Ever wonder just who you are?

good morning beautiful friends.        I pray that you day has started off well and that it's a "blessed day to have a have a blessed day".           it is a little gloomy here in my neck of the woods this morning, looking like rain and I kinda hope we get rain so I don't have to water my "deckstead" other wise known as the "the jungle".         I guess that's a good thing.         I noticed this morning that I have plants that I'm gonna have to get tied up, they are falling over and if they get wet, they may completely break out of the containers.        anyway, that's what's going on here.

just a little something this morning to give us a good start to our week.         I don't know where this came from, if I did, I would give credit.         but these are just a few of the verses in the Bible, God's Word, that tells us exactly who we are.         These are God's Word's, not mine.       so as you read them, find them in your bible and mark them so they are easy  to find.         look at them daily until you can agree with the Word God.         sometimes it's hard for us to see ourselves as God sees us.        but we just have to trust Him in this.        the enemy wants us to not know just how God does see us.      

read these verses aloud, so your ears can hear the words.         when I hear words, they have a tendency to stick with me better than just reading to myself.        there is power in hearing God's Word.        God's Word is powerful and we can use His Words to know  who  we  are.        you  may  be  the only person in your corner encouraging you on, and that's ok.         because God's Word is sufficient!!!           we all know a lot of hurting people and we can pass these words of encouragement on to them.         I pray that God will bless everyone who reads this and that they can know He is with them at all times.

let's go out this week and make a difference in the part of the world we live in.          we may not be able to change the whole world, but can change the lives of the people we come in contact , and that can end up changing their world.         make the difference.         be the change.         

blessings of peace be upon us all as we face the week ahead.          love and hugs, patty

Yeast and Self Rising Flour

Happy Monday Blessed Ones of Christ!!!!      I do hope and pray that everyone had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday, keeping Christ at the forefront of all you did yesterday and still praising Him today for all He continues to do for us!!!!!      I'm still overcome with joy and awe that He would do so much for me, someone so undeserving.      That's what's amazing though.      He does nothing for us on our own merits, because we could never do enough to earn His love.      It's based solely on His love for us!!!    Amen and Hallelujah!!!!!!      Thank You Jesus!!!       Thank You Father God!!!!!!

So, here it is Monday and I find myself in the kitchen making bread, yeast bread.     Honey Wheat Bread to be more exact.      It is delicious.      While I'm in the kitchen, I'm always thinking about the ingredients in my breads, no matter the recipe.      I have always baked bread, but..........I haven't always enjoyed the process.       When my hands and arms got to the point that I just couldn't knead it anymore, my joy for making bread from scratch waned.       I grieved the loss of something that brought me such joy.     So, I set out to find a way.      The old adage, "where there's a will, there's a way", paid off after I found something called a "bread machine".      I got one many years ago and my love for making bread is a renewed passion.      I just have to praise God for modern technology.      If it wasn't for my bread machine, we wouldn't be enjoying healthy bread, made by my hands, for us.     So, never give up on a passion that is worthwhile, look for a way to do it.

Having said all that, I was thinking about flour and yeast.     If you are on any kind of groups or forums, you will hear people saying all the time, "YOU CAN'T MIX YEAST AND SELF RISING FLOUR!!!"  They are adamant about it.      You have to use this, you can't use that, blah blah blah blah blah blah and blah!!!!!       I love the way women look after each, really I do.     Most of them lurk around just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on their next unsuspecting victim.      Why they do it, I'll never know.      One thing I do know is this, I was reared by a woman that never took no for an answer and set out to find out why for herself.      In the long run, with an attitude like that, you find out that a lot of it is "OLD WIVES TALES".       That's true.  "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" is a pretty good mantra to live by and that's what I've done.      Or at least tried to do.

