China

Where to begin... I love China. I also love Africa, though. Maybe it's just the chance to get out of my little world in the U.S.A. I'm fascinated by other cultures and languages. I love seeing how people live on the other side of the world. I could probably write pages on my experience in China, but few would read it. So, I'll just share lots of pictures. Enjoy!

This was one of our last lunches in China. We spent time praying for the wives who are living and serving in China. It was a beautiful time and meant a lot to these women.

The best thing we did in China was spend time encouraging and loving on a family our church supports. They've been there 7 years, and we were the first group of people to come and visit them. 

Casey & Mandi

Boston & Hudson

Millie, Emma, and Matt (our Outreach pastor)

dinner at Casey and Mandi's apartment

Yes, that's right. I'm eating rice with chopsticks... I know, you're impressed. 

(Just don't pay any attention to how messy the table is around my bowl.)

Jelyn, Menu, and Jamie... Menu (said with the accent on the u) was a woman we met at Saturday morning soccer. She lives in China because of her husband's job. She is originally from India, but had actually lived in Austin for a little while. (How crazy is that! small world... )

This woman is a nun at Wenshu Monastery, a Buddhist temple in China. A small group of us spent time walking through the temple and praying for the One True God to reveal Himself to these worshippers of Buddha.

Food offered to idols. We were told that eating these apples offered to Buddha would bring luck. These are a couple of girls of one of the families we spent time with. You can tell they are not too excited about this "privilege".

outside the temple... this man had fought with Americans in one of the wars. Some of what he said I lost in translation.

A sampling of the food we ate. The food was spicy and delicious. All family style. 

Us with "The Cube". This was where Michael Phelps set all his records.

"The Bird's Nest"

We spent one afternoon with a separate ministry our church supports. I'll leave out names. Matt had just given them a pretty good sized check that they weren't expecting! I could say a lot about this afternoon, but this is not the place. I will say that the time spent talking with these Chinese believers was one of the highlights of our trip. They have counted the cost and are passionate followers of Jesus Christ.

I think this says it all...

the Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

one more inside the Forbidden City

It's all just stuff

Have you ever felt like God shows you something in your life and no matter what you do He won't let you forget about it? I have felt that way for about the past two months in regards to giving and the poor and needy. There is a haunting in my heart that I need to be doing more for the poor and desolate of this world. The problem is I live in America where it is so easy for me to forget about those in need, or I can just change the channel when "those" commercials come on. But God, in His grace, is refusing to let me forget it. Yesterday I was listening to a sermon by Dr. David Platt, I would highly recommend it, you can find it on iTunes. In it he talked about the amount of Scripture God devotes to talking about the poor. Here are just a sampling of ones he highlighted and some others I have found:

Duet. 15:7-14 "You shall not shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him...Therefore I command you, "You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land."

1 Sam. 2:8 "He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap."

Prov. 14:21 "Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor."

Ps. 112:9 "He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor."

Prov. 21:13 "Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be answered."

Is. 61:1 "...to bring good news to the poor."

Ez. 16:49  what was the great sin of Sodom? "she had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy."

Luke 4:16 Jesus came to earth, "to proclaim good news to the poor."

Luke 16:19-31 the rich man is sent to Hell because he refused to care for the poor (he was sent to hell because he didn't trust in Christ, which is evidenced by the fact that he didn't care for the poor)

Matt. 25:31-46 the parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus knows those who are his by their reaction to and giving to the poor. Those who turn a blind eye and do not give are not followers of Christ and are sent to eternal punishment.

I could go on and on with verses of Scripture about God's call to us for the poor. I think the passage that haunts me the most is Matt. 25. I look at my life and wonder what God would think of all my stuff. I am secure in the fact of my salvation. I know I don't earn his favor and forgiveness by doing things, but the evidence of that salvation must be apparent. I am praying more and more for God to take my love of things away. That he would continue to awaken in me a deep longing to give to the poor and needy. Because all my stuff is not worth comparing to Christ.

