The Stool-Video

Cooking with Linda-Ham and Cheese Cornbread Supreme

If you don’t own a cast iron skillet – you may just want to add one to your collection for this tasty dinner idea…..

Ham and Cheese Cornbread Supreme

3 slices of bacon (I just used olive oil and bag of bacon bits)
4 large eggs
¼ c milk
½ c butter, melted and cooled
1 6 oz package of cornbread mix
6 dashes of hot sauce
1 med onion, chopped
1 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and well drained or 1 10oz package of frozen broccoli thawed and well drained
1 ½ c fully cooked ham cubes
2 c shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 375. Cook bacon in cast iron skillet until crisp. Place on paper towels, cool and crumble (see how the bag makes it so easy!)
Reserve 1 tbsp bacon drippings (olive oil). Drain off remaining drippings and wipe out skillet with paper towels. Put drippings in skillet and put skillet in oven to heat.
Beat eggs in large bowl. Add milk, butter,cornbread mix and hot sauce until blended. Add ham, onion, spinach,and 1 ½ c cheese. Carefully removed skillet from hot oven, pour batter into hot skillet. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 30-35 minutes (check at 25 minutes) or until set and golden brown. Let rest 5-10 minutes in skillet on cooling rack. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and cut into wedges – Yummy!
Makes 8 svgs
Prep 20 minutes
Bake 30 minutes

New Book Recommendation- The Convergent Church

Convergent Church-Missional Worshipers in an Emerging Culture by Alvin Reid, and Mark Liederbach is my new book recommendation. My absolute passion is to encourage people to take the gospel with them from church to the people, not take the people with them to church to hear the gospel.  Dr. Reid and Dr. Liederbach, both professors at Southeastern Seminary have given us a guidebook on issues related to the gospel in this age, and practical ways the church(and you!) can engage and incarnate the culture around you with the gospel.

(From the foreward by Ed Stetzer)

The statistics are overwhelming. We’ve never spent so much money and had so little evangelistic success to show for it. Increasingly, the outside world looks at the church as irrelevant, politically motivated, and callous. They’d rather trust afternoon talk-show hosts and eastern gurus with their spiritual skepticism than the body of Christ on earth. If we sit back and wait for the lost to find their way into our church pews, we may wait them into a godless eternity.

Unless we want these depressing trends to continue, something has to change. Instead of letting the lost come to us, we’ve got to go to them. The come-and-see, attractional approach must be replaced by a go-and-tell,missional one. The lost may not enter our churches, but, if asked, they just may allow us to enter their lives, as they look for truth and hope that can only be found in the gospel.

But we can’t stop there. The issues that face the church go much deeper than our evangelistic strategies. We must reexamine our basic understanding of the church and its mission. In The Convergent Church Mark Liederbach and Alvin Reid have done just that. They’ve taken a look at the philosophical underpinnings of both the church and today’s culture. From there, they’ve built a missional framework for the church that trades in our more introverted tendencies of the recent past for a future that actively engages our surrounding culture with the hope of the gospel.

If we’re going to take hold of the future envisioned by Liederbach and Reid, we must share our faith in new places. If we primarily share our faith within the four walls of our church, we might capture a few church swappers,but the vast majority of unchurched people will remain unreached. After laying out the foundational framework for their vision, Liederbach and Reid offer practical suggestions for building a missional evangelism focus into the very core of our ministry.

The missional approach outlined in this book is vigorously biblical. Neither Jesus nor the early church was satisfied to just let the lost come to them. They took every opportunity to take the good news to those ready to hear it. Wherever they went, they were prepared to talk about the kingdom of God and the hope it represented for those without God.This holistic approach will compel readers to a missional view of evangelism that springs from meaningful worship. Should we continue to invite our lost friends to church services? Of course. But we must also engage the surrounding culture as passionate, worshipful missionaries to those around us.The lost are waiting. Will we have the courage to go to them?”

