On Contentment

My dear Stanleys,

I recently posted on FB that over the last 15 months, I’ve been working on contentment. I believe that my lack of it is my biggest problem in life. The root cause, per se, of frustration, sadness, and anger. Some can ride in the middle of the road between ambition and contentment, but I cannot. I am one or the other and ambition only makes me all about getting more, being more, and having more.

They say the first step is acknowledging the problem.

I’ve known for a long time that my ambition makes me blind to others that I love. It makes me singularly focused on me and me only.

It makes me want to alter myself : my body outside of exercise and diet, my clothing when I cannot afford it, my job when I should be thankful, my activities when I am right where I should be. I am never satisfied.

Can anyone relate?

Well, here’s what I’ve learned about contentment.

Contentment is not about being happy with what I have. Oh no, it’s about accepting who God believes I am in His name.

And contentment does not end the working. It’s just that now I work to live my belief in His love for me.

See, I am the daughter of the one true King. My Father sent my Brother to die on the cross for me (Hebrews 2). For my blind ambition. For my insane need for recognition. For my desire to make my body different than the Image and Likeness it matches in Heaven. For my feelings of inadequacy that cause me to buy things I will never wear or use. Yes, Jesus died for all of that. For all of that and many more things I dare not mention but to Him.

And, as I like to simplify things to make them easier for my life, here’s what that means:

1) I must work to nurture my most important relationships (John 13:35)
with my Savior : Daily study, prayer and dependence. He is my strength, my shield, and my stronghold. (Psalm 18)
with my Husband : Encourage him, thank him and care for him. Be proud to be his wife even when the world tells me not to be. Put my shoes, my laundry, and the blue potholders away everyday.
with my Molly : Be kind. Stop my busy day to read books or play games. Teach her about Jesus and about how He loves her. Sing and dance.
with my sister, Emily : Emily and I have had some rocky roads over these 40 years, but I love her. And as our Dad’s days grow shorter, we will be all we have left. And she’s a cool chick too so I need to call  more, visit more, encourage more.
with my Jodi : Jodi is a friend that I can not talk to for months and we pick up where we leave off.
Like Emily, she needs more calls, more visits and more encouragement. She feeds my soul when we’re  together and that is rare to find in a friend. She is my longest real relationship outside of my family and for that I am thankful.
With my sisters from a Heavenly Mister : Lizzie, Deena, Rachel, Amy, Annie, Emily and Erin are so very special to me. I am not typically a girl’s girl when it comes to friendships but I fit with these ladies. I love them all more than they could ever know.
With my lovely mentors (Titus 2) : Linda, Judy, Debby, Pam X 2, Donna, Laura, Karen, JoAn… I mean  there are so many that I cannot mention them all. They have stepped in and helped me through so many things. But God sends you many Moms when yours goes to Heaven. How blessed am I?
with other DS Families : The Hissetts, the Barlows, the Millers, the Thornberries, etc etc : They understand the struggles and joys of Down Syndrome and we lean on each other daily.

2) I must love my body and self as He created me (Genesis 1:27)
Exercise and eat right to bring out the strength He designed into my muscles and bones. (Hebrews 12:1)
Quit changing, or plotting to change my appearance. I am made in His image and likeness and  that’s perfection. This is a tough one.
No more dreaming of plastic surgery.
Giving up the hair coloring and being proud of the situations that give me “glitter hair”.
Minimizing the make-up. I want His radiance to shine through.
Nail polish. Well, just pray for me on this one. It will be a big struggle. I feel pretty with polish.

3) Work hard at all I do (Proverbs 14:23)
Give my best at T every day. Keep a positive attitude for my boss and my team.
Finish what I start, whether it’s at home, work or in ministry.
Prepare for my Sundays with littles. Pray over the lesson and them so they see a little Jesus in me.

I want to do all of this, again, so His radiance shines through me. I want people that I encounter to encounter Him.

I want young women and girls that know me to know that the body God gave them is perfect.

