Archives for March 2013

Five Minute Friday – REST

March 15, 2013 9:27 AM 2

Five Minute Friday

Today is a Five Minute Friday where I join hundreds of other writers RIGHT HERE using a single word in a 5 minute prompt. This week, Lisa Jo invites us to write about “REST.”

REST – all elusive rest. Rested bodies? Rested souls?  Every single one of us in this sleep-deprived world must have rested bodies to survive and thrive. A good night’s sleep is so precious.  How many times do we say, “did you rest well?” And how many commercials do we see about sleeping pills…  But these next few moments I want to focus on something that is even more elusive – SOUL REST.  Many people would give up sleep to have SOUL REST.  Peace of mind and heart.

I’ve been a pastor’s wife for 35 years and I’ve served in women’s ministry for 15 years.  One of the things I’ve seen that keeps us from SOUL REST is the captivity of activity.  God gave me an acrostic years ago that I’ve shared when given the chance to speak at women’s events…it is R-E-S-T.  So when I saw the prompt today it immediately came to my heart.

R – Relationship
We absolutely must have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the only One who can give you rest of soul.  For years I struggled with this one until finally giving up my goodness for His free gift of salvation.  My story is HERE.

E – Encouragement
One of the ways to find soul rest is to focus on another person in need and really be an encouragement to them.  It always works for me.  I get my mind off myself and onto someone else.

S – Simplicity
In this fast-based world many long for simplicity. I especially think of my favorite old show from the 1980s – Little House on the Prairie.  Now we don’t have to go back that far…but we can KISS our lives with this truth:  “Keep It Simple Sister.” Everything doesn’t have to be homemade…

T – Time
Time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word will provide the best SOUL REST. These two gifts – prayer and His Word are vital to us as we sojourn.

Get some REST this weekend friends.  A little nap on the sofa and then some good SOUL REST too.  Remember that God is in control, breathe deeply, and REST in the knowledge that God is awake. All the time.  And He has everything in His Hands.  Isaiah 40:28-31:

28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

 

Resting in Him,
GranJan

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March 15, 2013 9:27 AM 2

Delicious Meatloaf Recipe!

March 14, 2013 3:18 PM 1

My tried and true recipe for MEATLOAF is a family favorite and really is delicious. I use a broiler pan to bake the meatloaf, and I believe it makes all the difference (fat drips out). [Be sure to spray both the top and bottom of the broiler pan with Pam for easy cleanup.] This is a great recipe that my youngest son Jonathan really likes.  His wife makes it for him now, and she’s a good cook. So sweet! This Southern woman knows it is especially good with side dishes of mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and homemade biscuits. And steamed cabbage, yes that’s a favorite side of mine too. My recipe for homemade biscuits is right here.

MORTON MEATLOAF
INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. ground beef 
  • 3 eggs, beaten well
  • 1 medium onion diced (I cook the onion BEFORE I mix it in w/the ground beef.) I do this by placing the diced onion and a splash of canola oil or olive oil in a bowl and heating in the microwave for 3 – 4 minutes
  • ½ cup ketchup – or a tad more to preference, plus some extra to cover the top!
  • 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, finely crushed (I put the crackers in a zip-loc bag and use my rolling pin to crush the crackers.)
  • 1 package of Lipton onion soup mix
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • PREPARATION:
  • 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • 2.  Use broiler pan and spray both top and bottom pieces with Pam.
  • 3.  In large bowl:
                                  mix ground beef and beaten eggs
                                  add microwaved onions
                                  add ketchup
                                  stir in crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
                                  mix in the package of Lipton onion soup 
                                  salt & pepper to taste
  • 4.  Mix all ingredients well and form into a rectangular loaf and place on the broiler pan.
  • 5. Squirt 😊 ketchup over the top of the meatloaf.
  • 6. Bake through for 1 full hour. I use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temp is 160 degrees.
  • Let the meatloaf sit/rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. I will sometimes return the meatloaf to a warm oven while I get the side dishes ready.
    Transfer to a serving platter before slicing.Happy Meatloaf Making!
    Gran Jan
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March 14, 2013 3:18 PM 1

Five Minute Friday – HOME

March 8, 2013 8:42 AM 5

Five Minute FridayThis is my FIRST EVER “FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY,” although I’ve loved this concept of fast fun friendly five-minute writing for a long time – almost as much as I’ve loved getting to know the creator of this Friday Fun, Lisa Jo Baker.  It’s really crazy…but just because I spent 2 weeks in South Africa (almost 3 years ago now) I think I KNOW her…because that is her HOMELAND and could have been mine too because I loved the people there so much.  Here goes…

HOME
I literally  just heard Building 429 singing “Where I Belong,” from my K LOVE iPhone app.  The lyrics that speak of HOME…

 “All I know is I’m not HOME yet, this is not where I belong,
take this world and give me Jesus…this is not where I belong.”

