The Smell of Fellowship!

A wonderful smell is beginning to fill the air spaces of our home.  It is a smell I have enjoyed many times over the past thirty or so years.  I'm not sure exactly when I inherited the recipe, but it was given to me by my oldest sister-in-law after she served them to us on one of our many visits to her home in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The original recipe card is tattered, discolored and torn on one of the corners.  It certainly reflects on the number of times it has been used, although, to be truthful, I can whip up a batch of these delightful treats without even taking out the recipe card.  Over the years I also started using a larger size pan, so have a second sheet with the expanded ingredient list when needed.

What is this delicacy, you may ask?  The original card reads, "Recipe for Brownies".  Over the years, however, we have expanded the name to "World Famous Brownies", as they have made their way across the seas to Germany when my brother-in-law was in the army and.  A request for the recipe also once came from Brazil, so the flavor has reached three continents!

Because we don't need to be tempted by the calories, the recipe is seldom used unless there is a special occasion for which to serve them.  Today they are on hand for the fellowship time following tomorrow evening's "Singspiration" service at our church.  The idea for this Ecumenical gathering began years ago among the ministerial organization in our community.  Any month which had five Sundays was designated reason to have another, with the churches taking turns hosting and providing a light lunch for fellowship.  Over the years, as pastors came and went, there came a time when the tradition slipped through the cracks.

After reminiscing about how enjoyable the services once were, and discussing the prospect with two of the current pastors, a decision was made to revive the custom starting with the fifth Sunday in January of 2016.  The Music Makers group who provides weekly entertainment at the local nursing home, consented to provide the accompaniment and our church volunteered to host the event.  On the agenda is singing many of the "good old hymns" of the church, as well as taking time to hear the talents of several local musicians as they share special numbers.

If you happen to be in the area of Crosby, North Dakota tomorrow evening, take time to stop in at the Assembly of God church on Main Street and enjoy the music with us.  The event starts at 7:00pm.  An added bonus will be a free sampling of the "World Famous Brownies"!  In case you don't make it, here's the recipe if you'd like to try them for yourself.  Options for both pan sizes are included.

 

WORLD FAMOUS BROWNIES

For traditional jelly roll pan: * For baker's half sheet pan:

(10 ½ X 15 ½ inches) * (13.25 X 18.625 inches)                      

1 Cup Sugar * 1 ½ Cup Sugar

½ Cup butter * ¾ Cup butter

Cream together and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4 Eggs * 6 Eggs

Add:

16 oz Can Hershey's Choc. Syrup * 24 oz bottle Hershey's Choc. Syrup

1 tsp. Vanilla * 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla

Mix until blended.

Add:

1 Cup flour * 1 ½ Cups flour

1/8 tsp. Salt * Scant ¼ tsp. Salt

Mix well then pour into a greased and floured pan and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (About 5 minutes longer for the larger size pan.)

Frosting:

1 ½ cups sugar * 2 ¼ cups sugar

6 T. milk * ½ cup + 1 T. milk

6 T. butter * ½ cup + 1 T. butter

1 ½ T. white corn syrup * 2 T. white corn syrup

Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Boil ½ minute or so, then removed from heat.

Add:

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips * 1 1/8 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. Vanilla * 1 ½ tsp. Vanilla

Beat until all chips are melted and frosting begins to thicken. Pour on cooled brownies.  Be sure to save just a bit of the frosting to enjoy spread on saltine crackers, something my mom used to do for us as an added treat!
 

Weekend Wanderings

Today has been a day for regrouping and resting.  Never before have we crammed so much into a single weekend.  It was all enjoyable, but now we are back home and "exhausted" is the word which comes to mind! 

Friday began with a drive across the northern tier of North Dakota.  It was a pretty drive with lots of frosty trees greeting us along the way. 

 

It was, however, quite windy, and the closer we got to our destination of Langdon, North Dakota the more challenging the drive became.  Ground drifting increased and visibility decreased. 

 

It is at times like these I'm thankful for a husband who insists on doing the driving!  Our reason for visiting Langdon was Bert's need to complete an adjusting job for a moving van company.  It seems not many are interested in examining damaged items and submitting a report, as he gets requests from all parts of the state.

From Langdon we made our way south to Devils Lake for an evening with Bert's youngest brother, Kevin, his wife Monica and their three children.  Well, "children" might not be the proper word, as the oldest was having her 19th birthday and we got in on her celebration following her brother's piano recital.  Her birthday request was to have the family go bowling together.  What fun!  But, boy, was I out of practice!

 

Saturday morning we were up and off to Grand Forks, about 90 miles to the east.  We met up with two of my cousins for lunch, as well as the younger one's daughter.

These are cousins I seldom see, but it is great to know we can always pick right up where we left off.  Our fathers were brothers and my dad often flew us to Grand Forks for visits.  In the fall, they would make the drive to our corner of the state to help with harvest.  Precious memories!

In the afternoon we made our way to the shopping mall, where we met up with a classmate I hadn't seen in a number of years.  Once again, it was easy to jump right into conversation as if only days had passed instead of years.  Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture while we were together.