For them to see me in a loving marriage and realizing that real love in a real marriage is about our faith in Him and each other, no matter what. That the real romance novel marriage is when your husband thinks enough to clean your bathroom because you have no time to do so. When he makes a covert trip to Kroger to buy taco fixings because he knows that will make you happy after a rough day. One who tells you to go get in your flannels so you are more comfortable.

And I want them to see me working hard and succeeding because God blesses me and they can do the same.

This contentment thing is going to be journey that I will be on for quite some time. I’ll never be an expert. But that’s kind of the point. God will remind me daily who I am in Him if I only hold fast to Him.

“But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.” Joshua 23:8

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:11-13

Onion Soup a la Lizzie

Hello. My name is Lynne and I love French Onion Soup almost as much as nachos.

My family is working to be healthier so I decided that I would work on a lighter version of French Onion Soup.

You may wonder how I came up with the name. Well, I made it vegetarian. Doing so led the soup to be a blonde version of it’s brunette cousin made with beef broth. In my odd brain, vegetarian plus blonde equals my friend Lizzie. Also, the soup, in my opinion, is the best combination of sweet and sassy, and that also is Lizzie.

Onion Soup a la Lizzie

Supplies: (not all of them, but the important ones)
Chef knife and cutting board to slice onions thinly and rolls for garnish
Rubber spatula for stirring
Dutch oven – I like my blue Staub but any will work
Tablespoon and teaspoon measuring spoons

Ingredients for Soup:
2T olive oil
2 White Onions – Medium to Large – sliced very thinly
2 Yellow Onions – Medium to Large – sliced very thinly
1t salt
1T black pepper (or to taste)
1/2t dried rosemary
1 box, Swanson Organic Vegetable Broth
Juice of one lemon (do not omit – the onions will be super sweet and the acid is needed to balance the taste!)

Ingredients for Garnish (bread and cheese):
3 Kaiser Rolls
Butter or Margarine – we used Smart Spread with Omega 3s – remember healthy!
Garlic Salt
Sliced Cheese – I used sharp provolone, but Swiss, Gruyere and Havarti will work will too

Directions for Soup:
1) Place olive oil at bottom of dutch oven. If you are using cast iron, DO NOT PREHEAT-it will damage the finish of the pot
2) Slice onions thinly. Add to pot.
3) Spread salt and black pepper to onions. Stir.
4) Cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes on medium.- Allows for great wilting for the onions. You will notice a lot of moisture when you check on it. The onions will give off water due to the salt that was added. You want it to do that!
5) Stir in rosemary. Cover. Allow to cook for 10 more minutes.
6) When you open the pot, you should notice some yummy brownness on the bottom of the pot. It’s called a fond. It’s pure flavor.
7) Add broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with the spatula to get all of the fond off the bottom.
8) Cover and let cook on medium-high for additional 20 minutes.
9) Cut rolls in half.
10) Spread butter or margarine as needed on top of all halves.
11) Toast in toaster oven or regular oven until golden.
12) Add cheese to top of rolls and allow to melt again in toaster over or regular oven. Amount of melting is up to you. Use the broil function to get brown, yummy cheese.
13) Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot. Stir. Dole out the soup into bowls. Plop a toasted, cheesy Kaiser half in each bowl.
14) Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more lighter (and vegetarian) meals soon!

The proverbial striptease

Gotcha! Did the title grab your interest? Well, settle down. I’m not talking about you know what. I mean, I used the word “proverbial” after all.

No, I’m talking about stripping yourself of stuff. Stuff that was good once, but now is not. Stuff that you thought was one thing but ended up not meeting expectations. Stuff that is just plain bad for you.

I’m talking about that kind of stuff.

As we enter a new year, our household is stripping down, big time.

1) I went through my piles of clothes and scarves and purged 50%. That’s right, 50%.

2) My husband continues to cajole me into giving away a similar percentage of books. I’m working on it. Perhaps I will just resolve to stop reading them if they do not meet expectations by chapter 3.