We know as believers in Christ that our real HOME, our eternal HOME is Heaven. I’ll admit there are days my sojourning on this globe make me long for that HOME because I can feel deep in my bones that this really isn’t my HOME.  As a child I had many homes, and none were ever even ours because my father was a career Marine and we lived in what’s called “goverment housing.”  We lived all over…and even though we didn’t own those houses, my mom always made them feel like HOME. So HOME for me as a child wasn’t a specific place, but a knowing that wherever my mom and dad and sisters were, that was HOME.  If ever I was away from them, I would be so homesick.  Home is my people.

HOME for me as a newly married pastor’s wife was a little duplex apartment. Our first HOME as a married couple. We’ve served three churches and every HOME I’ve “set up” has been so special – not because of the bricks and walls, but because of the memories made with my church people during the seasons of life we served them.  A lot of living went on in these HOMES…Home is my church family.

The HOME near our first church that my husband’s grandfather had lived in 50 years before…
The HOME we lived in when we brought our baby boys home from the hospital…
The HOME we lived in where I had my first garden…
The HOME we lived in where we raised up our boys…
The HOME we lived in when the boys got married and left HOME…

And now the HOME we live in as empty nesters.  My sweet  man always says, “this house ain’t empty, we’re still here!”  And yes we are, and this HOME now welcomes four little people, Gran Jan’s JOY – Zeke, Madie Ruth, Jackson, and Emery.  HOLLERLUJAH! Grandbabies make every HOME precious.OURHOME

As my five minutes wind down, I am reminded of an older version of “Where I Belong.”  🙂  If I close my eyes, I can hear my mom’s younger sister, my Aunt Sandy singing in her Southern twang…

This world is not my HOME, I’m just a passin’ through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
and I can’t feel at HOME in this world any more.

And I believe this with all my heart! Wonder who I’ll live next door to in Heaven?

Gran Jan

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March 8, 2013 8:42 AM 5

Women’s Ministry – Don’t Lose Heart

March 5, 2013 10:03 AM 0

SERVANT LEADERSHIP is important to me. We lead by serving, we serve by leading. In my church I serve in the music ministry and in the women’s ministry. Tonight our women’s ministry Leadership Team is meeting…over chips and salsa at a local Mexican restaurant.  (We are hoping for a “table in the back!”)  I love these ladies so much. Left to right – Cindy serves as our Events Coordinator, Teresa serves as Bible Study Coordinator, Jennifer serves as Outreach Ministry Coordinator, and I serve as Director. Tonight we will pray, share, and go over our calendars. Yesterday I emailed them  the following encouragement. [It isn’t original to me, but I can’t pinpoint it’s origin, and just tweaked it a bit to fit women’s ministry; however, it can apply to any of us out there serving and leading.]  It is easy to lose heart and focus. Why? Besides the spiritual warfare that is rampant to servants of Christ, a whole lot of living just happens. In the lives and families of this team just the past year we’ve experienced births, deaths, hospitalizations, and more.  Just like your lives I’m sure…WMLT3

WOMEN’S MINISTRY – DON’T LOSE HEART!
From 2 Corinthians 4

#1 The Temptation to Lose Heart
In verse 1, it says “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we DO NOT lose heart.” It doesn’t matter what our ministry is, sooner or later we’re going to be tempted to lose heart, to get discouraged, to listen to naysayers, and to want to give up. We can’t! When others accuse us or reject us, remember what’s at stake: the gospel of the glory of Christ (in every women’s ministry event we plan, that is our priority).

#2 The Temptation to Lose Focus
In verse 5, it says “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” Do we need a focus check? (I do.) No matter what our job or ministry is, if we are followers of Jesus Christ, our ultimate goal ought to be to shout out the name of Jesus in everything we do. WE are so commited to this! 

#3 The Temptation to Lose Power
Verses 7-12 are some of the greatest in the whole Bible: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”  GLORY!

Those are awesome verses, aren’t they? We must walk in the Spirit and overcome our flesh and fatigue. We must FOCUS! Let God’s Spirit have His way in us. That’s our treasure. That’s our secret. Don’t let the difficulties we face cloud the truth of God’s Word.

#4 The Temptation to Lose Faith
There’s more! In verses 13-15, the Word says “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, so I spoke”, we also believe, and so we also speak.” Do we believe God? Are we resting on His promises, or do we still follow our feelings? Feelings are terrible leaders and we know that as women we can RUN on emotion. Faith is believing God’s Word and acting on it no matter how we feel, because God promises a good result. ARE we doing it?

#5 The Temptation to Lose Vision
Finally, like it can get any better, 2 Corinthians 4 ends with these verses: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Can y’all hear the music soaring?  This is not the end. Our vision is fixed on eternity. There’s more to come and I cannot wait.

I hope you know these truths in the depth of your soul. I pray these truths will fill you with joy to keep on enduring for the sake of HIS GREAT NAME.

Hollerlujah,
Jan 🙂

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March 5, 2013 10:03 AM 0