How to Fake Your Way Through a Bible Study

I have a new favorite blog you ladies have got to check out if you enjoy sarcastic Christian humor.  It is

http://stacyfromlouisville.blogspot.com Small groups are getting back after Christmas break, so here are some tips from Stacy on how to fake your way through a Bible Study.

1) Say something.
If you’re planning on sitting silently through a Bible study discussion without your work done, you’re dead. You might as well tie raw pork chops around your neck and wander, blindfolded, through Grizzly country. At night. With an open fracture. Yeah, good luck with that. Silence confirms irresponsibility. (Which is why I babble. Now you know.) You have to say something. But what? Read on.

2) Always refer to God.
Assuming you’re studying the Bible, God is always a relevant topic. Don’t refer to Jesus or the Holy Spirit, because this might be the meeting where they’re discussing the Old Testament. You wouldn’t want to look like a fool, would you? A statement that always works: “Before this text, I had no idea God was so powerful.” See what I did? I said, “Before this text…”, I didn’t say “Before I read this text”… because that would be a lie, so I just saved you a sin. You can thank me later. I also said, “I had no idea”, which implies it’s a new concept to you and you won’t be able to elaborate. Why? You’re having an epiphany, which makes you holy, and holy people are quiet.

See? You just went from unprepared to profound in less than 3 seconds.

3) Talk about how much you love your Bible.
Notice I didn’t say that you should talk about loving the text for the discussion. I said, “Talk about how much you love you Bible.” Of course it’s a given that you love God’s Word, but your Bible is altogether another subject. Don’t you love your Bible, with its fragrant leatherette cover, its through maps of Palestine, and its fake gold gilding on the page edges? And look at its cover. Did you quilt that yourself? Not nearly enough books offer such lavish features. So, when there’s a lull in the conversation, tilt your head to the side as you look up and say, with hushed reverence, “I just love my Bible.” And wait for the mutual nods of affirmation.

Now, not only are you profound, but you’re convicted. And fake. But I won’t hate on you…

4) Go to the bathroom.
Everybody pees. People will understand when you excuse yourself and walk out the door. Then to your car. And down the street to the gas station so you can take a leak and grab a Big Gulp. I’m not sure how you’re gonna pull this one off, but if you tell the cashier, (slurp) “I’m supposed to be at Bible study right now”(slurp), you can tell people you were bringing “the truth” to others. Ahhhhhhh. Refreshing.

See, I always thought you were called to missions…

5) Start an argument. A big one.
For years people have been asking me, “Stacy, what’s wrong with you?!” Well, what if the only reason for my existence is to serve as a bad example to others? I’m here to help you. And I’m telling you, nothing will break up a good Bible study like controversy. Saying any one of the following statements will cause your study to implode. Why not try, “This only proves that predestination is the only real answer.”Or “That’s why women should never work outside the home.” Or “Anybody who believes what you just said isn’t really saved.” Or, my personal favorite, “Orange was a bad choice for the carpet in the vestibule, Frank! You blasphemer!”

Okay, so now you are a profound, convicted, missionary. Who people hate. Good job.

So there you go. Five solid ways to fake your way through any Bible study discussion. Notice that I never suggested anything too difficult like, “Pretend you’re possessed.” That would take too much commitment. And since we both agree that being prepared for Bible Study is already too much to ask sometimes, why make faking it more work than it needs to be?

So, how do you make your way through Bible study?

New Years Day Prayer- Dr. Alvin Reid

Today I start life anew.

Today.

Today I will live my life to the glory of God, for the sake of the gospel and the good of others. I will seek to live less today for myself.

Today.

I cannot change the past: my sins though many, my failures though frequent, or the many times I have hurt others,

But I can rest in the promise that the blood of Jesus has cleansed me, that though my sins are as scarlet, they have been made white as snow.

I cannot undo anything I have done. But I can rest in the grace of God, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can remember the work of God in salvation and will do so daily.

I can recall how God used a murderer who was a poor spokesman like Moses to set Your people free;

An insecure young man like Joshua to take Your people to the Promised Land;

A persecutor like Paul to spread the gospel across the Roman Empire,

And a fisherman who too often abused the use of language (how often am I like this one) like Peter and build Your church on disciples just like him.

