Bible Study and spiced chai mix

good morning beautiful ones!!!         I hope that today is as spectacular as yesterday was.         yesterday was a stellar day and I thank God for it.          I got a lot done in the house and then I got a lot done outside.          woohoo!!!!         it actually got up to about 73 or 74.        I could go for days like that everyday.       hahaha          but who couldn't, right.        anyway, we'll see what today brings and we'll enjoy this day too and thank God for it and thank Him for allowing us to be a part of such an amazing day.         I always say if my feet hits the floor of the morning, then that's a good day.       let's do all we can to make it a good day and enjoy it.        God is good all the time.      

-------------------

well, let's just go ahead and head to the kitchen for another segment of "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".          I had been wanting to make this for the longest time.         I used to get a version of this at the amish store we used to visit, but since becoming a home body, I prefer to make as much from scratch as I can.         I had looked for something already made up, but the prices was unbelievable, so I said scrap that idea and set out to find the ingredients I needed.          I had gotten everything but the ground cardamom and once it finally arrived, I got everything together.

you can see the recipe on the side of the jar, and you can just use that as your starting place.        omit what you want to, add other ingredients if you want to.        I already know the next batch won't have the french vanilla coffee creamer and it may not have the regular creamer.        I don't know.         but if I need vanilla, I'll add real liquid vanilla when I make my cuppa.        this was just a hurried batch, but it's pretty good.       but I noticed I have more pain in my body this morning than I normally do and I've been finding out over the last few years that certain things causes inflammation.         those things will make any inflammation in my body worse.       so this morning I'm worse.

having said that, I'll use it another time or two and see what the results will be.        it may be a fluke or it may be a problem for me.           I was really hoping to get something figured out for this mix and maybe just leaving the coffee creamer out all together may be the remedy and put more powdered whole milk in it.        the jar is a quart and a half jar, so you can see how much the recipe makes.       I may cut the recipe down into a forth or a fifth of the recipe, just do a small batch, and see how that works for me.

I don't like to be wasteful at all and this may end up being a waste.       I sure hope not.        I was hoping that I would be able to put a spoon full in my morning chia and oat bowl, but I sure can't do that if it makes my body hurt.        

but remember, this is just a recipe, it's just a starting place for your creativity to kick in.        just put what ever you think you would like in it and go from there.         I hope if you try this or a form of this, that you'll let me know how you like it.

-------------

picking up with 1 Kings Chapter 3.         Solomon is now king.        Solomon loved the Lord but he was sacrificing and burning incense in high places while he was building the house of the Lord.         the Lord told Solomon to ask for what he God to give him.          Solomon asked for wisdom to discern from right and wrong and good and evil.          this was very pleasing to God, so God gave Solomon what he asked for.         if we want to please God, let's ask for something that God wants to give us.        He is ready willing and able to give us wisdom to discern between good and evil.       God was pleased to give Solomon what he asked for and God also gave Solomon what he didn't ask for and that was riches and honor.        there would be no other, ever, as wealthy and as wise  and honorable as Solomon.       people came from all over the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon.         the house for the Lord was finished and Solomon held a feast at that time and dedicating it to the Lord.      Solomon was the greatest king on earth and all the other kings wanted his attention, to hear the things that God had put in his heart.       as with everyone else, all this notoriety went to his head and Solomon sinned against God.        why is this not surprising?          because we all sin.         we do.         we may not set out to sin, but when fame and fortune and notoriety come together, that's a good place for sin to fester and become a problem and it did for Solomon.         Solomon started worshiping the gods of his wives and building idols and places of worship for them.         God had told him that as long as he and his sons served God, He would make sure that an heir would always be on the throne.        since Solomon had strayed from God, God raised up adversaries and Solomon dealt with them till his death.      Solomon reigned for 40 years.

next time we pick up in1 Kings Chapter 12.

sin is always wrong.         no matter who we are and no matter rich we are and no matter the fame we have, sin will get us in trouble.          God wants to bless us, but He can't bless us while we are sinning against Him.        have we ever felt distant from God?          of course we have.          but it's never been because God has moved from us.         it's always because we have moved from God.        it truly is an eye-opener when we stop and think about how God told them all, that if they stayed close to Him, He would stay close to them.       and how many times do we them draw away from God?         every single time.         we just can't help ourselves.        if we stay close to God, He will stay close to us.        

