2009 June

todays tackle ~ ministry newsletter

June 30, 2009 By Penny 1 Comment

Today’s tackle it Tuesday job is finally done. Every month for 16 and 1/2 years we have been sending out a ministry newsletter sharing about what God is doing in our lives. It is to encourage the body to get up and do whatever God has called them to do. Some folks are called to evangelize and shout it from the rooftops. Some folks are called to pray for the other ones who go out. Some folks are called to minister in churches, and some folks are called to be a witness in the grocery store. Some folks are blessed with finances and business wisdom and they are called to feed the ministers who work day and night. Ministers need to feed their families too . And fill their gas tank. And some are called to write. But everyone is called to do something. If you don’t know what it is, just worship Jesus and He will tell you. Don’t let someone else tell you, let it be what He puts in your heart. And worship is something we are all called to.

So anyway, This was the Tuesday I send out the newsletter. Writing it is easy, I always have more than enough words from Him to write. But it is the actual sending out that is a pain in the behind. I am challenged at every step. There are always conflicts between our internet and the sending service. There are always distractions. (today is was the nearly new washing machine deciding to quit mid-cycle). The printer always breaks and so on and so on. But I persevere because anything I do that bothers the enemies kingdom this much is worth repeating. And now as I am writing this I notice that even though I clicked the queue to send the email version of the newsletter over an hour ago it still has not done it’s thing. UUGH. Nobody ever said serving Jesus would be easy. But it is worth it. So, as my girls hand wring out laundry I will try sending again, then I will move onto the printed version. You can read it online here http://ruth2.com

Psalm 84:10 (New International Version)

  Better is one day in your courts
       than a thousand elsewhere;
       I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
       than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Filed Under: current events, family, Penny Raine article, thoughts & ponderings Tagged With: ministry newsletter

Enjoying the Seasons

June 30, 2009 By Penny Leave a Comment

I am blogging today over at Titus 2 at The Well, but I am also posting it here for you, feel free to join me there for the comment conversation as well as here. I also have lots more coming up here today.

Seems that here in the south it changes from one season to the next so quickly. One minute it is cold and we have the woodstove crackling and the next we are noticing everything blooming. I have seen the bare trees completely covered in leaves in a matter of a couple weeks, and I have seen them shed their leaves again just as quickly. God’s word tells us there is a season for everything.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

There are things we can do in our homes to enjoy those seasons. Our favorite is to bring in fresh flowers. Not only do we pick wildflowers by the bunches and fill every room with vases full of them, but one of my daughters goes out and digs up her favorites to put in planters on the porches. However if we aren’t paying attention we can miss some, they come and go so quick. Day Lilies only bloom for a day. Most of the other flowers have quick seasons also.

Just like those flowers, our families have seasons. If we are too busy we can miss them. My 6 year old lost her 3rd tooth the other day. That was a big event to her. But like the Day Lily the excitement was gone the next day. I don’t want to miss any Day Lilies in my children’s lives. I want to enjoy each and every event like it were the only one. That takes effort. With a big family I have seen lots and lots of children losing teeth. So it wasn’t new for me. But it was very very new for Mercy.

Driving may seem old hat to you, but it is very new and exciting to your 15 year old. Cooking is just another thing for some of us, but it is a whole new world for a 7 year old. Potty training can be the most torturous thing or the biggest party ever for a 2 year old. And potty training to a 2 year old is every bit as important as driving is to a 16 year old. Motherhood is stretching to say the least. But if we don’t take time to enjoy ALL of God’s seasons we will be sorry.

Take time to smell the Roses in your family’s life. And the Day Lilies, and the Iris’s and the Daisy’s …..

Filed Under: At the Well, family, loving my children

mean girls?

June 29, 2009 By Penny 7 Comments

Over at Titus 2 at The Well , Laurie is talking about “mean girls”. Here are her questions.

Questions to consider:

#1 What do we do when we come across a mean girl?