3) We are removing bad foods from our lives. I have a goal to lose 40 pounds by the end of June and my husband’s goal is 60! Bye bye, diet soda. Bye bye, sweets. Bye bye, cheese dip. You get the picture.

4) We are ending bad habits. We are walking instead of watching more TV. I will resolve to put my shoes away when I get home. He will resolve to check for pens before doing the laundry.

5) I am stripping myself of expectations. I did some experiments last year where I had no expectations for a particular day, get together, etc and it worked. Unfortunately, I’ve been hit hard in the last year by my expectations of others and that is all on me. I cannot control them and therefore, should not have any expectations of them.

In future posts, I’ll share some of the new things we’ll be eating now that cheese dip has been banned from our universe.

And to balance the scales, I will post on what we are adding in 2014.

My dear Stanleys, here’s to a blessed and happy 2014 for you and yours!

Cobbler for Bill – Peach Blueberry Dump Cake

Nothing like a vacation to give you time for one of your favorite pastimes – cooking.

Peaches from South Carolina were everywhere in TN last weekend and Winn’s Uncle BIll picked up a bag!  Inspiration struck – Peach Blueberry Dump Cake!

 

Peach Blueberry Dump Cake

Ingredients

3 large peaches, skinned and sliced – ripe to almost over ripe so there is a lot of juice

1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

1) Grease a 9×13 casserole

2) Line bottom with peaches

3) Sprinkle blueberries over peaches

4) Sprinkle yellow cake mix evenly over the top

5) Pour melted butter over the top evenly

6) Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown

Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Cookies for Bobbie : Lemon Blueberry Sugar Cookies

Lemon Blueberry Cookies

I love the combination of lemons and blueberries. So summer. So yummy.

I know someone else who likes such combinations. Aunt Bobbie.

I learned about Bobbie’s tastes when she wanted to take all of the left over orange almond cookies that were favors at our wedding. I could tell that she had a similar love of such sophisticated fruit combinations.

We visited with Bobbie and Uncle Bill this week at their house on Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee. As a thank you, I decided to work up an easy cookie recipe via one of Betty Crocker’s many good mixes. The results were a huge hit.

Ingredients + Powdered Sugar for Garnish

The recipe:
1) Large Sugar Cookie Mix from Betty Crocker
2) 1 large egg (per package instructions)
3) 1 Stick of Butter (per package instructions)
4) 1 small lemon
>Zest of the whole lemon
>Juice of half of the lemon
5) 3/4 cup wild blueberries (I used frozen ones – Private Selection from Kroger)
>Do not use large blueberries – use wild ones that are smaller.
6) Powdered Sugar for Garnish

The Directions:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES! (When baking, always pre-heat or else you will get burned bottoms. Oh no!)
1) Separate out some of the dry mix and add the blueberries. Sift the blueberries with the dry mix – It keeps them from going to the bottom of the batter.
2) Make the cookies with the remaining dry mix per the package instructions. Use the top instructions, not the cut cookie option.
3) Add in the zest and lemon juice. Mix again.
4) Fold in the blueberry mixture.
5) Spoon out the batter (it will be sticky) out onto some plastic wrap. Wrap it up and put in the freezer for five minutes.
6) Make 1 inch balls out of the batter and put on a cookie sheet with parchment paper
>you should be able to fit 12 cookies on a standard cookie sheet
7) Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes. The bag says 5-7 minutes, but the blueberries and lemon add moisture, so they take longer. They will be chewy and soft.

Allow the cookies to cook for 10 minutes on the sheet before moving them to a wired rack.
Garnish with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Changing course…

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything, ANYTHING, to make it happen?

For me, that was a baby. And then another. It’s feels like its been the singular focus of my marriage for five years.

Really? Really, my dear Stanleys.

When my husband and I got married, we planned to start our family right away. Being from a family of fairly fertile females, I thought we would have a child before our first anniversary.

