Promise

This is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Glen and I wintessed this rainbow on our trip to Maui in March of 2007, following our day trip, "The Road to Hana." Hana is the last undeveloped tropical rain forest on the island of Maui. We saw black sand, waves crashing on volcanic rocks, and the most beautiful waterfalls inaginable. It had just poured rain, and I had commented, "You know, I would really like to see a rainbow." I turned around, looked out the window, and witnessed this manifestation of God's handiwork. Every time I see a rainbow, I am reminded of God's faithfulness. "And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you end every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." (Gen. 9:12-16)

Deliver Us Form Evil

"Doorbusters," Literally

The unthinkable has happened. AWal-mart employee, a maintenance worker hired from a temporary agency, was trampled to death by a stampede as a crowd of 2,000 customers broke the door and rushed into the Wal-mart at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York when the store opened at 5 a.m. yesterday. Customers waited in line in the pre-dawn hours for the likes of a 50 inch plasma hdtv for $798, a compact upright vacuum cleaner for $28, and a 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69. Four other persons, including a 28 year old pregnant woman, were taken to the hospital. Hours later, at a Toys R Us store in Palm Desert, California, two men took out guns and shot and killed each other after the two women they were with broke out into a brawl near the cash registers. This incident is reportedly not related to black Friday sales.

Have you ever been pressed in a crowd? I have. I didn't feel that I was in any danger, but my friends thought I was, and they pulled me to safety. It was 23 years ago this weekend. I was pregnant with Glen Jr., about 6 weeks away from my due date. We were living in Southampton on Long Island, NY. I had ventured into New York City with two friends to see the tree lighting at Macy's. We waited a long time to see the tree lit, quietly chatting and enjoying the ice skating. We could see the tree. Minutes before the tree was to be lit, people started pressing in from behind us. They were not able to see the tree from where they were standing. My friends saw a way out for me. I didn't want to cause us to miss seeing the tree lighting, but there was no arguing with them. The crowd was not angry, just beginning to press in. But my friends could see the potential for harm to come to my precious unborn child. When the crowd began to press in, my friends thought quickly and led me out of the crowd while there was a way of escape. Thank you, Patti and Marsha!

Friends, God promises us a way of escape! There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I Cor. 10:13

Jesus taught his followers to pray, "Deliver us from evil," and "Thy will be done." The apostle Paul recognized that this present world is evil. In his greeting to the Galatian Christians, he spoke of grace and peace, which come from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for my sins, that He might deliver me from this present evil world, according to God's will.

When darkness crowds our day, we find our steadfast confidence in God's Word. This is the victory -- that Jesus gave himself that he might deliver us from this present evil world.

Will you pray with me that God will comfort the families of the men who died in these incidents? Pray with me that even through tragedy, people will be drawn to Him.

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Gal. 1:3-5

Taco Soup

I enjoy soup of any variety, but especially soup that my family likes, too.

I recently made this soup for a friend who had surgery. Mama set the example for me by taking soup to friends and family in times of illness or need. Why, I wondered in you youth, would Mama go to visit someone with a jar of homemade vegetable soup and cornbread? Now I understand that in times of illness or grief, nothing satisfies like a warm bowl of soup.

Taco Soup

3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can of tomatoes with green chilies
1 14.5 oz. can creamed or whole kernel corn
1 14.5 oz. can black beans
2 small cans of tomato sauce, or 1 large
1/2 packet of taco seasoning, more or less according to your taste
2 cans water (use cans from vegetables)

fritos
sour cream
grated cheese

Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, simmer. Or, put all ingredients in crock pot and cook all day.

Serve with fritos, sour cream and grated cheese.

Here is the sweet note I received from my friend:
Dear Lisa and Glen,
Thank you for dinner. It was very good, and the cheesecake is wonderful! Samantha is still enjoying it! You are good friends, and I appreciate your kindness. Becky

I am thankful . . .

I thank my God for every remembrance of you.

I am thankful that God is faithful and true, that he knows my heart, and that he provides everything that I need.