#2 As a Titus 2 woman, how can we raise our daughters to not be a mean girl?

#3 Looking back, can you remember a time that you were a victim of a mean girl… how did you overcome?

#4 Looking back, can you remember a time that you WERE a mean girl… what changed you?

My answer, when I was unsaved I acted like a heathen, and even as saved if I give in to the flesh I can still act like a heathen if I don’t exercise self-control. I think in the world of self esteem teachings the character trait of self-control has been lost. We think even as Christians we can do and say anything, and I will add wear anything and watch anything. There is no responsibility taught anymore. Well it is true one thing leads to another and if you walk in the flesh you will step in doo doo. And if you sow flesh you will reap flesh, and if you live by the sword you will die by the sword. and if you esteem yourself you are putting everyone else down and I see way too much of that and frankly it is ugly.

      There are six things the LORD hates,
       seven that are detestable to him:

  haughty eyes,
       a lying tongue,
       hands that shed innocent blood,

  a heart that devises wicked schemes,
       feet that are quick to rush into evil,

  a false witness who pours out lies
       and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

Right at the top of that list is haughtiness. I have one comment about being haughty, don’t do it.

So what changed me from being a mean girl? Jesus. And the only time I say anything harsh is to save some one’s life. Because I love them.

Filed Under: At the Well

more yummy stuff – cornbread salad

June 29, 2009 By Penny 2 Comments

Doesn’t this look wonderful? It is called Dianne’s Cornbread Salad , and if you click on the pic you can find the recipe. I am going to add this to next weeks menu, but we will probably customize it some. I love colorful food and with all of our different colored peppers coming from the garden it makes things beautiful.

Filed Under: cookin it up Tagged With: cooking, cornbread salad, food blog, mexican food, recipe

Menu Plan Monday June 29

June 28, 2009 By Penny 2 Comments

For my Menu Plan Monday post, this June 29

Well we are starting to get great stuff from the garden, but not too many tomatoes yet, I can’t wait for salsa! For now we have yellow squash and zucchini, and lots of it. So instead of veggies from the freezer as sides we have fresh veggies. We have a great chocolate zucchini bread recipe I need to post.

Monday- chicken pasta salad

Tuesday- stuffed quesadillas

Wednesday- ground beef gravy over potatoes

Thursday- tacos

Friday - cheeseburger casserole

Saturday – jalapeno chicken and rice

take a look at my front page I have great things happenings this week! including adding to my recipe site

Filed Under: cookin it up, menu planning monday Tagged With: food, food blog, menu, recipes

the making of a hero

June 27, 2009 By Penny 5 Comments

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After more than one celebrity death this past week I must admit I am disheartened. Not sad because I will miss those celebrities whom I will not name, ( I will tell you why in a minute). Not even sad because they are probably burning in Hell at this moment. Let’s get real, their was no evidence of a born again experience. I am sure beyond sure they were given at least one opportunity to accept Jesus, the real Jesus. Not even sad because others are sad. But I am disheartened because Jesus weeps, again. Because we as a society continue to make heroes of mortal sinful people. We turn them into idols and gods. We bless them with praise and throw our money at them. And on the day they die, we think the world is a less full place. And when they die we immortalize them and search for more of them in a way that even crashes the Internet. I refuse to name them because that would further immortalize them. I saw tweets and facebook posts and late breaking news emails that claimed they were ”in Heaven now”, they were “finally at peace”, “no longer suffering”. There is but one way to Heaven, one Way only, to admit your sin and fall at the Mercy of Jesus. When that happens a life is changed and you tell everyone, and I mean shouting from the rooftops EVERYONE! And I didn’t read any tweets about that happening to either of them. Safe to say it probably didn’t. So now, they are probably in Hell, where the fire never goes out, and the thirst is never quenched and all there is is guilt, overwhelming never forgiven hopeless guilt. Forever.

yet there is an answer …. I encourage you today to make Jesus your hero today

A hero is