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The ABCs of Praise

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Alphabet Blocks, ABCs, ABC blocks

“You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!” – Psalm 118:28, NLT

On Thursday mornings, I lead a group at my daughters’ school called Moms in Prayer. A group of dedicated mothers and grandmothers meet to intercede for our teachers, administration, staff, and, of course, our children. Each week, we begin our 45-minute prayer time with praise. Then, we spend a few moments in silent confession, followed by thanksgiving and intercession.

Praise is one of the most important components of prayer, but, unfortunately, it’s probably the most neglected. Many people think they are praising God when they’re actually giving thanks to Him. Although both are necessary in the life of a believer, they are not the same. Praise is acknowledging God for who He is, while thanksgiving is offering words of gratitude for what He has done.

Think of how good it feels when someone gives you a compliment. That’s exactly what you’re doing when you praise the Lord! You tell God how great He is!

One way I like to praise God is by going through the ABCs. I speak out God’s attributes, character, or name for each letter of the alphabet. It goes something like this:

God, you’re…
A- awesome, amazing, the Alpha and Omega
B – beautiful, the Bread of Life
C – compassionate, the God of all comfort, caring
D – my Deliverer
E – eternal, excellent in all your ways
F – faithful, Father, friend, forgiving
(all the way to “Z”)

When you pray, be sure to begin with praise. Resist the temptation to rush right to your requests. Instead, worship the Lord, and exalt His holy name!

Make the commitment of Psalm 145:2 (NLT): “I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.” Give my ABC idea a try, and see what you think.

His Words Are Your Life

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airplane and sunset

“These instructions are not empty words – they are your life!” – Deuteronomy 32:47, NLT

I gazed longingly out the airplane window. My mission trip to El Salvador had been a wonderful, life-changing experience, but I was ready to be home. I missed my husband and daughters. I wanted the comfort of my own bed and was eager to get back into my daily routine.

As we approached the outskirts of Springfield, a field below caught my attention, not that there was anything special about it, but because I’d seen it before…about 15 minutes earlier. My heart sank. We weren’t preparing for landing. We were going in circles.

The plane continued to hover as the pilot waited for conditions to improve. After nearly an hour, he announced that we might divert to a nearby airport to refuel before attempting another landing. Tears filled my eyes. After traveling for two days, I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. I couldn’t believe that we had come this far only to be rerouted. My destination was within reach, but I couldn’t get there. Circumstances beyond my control were keeping me from the joy of being with my family again.

I bowed my head and prayed: “God, You’re in charge of the weather. Please clear the skies so we can land.” Shortly after I finished, I heard the pilot’s voice on the intercom. I took a deep breath and waited for the verdict. As soon as he announced his plan, passengers cheered and applauded. A huge wave of relief swept over me, and I said, “Praise the Lord!” The sound of the landing gear being engaged was like sweet music to my ears. Within minutes, I was on the ground. I’d finally made it home.

Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should be living an extraordinary life – one that’s full of joy, packed with adventure, and characterized by victory. However, many Christians often get stuck in a holding pattern, much like I was that day on that plane. No matter how hard they try, God still seems far away. A deeper connection with their Creator eludes them. Frustrated, they wonder what they’re missing, and their motivation for spiritual growth wanes. Instead of moving forward in their relationship with the Lord, they end up going in circles, chasing contentment in things that don’t satisfy.

The missing ingredient, in most cases, is the Word of God, or, should I say, the commitment to read it on a regular basis. The pages of Scripture are not just nice stories for our occasional entertainment. As Deuteronomy 32:47 says, “They are your life!”

If you want to grow closer to God this year, decide right now to make his Word a priority. Be in the Word every day. By continually reading and meditating on truth, you will develop a greater understanding of who God is and experience the abundant life He has for you.

Cazapple Juice

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Cazapple Juice

Cazapple Juice

Two of the most popular foods to juice are carrots and apples. This recipe features both, along with a little zucchini (which you don't even taste). You'll experience a burst of energy after just one glass of this wonderfully sweet juice.
4.29 from 7 votes
Print Recipe
Course Drinks
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large carrots, unpeeled
  • 2 apples, unpeeled, cored, and cut into slices
  • 2 medium zucchini, unpeeled and quartered

Instructions
 

  • Wash produce well. Feed into juicer, and enjoy.
  • Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 8 ounces or 1 cup)

Holy Week Prayer Guide

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“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” – 1 Tim. 2:1,3-4

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, a sacred time commemorating the final days of Jesus’ life on this earth. As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection and victory over death next Sunday, we must be mindful of why Jesus came in the first place  – “to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).”