Radical Womanhood

I don't usually recommend a book before reading it, but this is an exception. God has been waking me up to how far our culture has shifted from biblical womanhood and biblical manhood. Roles have been redefined and values have changed. Some of these changes are for the better. I'm really thankful I can vote, for example. However, other changes have actually gone against what God says in His Holy Word. 

I can feel comfortable recommending this book because of the men and women who have reviewed it and recommended it. C.J. and Carolyn Mahaney, Wayne Grudem, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Bruce and Jodi Ware... They may not be names familiar to all, but they are men and women of God whose opinions I've come to trust.

The book is called Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World, and it's written by Carolyn McCulley. I think the title explains a lot, but I've posted a link to the book's website. On it, there's a video of Carolyn explaining the premise for the book. Ultimately the goal is for Jesus to stop the cycle of us sinning against one another and for women to trust Jesus for what our femininity truly looks like.

I can't begin to express all that God has been showing me with regards to biblical womanhood, but I will say that it's been very liberating. It truly is for freedom that Christ has set me free, and there's much freedom in living as a woman (or a man) according to God's original plan. 

For women, Titus 2:4-5 is a great place to start.

Here's that link...

radicalwomanhood.com

Thai Cuisine

When we were living in Tyler, Derek and I discovered a great little Thai restaurant. I learned the Chinese Super Buffet was not the best place for gaining an appreciation for true Asian food. The restaurant was called Baan Nitaya. 

We ate there on one of our first dates, and then up to once a week after we were married. We took swing dance lessons with some friends, John and Karen. Swing dance lessons were in a pilates studio two doors down from the restaurant. We would dance and then go eat. Derek's favorite dish was the green curry. Mine was the pad thai.

So, I was pretty excited to find a fairly good Asian food section in our grocery store here in Austin. Here's a recipe for green curry that's pretty good! Maybe not quite as good as that made by the woman at Baan Nitaya, but close.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

14 oz. can coconut milk  (I use the light.)

2 Tbsp green curry paste

2 fully cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup chicken stock

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring coconut milk and green curry paste to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken, fish sauce, brown sugar, carrots, peas, and chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over brown rice.

Easy Brown Rice: Mix 1 cup brown rice (washed), 3 cups water, 1 tsp salt in a casserole dish with a heavy lid. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. An added benefit is that it makes the whole house smell yummy!

As a side note: if you're into wines, a Shiraz always seems to taste great with Thai food. At least to me!

Living Below the Line

Our current economical situation has got me thinking. There's a little fear in me that the level of living I've grown accustomed to may not last. But then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing. Why do I think I deserve prosperity? Why in the world would we ever think it's our inherent right? 

On Al Mohler's blog this week he has a quote from an essay in Time Magazine:

In the case of households, debt rose from about 50% of the GDP in 1980 to a peak of 100% in 2006. In other words, households now owe as much as the entire U.S. economy can produce in a year. 

Did you catch that? In our race to keep up with the Joneses, we've borrowed our way so far into debt that we now owe as much as our entire economy can produce in a year. Families in the United States, all told, are billions of dollars in debt! And what do we have to show for it?

I just had a birthday and received a few hundred dollars in cash. I bought a few new shirts, some new pants, new shoes, a new bag... But when the money ran out, there were still things I wanted. I suppose I could have charged some things, after all I'd paid cash for most of it. But where do you stop? There's always going to be a cuter pair of shoes, a better looking pair of pants, one more kitchen gadget I just have to have...

It's sickening really. Do you know that if you are reading this post you are among the elite, the wealthiest people in the entire world? First of all, you have the education to read this post. Second, you have the time to read it. Then there's the fact that you've got a computer to read it on. But what have we done with these privileges? We've charged our way into debt up to our eyeballs because what we have is never enough.

