Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup

"Jesus Soup"

I call this recipe my "Jesus Soup",

because it seems to be well tolerated

by people that have had colds or flu,

and are ready to add food

back into their diet.

Another reason I call it "Jesus Soup"is

 because, like Jesus,

for me, it's one of those

"NEVER FAIL"

recipes!

It's a great recipe for cold winter days,

...and today is one of those days!

Start out with potatoes,
depending how large a batch you wish to make.
I usually use 6 -8 medium sized "spuds".

I cut mine up into quite small pieces
so that they'll get kind of mushy after cooking.

Along with the potatoes,
I add a couple of stalks of celery cut into small pieces,
a finely chopped medium size onion,
and 6-8 medium size carrots cut in small pieces.
I cover that generously with water,
add several cubes of chicken bouillon,
and boil the vegetables on medium heat until tender.

When the vegetables are fully cooked,
I add a couple of cans of Cream of Chicken Soup,
and stir until well blended.
The consistency of the soup will depend a lot
 on how well-done you've cooked the veggies.
I add Chicken Broth to bring it to the desired consistency.
I usually also add 6 or 8 ounces or so of creamy cheese,
(like Velveeta), turn down the heat,
and stir till it's all melted.

And there you have it!

Ready to eat!

It's great served with cheese and crackers
...or even better with hot grilled cheese sandwiches!

(In case you wondered about adding salt,

there's quite a lot of sodium in the bouillon,

the creamy chicken soup,

and the cheese,

so, for me it's quite unnecessary to add more.)

I must give credit to my "First-Born" daughter,

who introduced me to this recipe.

Thank you, Crystal!

If you have time,

come on over and check out my latest post on Rock4Today,

featuring the Names of God Painted on Rocks!

I Love Lilies!

Can I share some of my favorite lily photos with you?

I love lilies!

 "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;

 they neither toil nor spin;

 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field,

 which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,

 will He not much more clothe you,

 O you of little faith?"

 Matthew 6:28-30

 

Country Church Pig Roast and Vacation Bible School

In the latter part of the summer

we had a great time at 

the little Country Church on Woolum Road.

The children enjoyed
acting out the Bible stories.
(This was the story of Abigail being a peace-maker
and bringing donkeys loaded with food
to David before he became king.
Of course, probably as many snacks got eaten
as were placed in the donkey's saddle bags!)

Song time was fun,
whether singing with the DVD player,
or accompanied by our pianist, Miss Abby.
Many principles were taught through the lyrics.

Of course, snack time was always
a favorite time!

Mr. Chris and his wife Ms. Cindy have been instrumental
 in putting together the annual Pig Roast for years.

Although a timber man by trade,
this gentleman has been taking over
more and more of the cooking duties.

And we couldn't forget Mr. Tom...
He would definitely be the official bell ringer
to signal that the food was ready.

Two long tables of food verified
the message of the ringing bell!

Fellowship, food, fun, and music!
Community coming together.
What could be better than this?

If you live in the Searcy County area

feel welcome to join us at the little

Pine Bluff Community Church

on South Woolum Road

for Saturday night church at 7 pm,

or Sunday mornings at 10 am.

Hope to see you there!

Have you checked out my Names of God on Rocks lately?

Click on the highlighted letters to take you there!

Thanks for stopping by!

"Shall we gather at the River?"

The little Country Church is growing!

A recent baptismal service 

down by the River gave evidence to that!

The weather was a bit chillier than usual for August,

and the forecast was for rain,

but it didn't dampen the spirit that was present.

The service started out with an old familiar hymn that was
written by Robert Lowry back in 1864.
Hearty singing was accompanied by a banjo and guitars.

"Shall we gather at the river,

Where bright angel's feet have trod,

With its crystal tide forever

Flowing by the throne of God?

Shall we gather at the river?

The beautiful, the beautiful river?

Gather with the saints at the river

That flows by the Throne of God."

With family and friends watching,
one by one the baptismal candidates entered the water.

(This brought to my mind memories of when I was baptized 

in this same river years ago at the tender age of twelve.)

Smiles were on the faces of the pastors as well as the ones being baptized,
as they gladly followed our Lord's command
from Matthew 28:19 that says:
"Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the Name of the Father
and of the son and of the Holy Spirit"

Could this be a prelude to revival?

To see part of the actual ceremony, I'm going to try to include a link to view...
I hope this will work!
To view it, click HERE!