Those of us who have been wonderously saved by grace must not forget why we are here. Our mission is the same – to bring glory to God and to bring people to Him.

What should we be doing this week to prepare for Easter? We must get on our knees and pray. God is working in the lives of people all around us, and it’s vital that we intercede for them.

Following is a prayer guide to get you started. May God do what only He can do this week – open hearts and draw people to Himself.

Monday – Unsaved members in your family; pray that the Lord would stir their hearts this week and that they would realize their need for Jesus.

Tuesday – Divine appointments to share Christ; ask God to open your eyes to see hurting people that He brings across your path; boldness to speak truth.

Wednesday – Unsaved friends; pray for opportunities; invite them to church this Sunday; ask God to break down the walls in their hearts.

Thursday – Missionaries around the world; pray for specific ones you know by name; strength and protection as they reach the lost; ask God to give them a great harvest; pray for the people groups they are working with, that the Lord will do a mighty work and many would be saved.

Friday – Christians all around the world as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins; that we would spend time meditating on God’s great love for us and that this time of reflection would result in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord; we would be fervent in prayer over the next three days and ready to share Christ.

Saturday – Your pastor and leadership team; pray for the Holy Spirit’s anointing over your pastor, that the Lord would go before him and prepare his heart for what to share on Sunday; pray for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in the services.

Sunday – That the lost would be found today and brought into God’s kingdom; that those for whom we’ve been praying would respond to God’s invitation for salvation; that nothing would prevent people from going to church today if the Spirit is calling them.

Banana Stacks

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banana stacks

 

Banana Stacks

Banana Stacks features two foods that, in my opinion, were designed to go together - bananas and peanut butter (or almond butter for those with peanut sensitivities). With this recipe, you get a little bit of protein mixed with carbohydrates for energy. It really is the perfect treat.
3.24 from 25 votes
Print Recipe
Course Snack
Servings 4
Calories 140 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large ripe bananas
  • ¼ cup all-natural peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butter

Instructions
 

  • Peel bananas, and cut into ¼ to ½-inch slices (about 12 per banana). Spread about 1 teaspoon almond butter on half of the slices. Top with the remaining slices.
  • Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 4 stacks)

Notes

  • Great for an after-school snack for your children.
  • Spread Date Honey on top of the peanut butter in each stack.
    Sprinkle each stack with cinnamon.
  • Add chopped dates or raisins to tops of stacks.
  • Put in freezer until firm (3-4 hours) for a cool treat.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSugar: 5gCalcium: 5mg

 

The God of Second Chances

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When I’m on my skates, things happen. Spiritual things. Not anything super weird or freaky. Just God’s voice speaking. Prompting. Convicting.

This past Monday was an unseasonably warm winter day here in the Ozarks. I took advantage of the sunshine by heading out to one of my favorite local trails. After about 15 minutes, I passed a young woman and immediately noticed her posture. Her head was slightly lowered, with her eyes staring at the ground. Her body language shouted, “I’m so sad!”

I skated on. A distant memory surfaced from last July. The same trail. Rollerblading. A young woman.

Nah.

Something else caught my attention, and I moved on to the next train of thought. Then, during my final mile, I saw her again. This time she was sitting on a bench. Same slumped posture. Same sad gaze.

I sensed that God wanted me to stop and talk to her. Yet, I struggled with knowing if that “sense” was really from Him. I said aloud, “God, how do I know it’s you? How can I be sure?”

I needed a visible sign and decided to “put out a fleece” like Gideon did in Judges 6. Therefore, my plan was this: If the woman was still seated when I passed the bench a second time, I would stop. If not, then I wouldn’t.

When I came to the turnaround point on the trail, I skated back in her direction. I saw the bench. I saw her on it. As I got closer, though, I saw her getting up! I decided to go for it anyway.    I said, “This may sound really strange, but I feel like the Lord wants me to tell you something. He wants you to know He loves you.”

She stopped abruptly, gave me a puzzled, almost angry look, and said with a thick accent, “You LOVE me? What the h— is that all about?”