Flash forward to our first anniversary, and there was no baby. Not even a glimpse. Frustration, and what I thought was desperation, were setting into our life. On a mission trip to Eastern Kentucky, I went to the altar and prayed for my miracle, a child, any child.

We soon conceived our daughter Molly. All was right with the world, until week 11. Then we had an ultrasound. Molly had a large gap between her neck fold and spine. My blood work confirmed we had a 25% chance that our baby would have Down Syndrome.

Then the pregnancy got even more exciting. I had gestational diabetes, early. Happy day. The next six months were difficult. Bi-weekly and then twice weekly appointments. A very restricted diet. The amnio that confirmed the Down Syndrome. And that she was a girl! We named her Molly. (We felt it would make it easier for people to love her immediately if she had a name.) We had to tell family and friends and comfort them in their dismay.

After a 30 hour labor and C-section, Molly arrived. And then went into the NICU with severe jaundice. After a week there, we took her home.

And spent a good six months just trying to figure out this parenting thing. And the Down Syndrome. So many appointments. So many appointments.

Then I spent a good nine months being afraid of getting pregnant again. Some moms have no issue getting pregnant again, but I did. As Molly grew stronger and met more milestones, I eventually decided that a sibling would be a great thing for her.

I met with my OB and the specialist that managed Molly’s pregnancy. Their prognosis was that I should have no issue getting pregnant again. We started working on baby 2.

Six months later, frustration was taking hold again. No baby 2. We were referred to a great fertility practice in Cincinnati. We learn that we have a 5% chance of a spontaneous (natural) pregnancy and decided to go the IVF route.

(Let me tell you something, IVF is no joke. Only someone desperate would embark on such a journey and do it again and again. So when you have a friend going through it, know it’s for real. And give them some space, and some grace.)

Our first IVF cycle went perfectly on the outside. We made great embryos – had two blastocysts!! It was like we had won the fertility Super Bowl. Being newbies, we were super confident and joked about multiples, but to no avail. Big fail. Devastating. Hard to go on, really. Fought big time with God and my faith was tested. Battled major swelling and joint pain for three months afterwards. Relied on our previous experience of comforting friends and family when we informed them of the results.

Round 2 was not perfect but was not bad either. We did not get as many eggs, so we did not get to “blast” stage, but we had 4 grade A embryos. We were guarded but excited. Surely, this time, it would work. Failure set in again. Battle royale, faith wise. I thought I had no hope left. My gratitude blogs stemmed from this time as I needed something to pick me up off the floor, especially with the holidays coming. We were becoming experts at the “everything’s gonna be alright” grin.

We took the holidays off, but agreed for our third round we would “let it ride” as my doctor put it. Take every drug and do every treatment recommended. After a delay related to some test results, we tried again in May. I can only say that this particular round was HORRIBLE. After headaches from the human growth hormone, to them mixing up blood samples and not calling with results, and then the ovulation inhibitor not working, we ended up with one embryo. “It only takes one!” became our mantra. We held on to hope and prayed for God’s will. No. Again, no.

Sigh. This all happened right before our fifth anniversary.

As we enter our sixth year of marriage, we’ve decided to stop the extraordinary efforts. But it’s still hard. And now that we’re moving on, there’s a big hole on my “to-do” list.

Changing course is never easy. It takes focus that you may not know you have left……….

I focus on my husband and his love for me. I could not have made it through without him.

I focus on Molly and the amazing strides she is making. I focus on the love she brings into any room. I focus on the miracle that was given to me through her.

I focus on meeting my 10 other kids in Heaven some day. I know they are in good hands. They have two grandmas and a first cousin there to watch over them. I know that I will recognize them all and call them by name. (I wonder about the 10 names in my sub-conscious right now. That’s a lot of names!)

I focus on Jesus. It sounds corny, but it’s true. I focus on the joy promised to those who love Him. I focus on reflecting Him to others. I focus on grace – for me, for you, for anybody.

And I focus on cooking. It’s time to return this blog to a cooking blog. I’m excited about sharing my hobby with you again.