Even as a believer, I still struggle with finding satisfaction in the created rather than in the Creator. How do I honor God with my finances? How do I find joy in Him rather that in this twisted culture we live in? Here's a few thoughts:

1. By giving - my tithe, but beyond that as well...giving to support Compassion International or Campus Crusade or to missions or to buy food for the food bank...

2. By GETTING OUT OF DEBT!!! 

3. By living below our means and seeing what God wants to do with the excess.  Every now and then, can't we look at something and say, "I can, but I believe I just won't."

4. By seeking God first everyday...those carpet fibers on your forehead are a crown of beauty to our King. I pray for my soul to be crushed with longing after God's Word. (Psalm 119:20)

For Love of the Word

I have been taking an online seminary class this Fall on Systematic Theology. Most people could think of nothing more boring and pointless, but my mind works on the opposite stream. I find it fascinating, thought provoking, and most importantly it is stirring my affections for Christ and making me ask a lot of questions about myself. The question that continues to press on my heart and mind is this, "Do I really love the Scriptures." 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Over the last few weeks these words have haunted me. We aren't talking about some random author who decided to put pen to paper and spill his thoughts. The God who created the world, holds  it together,and  intervened to bring salvation has spoken to us through the words of our sacred Scriptures. How can I not run to them every day several times a day. Instead I find myself browsing Barnes & Noble or searching Amazon.com for the next great book. 

In one of my class lectures my professor stated that he thinks most Christians don't truly believe the words of 2 Timothy. If we really believed them then we would be running to the Bible more than anywhere else. I must sadly confess this attitude of unbelief usually resides in my heart. I am begging Jesus to change me. I am asking Him to put in me a burning passion for His Word. Because Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul..."

There is a season...turn, turn, turn

Things I love about fall...

pumpkins

leaves changing color

candy corn

apple cider

football

bonfires

crisp mornings

Thanksgiving

For some reason, I'm really pumped about it being fall. Derek even brought home a fall flower bouquet for my little fall celebration. 

Dinner with the Queen

On a recent date night, Derek and I went to check out a little cafe in East Austin. It's called Nubian Queen Lola's Cajun Soul Food Kitchen. It's small inside, but Lola has a huge heart. We were the only customers at one point, so while we ate Lola told us her story.

She was once a depressed, alcoholic, but then she found Jesus. She now runs this restaurant all on her own - no cook or server. She even closes on Sundays to feed the homeless. She sells crafts made by a convict whose serving a life sentence. He donates the items to her, and she sells them for her ministry to the homeless. Sometimes customers leave a little extra to help, too. 

She told us that at one point she had a light bill that was $350, and she only had $150. She figured she didn't have enough to pay the bill, so she gave the money away. Then, a customer came in and left her a check for $500. She says the Lord is the one taking care of her, and He's gonna do a better job than anyone else!

She's got a big heart, but she's tough, too! She got the name Nubian when she first opened her cafe. A few guys came in and tried to steal some money from her. She told them she needed it worse than they did! They laughed, told her they just wanted to see if she could make it in this neighborhood, and gave her the name Nubian. It means warrior.

All that, and the food was amazing! I had crawfish etouffee with greens, corn, and cornbread. I swear it melted in my mouth! I can't begin to imagine how much butter and salt is in there, but it's worth it! I would imagine it's the best cajun food and the best soul-food to be had in Austin.

The cafe is at 1815 Rosewood Avenue, and is open Mon-Sat 9-9.

Trees, Fruit and Seasons

So for the last few weeks I have been reading Psalm 1 (it is actually a requirement for a seminary class I am taking. has there ever been a better homework assignment than to read the Word?!) In the Psalm is says a man is blessed if he meditates on the Law of God. Then it illustrates how the blessing turns out. It says, "he is like a tree that is planted by streams of water that yields it's fruit in season." Those last 3 words have really made me think over the last week or so. In my life as an Outdoor Education teacher I used to tell kids about trees and how most trees had a growing time and a dormant period. Which means that only during certain times of the year is a tree actually able to yield fruit. The rest of the year it is impossible for the tree to yield its fruit. That doesn't mean the rest of the year is a waste for the tree. In fact it needs these times in order to be able to bear fruit every year. So why have I been thinking about all of this. 