Lord help me to stay close to you.       help me to not sin against You.         if and when I do sin against You, please help me to recognize if immediately and help me to repent of my sin quickly.       I want to always do the right thing, but when I fail, please help me quickly, to get back in right relationship with You.       amen and amen.

-----------------

I hope and pray that we all have a most wonderful today.          keep God first and foremost in all that we do.        may the Lord bless and keep us all today.        hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and freezer meals

good morning friends!!!          I hope you're up to having a great day today, because I just think it's gonna be a good one.         I know I already have quite a bit to keep me busy today and if I just get half of it done today, it'll keep me busy all day and I'll sleep like a baby tonight.        that's my hope anyway.  

it looks like there could be  rain in the future.          we can  always use it, so  I'll try to be happy about it.          hubby will probably work outside today tinkering in the garage.          I need to get some of his morning breakfasts made and in the freezer for the next few days.        I need to get my little kitchen composter going and get some more compost made.        I can't wait to add it to the store bought compost or even put a tablespoon or so in each container or pockets on containers.        we'll see how it turns out.        I started a "to do" list yesterday of things I need to get done with my gardening efforts and getting some seeds in my 2 hydroponics  units is at the top of the list.       I should have started this a month ago, but I didn't, now I'm regretting my decision to postpone it.       since I can only start 24 at a time, but I'll see what I can get done.         anyway, it looks like a busy full day.

as we move thru this day, lets remember to give God thanks for it.        every day I wake up is another opportunity to be a part of a day like no other day in history.       this day has never been had before by anyone at any time.       and it will never be back, when it's gone.        so lets make it a most spectacular day and enjoy it and spread the Good News to those around us.        you won't regret it and it just might change someone's life.         who knows, if might even change our own.       so lets make it a great day!!

------------

you know the drill, follow me to the kitchen for a quick "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".          this week, I found myself with 3 boxes of soup, chili and chowder in the fridge.         I call these our fast food meals.          heat a bowl up and bam, a meal!!          it don't get much better than that.         plus I know what all the ingredients are as opposed the drive thru fast food junk.        this is all real food.    what you're looking at is chili with pork loin on the top (we eat that over a few corn chips, chicken corn chowder in the middle and veggie soup with chicken in the bottom.          it's all so good.        and the boxes was full.         so now there's about 2 meals apiece in each large container.          and if for some reason I see we're not gonna get these eaten within a couple of days, I'll make another small box and put it in the freezer for later.

my main issue is that there was too much.           so much so, that I would lose some of it before we ate it all.        while I love having good and healthy, to heat up quick meals, I do love fixing other stuff when I feel like it.         I keep a fridge stocked with all kinds of good healthy stuff.         salad fixings, sourdough bread and good meats and cheeses for paninis, tortilla wraps meat and cheese that I pop in the air fryer and just stuff like that.      fish and shrimp and potato and sweet potato cubes and the list goes on.         when I do some of the other stuff I just mentioned, the food in the boxes gets ignored and it can go bad.

this morning, I was contemplating that.         I got out the boxes from lunch meat that I've saved, I call it my fancy tupperware, and started putting in each box about what a meal for 2 of us would be.        so, as of this very moment, I have "6 tv dinners" in the freezer for us.         hahaha         they are better than any tv dinner out there. 

I will be doing this more  often and I may do some smaller containers so I can take some to Momma too.          I just have to figure what she will like.        her taste buds have changed and we don't like the same things anymore.        but that's ok, if she don't like and don't want it, it just means more for my husband.         hahaha        

anyway, I hope this gives you some ideas on how to be thrifty and put freezer meals aside for a busy night.         I know for sure, I'll be doing more and looking for more easy one pot meals like these.       if you have a favorite, share it with me in the comments.