The next highly anticipated event at the little Country Church
will be the upcoming annual Pig Roast next month!
(Click on the link above to see last year's post of this occasion,
or look for it on the right hand side bar of popular posts.)
!

Thanks for stopping by!
A new post will be up soon on Rock4Today,
featuring the "Names of God on Rocks"!

The Front Porch

It looks rather vacant now...

.....that front porch that had so many gatherings...
....where so many photos were taken,
so many stories told,
and so many flies swatted!

Yes, it looks vacant...
But looks can be deceiving!
The front porch sometimes has someone sitting on it again.
This old house has become a part-time home for a homeless man!

I'm learning quite a lot from this homeless man.

He has such an appreciation for God's beauty here on earth.

He marvels at nature, and enjoys watching God's creatures.

Although his eyesight is diminished, 

he notices the tiniest delicate wild flowers in the field.

His simple faith in God to lead him and take care of him amazes

and intrigues me. It reminds me of these words from Jesus:

 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Matthew 6:27-34 The Message

Have you checked out my Names of God on Rocks lately?

I might have some that would surprise you!

Click HERE to take you to that site!

Fighting to Win!

FIGHTERS!

I married into a family of fighters!

Fighters against poverty!

Fighters against injustice!

Fighters to defend our families and our family values!

And as it says in the Book of Proverbs:

To speak up for those

"who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly:

defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Okay...

but does that mean 

you can't enjoy a good competitive fight

or that you shouldn't ever defend yourself?

I don't think so!

Pictures can be deceiving!
Looking at this young man,
you might think he would be a softie,
a real push-over...
He has a heart for others,
is kind and understanding,
and doesn't like for people or animals to be mistreated.
Evidence of that is his rescued dog, Brovo,
who has become his best friend!

But inside the heart of this young man
is the heart of a fighter,
...a young man who fights to win!

...And the last National Taekwondo tournament
held in our area proved it
as he fought his way to win three silver medals!

So, I wondered what the Bible had to say about "Fighting"!

The Apostle Paul seemed to have the most to say:

"...I do not run like someone running aimlessly;

I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

No, I strike a blow to my body 

and make it my slave so that...

I myself will not be disqualified for the prize"

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

"...Fight the battle well,

holding on to faith and a good conscience..."

1 Timothy 1:18-19

"Fight the good fight of faith..."

1 Timothy 6:12

"The weapons we fight with

are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power

to demolish strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,

but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

WOW!

Although Paul was usually speaking of a spiritual battle,

this last verse seemed to really 

"Hit the nail on the head"!

That's what training to compete is all about - self-discipline!

My husband has a favorite saying that

"Luck is simply where hard work

 and preparation meet opportunity!"

What opportunities are you facing today?

Thanks for stopping by!

If you need a bit of encouragement,

check out some of my "Names of God on Rocks" posts

to see what God can do for you!

When "Feistyness" pays off!

There's been a lot of activity at my bird feeders lately.

Even the bluebirds, who NEVER have visited my feeders before,
seem to be curious about all the "hullabaloo"!

It's this guy that has caused all the turmoil...

...and made most of the other birds take flight.

Yeah... This guy...
Know formerly as "The Elusive Yellow Bellied Sapsucker",
about which I wrote a post about a few years ago.
(Click on the link above if you wish to see that post.)

I guess he decided that being shy didn't pay off.

If he wanted to enjoy the food,

he would have to take action.

And taking action, HE IS!

This morning I read about a lady who did that very thing.

She was being treated unfairly by someone.

SHE TOOK ACTION!

She took her case to the judge, but he refused to help her.

She wouldn't give up...

It sounds to me like she was quite a FEISTY and persistent lady!

Although you may think of the word FEISTY in a negative manner, 

Vocabulary.com states that:

 "It may also describe a courageous or spirited person,

especially one who is smaller or an underdog."

The lady in the story above won her case.

She kept pestering the judge until he listened and took action.

The story comes straight out of the Bible,

from Luke 18:1-8.

It says "that Jesus used this story to teach his followers

that they should

"always pray and never lose HOPE".

He said that "God will always give what is right to His people

who cry to Him night and day,

and He will not be slow to answer them."

Well, I don't want to encourage any bullying here,

but I do think there are times in life we all need to be

a little more like the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker,

and become a little FEISTY

instead of doing nothing about a situation.