Stay tuned, Stanleys. Yummy dishes are coming you way.

“Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” ~ C. S. Lewis

“If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”
― Julia Child

On Sweet Surrender

Dear Stanleys.  So much for this being a cooking blog.

I feel rather low, spiritually speaking, and that culminated into a very animated prayer session with God late Monday evening.

I feel like a Baptist on a roller coaster – one day high on faith, the next day wondering if maybe all the Calvinistas are correct.  Maybe there is an elect (and I am not part of it).

So, here was life according to Lynne in 4S’s:

1) Stuck – In one space of my life, it is becoming painfully apparent that the powers that be are all too happy to keep me right where I am.  I guess I do good there and perhaps the potential cost for them outweighs the benefit for me.

2) Spent – As I entered in another horrible offering into the system, I discovered that during my tenure as church treasurer, ie the church’s lead steward, we have missed the weekly offerings need 90% of the time.  I am weary with the burden of that load.

3) Separate – As I sat waiting for worship on Sunday, I came across the announcement for baby dedications on Mother’s Day.  Ugh.  I have not reached my goal to be up there with child 1 (big sister) and 2 (little sib) in tow this year.  A painful reminder of 24 months of being a human science experiment and my last ditch effort to pull out all the stops in what I hope is not a vain attempt to fill up our tricked out minivan.

4) Sidelined – My discernment is way off, my friends.  Way off.  I feel like a locomotive that was chuggin’ along until I noticed that my brakes weren’t working and switching to the side maintenance track was the only way to slow down.

In my desperation, I fell back to my Facebook post on Monday.  I prayed for a little hope, some more faith and a lot of peace.

And then He reminded me.  It’s not about My silence.  It’s about your surrender.  (or lack thereof).  Ouch.

Truth is, I’ve gotten much better at letting Him in, but I still am trying to hold one to a little control.  Just a little.

So, here is God’s response to my 4S’s:

1) SOAR with Me – Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

2) I will SUSTAIN you – Psalm 3:5 (NIV)

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

3) You are SET APART – Psalm 4:3 (NIV)

Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to Him

4) I have SET YOUR COURSE- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

And on that note, it’s time for bed.  I guess His mercies are new every morning, even if it’s 1:39 in the morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (HCSB)
Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

“Hit me where it hurts” – Does it hurt as much as the nails?

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “It hit me where it hurts” when people refer to costly home repairs, big bills, their child’s wedding expenses.

No doubt, giving up money can hurt, but I pose this question to you, does it hurt as much as nails?

You know, nails, like those Jesus took for you and me.  Does giving give you as much pain as His nails?  As it is just about money that He provides to you anyway, I think it’s safe to say, NO!

Do you believe that He provides for you?  Everyday?  I do, but very often, I do not give that way.  I can never give enough for all He has done for me.  I know I give out of my wealth, my surplus.  The wealth and surplus He has provided to me. (1 Chronicles 29:14)  And, I guarantee to you that whatever I give, is provided back to me in blessings overflowing (Malachi 3:10)

Let’s do an inventory of all He’s done for me:

1) HE DIED FOR ME   (a worthless wretch of a sinner)

2) He has provided for my needs every day (even when I’ve chosen to turn away)

3) He led me to Winn (His demonstration of unconditional love for me on earth every day)

4) He gave me Molly (No joke, I prayed for her during an altar call to pray for your most pressing miracle need.  You get the picture.)

5) HE DIED FOR ME (and I can never re-pay Him)

For me, I’m going to start with an additional $15/week.  Can I do it?  Let’s look at some of my little luxuries. 

1) $12 – Cost of my diet cokes and bottled waters at work each week.

2) $10 – Cost of my breakfasts at work each week.

3) $20 – Cost of my lunches at work each week.

4) $40 – Cost of the Davis family’s weekly lunch after church.

5) $10 – Average magazine pull from Kroger weekly.

Hmmm – maybe $15/week is not so much.  Not so much at all. 