I am thankful for Mama and Daddy who taught me about Jesus, took me to church before I could walk, and knew when to tell me no with wisdom and courage.

I am thankful for my husband Glen who loves me, protects and provides for me, and drives long hours so he can be home with his family at night.

I am thankful for my three sons, Glen, Will and Christian who love the Lord, work hard at all they do, and take care of me. Glen greets me with a charming grin. Will takes the time to ask me what I have been doing. And, Christian drives me to Chick Filet for breakfast on early mornings when I am a substitute teacher at a high school. Thank you, all.

I am thankful for my sister Rhonda who listens to me, laughs with me, and loves me no matter what.

I am thankful for Grandparents who instilled in me at an early age the love of the Lord, the warmth of family, and the joy of working with our hands. I am thankful for warm fellowship with aunts and uncles, brother and sister in laws, cousins, nieces and nephews -- all who love me, share their hearts and homes with me, and gather with me for special family times.

I am thankful for friends who persevere with me, pray with me, and seek to follow our Lord with willing hearts.

I am thankful for the Bible. The Bible lights my path, teaches me about the love that Jesus has for me, and helps me to understand my own heart.

I am thankful for church fellowship, friends who seek to learn God's Word, and a pastor who faithfully teaches and preaches the Bible.

I am thankful for the southern hospitality.

I am thankful for November sunsets, the sound of the waves at Ocean Isle, and the first snowflakes of this season, shared with kindergartners at recess.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannon be hid. Matthew 5:14

Thanksgiving Eve

"His truth endureth to all generations."

It is Thanksgiving Eve. Family and friends are arriving around 5 p.m. tomorrow for dinner. Glen, Will and Christian are all home. We are preparing turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, creamed onions (Will's favorite), creamed corn and macaroni and cheese. Friends and family are bringing sweet potatoes, fresh cranberries, green bean casserole, homemade rolls and pies. Glen will grill the turkey again this year, using his special recipe of herbs and spices and citrus fruit. This is delicious, and a great help, since it leaves the oven free for other duties. Christian has volunteered to do the next biggest job in the kitchen -- preparing the mashed potatoes, following the Bulloss family recipe. (Thank you, Christian!) So, with all the help I am receiving, I am following Glen's suggestion to rest and relax tonight instead of beginning the cooking.

I am meditating on the words of the 100th Psalm, which I find appropriate for this season, "Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." I have so much to be thankful for. As I picked up the last ingredients from the grocery store for our Thanksgiving meal, I just marveled at the beautiful sunset, the handiwork of our Lord and Creator. I paid $1.59 for a gallon of gasoline, $1.05 for five pounds of sugar, and 64 cents for a dozen eggs. Just a few short months ago I paid twice or more for all three. Tomorrow I plan to spend a wonderful evening with family and friends, so I am very thankful for an abundance of food and fellowship.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Sweet Tea, Please

In the South, making iced tea is a time honored tradition. Southerners know the secrets to making really good iced tea, and that is good thing as August days in the South are hot and sultry. We have a new method for brewing sweet the in our home. Tea bags are first placed in the tea pitcher, held in place by a clip. Water is boiled in a whistling tea kettle, and then poured over the tea bags. Next, we add three scoops of sugar, stir and leave the spoon in the pitcher. The spoon in the pitcher is a signal to other family members that sugar has been added, lest the tea be sweetened twice or not at all. Additional water is boiled and poured in to fill the pitcher. Boiling water adds oxygen to the water, releasing the flavor of the tea, but, it is the steeping process -- leaving the tea bags in the hot water for a few minutes -- that really saturates the water with the flavor of tea.

Just as water becomes saturated with the flavor of the tea, our lives can be steeped in the Word of God. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Col. 3:16) Everyone is steeped in something. If we are not steeped in God's Word through bible reading, study and memorization, and through the hearing of God's Word, then we can easily be steeped in the empty philosophy of our culture.

Enjoy a glass of iced tea. Practice hospitality and share it with a friend. And, be steeped in the Word of God.