My little sis gave me a wall hanging many years ago that said,

"PRAY TO GOD,

 BUT ROW TOWARDS SHORE".

Grab your paddles, and let's go!!!

Escaping "The Snare of the Fowler"!

What is a "Fowler"?

According to the simplest web definition that I found,
a "Fowler" is a "hunter of birds".

So, after looking up many definitions,

it seems that a "hunter of birds" can be a human,

...or even another bird...

...such as the hawk that appeared 

at my bird feeders this morning!

I was enjoying watching the birds while sipping on a cup of coffee...

The finch family are always welcome...

...Not so much the starlings,

...or the grackles...

But the mockingbird usually chases them away for me.

I always enjoy seeing the yellow bellied sapsucker...

...Although sometimes I wonder if he's killing my peach tree
with all the little holes he's making in it!

I love the flashes of bright blue from the jays...

...And the cardinals are always a pleasure to watch.

This morning I even had a Northern Flicker...

Here he is showing off his black crest...
Well, actually, I think this is a "she"!

But this morning there was a quick scattering of all the birds
when this fellow arrived.  I actually saw him fly after some of
the smaller birds trying to catch them to devour them for his breakfast!

He boldly sat in my cherry tree,
and even appeared to be staring at me
as I sat in the window watching!

This is what started me thinking about
"The Snare of the Fowler"
that is mentioned in Psalm 91:3:
"Surely He shall deliver you
from the snare of the fowler,
And from the perilous pestilence"

Well, this "FOWLER" soon flew away when he was unsuccessful,
and  this is all I caught as he left - a view of his tail feathers.

 Isn't that the way it goes?

If we are diligent and keep watch,

the old "fowler", the devil,

will leave us alone and go on to some other prey.

James said to "RESIST HIM",

and that he would flee from us.

In looking up things on the "FOWLER",

I came across a wonderful sermon by Charles Spurgeon on this subject.

If you have time to take a look at it, I'm sure it will be a blessing to you.

You can find it by clicking HERE!  

"Euphoric Recall"

My good friend Tricia not only has a blog about her expeditions,

she is also a registered dietitian who

 introduced me to First Place 4 Health.

These are Bible studies that help to create balance in the four core areas of life---

emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical.

The Reflection and Application portion of Week 6,
about "Faith Ensures Hope" used the term
"Euphoric Recall"
to describe "a selective memory process that allows
recovering addicts to recall how good they felt when they were using their drug of choice - but somehow forget how foolishly they behaved and the dire consequences of their behavior."
The author went on to describe that "remembering how good the high felt in the absence of recalling painful consequences" kept many addicts from realizing the depth of their addiction.
"Euphoric Recall" limited their ability to admit their powerlessness,
and kept them from depending on God to deliver them.

THEN came the blow!
This totally is how it is with many of us that have food issues!
In wanting the instant gratification of mouth-watering food,
we often give in to the "Euphoric Recall" of  our food memories,
and then suffer "eater's remorse" because of the consequences!

This week of Bible Study was focused on Hebrews 11,
the "Faith Chapter".
What impressed me about each of these heroes of the Faith,
was that each of them gave up something
 in order to obtain something better!
In doing this, Hebrews 11:34 says that their
"weakness was turned into strength."


Well,  I've got things to do and places to go today,
but I felt impressed to share this with you.
Here's to healthier living for all of us!
May God give us all the grace and strength to not give in to
EUPHORIC RECALL today!


Thanks for your visit!

Small Creatures and Critters!

I put up a new bird feeder today,

and wondered who my first guests would be...

I was expecting this guy...
You can tell he's been flourishing on my sunflower seeds,
can't you?!!

And this guy has been hanging around quite a bit.

I certainly didn't think it would be this one...
What do you think it is?
At first I thought it was an owl,
but after I looked closer I thought it might be
a red shouldered hawk...

But I wouldn't have guessed my first guest would be a mockingbird!

I couldn't help  but wonder if he was one of the juveniles that had hung out

on my back deck this past summer and that I had featured on a previous blogpost.

(If you'd like to see it, click on the highlighted letters to take you to that post.)

Well, I haven't painted a ROCK lately,

so I guess I ought to work on that.

Maybe I'll get one done today!

It sounds like more fun than going through years of accumulated "treasures",

trying to decide what to keep, what to throw away,

and what to donate!

You can check it out at Rock4Today, okay?

Thanks for your visit!