waiting……..

  ”Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.”    Plato  

Every where I look there are people facing mountains.  Some of them are really huge.  Others may not seem huge to me, but then again I am not facing that particular thing, nor do I have all the details.  Sometimes it is the combination of a million little things that pushes us to the edge. 

 ”…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  (Psalm 30:5)   Oh, but sometimes it seems as if the ‘morning’ is never going to get here.   

How long?      

I feel Your presence

yet the storm roars.

I think I’m ok …

only to plunge once more.

 

In my head

I know You are there.

In my heart

I know You care.

 

How much longer though,

will this go on?

When will the night end?

Where is the dawn?

 

While the storm rages

To You O Lord I cling.

The morning IS coming

when again my heart will sing.

 

I continue to trust Your Word.

You are working things out.

You are in control,

of this there is no doubt.

Have you noticed that there are a number of songs out now that deal with facing hard trials?   I love this one by Mark Schultz.  Here is just a portion of it.   

Love has come

I know this life is filled with sorrow.  And there are days when the pain just lasts and lasts.  But I know there will come a day when all my tears are washed away. With a break in the clouds and His glory coming down.  Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that God is love and love has come for us all.  Every heart set free, everyone will see that God is love and love has come for us all. 

  Or this one by Casting Crowns “Praise You in this storm.”    

I was sure  by now that You would have reached down and wiped our tears away.  Stepped in to save the day.  But once again I say Amen and it’s still raining. ….  I praise You in this storm.   I will lift hands, You are who You are, no matter where I am.  Every tear I cry, You hold in Your hand.  You never left my side and though my heart is torn  –I will praise You in this storm.   

I find myself  ‘waiting’.  Waiting for:   the storm to end, the rain to stop, the  emotional roller coaster of perimenopause to cease, life to slow down, problems to disappear, pain to be gone,  a day when all goes right (had to throw that one in),  and on and on it goes.  Yet life is messy and complicated – always has been and always will be.   Somewhere along the way I forgot a key element.   

In acceptance lieth peace. 

My life is in the hands of the Almighty God, the creator of the universe.  If He allows it then there is a reason – I may never know what that is but truly that is not important.  God is in control.  I am not.

So for today I am going to practice acceptance of what comes my way with expectation that God has a plan and He will work things out His way.

til next time

 

 

 

easy, simple, inexpensive snacks

I am always looking for a new hors d’oeuvre or snack that requires  little effort and is easy on the budget.   My post on 5 simple, yummy desserts – (click here to read) has gotten a lot of hits so I thought I’d do another one.   

This is one of my favorites. Preheat the oven to 350.  Spread  small pretzels out on a cookie sheet.  (The small circle pretzels work too.)  Place a Rolo on each one.  Place in the oven – keeping a close eye on them as it doesn’t take but a  moment for the Rolo to begin to melt.  You do not want it very soft.  Pull out of the oven and place a pecan on each one – pressing firmly but not too hard.  Wa laa!!!  Enjoy — make plenty to share.

Almond or chocolate bark is a great base for many yummy snacks.   Buy a package of bark.  Place 1/2 of it in the top of a double broiler pan and stir occasionally as it melts.  Once melted,  the fun begins.  Grab your favorite pretzel stick, any size, and dip one end into the melted bark.  Place on wax paper and sprinkle with candy crystals - if you want.  This works great with both almond and chocolate bark.  

Once bark has melted you also can add peanuts and rice krispees.  Drop by spoonful on wax paper.  Mmmm, good.  Rice krispies are added to make it easier to bite and to be more cost-effective.

Another thing you can do with bark is –  once melted - add your favorite cereal.  Trix, Fruit Loops,  Fruity Pebbles, Cap’n Crunch, Kix are all good choices.   I recommend just using the almond bark for these.

Quick, simple, and reasonably inexpensive.

One last thing to do with bark – once melted - take a circle cracker ( I use whatever is cheapest – as I have found it really doesn’t make any difference) and spread peanut butter between two of them.  Dip the cracker sandwich in the bark, flip and then tap fork lightly on pan to remove excess bark and place on wax paper to dry.  This is great with either almond or chocolate bark.

Now that I have awakened my sweet tooth I better go see what I have in the house to eat.

til next time