A Mother's Day Cake

 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.                                                                                   ~John 14:6 KJV

I’ve got this pretty good pound cake recipe I like to use for Mother’s Day because it goes well with fresh strawberries. I say pretty good because it has a good texture and flavor, but to make it Mad Dog Pound Cake I have to add the boiled syrup. I pour the syrup over the cake and in the middle. It sits and soaks and mmmmmmmmmmm. With the first bite, the syrup is running out the corner of your mouth and dripping off your chin. Of course, that’s an exaggeration but it sure seems that good.

Our lives are a lot like a pretty good pound cake. Most of us would say we are pretty good people, but is pretty good, good enough to get us into heaven? My pound cake totally changes when the syrup is poured over it and into it. The syrup can’t be removed and no one would want to scrape it off. No one wants the cake without the syrup once they’ve tried it. Jesus said no one comes to the Father but by Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We can’t get to heaven or be a true Christian without first coming to Jesus. When our lives are covered by His blood and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are totally different people, fit for the kingdom of God. Only Jesus makes us good enough. Like syrup, once we’ve experienced salvation, there’s no going back to the old pretty good person and no one would want to.

                                        Have you allowed Jesus to pour over and into your life?

If you'd like a recipe for Maddog Cake, subscribe by email in the box at the top right and leave a comment below. 

Happy Mother’s Day.
Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever tried to make a recipe and it "flopped"? Once I used the wrong kind of flour in my cake recipe. It overflowed into the oven and created a horrible mess. 

I just used self-rising flour instead of plain flour! Not a big deal, one would think.

What would happen if I had put in salt instead of sugar? The cake would have to be completely thrown out and started over!

Our lives are like recipes. 

God has the recipe for us. We just need to read and follow His plan.

Romans 3:23 says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Somehow we all manage to add that sin "ingredient" into our lives.

Now, how do we fix the problem? We can't, but God can!

Romans 10:13 says Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Flowers and Families

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Genesis 1:11

I love peonies. My favorite is the anemone peony. It's not as common as the double peonies that are filled with petals. Both are beautiful but to me, the Anemone is more delicate. Though the anemone may be more delicate looking, it has the same parts as other flowers that allow it to reproduce itself. Inside, the very middle contains the carpel. The carpel contains a trinity of parts.

Carpel

• the stigma 
• the style
•  the ovary. 

This is the female part. 

The stamen surround the carpel. It only has two parts.  

Stamen

• the anther
• the filament. 

These are the male parts. 

Lastly, the petals protect and accentuate the inner workings of the peony.  You can learn more about peonies here. 

Flowers are like families. The mother and father are the center of the family surrounded by God's loving hands. It's as if God's cupped hands hold the family. They protect the family. It's inside those petals, those cupped hands that the flower produces seeds, the offspring of the flower. If any part of the flower is broken, the flower doesn't produce the optimum seed. If the carpel or the stamen is damaged the flower cannot reproduce. If the petals are damaged then they can't protect the male and female parts; the seed may be less viable.

So in God's cupped hands, families produce offspring, held and protected, where the children can be nurtured, and mature into the people God intends them to be. Families create another trinity, the mother, the father, and the child(ren). If any part of the family is missing there can be no children. If any part of the family is damaged by sin it is more difficult to raise the children. God's loving hands will not be damaged but He will not hold those who will not be held. 

 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

Yes, we have all sinned, so it is up to us to ask forgiveness and allow the Lord to restore His loving hands around our families. There must be a commitment for the optimal family relationship. 

Commitment

• Individual commitment to the Lord
• Commitment to the marriage
• Commitment as a couple to the Lord

So what does that look like? 

• Daily commitment to the reading of God's word
• Daily commitment to prayer
• Weekly commitment to the house of God

These are hard things to ask in the busy, hurried, distracted days in which we live, but it is the only way we can restore our homes and our nation. It has to start with us. Government, laws, not even churches can fix our problems. 

You've heard "Stop and smell the roses." Maybe we need to stop and look deeply into the peony and how God has fashioned it as well as the roses. 

How has God surrounded your family with His love and protection? 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for neglecting You. Help us renew our commitments to You and our families. Please restore Your loving hands around our families and our nation. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Have you wondered how you can help improve your family? It's not just mom and dad's responsibility. 

What can you do to make life easier for your family? 

Here are a few ideas:

• pick up your toys and clothes
• do your homework without being asked
• walk away from a fuss with your siblings.
• remind your parents to have family devotion and prayer time

What other ideas can you add? 

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Proverbs20:11

Blessings,

Gail

Be Still

 

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10

Our grandchildren took us on a hike to their secret hideout. They led us up leafy paths and across boulders to the dirt road rarely traveled anymore. There along the road bloomed dwarf irises and tiny white violets. The youngest reached down gently touching the purple petals of the iris, studying it with her eyes and hands. 

The other child noticed the violets and searched for the heart shaped leaves, but these were a little different. These were the more rare violets with the oblong leaves. As we turned back onto another trail mountain laurel were budding. "Laurel, that's my middle name. I'm named for the mountain laurel."

Ferns were popping up along the trail with fiddle heads beginning to unfurl. The littlest announced, " My middle name is Fern. I'm named after the ferns."

Two small children interacting, connecting their lives to God's creation, appreciating it's beauty, beholding the majesty. How often do we pass by in our hurried lives missing the wonders of purple irises, delicate white violets, clusters of mountain laurel, and the unfurling fronds of ferns. We had not reached a specific secret hideout. We had reached the spot where children naturally Be still, where God is exalted in the earth. We were hidden from all that disturbs and knew that He is God. 

Where is your secret hideout? Where do you go to be still? 

Hey Kids:

Do you have a place where you can go and be still with God? 

Maybe you don't have woods but are there other places?

You might want to try making a quiet spot.

• a sunny corner of your room
• a small chair in the back of the flower bed
• seated on a limb of a leafy tree
• on a rock beside a trickling stream
• on a bench underneath a flowering tree

Maybe you could grow a quiet spot. Stand in the middle of an area where you could plant a circle of sunflower seeds around you. Pull the weeds and watch your flowers grow. By summer you will have your own quiet spot surrounded by sunflowers. 

Blessings, 

Gail