Well, Jesus makes a point in John 15 to tell his disciples about fruit bearing. And it doesn't stop in John, the Bible is full of analogies that refer us back to the bearing of fruit. In the passage in John Jesus urges his disciples to abide in him in order to bear fruit. In Psalm 1 it tells us a righteous and blessed man yields fruit in season. Which means there are times where we will not be bearing fruit. But that does not mean I still don't abide in the vine. See a branch of a tree has no say in the bearing of fruit. The only job it has is to stay connected to the roots of the tree. As a believer really have no say in when I bear fruit. My only job is to stay connected to the vine/root which is Christ. And just like God the Father will decide when the tree will bear fruit the same goes for me and my life. And, according to Jesus, bearing fruit is what brings glory to God. So I am called to abide and to meditate on the Word and leave growing and bearing up to Him. 

God opposes the proud

"Don't pray for humility because then God will send things in your life to make you humble." These are words I have heard pastors, teachers, and even myself say to believers many times. It is typically said with some kind of laughter or joking laid into it, but I tend to find the things I joke about and am sarcastic about are really the things I am most serious about. So people who have said this, somewhere in their hearts believe this to be true. 

This morning God dropped an eternal weight on me dealing with humility and how lightly we treat it. I have just begun reading in the book of Isaiah. And in the second chapter of the book God says this through His prophet,

"The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day."

He will also make similar statements two other times in the chapter. These verses led me to turn to James and 1 Peter where they say, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." As I thought about those words I became mortified at myself. I don't take pride and humility with enough seriousness. God opposes the proud. I am still young, but I have lived enough of life to know I don't want God in opposition of me. Instead, I want grace. And I came to realize that I want it so badly that I would take all the humiliating circumstances God brings my way to get it. How dare I ever tell someone not to pray for humility. How dare I tell someone not to pray for the grace of God in their life. I realized every time I have made that statement it has been out of pride. Because the humbling circumstances make me look bad. That is pride and when I read Scripture it says God is standing in opposition to that, which means he is standing in opposition to me.

But, if I pray for humility you know what I get? There may be humbling circumstances and difficulties to face, but in all of that I get grace. And Ephesians says that grace will reflect the infinite glory of God in my life. So this morning I prayed two things:

1) For forgiveness for ever telling people to stand in opposition of God. (The realization I had done this absolutely devastated me, but praise Christ for grace)

2) I prayed for humility. I don't know what it will look like or how it will come but I am positive as God begins to cultivate it in my life grace will abound more and more. And I can't think of anything more I long for.

Grace in Galatia

This summer, Derek and I have tried to be purposeful about studying the book of Galatians. We never spent hours in deep conversation over it, but did have a couple of good casual conversations here and there. Mostly, it's just been fun to study God's Word!

I did use a commentary, but only after I'd read Galatians through several times and done my own homiletics on it. (Thank you, BSF.) The commentary I read was by Scot McKnight and is titled "The Galatians NIV Application Commentary". Some of these thoughts I've taken from him. So, here's what I've taken away from Galatians.

Galatians was written by Paul and is thought by many to be the first canonical letter he wrote. I have also heard it referred to as a "mini-Romans". It's more directed to a particular problem Paul was seeing in the church, but the bottom line is still the same: salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works. (Amen!)

The letter was written to the church at Galatia to address their changing positions on one crucial subject: our means of acceptance with God. They were opting for a system in which grace was not crucial and Christ's work was not sufficient. The church had begun listening to the Judaizers, and turning to certain acts of the law as a means of acceptance. Circumcision and Jewish food laws were taking on upmost importance. Their faith was becoming a Jesus + Moses kind of faith. They were choosing a B.C. life in an A.D. world!

