Therefore We Have Hope

For Becki today--

Play it loud!

Do you buy it?

That Mom give an interesting synopsis of the impending manifesto from the Homeschooling Leadership Summit. Quite an agenda given "In the name of the Lord." Caveat emptor.

Click and Save

Cannon Press is having a bottom dollar sale this week. Two of our favorite books are going for a song: Trial and Triumph: Stories From Church History for $1, and Future Men for $2. They have lots of other goodies as well. Click on over and take a peek.

Another excellent post from Ann Voskamp.

Redemption

If God is good, why is life often so hard? Doesn't the Bible say that "Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" (Psalm 34:10)?

So why do long-awaited children receive cancer diagnoses? Why are new brides left widows? Why do loved and prayed for babies enter heaven instead of earth? Why do couples silently suffer the pain of an empty womb?

WHY?

WHY!

I don't have any answers. Yet I can't believe, as Rabi Kushner, that an all loving and all powerful God would not allow bad things to happen to good people, that He must either not be loving, or not be powerful. We have too limited a view of what is going on around us. God, however, sees from the beginning of time until the end. He knew Christ would die a hideous death before Adam and Eve ever sinned in the garden, and that through that death we'd find life. He knew that Abraham would never own an inch of the land promised to him, and yet hundreds of years later millions of Israelites would take the place by storm. He knew that David's mighty kingdom that was to last forever would crumble the minute his son Solomon's body was cold, and yet his Son will sit on the throne for all eternity. I guess all I can offer is that sometimes love and power just don't look quite right from our eye level.

One thing I am sure of is that this world, all of it and all of us, are anxiously waiting for redemption. Even the most beautiful things about life are not as they were created to be, and no matter how many pretty Band-aids we slap on, only Jesus can fix what's broken. Take a look at how Paul says it in Romans 8:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25)

I don't have a clue why so many folks around me are experiencing very painful suffering. I don't have any idea what God has in mind for their troubles or for my own. All I can offer is the thousands year old plea of Asaph:

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Let’s Dish! Day 6

Do your kids sit still in Sunday morning service? Let’s just say mine are “statically challenged.” And it doesn’t help when their breakfasts have worn off by the time they get to church. I want them to have a good dose of protein to help them keep their minds on the Lord instead of on their tummies. With little time to fuss on Sundays, I usually make one of these easy freezer-friendly egg breakfast dishes:

French Toast Casserole

5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Grease an 8x8 pan.

Put bread cubes in pan.

Beat together eggs, milk, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread. (If you’re going to freeze it, do so here.)

(If frozen, thaw before this step.) Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Dot with butter.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Serve with pancake syrup.

Crustless Quiche
(Makes 2)

3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup cooked ham, sausage or bacon, diced
veggies of your choice, diced
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Grease two pie plates. Mix cheese with flour and divide evenly between the plates. Do the same with meat and veggies.

Beat together eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour half into each pie plate.

To freeze: cover with wax paper and foil. Thaw before cooking.

To cook: bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until filling is set.

Let’s Dish! Day 5

I love Tex-Mex food.  When I was prego with the girly-girl it was all I wanted to eat.  So here’s a recipe for crock-pot enchiladas that will make you wanna slap yo mamma.

Crock-pot Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
2 fresh jalapeños, diced (and seeded if you don’t want the heat)
1 large onion, diced
2 cans pinto beans (I soak and cook 1 cup dried—extra yum!)
1 large jar of salsa
1 package of taco seasoning (or homemade equivalent)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package flour tortillas
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onions and jalapeños.  Drain meat and mix in pintos, salsa, taco seasoning, salt and pepper. 

Layer meat mixture, tortillas and cheese in your crock-pot, ending with cheese on top.  Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours.  Serve with sour cream, green onions, and pico. 

If you want to make this ahead, put it all together and stick it in the fridge overnight, then pull it out to cook it the next day.  This recipe easily doubles for a crowd.