The Sinful Woman...

The story of this particular woman is found in Luke 7:36-50.  Again, it is a familiar story, but I stopped and really looked at the details of her story and how the men in the story responded to her actions. 

Let's set the stage for the story:

Who:  Simon the Pharisee, Jesus, other guests, the sinful woman (immoral woman)

What:  the men were enjoying a meal at Simon's house, this woman appears with a very expensive vial of perfume to anoint Jesus' feet, Simon assumed that Jesus didn't know who she was and that Jesus couldn't know his thoughts - but Jesus knew both!  Simon learned an important lesson that day.

When: while they were reclined at the dinner table (they didn't sit at the table, but reclined beside the table - how was that comfortable?!)

Why: the woman had heard that Jesus was at Simon's house and she wanted to bless Jesus because she loved Him for loving people like her

How:  she stood behind him, she cried so hard that her tears wet his feet, she wiped his feet with her hair then anointed his feet with her expensive perfume, she kissed his feet - and he stayed where he was and let her do what she came to do


As I was going over these facts of the story, some questions came to mind -

What had she seen and heard about Jesus that made her want to approach a famous but controversial rabbi?

Why did she bring expensive perfume to anoint him?  How could she afford such an item?  Was she a high profile prostitute with wealthy clients?

How did she have access to Simon's house and why did he not have her removed when he clearly knew who and what she was?

Hmm...

I love the result of her brave actions.  Jesus knew who she was, what she was.  But he also knew her heart and her love for him.  Because she took a chance to show him, he provided three things to her:

Forgiveness

Salvation

Peace

He offers the same three things to any of us who approach him with repentance and love - regardless of who or what we are, what we've done...

Sadly, I can't get any pics to upload so today's recipe (Shrimp and Cheesy Grits) will have to wait.  It's a good one, too!  I'll keep trying...

Her son was dead...

Returning to the stories of women Jesus "saw"...

In Luke 7:11-16 we find the story of a widow who's only son had died.  In those days, this was a tragedy!  She now was going to be cast on to the benevolence of society to have her needs met...or not.

The Word says that there were lots of people with her in the funeral procession, but it also makes it clear that she now had no one else to care for her.  Well-meaning friends and neighbors get busy and forget...

Jesus could have kept on His journey, but He SAW her and felt compassion for her...a woman other people would avoid because she wasn't their responsibility.  He knew why this widow was weeping...every reason why she was weeping and said to her, Do not weep.  She probably looked at Him in shock.

But, our Jesus doesn't just say comforting words.  He does things that show us His love. 

The Bible says that He walked up to the coffin and touched it.  The men that were carrying the coffin came to a halt. 

Young man, I say to you, arise!

The widow's son sat up and started talking!  Can you imagine how freaked out the people were who witnessed the young man's coming alive?!  The passage says that fear gripped them all and they began glorifying God.

I LOVE the next phrase - And Jesus gave him back to his mother.  Jesus, who saw every aspect of the widow's heartache made sure that she was the first person to hold this young man in her arms.  I'm sure she felt as if her heart would burst with the joy of it all.  And Jesus did that for her...a woman who just moments before had had no one to care for her...

This same Jesus sees you and me and our struggles and hurts; our weeping...

He tells us, do not weep...because He cares for us!  Do not weep and look expectantly for what He will do...our hearts will burst with the joy of it all!


Egg Stuffed Tomatoes

I recently made this for my honey and me for a weekend breakfast.  It was pretty yummy!

Recipe found on Pinterest  from Give Recipe
Serves 3

3 large round tomatoes
3 tsp butter
3 eggs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cut the tops of tomatoes.

 Remove all the pulp and seeds inside with a spoon. (It helps if you cut around the rim with a sharp knife first.)

Place baking paper in a baking dish and put tomatoes in dish. (I put ours in a muffin tin.  Next time, I will bake them in ramekins.)

Put 1 tsp butter in each tomato and crack one egg in each tomato.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and herb of choice (I used oregano).

Cook for 25-30 minutes or until egg is cooked to your satisfaction.
Serve hot with toast.  It would also be good with toast sticks for dipping, if you like the yolk runny.

 
 

Merry Christmas...

 Wow, I've been busy...and I've been ill - holiday dinners and parties continue to be a source of hidden gluten (even though I'm assured my food is gluten free by well-meaning people) and dairy is no longer a friend.  So sad...

We frequently say in our family, "It is what it is!"  So, I will look for and be grateful for God's blessings and enjoy spending time with family this Christmas as we welcome our newest granddaughter the day after Christmas.  I'm so looking forward to meeting her!

Life goes on with its joys and difficulties regardless of the season.  So, I pray for all of us and all of you to be grateful for the blessings and moments of joy and to lean on our Savior, Jesus, who gave up Heaven to come to Earth so we can find peace and joy in this life when the inevitable turmoil happens.  May we all find rest and comfort in His wonderful love.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

A desperate mother...