Enter Paul, who says, "If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (1:9) Accursed...anathema...condemned..."cut off from Christ" (Romans 9:3)...invoking God's final damnation and wrath on people who distort the gospel of grace in Christ. 

Paul goes on to say, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. "(2:20-21) 

So how does this apply to us today? The gospel has not changed. It is still Christ plus nothing. This book applies to any practice, attitude or theological belief that adds to the gospel and compromises the sufficiency of Christ and life in the Spirit. It's anything that you rely on other than Christ to make yourself acceptable before God. 

The crazy thing is that many things we tend to rely on are not inherently wrong or bad. It could be thinking one style of worship music is more acceptable to God or feeling like a failure because your read-through-the Bible-in-a-year plan died in March. Maybe it's keeping a check list you rely on: baptism, participating in lent, never missing a church service... 

Obviously, hymns are good, reading the Bible is good, baptism is good. The problem comes when I start relying on these things and teaching others they must do these things to be acceptable before God. Paul says let that person be eternally damned. (1:9) What I have to remember is that Christ is sufficient.  Of course you should sing praises to God, read the Bible, get baptized... But these things don't earn me salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Another thing I learned is this: I can keep every rule in the book and perfectly practice the Christian life, and never live in the freedom of the Spirit. Being free is having a relationship with God,  it is the result of the death of Jesus Christ, and it is life in the Spirit. "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (5:18), and anyone who is "led by the Spirit" is a son of God (Romans 8:14). If we listen to God's Spirit and to the teachings of Jesus, we will do what the law was trying to tell us to do. We will love God and love others. We will actually be doing God's will.  

So, what does it mean to be led by God's Spirit? "Legalists are led by the law, hedonists are led by their desires, materialists are led by their possessions. But, Sons of God are led by the Spirit. What prompts their actions, what stirs their emotions, what guides their behavior, and what determines their careers is God's Spirit. Furthermore, sons of God do not fear and worry about where the Spirit will lead them. They know that God's Spirit will lead them perfectly into God's will and God's blessing so they march behind confidently and joyously." (from the commentary)

John Stott says, "True freedom is freedom from my silly little self, in order to live responsibly in love for God and others." Love is defined by Christ's sacrifice on the cross (2:20), inspired by God's Spirit (5:22-23), and expressed by doing good in our relationships (5:13-14, 6:10). Mr. McKnight add, "Being able to love others is not the result of discipline; it is a miracle". Water is turned into wine as the Spirit takes control of our lives.

Whew! I know I'm more than a little challenged to love well. So this is my prayer...for freedom in the Spirit and to allow the Spirit control of my life with the result of loving God and loving others well.

The Only Real Way to Live

I figure it would be a little prideful for Derek to post his own sermon, but it's okay for me. I know I'm a little biased, but I thought it was really good. It's stuck with me and challenged me this week.  

As a result, little inconveniences have served to remind me that I'm not at the center of the universe...not even my own universe. In Mark 8:34, Jesus says,"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." But taking up the cross doesn't look like my everyday struggles. (As I once thought.)

Jesus took up the only cross that matters, and He proclaimed, "It is finished!" It's not my job to try and earn some form of salvation by struggling to do good things. So what is my part? Jesus. Period. It's not about me. It's about the sufficiency of Jesus Christ in all things. He died on that cross because I couldn't. (Oh, how amazing grace is!) So things like smelly trash, my dog pooping in the floor at 4 am, and a bathtub that seems to lack a drain, are not my cross to bear. But they are great little means to the end of denying myself. 

http://www.wbcaustin.org/sermons/

Embracing Austin II

We've just experienced a thoroughly Austin weekend. Derek preached this Sunday so our friends, Will and Kaely, came down and hung out with us. We went to Hamilton Pool, ate pizza at Frank & Angie's, and watched the bats fly out to hunt.

