 

Friday Night was our Valentine banquet and it was a blast. 

I tried to get more pictures but the room we were in was so dark that I had a hard time getting any that were not totally dark.  We had a skit, a couple of games and devotion and laughed and had great fellowship as we ate. 

 

 

 

On Saturday we had Titus girls and the girls learned how to make homemade Chicken and noodles.  The girls loved chopping all the veggies and learning how to make a

rich stock for the soup and learning how to make noodles.

 

Miss Nel taught a wonderful devotion on the world's definition

 of love and the Biblical definition of love.

 

For our craft we made Coca cola bouquets using a can of coke as the vase and attaching half a foam ball to the top and sticking candy in it.  Of course they loved this and their bouquets were totally full of candy!!!  I spent the rest of Saturday getting food prepped for after church on Sunday before heading to bed early!

 

 

With all the busyness of the week I forgot to do the Sunday bulletins!  My husband called me and asked me to come over to the office and get them done.  This put a rush on me as I was putting food in crockpots and getting myself ready but God guided my and helped me put the bulletin together within a short time.  Our Missionaries were the Martin Family to Montana.  Such a sweet couple and such a great burden they have for the small towns of the West.  We had a great time of fellowship with them as we shared lunch with them.

 

Although it was a great week last week, praying that this week will be slower!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



A Little Time Away

This week we are hidden away in the Colorado Rockies enjoying a peaceful time of quiet and relaxation. So wonderful to look out our window and reflect on God's beauty and majesty as we read and study God's Word. 

A family in our church invited us to get away and stay in their condo so we could totally relax and get refreshed. It is so sweet when your church people love you and see all the work you do and the stress that comes with it, and want to do something to make sure you take some time to step away and take a much needed break. So thankful for God bringing this sweet and loving family to our church!