Deeelish!

Two things motivated me in the kitchen this morning when I created breakfast.  First I had lots of produce that needed to be used this week and secondly Precious Husband really doesn't care for omelets.

When we sat down to the new creation I immediately thought, "Oh, this deserves to be captured in photo" and so I said to Precious Husband, "I should have taken a picture."

Precious Husband as only he can say, responded with, "So do you want to get a picture?"

No, I didn't want to take a picture and chance the object of beauty getting cold.  So, alas, no picture.

This is what I did:
sliced mushrooms
sliced red and yellow mini peppers
sliced yellow onion
sliced celery
Sauteed that in some Pam till it was soft and then threw in a couple of big handfuls of fresh spinach and let that "melt" a little.  I seasoned all this with lots of a new garlic seasoning I just got at Costco and added a handful of grape tomatoes.  I plated this and put two fried eggs on top with a smidgen of Pepper Jack cheese.   Yummy, so good and so healthy.  It is a keeper for sure.

May just have to link this new creation to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday with Lisa next Tuesday.

Good Encouragement

Joyce Meyer writes: "God chooses to shine through imperfect, cracked pots.  People are blessed when our cracked pots let the light of Jesus shine through.  Choose to be a glory-filled, cracked pot rather than an empty, pretty vessel."

Let not those who wait and hope and look for You, O Lord of hosts, be put to shame through me; let not those who seek and inquire for and require You [as their vital necessity] be brought to confusion and dishonor through me, O God of Israel. Psalm 69:6

Wednesday Walk

Out for a walk this morning with my earphones dangling down and connected to the Ipod in my pocket.  I have been listening to my very favorite podcasts which are from Nancy Leigh DeMoss of Revive Our Hearts.

This morning I listened as a young woman in her 30s shared about the fact she was dying of cancer and actually went on to be with the Lord a few days later.  She gave this quote of unknown origin that spoke powerfully to my heart:

“God allows in His wisdom that which He could easily prevent by His power.” 

Truly, God does not make any mistakes in the plan He has for my life.  Have I questioned things in my past?  Absolutely.  But all wisdom is His and He uses it in the grand landscape of my life along with His great power to perform that which He desires for me.  This is exciting to say the least.  

True Value

I failed to take a picture of the Honeysuckle pattern Shelley Teacup I purchased while in Cambria, California last week.  The above picture is the best I could find of the pattern off the internet.  Shelley teacups are easy to recognize by the scallop in the cup and the saucer as you see above.

Shelley cups and saucers are expensive, averaging about $85 for one in perfect condition .  My friend Dolores started my teacup collection with 5 Shelley cups and saucers many years ago, cups given her by her mother-in-law.  If you know anything about me you know I would never never spend that kind of money for a teacup.

But you did buy a Shelley you say.  Yes, I bought a Shelley and I did pay much more than I normally pay for my cups and saucers but I bought it for two reasons.  First of course it was a Shelley and not selling for $85.  It was not tagged $85 because it has a flaw.  It has a hairline crack running up the cup.  You can not feel the crack nor does it affect the use of the teacup but held to the light it is evident.

Flaws, not a pretty word.  Negative in context for sure.  To be flawed is to be thought less of.  To be priced and valued for much less.  Not a good thing to be flawed the world would say.

BUT God!  Our lives easily represent that flawed teacup.  God picks up the flawed from the rubble heap and lovingly fills it with Himself making it perfect and perfectly useful to bring glory to Himself.  The value is not in the object itself but in what the object now represents and what it produces through God Who fills it.

Emily Barnes writes about this concept in several of her teacup books and first brought this beautiful concept to my knowledge.

I love giving a teacup to someone and if it has a flaw, well, all the better because I can include a letter that shares Emily Barnes view on flawed teacups.  Last Sunday I was blessed to give my Shelley teacup to a beautiful young woman who the Lord has brought into my life.  I wrote to her about the value of her new possession and the value she had to the Lord.  As, I wrote the letter I of course was touched and blessed of the Lord too proving once again it is more blessed to give than to receive sometimes.

If you are out and about junking or antiquing and you run across a teacup that is marked down because it has a chip or flaw don't be too quick to pass it by - it might be a Shelley of great value and hopefully will remind you of your value to the Lord - flaws and all.

Linking up with http://www.sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

Monday Morning Meditation

Merlin R. Carothers writes in his book, God’s Secret Weapon:

One day I hope to be able to say with Paul, “I have fought a good fight.  I have kept the faith.”  Now if the Bible said, “Merlin, you must be strong and fight a good fight,” I would be anxious.  I know I am not as strong as I should be.  But the Bible says:

Be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power.  Ephesians 6:10 

We can enjoy being strong in the Lord and in His might power!  His power is available to us when we believe Him.

If we evaluate ourselves by our own abilities, sooner or later we will feel incapable of being what we should be.  Man people live with that unhappy, “I’m a failure,” feeling.  But when we believe Christ’s promise to supply whatever we need (see Philippians 4:19), we can believe that God is finding a way to accomplish His will in us.  (end of Carothers’ quote)

Good stuff to meditate on this Monday morning and to put into practice for all the Mondays to come.