The reason they say you can't mix yeast and self rising flour is because self rising flour has salt and baking powder in it as the leavening agents.      Salt also helps it taste better.     Salt also stops the leavening action from getting out of hand.      All purpose flour has no leavening agent or salt in it.    It's a clean slate, so to speak.     You have to put the leavening agents in it.    Either baking powder and salt, baking soda or yeast.    Some recipes call for baking powder, baking soda and salt.     Most of the time, there's probably an egg in it.     It seems I remember that bread with baking soda usually has an egg in it.    Yeast, too, is a leavening agent.   It feeds on sugars, so if you use yeast, the recipe usually has a little sugar in it.      To me, that's what's so wonderful about the yeast breads.      I always think, "Sister Schubert Rolls", I guess those are my gold standard rolls to judge every other rolls by.     hahaha       Not really, but I just used them as a good example and they are delicious rolls.      Most yeast rolls have a very distinct aroma.       Very pleasing and enticing, it lures you in unsuspectingly, and before you know it, you've scarfed down 2 or 3 rolls.     Well, maybe you haven't, but yours truly always does.     hahahaha

I learned early on to use what I have.      I used mostly self rising flour.      I still only want self rising corn meal, but that's another blog post.   hahahaha    I haven't always kept all purpose flour on hand.      But I have always had baking powder, baking soda, salt and eggs.     Then, when I started baking bread from scratch, I kept and now keep yeast on hand.     I'm not a yeast snob or an all purpose flour snob.     Back to my motto, I use what I have on hand and what fits my budget.     No one else ever has to eat my bread, but if they do, they won't be eating "APF" that costs a fortune.      Most of the time, its a "store" brand, the cheapest in house APF I can find.      Usually either Aldi or Kroger brands.     Since I bake bread all the time, I keep APF on hand all the time now.     And yeast.      Those are 2 of my main stay staples.     

When I was getting my ingredients together for my bread this morning, I was thinking about everything I have told y'all.      I even started thinking about how to use the yeast and self rising flour.      Well, if you google it, you can find recipes that DO mix the 2 ingredients!!!!!!       I've known that for many years, due to doing my own experiments.      See, I'm kinda stubborn like that.      That's one of the ways that I have earned my doctorate degree from the school of hard knocks, proving some of the "old wives tales" to be inaccurate.     Don't tell me it can't be done, because I'll probably prove you wrong, if I care enough about what you tell me can't be done.      I may not though, because as a 60 something year old woman, there's not many people out there that I care enough about their opinions to prove them wrong.    Truth be known, I've already done it, or do it every day.     

So, if you want to mix yeast and self rising flour, GO FOR IT!!!      Just leave out any salt, baking soda, or baking powder that the recipe calls for and you should be good to go.       Don't take my word on any of this, prove it for yourself.     Experiment.      Try things out.       That way when you read or hear someone say, "THAT CAN NOT BE DONE", you can say "OH YES IT CAN".      Even if you don't speak up, you will know that it can be done, because you've proven for yourself that it can be done.

Now, I would not use yeast and self rising flour in my bread machine, because it will rise, and maybe even a lot.     In my bread machine, it would spill out of the pan.       But for making rolls and buns, it would be excellent.       I can imagine it would also be great in sour dough buns.      I can't remember if I've ever tried that or not, but now that I've thought about, I will try it.

My main goal for this post, is to get you to step out of your comfort zone and try something.      Try something that everyone says can't be done.       Think about the ingredients and how they work together and what may need to be left out or even added to get the desired results.       My experimentation over that years has come about by me not having a certain ingredient and I end up using what I have.      Back then, I didn't think anything of it, because I was making do with I have.      Now, it really cheeses me when I see women telling other women, while patting themselves on their back, this can't be done or that can't be done.      Don't tell anyone that.     Encourage them to find out what can be done.    Encourage them to prove the old wives tales wrong.      Encourage them to find a way.     

Make a way, find a way, just do it.      We don't have to be mean spirited to anyone.      Google a recipe with yeast and self rising flour and try it.     You won't regret it.     But always be encouraging to someone who is trying to learn.       I'm so thankful I had a Momma that beat a lot of stuff out the hard way.       I seen that while I was growing up and I have picked up where she left off.     Find out for yourself if you can do something or not.      Prove it to yourself that you can or can't.      Don't let anyone else tell you, you can't.      That is fear on their part thinking you will prove them wrong or show them up.      Do it.      For me, I want to push, pull or drag others along to doing more and better than they imagined for themselves.      Don't step on anyone else while you are trying to better yourself.      Help others along as you are helping yourself.      That's the whole purpose of this post.     To try to get us to see that our words can dampen or even put out the spark in others who are trying learn.