I also cannot expect the things I have done for good and for God to do for today, but I can stand with Paul and forget the things behind me, choosing to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I cannot let the fear of past failures and my own sinful flesh keep me from living passionately for Jesus today.

Today I start life anew.

I cannot focus on the past, or let its shadow spread its darkness on the light He gives me to live this day. I cannot let any good thing I have done distract me from living this day as if it were my only, my best, my last day.

Today. Today I start life anew.

I cannot focus too much on the future, for I have little to no control over it. I can claim God’s Word with boldness that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it, that it is less about me and so much more about Him.

I can glance at the future as a driver glances ahead at the horizon ahead: too much focus there could bring harm at my present location, but no awareness of the horizon keeps me from seeing the amazing destination at the end.

But I have this day. Today.

Today I start life anew.

Today I will seek to live life for Jesus and for others.

Today I will redeem the time-I can earn more money and even make more friends, but I cannot reclaim the time that has gone by.

Today I will take care of the temple of flesh God has given me.

Today I will seek to be an encourager to my wife and my children first, and then to others God places in my path.

Today I will seek to speak much of the gospel to any who will hear.

Today I will walk by faith not by sight.

Today I will advance the movement of God in my generation.

Today I will choose to love more than to be loved, to give more than receive.

And whether I do this today will be seen not in the words I write but in the life I live.

May it so be, Lord.

Today.

(HT: AlvinReid.com)

May The Force Be With You

We are all battling a plethora of sicknesses in the Brown home, from the stomach virus, to my husbands back going out, and high fevers.  My 9-year old has been holding the fort down, as she miraculously has not gotten sick yet.  We were talking about it last night, and she said “Maybe it is because I prayed last night that God would just put a force field around me and protect me from all of the germs.”

  She is obsessed with Star Wars, so she figured if the force was good enough for Luke, it might be good enough for her, if God was the one giving it out.  The spiritual truth that is here is that God does protect us day in and day out from suffering, trials, and sickness. Certainly it is no force field, but a spiritual protection impenetrable by anything God desires to defer.  Many times in our sinful nature, however we blame God for suffering, or get frustrated as to why He does not stop some trial that comes upon us. Guess what though? He does control what goes on around us, imagine what the world would be like if God allowed anything and everything to attack us, without any plan or purpose. My 7 year-old who has been very sick, said “Well why did I get it and not my sister?”  Good question, but we rest in the comforting fact that God controls suffering for His purposes in our lives even when we do not understand it.

Quadrapelgic Joni Eareckson Tada illustrates this  beautifully in this quote when she is asked why God has her in a wheelchair.

“First, God’s decrees allow for suffering to happen, but he doesn’t “do” it; he doesn’t say into each life a little rain must fall,” and then turn the “hose” in earth’s general direction to see who gets the wettest. He screens every trial, filtering our hardships through His hands, and allowing only certain afflictions to touch us – afflictions which are in complete keeping with His perfect will in our lives. I realize this is hard to swallow for many Christians, but think of the alternative. Think if God didn’t control suffering. Our lives would be much worse – absolutely intolerable – every moment of the day. If God didn’t control suffering, suffering would come at us uncontrolled. I don’t want to live in a world like that! I’d rather take things for the “left hand of God” than no hand at all! In short, he permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves. And what does he love? Christ in us, the hope of glory.”

 

How much do you hate the lost? (video from Penn)

  Famous comedian and atheist Penn from Penn and Teller has an incredible testimony about having been given a Gideon Bible by someone after one of his shows, and the effect it had on him.  A sobering look at what the lost think of us and our evangelism practices. Be surprised it is NOT what you think!

Penn says:

I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, ‘Well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward’… How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?

 

Christmas Communion Service This Sunday

Hustle and Bustle

  Christmas is in high gear ladies.  We can feel the pace of life around us speed almost out of control.  I wanted to post part of Mark Driscoll’s blog post on Silence today, as I can totally relate!  What a reminder to the value of silence, and our human sin nature’s desire to escape it. Drink deep Driscoll’s wise words.

