Monthly Archives: June 2012

Summer Refreshment

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Need something quick for breakfast, a pick-me-up after working out or just a yummy, not-so-guilty treat?  Try one of these.  For me, the key to a really great smoothie, is freezing the fruit. It eliminates the need for ice, which can water down the smoothie.

Here’s how to freeze the fruit: Slice bananas, lay on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, place in a zip top bag until needed. Same for capped strawberries (can leave whole), peaches, blackberries, etc.  This method helps them not to clump together. Plus, it’s a great way to preserve the fruit for another use before it spoils.

Here are three of my faves:

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

1 cup frozen banana  (one large one)
1 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup lowfat/skim milk,
2 Tblsp. crushed graham crackers, I use wheat germ/ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Process in blender. Yields 2-1 cup servings. It is like a rich, banana milkshake.

Berry Banana Smoothie Continue reading →

10 Promises Waiting to Be Claimed

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Wake up, my heart!

Wake up, O lyre and harp!

I will wake the dawn with my song.

Psalm 57:8, NLT

Everyday, sunrise announces the promise of all that is new, fresh, and forward. It’s amazing how early in the morning the reception between here and heaven is wide open and remarkably clear. When you study the scriptures you sense God’s fondness for this time of day.

Just think about it. He deliberately ordered sunrise before sunset, filled its existence with light, wrapped it full of promises, and even chose to reveal His resurrected Son in it.

So before you rush into the busyness of another day, make certain your morning meeting with Him is the one meeting you don’t miss.

Greet Him at sunrise and His Word promises you will be…

1. Loved. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

2. Heard. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

3. Encouraged. It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:1-2

4. Helped. But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Psalm 88:13 Continue reading →

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

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“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand;” 

Isaiah 40:12a (NICV)

My family and I love to vacation at the beach. As my husband and I sit digging our toes into the warm white sand, our children play in the emerald green salt water. The massive size of the ocean always reminds me that God is bigger and more wonderful than my mind can comprehend. I’m always compelled to quote out loud Isaiah 40:12 while sitting on the beach:

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?”

What a superb reminder of God’s mighty power in the creation of the universe and galaxies. Even more amazing, He measured the span of them between His thumb and first finger. Hold those fingers up and look at their span for a moment. Now imagine God looking at the space between His thumb and first finger while saying, “I think I’ll make the universe about that big.” If that doesn’t give you a picture of just how big our wondrous God is, think about this: He poured the oceans from the palm of His hand! Oh, friend, when I gaze upon a huge body of water that could swallow me up in an instant, and I realize that God, at some moment in time, held the entire ocean in the palm of His hand, it simply blows me away!

As I consider this truth, I find myself awestruck by the greatness and glory of our God. Continue reading →

Knit with a Purpose

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I just started a Bible study at the Long Hollow Springfield campus that meets at the YMCA that not only has a killer devotion but is also teaching ladies to knit.  Now I know you’re asking what knitting has to do with the Bible.  Actually, quite a lot – you see, God was a knitter.  If you look in Psalm 139:13 it clearly states “you knit me together in my mother’s womb”.  We were handmade and carefully crafted by God.  I’m reminded of this as I look around the table during the study and enjoy the fellowship with each of these ladies I’m blessed to have as a friend.  We share our hearts, we share our lives, and we share our love of creating something for someone else.  God created each of us uniquely (and this is a unique group) and specially so we can show His love through something as simple as a knitted blanket.

The ladies are in the process of creating baby blankets to share with some precious creation that God has knitted.  These blankets have twelve blocks – one that we are learning each week.  Each block has a story that tells of the enormous love God has for us.  As we complete these blankets and send them off to their new owners, they will have a small testament carefully placed in the pocket of a block that is embellished with a heart – “Thy word have I hid in my heart”. 

I’m sure we may never know how these blankets will impact other lives but I cannot wait for the day when I’m walking down the streets of gold and just maybe someone comes up to me and says “Remember that baby blanket you knitted years ago?  It changed my life!”  And that, my dear friends, is what WE were created for!

Carol Goad

Check out Facebook pics of the knitting group here!

Jonah’s Journey

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I am so excited to share about Long Hollow’s Jonah’s Journey Ministry today! The JJ ministry has been around for some time, but just recently became an official part of Long Hollow. Through this ministry families are able to care for babies whose mother’s are currently incarcerated. We have seen families experience multiple time frames in regards to caring for the children. Babies have remained with their caregiver for 2 months, 6 months, a year and 7 of our babies have even been adopted!

Families considering the Jonah’s Journey Program often ask the following questions:

1. How often does the child visit the mother in prison?

Our caregiver families accompany the child on a prison visit every two weeks.

2. Does the State provide funding to caregiver families?

No, they do not. That’s the beauty of the program! We are keeping the babies out of State foster care and IN the church!

3. Is there help available for diapers and formula?

Yes! We keep a stock of these donations to help our families off-set the cost of an additional child. We also have clothing and baby items. You can also find support within your small group.

4. How does this program benefit the children/babies?

They are able to spend their first few months or year in the care of a loving Christian family. They experience Jesus before they can even understand who He is!

5. How quickly will a child be placed in my home?

It depends. We never know when a child will be born. Sometimes we receive multiple calls per week. Sometimes we receive one per month. Either way, when you become a JJ waiting family, you have to be ready for anything!

6. What do I have to do to become a waiting Jonah’s Journey family?

We offer training through Safe Families once every two months. Please contact Erica.ho@longhollow.com if you are interested in attending training. In addition you will complete a short home study. We do accept families who do not attend Long Hollow, however they must attend another church and provide a letter of reference from their home church.