Now, if you see or hear of someone doing unhealthy practices in the kitchen that could lead to death, like rogue canning, then call them on it.      I have left several groups over the years because of practices that could lead to death due to botulism.     I'll not hang out where people are supporting rogue and dangerous practices.      After I've let them know, then I leave after they start slinging dirt.     I won't leave before telling them their practice will kill someone, but I will after I've done my job.    

So, don't be afraid to try something you've always heard can't be done.      Prove it one way or another to yourself.     Blessings to y'all this beautiful day.      I hear my bread machine calling me, so I've got to get my dough out of it and make my rolls and let them rise, and then we bake!!!    Yay!!!!!!     

I don't want to leave you without telling you that God loves you so much He provided a way for you to be in right relationship with Him thru the shed blood of our Risen Savior, Jesus Christ.     I love you enough, to tell you that.   Have a wonderful rest of the day and bake bread and enjoy!!   hugs, love and bountiful blessings, patty

Do you need encouragement?

Good morning Y'all!!!     I hope and pray that wherever Y'all are this morning that you are trusting in the Lord for this day.      With what has been going on and is still going on in the world, it's hard to have a lot of encouragement, but if you know Jesus, you should be encouraged.     The days are still tough, but not as tough as they would without HOPE.     Our hope is in the Lord.

I just wanted to share a little story with y'all and hopefully it will give you some encouragement.

Years ago, at a country church I was a member of, there was an encourager.  An encourager who not only spoke of encouragement, but he lived it out.  This was before I was married, so probably 42-43 years ago.  There was a pretty large young adult group.  When Training Union was over each Sunday night, we would all meet back in the sanctuary and sometimes there would be a little informal talking.  Sharing testimony.  One particular night, this gentleman turned around in his pew and just started talking, mainly to the young people.

He spoke about a time when he was younger.  He was farming at the time and had eaten breakfast and got out to the field.  It was a particularly hot day and he was just about done plowing the field and something broke on his old tractor.  He just so happened to break down near a tree.  So he was stewing and fretting about what needed to be done.  The more he stewed and fretted, the angrier he got.  He didn't have what it took to fix the tractor and he said he finally got to the point of actually cursing out loud.  He said in the midst of the cursing he felt the power of the Holy Spirit and his cursing turned to singing.  He actually told us that it's impossible to curse God and sing Amazing Grace in the same breath.  He said he finally leaned up against the tree and shed a few tears and sang and praised God for a little while.  He got his head straight and his heart straight and and in that time, he actually fixed his tractor. 

He said that was a turning point for him.  There are always 2 actions or reactions to each situation.  It was an encouraging moment for him to realize that calmer heads prevail and when we praise God thru it, it will work out.  There may some some loss of time in the process, but even time can be redeemed. 

So, when things feel hard and they are right now.  We can either curse the time or praise God thru it.  Right about now, I think some have been cursing the time in which we live, me included.  But, I do believe that praising God when maybe we haven't been accustomed to praising Him would be a wonderful way to redeem this time.  We may not have an encouraging support system, but scripture is full of encouragement.  Life is full of encouragement.  Even time is full of encouragement.

So, as the days grow longer we are faced with 2 options discouragement or encouragement.  I try to choose encouragement and remember that nothing happens without God knowing about it.  If you know someone who needs a little encouragement, be an encourager to them.  We can do anything with the help of Jesus Christ!!  He is our Helper.  That is in scripture.

With this being Memorial Weekend, this was one of the things that I thought of that might be a little encouraging to some who need it, me included. 

If you need more encouragement, read about Joshua in the Bible.  God encouraged him time and time again.

I pray that you are all staying safe and healthy.    I know a lot of people are thumbing their noses at the requests to wear masks and social distance, but I am taking it seriously.    I love my husband.     I love my Momma and I love my family.     So, I know if I stay away from places, I won't be coming in contact with something that could potentially be fatal to me or someone I love.     If that's stupid, it certainly won't be the first time I've been accused of that and I'm not concerned about what others think anyway.     As a Christ follower, I try to put the needs of others before my own needs, so I want to keep people safe from me anyway. 

Anyway, I just wanted to share a story and give some encouragement for the days ahead.  They may be long nights ahead, but "joy comes in the morning"!!!

Remember that you are never alone and that God loves you.      I pray for peace and comfort to be your headrest.   hugs and love and prayers for better days ahead, soon.   be blessed, patty