------------

so lets pick up at 2 Samuel Chapter 16.         sin is never good.         Absalom schemes to kill his father David.         good advice is ignored so that in order for the Lord to bring disaster on Absalom.       it's always a bad thing  to turn your  back on good  advice and  Absalom did, which  lead to his ultimate death.          David mourns the death of his son.       David spoke the words of the song to the Lord, about God being his rock and fortress and deliverer.         if you really want a good word study,  search out what each of the words mean in reference to God.       it is awesome!!!        my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge are other great word studies to do.        it's really eye opening about who God is and what He really means to us and for us.       David sang a beautiful song about who God was to him and He's that same God for us.         Solomon is anointed king.       David told Solomon to be strong and prove himself to be a man, to walk in God's ways and keep His statutes and commandments according to what's written in the Law of Moses.           there was some unfinished business that Solomon took care of.           he had Adonijah and Joab killed.        cleaning house, so to speak.        

can you relate to sin?         sure you can, we all can.         none of us are immune to sin.       we make the choice with every action and or reaction, as to whether we sin or not.       sin always causes chaos.         that's what we can  plainly see in all that we just got thru looking at.        God is not the author of chaos.         when we follow His will, we will be at peace in our lives.      we won't be looking for ways to strike out and hurt others.           it's a struggle at best, but God promises to be with us thru all of our struggles and He will provide for us.          I keep reminding myself this as I see how this country today, has fallen victim to all the heinous crimes by politicians and people in high places and all the evil and wicked stuff that's going on.       we are living in chaotic times and we can be rest assured that God is not the author of chaos!!!        the enemy is!!!!       but we also know that the enemy loses and he's on his way to an eternity in hell right now and he'll take some of the politicians with him.        he's just trying to cause as much turmoil as he can before Jesus comes back again.       but the enemy's days are numbered.       just like some of those who had done harm while David was still king and he told Solomon to exact revenge and Solomon did.      

next time we pick up at 1 Kings Chapter 3.

------------------

is sin worth it?         I think at some point in time, we all have to ask and answer that question.        the answer will determine our future.         we're human and we'll sin as long as we're in these earth suits.    but we don't have wallow in sin.        we don't have to stay in sin.        God has provided a way for us to be in right relationship with Him and that's thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ.         I hope and pray that you know Him as your personal Lord and Savior.        having security thru Christ is the best gift that God could give us or has given us.        if you know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you have eternal life!!!        blessings of mercy and grace be yours today.          hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and my breakfast jars

good morning y'all!!!         I hope you are doing well today.        the sun is shining this morning and it make me wonder if old Punx Phil seen his shadow today.       I say we put too much weight in what a groundhog predicts.       hahahaha        but then again, what do I know.         well, I know that the weather is gonna be what the weather is gonna be, with or without a groundhog.         but I have found that the groundhog is better at predicting weather than most of the weather apps for the phone.       my apps lie to me all the time.         in fact, I call them little liars.         hahahaha        it doesn't hurt their feelings at all, but it makes me feel a little better.        hahahaha          we are supposed to be getting some more rain sometime this week.         we'll have to wait and see.         it's feeling like early spring, but it's still very much winter.        I hope all the trees remember that it's still winter, especially the fruit trees.       oh well, we'll see what happens and just realize that God knows what He's doing, us not so much.         so, let's make today a good day, with it's still today.        sounds like a plan.