7. What can I do if I can’t currently host a child in my home?

Support the families who can! Donate diapers and formula, donate gift cards, pray for a specific family or child. You can also be trained to provide respite care for JJ children. Respite care involves hosting the child in your home for a night or even a week while the caregivers take a short break.

We currently need several families to become Jonah’s Journey Waiting families. We also need donations and respite care families. If you are interested in this program, or simply want to hear more please contact us!

Erica Ho

Protected in the Presence of the Most High

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“I will sing in the shelter of Your wings.”  Psalm 63:7

Isn’t that a beautiful image of security?…being in the protected presence of the Most High!

Several years ago my daughter and I were involved in the choir of a large event at Vanderbilt Stadium called “America Arise.” Several hundred participants joined in a celebration of praise and worship through a mass choir, orchestra, dance and drama.  This event took place a month after the death of our family’s oldest son…dear Daniel.  We had practiced in remote groups throughout the previous year in anticipation of this glorious non-denominational event.  At the dress rehearsal, as all members came together for the first time, the director instructed us all to keep our eyes on him throughout the course of the evening…watching for his direction…following him regarding any deviance from what we anticipated as normal.  We prayed together and at this time, the director called upon our Father in Heaven to guide all us through this demonstration of praise for His glory!

Mid-way through the evening of praise and pageantry, an unexpected, interruption in the scheduled program took place.  As we ended one of the songs and were getting ready to begin the next, a holy hush came over the massive crowd of participants and spectators.  And the proceedings that took place will forever be forged in the recesses of my heart.  Continue reading →

Your Kids Are Never too Old to Dress!

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My prayer life ebbs and flows.  What about yours? Some days my prayer life is so rich and other days it is lacking simply because I find my self agitated on the inside.  Not angry or irritated, but agitated.  It feels like a washing machine stirring the laundry.  It’s that kind of feeling like I need to be moving all the time or when my brain feels like static.  The only way to describe it, is that it resembles the signal on the TV when a channel won’t come in and it has that snowy affect and sound on the screen.  These feelings are indicators that something is amiss.  Something in my heart or something in the world around me is amiss.  It is a warning, that shouts in a still small voice, “Wendy you need to be still and know that I am God and tell me what is going on“.  At that moment I just begin to tell God what I am feeling.

At times, this agitated feeling begins concerning one of my children.  I begin to become aware of Satan’s strategy to steal, kill, and destroy.  In moments like this I know that my battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.  As a result, I feel like I am carrying a sword and swinging it wildly at an enemy I cannot see.  But the Spirit within me is on alert. So I do what I do most everyday.  I pray the armor of God for my children. Continue reading →

Interrupted by God

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Did you know there are at least two documented cases (Baxter, Explore the Book) of men swallowed by sharks or whales who lived to tell about it? That and Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:39-40 prove to us that the story of Jonah is more than a fairy tale! What can leaders learn from his life and experience?

Jonah’s life was interrupted by God’s assignment to him to tell the city of Nineveh to repent. When we read the book of Jonah we see what happens to a man whose life was interrupted. What would yours be? Do you like interruptions? I don’t. But that means I am not open to divine intervention.

Three things we learn:

1. God didn’t need Jonah any more than he needs us to do His work.  But we GET to do it. Continue reading →

Choose Joy

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Ever had a lousy day? It started off right. You spent time with the Lord and in prayer but before you knew it, everything went south! Me too!

What do you do when such a thing happens? Normally there are two choices. I can throw a pity party which I’ve done on plenty of occasions or I can choose joy! The only thing wrong with the pity party is that the only one who comes is me! My other option is to choose joy. May I say that in the midst of a pity party, joy is the last choice I want to make! However, it is a choice!

When I choose joy God changes my whole attitude! You know what I’ve found out? A joy party is much more fun than a pity party!

One verse that encourages me to choose joy is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Choose joy today. It works!

Julie

A Few Good Men

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A Few Good Men was a popular movie out a few years ago which featured Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and others.  I’ve had “a few good men” in my life.  Actually, I’d say they’re great men.   Perfect?  Absolutely not.  Yet good doesn’t seem an adequate description, either.

Any of them would be the first to say that whatever goodness found in them was because of the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ—and nothing else.  And that same grace has allowed me the blessing of being their daughter, granddaughter, wife, sister, mother.

Outside of my heavenly Father, the men in my family have done much in shaping me, molding me, teaching me, leading me, loving me.   As I ponder that, I’m left speechless.

My dad taught Sunday school for almost fifty years, whether it was youth or a men’s class.  He often had problems stuttering, but not when he taught God’s Word—sort of like country music legend Mel Tillis and singing!  He served as a deacon in our church, and he faithfully greeted members and visitors alike at “his” door each week.   Every Sunday afternoon was spent visiting nursing home residents and shut-ins.  In addition to teaching, my dad had the spiritual gift of showing mercy.   He was an incredible role model of faithful obedience.

Not only did I have the gift of my dad’s presence at home, but also that of my maternal grandfather’s.  We lived in the same house with my grandparents, and we all went to the same church.  My grandfather was the son of a pastor and he, too, was a deacon.  He sang in the church choir until he was 90–he gave it up only then because he couldn’t see the music as well.  We often shared meals together—lunch after church on Sundays was always at their table.  And I can still see him sitting in his favorite chair reading His Bible, cupping his ear to better hear a pastor preach on the radio or TV, or humming hymns.  We also had many deep, meaningful theological discussions while sitting on our front-porch swing.  How I treasure those still!

Much of what I know about the gospel and Scripture I learned from listening to—and watching–these two men. Continue reading →