What are the little luxuries you can give up today?

Now, my dear Stanleys, I do understand that this IS NOT simple at all for many.   Some of you are really struggling and God sees that.  Just listen and He’ll let you know his expectations.  Remember the widow’s offering?  Jesus tells us, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”(Mark 12: 43-44 NIV)  Whatever you may give will be more pleasing to Him than any surplus gift I may toss in the plate.

 

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

1 Chronicles 29:14 ESV

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Malachi 3:10 ESV

 

Talents : A tale of a reluctant giver…

Hello, my dear Stanleys,

It is Sunday morning.  But, not just any Sunday, it’s “Present the budget to the Finance Team” Sunday.

Ugh.  Today, I know what it means to be a reluctant giver.

I know that one of the talents that God has bestowed upon me to use to further His kingdom is my ability to analyze, provide options and lead consensus.  It has served me well in my professional life and that has served His church well in the form of my offerings.  Unfortunately, I cannot say that I willingly give this at church.

I fought the treasurer job with all of my earthly capability, but He kept working on me, and one Sunday morning, I accepted.

I fought the pastor search team position similarly, praying for a BIG LOUD NO, but He kept telling me YES!

Hmmm…  kind of like my salvation story.  Nope, Nope, do I have to, nope, nope, OK,    OK,      OK,    YES!!!

Let me repeat – I am a reluctant giver.  But, I think He makes it that way, for if we really liked the talent He gave, we would forget about Him and just use it to bring us glory.  We wouldn’t have to work at being cheerful, thereby not having the spiritual exercise that builds our faith in Him.

(I hate it when a lesson jumps out at me like that.  Ouch.)

So, back to this talent I have and the next 4-6 weeks of my life.

Money breeds conflict and it will until Jesus comes back to take us Home.  Until that day, I know that I am to use my talent for the big picture and couple it with my love for Him to keep the Work moving here on earth.

I’ve written before that I know that while I do give to the rule, I believe that I do not give enough in the money department for all He provides to me, but today and in the weeks to come, I will have to use my talents to proclaim His expectations for all of us in this area.

And there’s my challenge, a reluctant giver of talents trying to teach reluctant givers of money to give as He asks us to give.

So, I need to be a better example.  For He loves a cheerful giver.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully^[a] will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)

What talent should you be cheerfully giving today?

 

 

 

Got a sec? – My inventory of time.

We get 168 hours a week.  Plenty of time, right?

Let’s break down the expectations:

8 hours of sleep a day.

40 hours of work a week.

5 hours of exercise a week.

7 hours of quiet time.

7 hours of prayer.

2 hours a week doing Treasurer stuff.

2 hours a week for pastor search team.

Time for family.  Time for church. Time for me.

Yep, my dear stanleys.  When you break it down, it’s seems really complex.

Or is it?

Time, to me, is all about choices, and I for one, need to reconsider my priorities.

I can tell you that the only expectation listed above that I am passing – Work.

So here are some considerations for me.

I spend 3-4 hours a night with the TV on.  Oops.  That could easily become a walk with Winn and Molly – exercise and family time.  And I could go to bed an hour or two earlier.  Sleep – always important for a productive life.  I could spend the commercials cleaning.  Maybe…  I’ll have to re-consider that one.

I prefer to sleep in as late as I can each morning.  If I woke up 1 hour earlier, that could be my prayer time.  So, I would have more time with God and start my day out on a positive.  Win, Win.

After I eat lunch at work, I typically surf.  Hmmm… time for Bible study.  You bet.

And then there’s all that time in the car – worship time!  Ahah!  I knew I was missing something.

So, you see, I could really do more than I do now, if I just re-adjust my priorities.  My plan.  My attitude about time.  For it is His.  A resource He gives to me everyday.

It will probably make me better and my family happier.  And a happier “we” can only translate to happy work, church and everything else in between.

What sec can you give today?

^{Ephesians 5: 15-17}

Therefore be very careful how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is.