“No, no!” I said, seeing her confusion as result of the language barrier. “God loves you. He wants you to know He sees your sadness, and He loves you.”

Then, she understood. She relaxed. She listened.

As I looked into her eyes, I also understood. The flashback from last summer came at me again, this time in full force. The young woman who approached me last July was the same woman standing before me. That day I had missed an opportunity to share Christ’s love with her. I had turned my back on a divine appointment. Yet, in God’s great mercy, He had answered my prayer for another chance. Little did I know, though, that the second chance would not be with another stranger, but with the very one He had sent my way the first time.

I was overwhelmed. All I could do was say, “Thank you, God,” as I talked with my new friend from Bulgaria.

(To read about my initial encounter, read Divine Appointment.)

Raspberry-Pecan Smoothie

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Raspberry-Pecan Smoothie

Raspberry-Pecan Smoothie

4.93 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast, Drinks, Snack
Servings 0
Calories 128 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup spinach or mixed greens
  • 1 large frozen banana, peeled, sliced
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.
  • Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 8 ounces or 1 cup)

Video

Notes

  • You can also use unsweetened rice or soy milk.
  • To freeze bananas, remove peels before placing in freezer. Put in a plastic zip-top bag.
  • If using fresh fruit, you can add chopped ice to make your smoothie cold.
  • Add 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSugar: 11gCalcium: 4mg

 

Grace in a Laundry Basket

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Heaping Basket of Laundry

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” –  2 Corinthians 9:15

When my daughter asked, “What’s for breakfast?” I knew she wouldn’t be happy with my answer. Anticipating some resistance, I replied in a cheery voice, “Oatmeal.” Although I had expected a slight frown or a huge sigh, I was completely shocked at her response.

“Why can’t we have cereal or something else? Is there a problem with that?!” she said.

I was speechless. My daughter had never spoken to me in that tone of voice, nor had she ever uttered such disrespectful words. Taking a deep breath, I said in the calmest voice I could muster, “No, but there is a BIG problem with your attitude.

I explained that her behavior was unacceptable. Her punishment was two-fold: 1) she was grounded from playing games on the computer for a week (I knew that would hurt), and 2) she was to fold a heaping basket of clean laundry for me. My daughter sat on the floor and sulked, taking her sweet time with the clothes. Fifteen minutes later, it was time for school. She wasn’t even close to being done, so I said, “Just leave it. You can finish when you get home.”

Once I’d dropped the girls off at school, I went rollerblading to clear my head. I was upset that our morning started off like it did. As I skated, though, the Lord gave me an idea on how to turn a frustrating experience into a teachable moment.

When I got home, I sat on the living room floor and folded every piece of laundry. I wasn’t excusing my daughter for her rudeness or letting her “get away with it.” Rather, I wanted to give her a concrete example of a wonderful spiritual reality. After putting the clothes in their proper places, I placed a sign on the empty basket that said, “GRACE.”

Grace in a Laundry Basket

As soon as I my daughter walked into the living room later that day, she asked, “What happened to the clothes?”

“Do you see that sign on the front?” I asked. She nodded yes. “What does GRACE mean?”

She replied, “It means doing something for someone when they don’t deserve it.”

“That’s right,” I said. “Even though you didn’t deserve it, I folded the clothes for you. What you did was wrong, but I forgave you. I showed you grace. That’s exactly what God did when He sent Jesus to the cross. We deserved death, but Jesus took our place. He died for us and paid the penalty for our sin.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Eternal life is not something we can earn. We can’t make it to Heaven on our own merit.

I gave my daughter a gift she didn’t deserve. God gives us an even greater gift – eternal life! He extends salvation freely to anyone and everyone who trusts in Him. If you don’t yet know the Lord as Savior, you can. Today. Right now. God will wipe away your mountain of sin. All you have to do is believe and then receive His gift of grace.

How to Become a Christian

According to the Bible, if you want to become a follower of Christ, you need to:

  • A – Admit that you are a sinner in need of God’s grace.
  • B – Believe that Jesus came to this earth as the Son of God, lived a perfect life, died for your sins, and rose again to give you eternal life.
  • C – Confess your sins to God and receive His forgiveness.

