Trading Tea for Elephants

Sandalwood  "After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus;  and Pilate granted permission.  So he came and took away His body.  Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of Myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."  John 19:38-40 Joseph and NIcodemus were both part of the Sanhedrin.  While Jesus was living, they kept their faith a secret and lived in fear.  However, when they saw Jesus sacrifice his life on the cross it was then that their love for Him grew and they became men of strong courage.  They went to ask for Jesus's body... a man who had just died a criminal's death.  Joseph gave his own new tomb and Nicodemus gave an extravagant amount of spices.  Both of these actions show the

Almond Flour Cinnamon Roll Scones These delicious cinnamon roll style scones are perfect for your Easter brunch.  A sweet treat without the gluten.  They do take a little prep work, but well worth the effort.  If you don't have time to do the entire process before your meal, you can also make the log ahead of time, refrigerate, slice and bake when you are ready to eat them. For the Scone: 2 cups Almond Flour 1 cups finely chopped roasted and salted almonds 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 2 T honey 2 eggs at room temperature (if the eggs are cold it will cause the coconut oil to harden) Filling: 1/2 cup raisins + 4 drops cardamom essential oil 1/2 cup dried cranberries + 4 drops of wild orange essential oil 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 2 T ground cinnamon 1. Mix the raisins + cardamom oil in a bowl and set aside.  Do the same with the dried cranberries + wild orange oil. 2.  Mix almond flour, finely c

As I headed into 2016, my list of goals for this year included a commitment to strengthening my body. I love to get outside and run.  I have found ways to continue moving over the years even if it meant pushing babies or getting up early in the morning.  This year, however, the hubby leaves for work at 5:45... and I am not that crazy... and I am homeschooling my eight year old, who is well beyond the years of being in a jogging stroller.  So I invested in some awesome exercise videos to do inside my home.  I love them.  Some days we make it a whole family event, even the kids get in on it.  The workouts are challenging for me and there are definitely moments when my brain starts to tell me to quit, but I keep pressing on because I have a goal.  The woman leading the exercises seems to know what is going on in my brain and keeps encouraging me to remember those goals.  A constant cheerleader giving encouragement to stay the course and push on with endurance. Our spiritual life can al

Once upon a time there lived a little girl named He Liang.  When she was born, she had a stroke that permanently changed the way her brain communicated to the right side of her body.  She lived in an apartment next to an orphanage in China where most of her days were spent waiting.  Waiting for someone to pick her up out of her crib.  Waiting for someone to play with her.  Just waiting.  No one told her that she needed to move.  No one told her that her right side was capable of so much more. And so she neglected the right side of her body because she didn't know any different.   Right after her fifth birthday, she met a man and woman from American.  They told her they would be her Daddy and Mommy and she would now live with them.  Her new name would be Eliana Hope because God had answered them with HOPE and He would also answer her with HOPE too.  She would no longer have to wait for someone to play with her, she would be surrounded by brothers and sisters.  There were so

Last week it was snowing.  Hard to believe today as I sit in 80 degree weather.  But that is spring in this part of the country.  The snowy day reminded me of a day in March last year.  We had been on a whirlwind adventure in the housing market and found ourselves with no place to call home.  The house we had hoped to make our new stomping ground was scooped up by another family.  The house we had called home for the past eight years was sold.  Thoughts of just taking the money and making a run for it definitely crossed our minds a few times.  But God had already made clear to us that we were supposed to stay here.  And so we looked and looked and looked for a new home. We were actually looking for a single family house where our team could grow and where we could provide a safe place for anyone who needed a rest.  It was exciting and stressful and so many emotions all at the same time.  And then it happened.  A new home came on the market.  I went to see the property and had to catc

Guilt waits behind every decision to rob your joy.  Maybe you actually did something wrong.  Or maybe you just didn't measure up to your perceived set of standards.  Either way, here you are stuck with the weight of guilt dragging you down.  The heaviness can become paralyzing.  Guilt often travels with fear and condemnation.  Their lies are poison.  How could you have done that?  Again? .... No one else struggles with this.... You are a horrible person, friend, mother, wife.... You are a failure....     And on and on the darts fly to the deepest part of the soul.  Guilt is a pit that can threaten to hold you captive forever unless you fight those lies with Truth. In the book of Romans, we learn that ALL have sinned.  ALL fall short.  ALL mess up.  ALL are imperfect.  ALL.   Three letters that light the lamp of freedom.  You are not unique in your failure.  No one measures up.  That is why we need Jesus.  If anyone could do life perfectly, then we wouldn't need a Savior.  J