At 5:30 we were on call to pick up our niece who was in town as part of the North Dakota Honor Band.  Each year students are selected by audition to be a part of this weekend of music.  Her parents and siblings had not yet arrived from their hometown of Dickinson, so we got in on the tail end of their rehearsal and took her out for a bite to eat.  By the time we had finished, the rest of the family caught up with us and it was off to a college level hockey game.  We had been given free tickets, and I tried to act excited, even though hockey would not be at the top of my list of favorite sports.  It was fun to see the much talked about "Ralph Engelstad Arena" and the team came up with a win for us.

Plans for Sunday included the concert at the Chester Fritz Auditorium, with appearances by the Honor Band, Honor Women's Chorus and Mixed Chorus.  Since the concert wouldn't begin until the afternoon, we decided to find a church to attend in the morning.  Our search brought us to an Evangelical Free church with a beautiful sanctuary and outstanding worship music.

The sermon was given by a guest speaker from a Bible Camp, and his topic was interestingly the story of Mary and Martha.  God was either reprimanding us for being such busybodies all week-end or applauding our effort to take a few moments to sit quietly in His presence!

Today, as I look back on all we accomplished, I find myself saying a prayer of thanks. "Thank you, God, for keeping us safe in our travels.  Thank you for already being on hand in each and every situation we found ourselves in.  Thank you for helping us to connect with so many special people along our journey and for providing a restful day after a busy weekend."

In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the LORD establishes their steps.

~Proverbs 16:9

  

"He's a She!"

The first moments after the birth of our first child were a bit confusing.  The doctor, a semi-retired family practitioner, had barely arrived and slipped into his gown when the baby decided it was time to make an appearance.  "Here he is!", said the grandfatherly man as the delivery was made.  Then came the correction. . . "Oh! He's a she!!" 

Thus it was Rebekah Ellen came into the world.  Little did we know then the adventures she would take us on and the amazing blessing she would be in our lives!  Now, thirty seven years later, the blessings have multiplied as her marriage to Wes brought the addition of four grandchildren to the family.


Celebrating with them tonight brought smiles to my face as I watched each of them present their gifts as she sat on the "throne" they made for her to sit on.  Had we allowed the warmth of their love to escape through the walls, it may have even brought the temperature up above zero mark!

More than anything, it warms my heart to see the fine Christian woman she has become, and the amazing job she is doing, together with her husband, of raising her family to know and love the Lord.  It is a treat to occasionally sit in on bedtime Bible stories and hear their tender prayers.  As with any family who boasts four children, there are times of squabbles and disagreements, but as a mother she has wise ways of teaching them to work things out.  For as much as I have taught her over the years, she has taught me even more!

And so I end the day saying, "Happy Birthday, dear Rebekah!  Enjoy all your 37th year will have to offer.  Keep smiling for Jesus and following His example with your life.  Continue offering your hospitality to those God sends your way and sharing your talents with the world.  Thank you for being a wonderful daughter to your dad and I, as well as an amazing wife and mother to your family."

 

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

~Proverbs 31:25-30 

 

What a blessing God brought into the world when "he" was a "she"!

 

Something's Missing

The Christmas holiday is definitely upon us, but repeatedly something has been missing.  As the first attempts were made at decorating, it was the Nativity sets.  Usually a huge part of our Christmas décor, they were all transported to be part of a community Nativity display which remained up for just over a week, beginning the day after Thanksgiving.  Without them, the spaces at home looked pretty bare.

In the course of helping set up the display, it was one of the Baby Jesus figurines which turned up missing.  One lady was going to be out of town, but brought a tote of Nativities to be displayed.  A thorough search of the packing confirmed it was indeed gone.  Can you find it in this picture?

For a bit of fun, we had sign up slips which listed the various contributors to the display and a challenge to find the collection with the missing Jesus.  At the end of the week, a name was selected to receive a prize, which was a book featuring six stories about Nativities.

Fast forward to the first week-end in December and our annual Christmas Concert presented by a unique choir made up of singers from two areas.  The Northwest Chorus is so named because it includes singers from several communities across the northwest corner of North Dakota.  The Southeast Chorus brings in talent from across the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan, just across the border to the north in Canada.  We perform two concerts, one in Estevan, Saskatchewan and one here in Crosby, North Dakota.

As a member of this special chorus, it is always exciting to scan the audience for special people in my life, but this year one such person was missing. . .my husband.  He was home sick with a bad cold and cough, which has been plaguing him ever since.  Not only was he missing from the concert, but his usual carefree and happy countenance has also been missing.  After hearing cough after cough, it also seems my patience level has disappeared, as I want him better. . .RIGHT NOW!

Having my husband home with a cold was a small matter, however, compared to the missing person from the bass section of our chorus.  Three days prior to the concert, John had a five bypass heart surgery.  As the director, (who happens to be his brother-in-law), updated us on his condition, things didn't sound good.  Just after we concluded our concert, we received word he had passed away.  John's funeral today was a testimony to the number of lives he touched, and having him missing from our community will leave a large hole.  Hopefully, each of us who knew and loved him will pick up a small piece of his "mantel" and make the world a little better because of how he touched our life.