It was a very normal day until I realized that I was actively destroying my own soul.

The day began with my alarm jolting me awake. I immediately turned on my BlackBerry to hear it chime for each voicemail and email that had been left while I slept. I stepped into the shower where I listened to my waterproof radio. I then turned on the television to catch some news while I dressed. Driving to work I tuned in to some talk-radio banter.

Throughout the day the chime on my laptop kept ringing as email arrived, and my cell phone continued to vibrate and ring on my hip. Before long, I needed a break, and I put on my iPod to go for a walk.

On the drive home, I again listened to the radio in an effort to drown out the blaring horns of frustrated fellow commuters. After eating dinner and tucking my five children into bed, I turned on the television to watch shows I had recorded on my Tivo.

As I drifted off to sleep, it dawned on me that I had not had one minute of silence during my entire day. It was possible, I realized, that I could live the rest of my life without ever again experiencing silence.

In that moment, God deeply convicted me that I was addicted to the false trinity of our day, the gods known as Noise, Hurry, and Crowds. I remembered the words of missionary martyr Jim Elliot, who said, “I think the devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds . . . Satan is quite aware of the power of silence.”

I began to ponder what Jesus’ life might be like if He lived today. Would He be available to all of His followers twenty-four hours a day on His BlackBerry? Would He have left His phone on at the Last Supper and been continually interrupted by needless calls? Would He have failed to stop and speak to needy people because their weeping was not loud enough for Him to hear over His iPod as He hurried past them on His way to a meeting He was already late for?

In that moment I prayed, asking God for His wisdom and help to save me from myself. God answered my prayer and reminded me that Jesus often took periods of prayerful silence to hear from the Father and to ensure not that He was doing everything He could, but that He was doing only what was most important. For example, before beginning His public ministry, Jesus spent forty days fasting from food, people, and noise in an effort to prepare Himself to fully accomplish what God the Father had given Him to do on the earth.

Moreover, the Bible says in Luke 5:16 that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places.” Jesus spent considerable time alone in silence to pray, rest, and focus on what priorities He should be devoting His time and energy to. This helps to explain why, in just three short years of ministry, Jesus had a greater impact on history than anyone else who has ever lived.

The Bible also describes multiple benefits of purposeful silence, including:

• hearing from God (1 Kings 19:11–13)
• waiting patiently for the Lord to act (Lamentations 3:25–28)
• worshiping God (Habakkuk 2:20)
• knowing God better (Psalm 46:10)
• praying effectively (Luke 5:16)

Since God convicted me of my addiction to noise, I have sought to conform my life more to the pattern of Jesus’, which has proven quite helpful. I try to spend at least five minutes an hour in silence, at least thirty minutes in uninterrupted silence each day, and a full day in silence once a month. During those times I find myself going for silent prayer walks to listen to God, writing in my journal, and sometimes doing nothing at all, which for me has become an act of faith that God is at work even when I am not.

My prayer is that those reading this who, like me, are guilty of noise addiction can also experience the regular gift of silence because that is often where God is waiting for us. There was silence before God spoke the world into existence, and silence for forty days before Jesus began His public ministry, which may indicate that silence is what allows us to speak as God intends.

(HT:Driscoll)

Parade of Tables recap

  Thanks to everyone who worked so hard at our Christmas Parade of Tables.  We had an awesome turn out and time together. Thanks to Tara Furman our speaker in challenging us to have Emmanuel- God with us this holiday.  If you did not get a chance to purchase one of Tara’s prayer journals, just go to journals of prayer.

  Also check out the beautiful pictures by Anthony Esquivel at middleman photography.  Thank-you you lisa as always blessing us with your heartfelt music.

 Many ladies are interested in joining small groups to learn more about having a relationship with Christ or growing in their faith. So Village Church Ladies, get ready to make room in your homes and hearts to invite them.  I will follow-up with you soon on this.