November is here and I added the Thanksgiving decorations to the Fall decorations.  I love the history behind the holiday.  We were blessed to be able to take our girls to Plimoth Plantation in Cape Cod, Massachusetts when they were younger after reading The Light and the Glory, the true story of the small band of people who followed God's leading to the new land across the Atlantic.  They made major sacrifices so their families could have freedom to worship God.  If you ever get a chance to go, it is an eye-opening experience. 

Did you know that at one point during their first winter their food consisted of five kernels of corn each day?  The next spring, the nearby Wampanoag Indians taught them how to plant crops in the new land and showed them what was available as game to shoot or catch to feed their families.  The Pilgrims and these Indians enjoyed a good working relationship and the Pilgrims wanted to express their thanks to God and the Wampanoags by having a feast - thus Thanksgiving was born.

Many books picture the Pilgrims as stern religious people who only wore black and white.  But, in reality, they loved color.  Their clothes were colorful as were many pieces of furniture.  They also loved to sing and dance.  Doesn't sound very stern to me!


Jesus Cared About Women

There is a story in Matthew 15 about a Canaanite woman who approached Jesus.  She was desperate to get help for her daughter. 

Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.  My daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.

This mother loved her daughter and was so desperate for relief for her that she approached this famous Jewish rabbi and begged Him for mercy. She had obviously heard of the miraculous healings He had performed.  That's what she wanted for her daughter and was desperate enough to be bold enough to take a chance that He would hear her and heal her daughter.

Jesus' disciples were offended that she would even approach Jesus and demanded that He send her away. Jesus told them something that seemed to infer that He agreed with them.  I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  But, I really think He was just trying to get the disciples to think outside the box.

The desperate mother approached Jesus and bowed down before Him.  Lord, help me!  Can you imagine the tears running down her cheeks.  If He wouldn't help her, there was nothing else she could do.  Jesus tested her by His answer to her.

It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.

She boldly answered, Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master's table.  She knew she had no claim on His help, but desperate mothers do and say desperate things.

Jesus could have refused to help her, but He didn't.  At that point, He didn't see her as a Canaanite but as a woman who recognized Him for who He was. 

O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.

And her daughter was immediately healed!

Do you ever see yourself as unworthy to ask God for help?  The key is not in our ability to be the right person or to ask in the right way.  The key is in knowing who He is - not just positionally, but relationally.  Do you know Him?  

Suffering from a hemorrhage...

This stack of painted pumpkins is at my friend's house.  So cute!  There's one just like it on the other side of the sidewalk.  They are faux pumpkins she purchased at Michael's.  She had her husband drill a hole and put sand in them so they wouldn't blow away in our lovely Panhandle wind.  Then she painted them.  She will be able to use them for many years to come. 
 ________________

As I began studying the different stories of Jesus' encounters with women, one of the first accounts that came to mind was about the woman who had suffered with a hemorrhage for twelve years.

Twelve years.  Think about it.  That would be like having "that time of the month" for twelve years!  Oh goodness!

The story found in Matthew 9 and Mark 5 records that she had been through many treatments at the hands of many physicians and nothing worked.  Nothing worked.

I've been down that road before.  Being critically ill and going from doctor to doctor, paying thousands of dollars for tests that were inconclusive - it can be so discouraging.  There were many times before I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I wished I could physically do what this woman did to be healed.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

She had evidently heard that if you wanted to be healed, you had to go see the rabbi Jesus.  You need to understand something.  This woman was considered unclean because of the hemorrhage.  The last thing she could expect would be for a rabbi to lay his hands on her or have anything to do with her.

She was so desperate for healing that she came up behind him in a crowd and touched the fringe of his prayer shawl, reasoning that just touching his garment would bring the relief she craved.

She was right!  She was immediately healed and probably quietly turned to head home even though she wanted to shout and dance. She almost got away with it. But, this is Jesus we are talking about.  He immediately sensed power flowing from his body.

He turned and gave her the opportunity to fess up.  "Who touched my garments?"  The disciples couldn't believe their ears and reminded Jesus that he was in a crowd...he was touched constantly. 

But Jesus knew this woman needed more than healing.  She needed an encounter with him.  He caught her eye and she fell down before him in fear, shaking because she had not had his permission to touch his garments.  Before she knew it, the whole story came pouring out of her mouth.  I'm pretty sure she was crying...

Jesus didn't get mad at her, or condemn her, or show disgust at her ailment or her daring action.  He listened to her story, then he called her Daughter.  Daughter.  Like a loving father.  And told her that her faith had made her well, that she could go with peace in her heart because she had been healed physically and could now live without any of the affliction she had suffered from for twelve long years.  You don't have to see the words on the page - you know she loved him for the rest of her life.

Jesus cares...

It's a beautiful rainy Fall morning, my favorite kind - no wind, just gentle falling rain.  It's the kind of rain that reminds me that God sees me, loves me and covers me with His grace...wonderful life-giving, freedom-endowing grace.


I'm teaching Grown-up Girls at a friend's house on Tuesday mornings.  It's a small group of gracious empty nest women who love the Lord.  I'm used to teaching younger women, so this has been a stretch for me.  However, it has been wonderful to connect with other moms whose children have their own lives apart from us.  There is comfort in our shared heartache.

