Giving thanks for ALL things

What about being thankful for those things that are not really very pleasant? Does not God tell us in His Word to be thankful for ALL things?

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Lately I have been thinking about this verse and trying to thank God when things arise which  I would not entitle as “good”.

Thanking God for the trials of this temporal earthly life reminds me to have a heavenly perspective! Thanking God for trials helps me remember that God is all powerful and in His complete goodness He is using trails in my life for His glory until one day we are caught up to be with Him in glory and there we will bow before Him and glorify Him!

Here are just a few amazing verse that show us some purposes for trials:

Produces patience (James 1:3, Romans 5:3) Produces maturity (James 1:4) Produces experience (Romans 5:4) Produces hope (Romans 5:4) Produces strength (2 Corinthians 12:10) Produces more of Christ’s likeness (Romans 8:28-29) Produces an outlet for ministry (2 Corinthians 1:4)

MOST of all…our trials should result in bringing God glory!

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: - 1 Peter 1:6-7

Give God thanks for ALL things!! 

In the Kitchen

I <3 to cook and bake, try new recipes and create my own concoctions! Sometimes they are good and other times they are.... well...."tasty". This is a very neutral term you see....everything has flavor right? ....whether or not it is a good flavor or bad :P In our family "tasty" is a more gentle way to say "you don't need to make THAT again" :P I am in no way going to tern this blog into one of those cooking blogs. I have far to many other things that I would rather spend my time doing. But, just for sheer fun every now and then I may post a recipe :)

This morning I was about to start breakfast and Luke piped in that he had a hankerin' for some fried apples. Hmmm...fried apples and apple/pecan pancakes...that sounds good! Luke joined me in the kitchen this morning and fried up some amazin' apples!

I very highly dislike that recipes are always written out with the list of ingredient and then at the bottom are the instructions. You have to scan back and forth, back and forth from top to bottom. It's quite tedious. I kind of understand that you want to be able to see at a glance all the ingredients required but I personally would prefer to have the process alongside the ingredients! So since this is my blog, I can do it how I like right! :D

APPLE PECAN PANCAKES

Mix together: 

1 Egg

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

1 Cup Milk

1 T Baking Powder

1 t Baking Soda

1 T Sugar or Honey

Dash Salt

2 t Cinnamon

Shot of Vanilla Extract  

Chop 3/4 Cup of Pecans to desired fineness and add to mixture 

Heat CAST IRON griddle till a drop of water sizzles when splashed on the service.

Grease griddle with some kind of fat product. I like to use bacon grease!

Apply 1/3 cup of batter to griddle and cook till bubbles on the service of the pancake begin to pop.

Cook on opposite side till the edges are no longer gooey. 

FRIED APPLES 

Luke did this process for me! He is such a cool brother! :) 

Slice apples 

Heat a skillet and apply a hardy layer of butter.

Arrange Apples in the skillet.

Apply a good coating of Cinnamon Sugar, flip and repeat.

Allow apples to fry till beginning to caramelize, flip and repeat. 

Make sure that you don't get the skillet so hot that the sugar burns! :/

Scoop apples into a bowl including the syrup that has formed in the skillet!

Server over pancakes! 

ENJOY! 

Seriously....you don't even need maple syrup on these! :)

Little things...

Yesterday Luke and I ventured out to find some critters to photograph within the bounds of our camp. From the general view there was not much moving but a closer look revealed that an abundance of activity was underway by little things.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

1. He gave us eyes to see them,
   And lips that we might tell
   How great is God Almighty,
   Who has made all things well.

Colossians 1:15-22

Jesus Christ is the visible manifestation of God!

Jesus Christ is the firstborn of every creature!

Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things!

Jesus Christ holds all things together!

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church!

Jesus Christ is the preeminent One!

Jesus Christ has made peace through His blood!

Jesus Christ can present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight!

Thankful for a friend

Have just been reminded recently of how very blessed I am to have this girl as my friend!

People usually speak of peer pressure as a bad thing...but when you have godly friends "peer pressure" from them can be a very good thing! :) So thankful for this godly friend!  

Wherever He may guide me,

No want shall turn me back;

My Shepherd is beside me,

And nothing can I lack.

His wisdom ever waketh;

His sight is never dim;

He knows the way He taketh,

And I will walk with Him.

- Anna L. Waring