Following is a sample prayer for salvation. Of course, you should use your own words to talk to God, but this might help guide you:

“God, I acknowledge that I’m a sinner in need of your forgiveness. I’m sorry for the life I’ve lived. I repent of my sin (turn away from it) and choose to follow you. Your Word says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).” I believe you sent your Son, Jesus, to die in my place. I believe Jesus paid the penalty for my sin and that He rose from the dead on the third day. Today, God, I accept your gift of salvation. I declare that Jesus is now my Savior and Lord of my life. Thank you, God, for saving me. Thank you for making a way for me to have a personal relationship with you. I want all that I do to bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Massaged Kale Salad

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Massaged Kale Salad

Massaged Kale Salad

I'm a firm believer in the benefits of regular massage. According to a recent article in The Huffington Post, massage can help reduce anxiety and depression, ease pain, improve sleep, and boost your immunity. It has also been shown to increase alertness and curb headaches. Massaged Kale Salad may not be as wonderfully relaxing as the real deal; however, you're certain to be less stressed after just a few bites.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe
Course Salad
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups curly kale, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 avocados, pitted
  • 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Sunflower seed kernels, optional
  • Pepitas, optional

Instructions
 

  • Place kale in a large bowl. Scoop out flesh from avocados, and add to kale.
  • Use your hands to massage avocado into kale so that leaves are well coated. (When finished, you’ll probably want to lick your fingers. If you do, be sure you wash your hands before proceeding.
  • Add tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, and salt. Stir well.

Notes

  • Sprinkle sunflower seed kernels and/or pepitas, on top of each serving, if desired.
  • Add 1 (15-ounce) can drained chickpeas.
  • Massage only one avocado into kale leaves, and cut the other one into small cubes to toss with the cherry tomatoes.

Super Easy Guacamole

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super easy guacamole

Super Easy Guacamole

When I was younger, I wouldn't have touched guacamole with a 10-foot pole. Now, I eat it nearly every day. Sometimes I go gourmet and whip up a big bowl of Guacamole with a Little Kick. But most of the time I make this simple recipe, which takes minutes to prepare.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe
Course Snack
Servings 8
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 medium avocados
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon salt, according to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit (just gently squeeze till it pops out). Use a large spoon to scoop the fruit into a medium-sized bowl. Add the lime juice and salt. Mash with a fork to desired consistency.
  • Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about ¼ cup)

Notes

  • Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Add 1/4 cup Salsa.
  • Use as a dip with fresh vegetables.
  • Spread on top of Chipotle Black Bean Burgers.
  • The trick to perfect guacamole is ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is n­o give, the avocado is not ready yet and will not taste good. If there is a lot of give, the avocado is ripe. Beware of too much softness, though, because that usually means the avocado may be over ripe and won’t taste good.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSugar: 1gCalcium: 1mg

Peach Salsa

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Peach Salsa

Peach Salsa

When you hear the word "salsa," more than likely you think of a dip with tomatoes, peppers, and onions. However, this delicious salsa recipe is made with fruit instead of vegetables. Its light, refreshing taste will surprise you. Serve with baked tortilla chips or as a topping for a green salad.
3.50 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Course Snack
Servings 6
Calories 10 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen peaches
  • 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
  • 2 tablespoons finely red onion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Mix ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and stir well. Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until chilled. Serve.
  • Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/4 cup)

Notes

  • Substitute ½ teaspoon dried cilantro or parsley for fresh.
  • If you're a salsa fan, be sure to try these recipes: Salsa and Green Salsa Bean Dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 10kcalCarbohydrates: 2gSugar: 1gCalcium: 1mg

 

Day 21 – "Plant the Seed" January 2013 Daniel Fast

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“The LORD will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.” – Isaiah 32:20, NLT

Thank you to everyone who joined the “Plant the Seed” Online Daniel Fast, January 6th-26th. It has been a powerful time as we’ve sought the Lord through prayer and fasting.

As our theme verse promises, whenever we plant seeds of faith, we can expect bountiful crops to spring up. Some of us have already seen seeds poking through the ground! Others are still waiting expectantly for evidence of growth to appear.

Friends, the Lord is faithful to answer the prayers of His people. Even though this Daniel Fast journey has come to an end, our prayers must not. God is still working! Therefore, let’s continue to seek Him with great intensity and believe Him for miracles!

May Psalm 118:15 be true in our lives as we reflect on God’s goodness and faithfulness: “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” Today, let’s celebrate all God has done over the past three weeks and all that He’s going to do! Praise his holy Name!