This particular friend who hosts this group is a designer and her home is gorgeous.  Every week I come home and rearrange some little knick knack.  I learn from how she uses things in unusual ways.  One of the things that got some tweaking was the new blue tray on my coffee table that I found on the bottom shelf at T.J. Maxx.  It makes it so much easier when little ones come over to pick up a tray with all the breakables and put it up where they can't get to it. 

I gathered different fall items and things that fit into the color scheme of red, orange and brown (plus the one green bird planter) and arranged them on the tray.  I messed with it all day until I liked the look of the tray from all angles.  And, yes, I know it will look differently next year...

Jesus Cares About Women

We live in a world where still many times women are overlooked.  I saw a documentary piece about a culture where women still are seen as property.  I couldn't help but wonder what Jesus would do if He encountered those same women.  We will take a look at some of the stories in the Bible about some real encounters.  I hope you will be encouraged.

The first woman I looked at was the first woman in Jesus' life - His mother, Mary.  Luke 1:26-38 is the story of Gabriel announcing the Messiah's coming to Mary, who would bear Him in her womb, then give birth to Him, raise Him and see prophecy fulfilled in His death.

God announced the most important birth in the history of the world to a young woman first.  Think about that for a moment. 

She was also at the foot of His cross as He was dying.  I'm sure her heart was tearing into pieces as she watched His agony.  I can't imagine such a horrific thing.  But, Jesus loved her, looked down in His struggle, saw her and asked John to make sure to take care of her.  (John 19:25-27)

Abba, thank You for sending Jesus to be flesh-and-blood unconditional love for women, as well as men.  Help me as I teach to sound out that message loud and clear so those women who don't know or understand Your love will be set free to receive Your love and live in Your astounding grace.  Amen


Hummus

My honey doesn't like the sound of the name of this dip.  He thinks it sounds like someone clearing their throat.  That's not very appetizing!  So we call it Red Pepper Bean Dip.  Haha!

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed
3 roasted red peppers from a jar
3 cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
a few dashes of Tabasco
1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.  If you like it spicier, you can add more Tabasco or some sliced jalapenos.  Refrigerate.

This "dip" is delicious with any cut vegetables, crackers or chips.

Pumpkins and apples...

As soon as we got back home from celebrating our youngest daughter's birthday and loving on our grandsons, I rearranged some of the Fall decorations with some new things I had purchased.  Have I told you how much I love Fall?  Ha!

Since menopause, I can't remember where I put the decorations the year before so it's like starting all over with new stuff.  Seriously...  If I didn't know how much God loves me, I'd be a little scared.  It also helps to have recently learned that it is completely normal and I can retrain my brain to begin remembering again.  Let's just say that I've gone through a LOT of sticky notes!

My favorite Fall decoration is the pumpkins stacked in the urn on top of a Walmart Fall wreath (on sale).  I purchased the faux pumpkins on sale at Hobby Lobby last year.  This year, I put the urn in my dining room.  I love the colors against the burgundy of the walls.

More Fall decorations next week...


Adjustments

Since eighth grade, I have wanted to be a published author.  So this summer, when my book Grown-up Girls came out, you would think I would be excited that I had finally reached that goal.  I was excited until I realized that women wouldn't just be reading the book and learning God's truth as they worked through its lessons; people would begin to expect things from me for which I was unprepared - like autographs and an instant off-the-cuff synopsis of the book.  I'm a writer.  I have to think about things and see them in print so they make sense in my brain before they come out of my mouth.  I probably looked like a deer in the headlights.  AH!!!!

I'm just going to be honest with you.  It kinda freaked me out!  I am naturally an introvert and my instinct is to hide away at home.  Looking back, I can see how I have intensified one of my coping behaviors to handle the uncomfortable feelings.  Sometimes, I do escape to a quiet place for a few minutes - usually a bathroom.  But, more often I just start chatting away to chase away awkward silence. 

Did you notice my absence from the blog?  Um...yeah - hiding...  I think I'm back, at least for a weekly post.

I've also encountered some spiritual warfare.  The enemy has attacked, while I'm sleeping, with my old fears, waking me in the middle of the night - reminding me of my old insecurities, telling me that I can't teach because I can't remember things.   

I'm so grateful that I can run to my Abba!  He has gently encouraged me that the message He has given me to share is not about me.  It's about how much He loves the women that will receive the message.  And He has assured me that He will use me if I'm just willing - insecurities and all.  I sure love Him!


Crockpot Oatmeal

I saw this recipe on Facebook and thought I'd give it a try since we like oatmeal.  Oatmeal is best if it soaks overnight, so this recipe seemed perfect for us.  We had it this morning and it was delicious.  It was so nice to come out to a healthy hot breakfast ready to eat.

Layer in the crockpot in order - DO NOT STIR:

2 large Granny Smith apples, sliced 
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups milk of choice
2 cups water

Cook overnight, 8-9 hours, on LOW

The sliced apples, syrup, cinnamon and salt:

All the ingredients in the crockpot ready to cook:

The cooked oatmeal - Yum!