♥Hi Friends!
My #3 has been serving a mission for our church for just over a year now, in and around St. Louis, Missouri. Since he was a little guy he’s wanted to serve a two year mission, sacrificing his time with family and friends, school, music and media, girls, and even sleep, and will be returning home at the end of June next year. I love what has happened to our 19 year old loud, slightly annoying, fearless, gregarious, fun, and wonderful son as he’s lost himself in the service of our Heavenly Father. His rough edges are smoother, and his testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ grows stronger every day. The house is a little quieter now, but boy do we miss him!!! Last month in an email home dated 7-13-15 he said this: “I love being out here on my mission. I love the lessons that I get to learn everyday. I love having my full purpose be to help people. I love being on the Lord’s errand.”
And although I hear all the time at church the concept of “giving it all to God” and “the Lord’s errand” and such, because of my son’s circumstances right now, his words really hit home to me. You know those “ah-hah” moments when the message in your head finds a pathway to your heart. You see, it’s caused me to ask myself, “Do we as Heavenly Father’s children, need to set apart 2 years out of our lives, sacrificing all, for no other purpose than to bring the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters?” Uhhh…no. That really should be what we do everyday! And it doesn’t have to look like what my missionary son is doing right now. But if we desire to be about our Heavenly Father’s business, in everything we do, it can and should be about Him!
Spencer W. Kimball, past president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said “The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times.” As I look at all the crazy things going on all around me, I see the chasm between what the “world” teaches and what Christ teaches us, growing deeper and wider. And that is why we as daughters of God, who are the women, and daughters, and sisters, and wives, and mothers, and neighbors of this world, really should make everything about the Lord. At this point in time, I don’t see that we have the luxury to do otherwise. And that’s actually pretty awesome! Because of the Atonement, SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL power is available to all of us. And with that power, we can do just about anything! We have every reason to have hope and peace and HEALING.
One of our greatest gifts Father has given us is our agency. We can wake up every day and choose what we will do and be. Even in the hard times. Sheri Dew, one of my favorite author/speakers said this: “Happily, the choice about which side of the line we stand on is ours…If we will allow him to, Jesus Christ will shield and deliver us from Lucifer, who because of his rebellion and arrogance and thirst for power forfeited his inheritance and is now bent on jeopardizing ours. How crucial it therefore is that we become steadfast and immovable on the Lord’s side of the line, where we are not only protected but ultimately sealed up unto the Lord” I hope to keep on HEALING as I work to continually elevate my view by looking outside of myself, so that everyday I can have my full purpose be about the Lord. Because if that’s where I’m coming from, it will effect the way I treat myself, my Honey, my family, my neighbors, what I do, eat, how I spend my time, and even how I spend money. I will be a better steward of all that Heavenly Father has blessed me with as I remember I’m His daughter. And if I am His, so are all of us!
The German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe coined the phrase “God is in the Details”. I believe that whole heartedly! To me it means that in all things, even the adversity, we can see blessings. And that we can choose to move forward, even slowly through our pain, always looking for His purpose and plan for us in all the details. So my Friends, choose to be about our Father’s business! Choose gratitude! Choose to elevate your view by looking up and looking higher! And always remember Whose you are!
♥Love you!
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So, we really like toasted cheese sandwiches. But, unless we use the right kind of cheese, sparingly, those toasted cheese sandwiches don’t like us! That’s why we use raw goat cheddar cheese (best choice) or raw cow’s milk cheddar. So along with toasting up your normal, run-of-the-mill cheese sandwich (on low so the cheese will melt and without butter on the bread) on the stove, here’s another version that my mother-in-law likes to make (with our twist on it) when the tomatoes start coming on. I love it because it’s quick, easy and yummy!
OPEN-FACE TOASTED TOMATO & CHEESE
- whole grain, healthy bread of choice (remember the fewer the ingredients the better)
- thinly sliced tomatoes
- thinly sliced raw goat milk cheddar or raw cow’s milk cheddar
- Garlic Salt or S&P to taste
Turn oven to broil. Lightly toast bread and lay on a baking sheet with aluminum foil on it (for easy clean up!!!) Layer toasted bread with tomato slice, then cheese, and then salt and pepper to taste. Broil in oven until brown and bubbly.