Although it seems much is missing, there are some things which will never disappear.  God's love and presence in our lives is a constant which will never turn up missing.  A reminder of this was given in the pastor's message at the funeral, when he shared words from this passage in Romans 8:38-39.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,

 nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


What's missing in your life today?  Is it a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ?  No matter what your lot in life, knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior will fill all the missing places.  As we continue in the Christmas season, seek and find Him as the shepherds and wise men did.  Then do your part in spreading the good news! 

It's How God Works!

This morning, after our yoga class had ended, the instructor and I lingered to visit with the woman working the desk at our wellness center.  We learned her family was facing a difficult time, since her husband's job had recently been terminated.  My heart ached for her as she shared their burden and we shared a hug.  It felt good to open our hearts and be available to offer a listening ear.

Several Bible verses came to mind as she pondered whether they would have to move and where they would be going.  The verses I shared were first revealed to me at a time when our daughter and son-in-law were contemplating a move.  Housing was tight in Williston at the time, and as a mother I was agonizing about where they would live.  It was then my Bible reading took me right to what I needed to hear:

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the exact places they would live.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.

Acts 17:26-28 (NIV)

 

Hopefully, the words of these verses would also be a comfort for my new friend as she realizes God already has everything figured out!  Further discussion was about how to hear God's voice, and sort out the many thoughts which travel through our brains.  Arriving home and checking Facebook, I found it interesting how the first message seemed very applicable to our earlier discussion. The post was written by my daughter, sharing thoughts she had been contemplating:

 

 “I know that sometimes it seems the voice of God is hard to hear, hard to discern, and often I question whether it is really Him speaking or something/someone else that I am lending my ear to. But this I know as 100% truth: He NEVER speaks fear. His words regarding fear are ALWAYS “Fear not, for I am with you.”

What great words of advice to share with my new friend!  Later, as I was sorting through "piles of stuff" in my computer room, I came across a bookmark with more encouraging words:

Fear not those things which God has sent, though troublesome they seem

For He knows best what must be done to lead you to your dream.

 

He'll test your strength to make you strong, for what's not used grows weak,

And strip you of what pulls you from the highest goal you seek.

 

He'll show you that where faith is placed, a harvest soon is grown,

And what you'll learn is that in time you reap what you have sown.

 

For all that's His belongs to you to do with as you will

But when you give it back to Him, He does your dreams fulfill.

 

 

In another pile were pieces of paper with a quote and Bible verse about faith.  At this point in time I don't even remember why I had copied them off.  Perhaps it was to share at one of our Women's Ministries meetings.  Who knows?  But interesting it should surface right at a time it could be shared with someone facing a difficult time:

 

Faith is:

     Following without knowing where,

          Waiting without knowing when,

               Believing without knowing how,

                    Trusting without knowing why.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

                                                                                                                ~Hebrews 11:1

 

God never ceases to amaze me.  His timing is always right, even when it involves me putting off organizing my piles!  He seems to know just when we need to receive a particular encouraging word, whether it be for our own situation or to pass on to someone else.  It's just how He works! 


 

 

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminders of a Fantastic Fall!

Last spring I dug up my tulip beds, fully intending to replant the bulbs in October.  We are now at mid-November and I finally got them back in the ground. . .on a rare "high 50's" day in November!  It was a good feeling to finally get the task finished, and in the process start a new tulip bed.  Spring will determine how successful my attempt at expanding will be!

It was amazing to be planting tulip bulbs in the midst of snap dragon plants still blooming.  About a month ago, when there were threats of frost, I cut in the remaining snap dragon blossoms and shared them around town in bouquets.  How amazing it was to find the plants still producing buds and blossoms!

Earlier this week there were other reminders of what a fantastic fall we have been enjoying:

Candy Corn Vine

H

Double Calibrachoa

Dianthus

In North Dakota the weather can often be unpredictable, but this year it has been a treat to enjoy "warmer than usual" instead of "colder than usual" for a change.  What about you?  How is the weatherman treating you? 



Blogging, Is It Worth It?

Seems my commitment to blog hasn't been holding up as of late.  Sometimes I wonder, "Is it really worth the effort I put into it?"  Then I hear a small, still voice saying, "It's not about you, remember?"  Oh, yes.  My commitment to write is not about what I get out of it, but rather what God can do with it, despite my commitment or lack thereof. 

There is an interesting part of the "BlogSpot" system which allows one to track how many have been reading your posts and also where they are from.  Checking today, over the course of the past month I have had 123 readers from the United States, along with 15 from Russia, 2 from France and one each from Canada and Spain. 

It makes me wonder how they happened across my blog and what their thoughts were after reading it.  Then, again, I'm reminded it is not about me, and my thoughts are just recorded for whatever purpose God might find to use them.

Another feature connected to my blog is the ability to comment.  It seems my readers are not ones who choose to comment, but it would be fun to find out more about them.  If you are reading this, and feel brave, take a moment to comment and share your thoughts with me.  It would be interesting to learn who is on the receiving end of my random thoughts!