Yes...those of you who don't live in Austin, you read right. Come to find out, Austin has the largest urban bat colony in North America. The Congress Avenue Bridge is host to up to 1.5 million of the little creatures, and August is the best time of year to watch them. So, along with a couple thousand others, we watched their nightly migration to find food. Apparently they are good to have around as they can eat anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects a night!

Before & After

We've been busy lately. Charlie got a new do. And we moved. Not out of Austin...actually closer in. We are renting an apartment that's cut my drive in half and cut our rent. (Yea Dave Ramsey!) The night before our move, our movers cancelled on us. But, a few good men from WBC saved the day. Thank you Matt, Matt, Michael, and Eddie!

The day I don't matter!!

This is the first time I have posted anything on this blog. This may be the last time I post anything on here, too. I am not opposed to blogging, obviously. Most of the time I just can't think of anything to say. So since this could be the one an only, here we go.

The title of this blog is basically what I am striving for. I have spent the last year in a painful, beautiful, and all around interesting place spiritually (I hate using that word because I don't think life should be compartmentalized in to sacred and secular, but I can't think of a better word). I was thinking about it the other day and the best way I can describe it is like drinking from a fire hose. I feel like God has poured Himself out in my life in some vary astounding ways and I have loved drinking it all in. The scary part of all of this is that some times the water is coming so fast and in such great quantities that it feels like I'm drowning and I don't know how to turn in off. Not to mention the fact, that if I turn it off I don't know if I can turn it back on again.

Through all of this here is what I have come to realize. I use the word I too much. God has been showing me that all of the things that happen in this life are really about Jesus. I think if you asked most people they would say this in principle, but don't truly live life with this view. But if you read the Bible (which is all about Jesus, by the way, and when I say all I truly mean all. Every word in the Old Testament and New Testament are about Jesus) it seems to point to the ultimate reality where Jesus is before all things, in all things, and all things are held together because of Him. That means I breathe today because of Him, I eat today not because I made the food or made the money to buy the food, but because Jesus gives me food to eat. I make money because He gave me a job and gave me the capacity to think and reason. So if all that is true then all of the stuff I do in life isn't about me. Instead, it is about Him and His glory and His renown. 

This truth has brought a heavy and abiding weight to my soul. Mainly because 90% of my day is spent thinking about myself and what is good for me. 9.9% is spent thinking somewhat about other people and their feelings. I may actually squeeze Jesus into about .1% of my day, and those are the good days. But I will continue to fight and continue to struggle. Because Paul said in Galatians that the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh are in complete opposition. He goes on to say that the Spirit can overcome the flesh. It is for that day I long, hope, fight, struggle and persevere. All for the day that I don't matter.

 

amazingly good chocolate chip cookies

These are Derek's favorite cookies, and he doesn't even like chocolate. We are having a lazy summer day, and he's been dropping hints. So, I decided to make a batch. This recipe is also from The Pastry Queen Cookbook by Rebecca Rather. (I've got no shame in the fact that just about every desert I make has her name on it.) 

I've come to the conclusion that any recipe that starts out with 1 stick of butter + 1 cup of sugar is going to taste great in the end. So, the fact that this one starts with 2 sticks of butter + 2 cups of sugar (1 granulated, 1 brown) says it all. The smell of butter, sugar, and vanilla all creamed together warms my heart. Oh, and yes, that does say 3 cups of chocolate chips.

1 1/2 c walnuts

1 1/2 c pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 c firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 1/3 c all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 scant tsp salt

3 c chocolate cups

Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast for 7-9 min. Cool and then coarsely chop.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease generously. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars in a large bowl on medium speed about 1 min, until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until incorporated.  Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. Drop the dough in golf-ball size mounds, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 min. (It's okay if the middle still looks a little raw as long as the edges are brown.) Viola!

from everlasting to everlasting...

"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."  -Psalm 90:2

"tell him I am sick with love."  -Song of Solomon 5:8

"And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."  -Isaiah 58:11

"I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber."  -Psalm 121:1-3

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."  -Psalm 143:8