------------------

ok, hop to it, you know the drill.        hahahaha        join me in the kitchen for a quick "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".         this is a quick look at what I have for breakfast every morning.        I've been eating this every morning for several years and it just suits me.         there isn't really a recipe, just all the things that I like and a lot of things that are really good for me.  

you can see the oats, then there is peanut butter powder with ground flax on top of that, chia seeds with powdered cranberries on top and crushed stevia on top of that, ginger, real vanilla and then a bag of ginger turmeric shots.        I mix all that together and it's just the flavor I love and all the benefits from all the good stuff in it. 

the stevia I grew and dehydrated the leaves and crushed them.            the cranberries, I dehydrated them and powdered them with some oranges that I also dehydrated.           the cranberry and citrus flavor is something I love.          I also grind my own flax seeds.         I keep that jar in the fridge with ground flax seed all the time.         it's easy to grind them plus it's a whole lot cheaper to grind them than to buy flax meal.          most of the time the flax meal is already rancid.        so that's why I grind it myself.        also if you use flax seed whole, you don't get any of the benefits from the flax seed.         it has to be crushed or ground for the body to absorb the nutrients from the flax seeds.

I mix it with as much water as it takes to get it stirred up real good.         I make 10 of these jars at a time and keep them in the fridge.           every morning I'll take one out and put about 2 tablespoons of coconut milk in and stir it up real good.          the coconut milk will give it a creaminess that I really like too.          this is a breakfast that will keep me going for hours and not get hungry.          plus is also a good breakfast to keep me regular too.         

you can add as little or as much of any ingredient as you want.          you can omit or add anything that you want to add.         it's just a matter of finding what really does your taste buds good.         this is the combo that works with me, but it  may evolve or change with the next batch I make.        it's really good.           give it a try, you may love it too, or do your own version.

--------------------------

today we pick up at 2 Samuel Chapter 2.         David has been a man after God's own heart.      David lusting after another mans wife lead to murder and blood shed, by David.         David had done evil in the eyes of the Lord.      God reminded David, thru the prophet Nathan, all the things that God had for David and would have continued to bless David.        but he done this heinous thing.        David recognized his sin against God and told him that God would let David live, but the child of his Bathsheba would die.        sin always has a hefty price.        sometimes we see the price, sometimes we don't see the price.       but sin always comes with a hefty price tag.       sin just keeps happening and it was found out.      when others take revenge in their own hands, it's always bad.       but sin has to be dealt with.        it's sad to say, but people have always been ready willing and able to do the wrong thing and we see a lot that happening right here.        brother against brother.     son against father.      and none of it's good.         evil happens when we shut God out of our decision making.    as a matter of fact, we've been seeing a lot that here lately.        but even now, God will exact His revenge.        we just have trust that and make sure that we are not part of the problem against God.        as my husband always says, "people gonna be people".          we just have to make sure that we are God fearing people.

well pick up next time at 2 Samuel Chapter 16.

you know what, we sin.       we all sin.         every day, we sin.        we even choose to sin.       sometimes we set the stage for generational sin, that just keeps happening.        we have the power, with God's help to break those generational sin habits.        but we have to want it.         God still is waiting to help us just as He helped David and his family.        we just have to call on God to help us.       He will.   

------------------ 

I pray that we all have a wonderful day today.     let's keep God first place in all we do.        enjoy the sunshine today if at all possible.        may mercy, grace and peace be ours today.         

hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and note to self

good morning beautiful friends.       Happy February 1st!!!!!        do you feel like me and wonder where January went?       well, I know for a fact that I experienced every day of January because I have proof of it right here on my blog.       hahahaha       I hope you had a restful night of sleep and that you hit the floor with a bounce in your step and ready to make the most of a good day.         it looks like it could be another wet day today, but we'll see.        yesterday our temps reached 65 degrees.         woohoo, happy dance, short sleeves, flip flops...........well, maybe not just yet, but someday soon.        hahahaha         I always get a little carried away.        it would have been a good day to work outside for a bit, but I still had a lot to do in the house, so I was in and out every once in a while, but you know what, it still felt cool.       but it felt so good.       just a hint of good stuff to come for sure.

----------------

today we start at 2 Samuel Chapter 1.       David learns of Saul and Jonathans deaths.       Sauls family made war with Davids family.  the fighting continued as David got stronger and Sauls family got weaker.       after much  fighting and  warring and killing, David  was finally made king over all of Israel.     sometimes, it may take a while for God's plan to unfold where we can see fully what's happening, just as it did with David.        God wanted David as His servant and him anointed with oil at an early age and it took years for him to finally be in the position of king.       David finally got the Ark home.         David wanted to build a house for the Ark, but the Lord said a descendent of Davids would build the house for the Ark.        every army that David fought, God gave David victory.          David showed compassion to Jonathans disabled son and he ate at the kings table regularly.       David continually found favor in the eyes of God.        he was successful in all his battles.        God was with David.          we can be sure that God will continue to be us too.        He hasn't called us to be David or any other bible figure we read about in scripture.         He has called us to be us, and to trust Him and let Him guide us in our life long journey.         sometimes it's hard.        most of the time it's hard, but I just keep praying that God will continue to help me along my journey and He has never failed me yet.      praise His holy name!!!!!!!

 -------------------

sometimes we need a different perspective on how to view things.          a few years ago I was having a particularly tough time.        I had started to question everything I thought I knew and understood about just about everything.        looking back was hard to do, looking forward was even harder to do.        at times I thought the sin of yesterday is where I would rather be, than in the unknown of today.        I wasn't good enough for the days in which I was living.          so I kept looking back and longing for the "familiar known".          I didn't feel like I had a place in the "unfamiliar unknown".        it was a difficult spot to be in.        I couldn't go backward and I couldn't move forward.         I finally decided I needed to spend a lot of time in prayer and I did just that.

it was during that time that I realized going back to yesterday was not an option.         going back to the egypt of my sin was not an option.        it took a while for that to sink in.       as I was dealing with all this, one of my friends told me to write myself a short note or a letter.        and tell myself anything that I wanted to tell myself and to be prayerful about the letter to myself.      I thought, easy peasy.       well, it wasn't.        

we was out driving around one day in the country and I seen a cow that was straining for some grass on the other side of the fence.         that was just a split second image, but it resonated with me, big time!!!

as I prayed about that image in my head, I asked God what the significance of that image was.        about that time, I was doing my bible reading and was reading about how Moses had led God's people out of egypt and at every turn, they were wanting to go back to egypt, to the sin they knew, instead of blazing trails thru the unknown that lay ahead of them.        they didn't trust God, they wanted to return to egypt.

as I studied about that and prayed about that, I realized that was exactly what I had been doing.       I was ready to go back to egypt.       it was known and easier.       after coming to grips with all this, I finally said ok, Lord, help me write a note or letter to me that will be a reminder that looking back and desiring what is behind me is not an option.       because I've been called out and set apart for something better than the past.       and sometimes we don't see things how they really were or are.        we have to take the step of faith and look thru the eyes of God.        it was then, that I wrote this letter to me.        it has been a reminder for me the last 15 to 20 years, that looking back is not an option.      face forward, shoulders back, marching boots on, I push thru with God making the way thru the "unfamiliar unknown" that lay ahead of me.       

this is the original post it notes that I wrote it on and I put on my computer area so that I could see and read it each and every day.      I've been looking at it all these years and thanking God that I don't have to do anything alone.         He knows it all, He sees my future, He's already there.           as a result, I have learned to even love the person I was, because were it not for her, I wouldn't be the person I am.        praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!!!!          

do you need to write yourself a post it note letter?        if so, do it.        ask God to help you, He will.        ask Him to open your eyes about what you need to see for yourself and about yourself.       you may be surprised like I was, to find that the green grass has just been spray painted and it's not real, it's not nourishing, and it's not conducive to growth in the Lord.         push thru the hard stuff with the Lord's help.       

---------------

well, that wasn't easy to write at all, but it was worth it.        sometimes I forget and need to remember that yesterday is just that, yesterday.        all I have is right now, in the moment and why would I want to waste a fresh day by wanting to revisit the very thing that kept me from God?       I hope and pray that with the prompting of the Holy spirit, we can see that the future is good.       anywhere God is, that's where I want to be.       I hope you want to be where God is too.      let's give all those old desires to God and ask Him to replace them with the fresh new desire to follow Him into this new day, praising Him for it.        blessings of faith, peace and hope be yours today.         hugs and love, patty