Childlike Faith

Back in 2000, when I was five years old, I began having leg pains. Sometimes they were so bad I would just beat the couch up from sheer frustration.
We went to doctor after doctor and could not figure out the source of the problem. A lot of people were diagnosing it as 'growing pains'. My wise parents thought otherwise.

Our final destination sent us up to Riley's hospital. The correct diagnoses revealed a terrible disease known as Leg Calve Perthes. It was eating my hips. There was/is no cure. By the time August rolled around I was sentenced to a wheelchair.

Every other week, we made the long grueling trip up to Riley hospital to get x-rays and MRIs to monitor how far along the disease was progressing.

I had no idea what was really happening. All I remember was that I thought it pretty cool to be riding in a wheelchair. For me, that meant getting out of chores. That wore off after a while. Like any normal five year old I wanted to run and play.

After being in the wheel chair for two months, reality set in. I remember my mom gently telling me that I might never walk again. I didn't miss a beat.
"Don't worry mom, God is going to heal me. We just need to pray" I said confidently. I didn't realize what was at stake.
I remember thinking, 'God is going to heal me.' There was not a doubt in my mind.

Towards the end of the summer we made the trip up to Riley and I got x-rayed. The results revealed that I had a thread of hip bone left holding me together. I was stuck with looking at a terrible limp for the rest of my life.

After I had the last x-ray the hospital didn't call as prompt as they had before. Two weeks passed before mom decided to call the hospital.
The nurse pulled my results up and told mom over the phone, "We can't explain this, Mrs. Long, but Haley's disease is completely gone. Her hip bone is completely healed. It is all intact."
When mom told me that I simply said, "See, mom, I told you God would heal me."

Oh, that we could all have that childlike faith. I have often gone back and replayed that whole scenario in my mind, wishing that I could somehow retrieve that kind of simplistic faith.
The older we get, the more problems we encounter. The bigger the problem, the bigger our doubt becomes.
It makes sense as to why Jesus said "Come to me as little children." Children have such a full, trusting heart. They never doubt why this or that may be happening. They simply trust the one who is in charge. They know they don't have to worry. It's all in good hands.
Adults however, don't see it quite that way.

So as you mosey on through life, and the the trials come, remember: God's got your back. Though it seems as if everything will be lost, trust. God made you. He has everything in His hands. Leave it there.
Trust Him with a childlike faith.

Boston Creme Pie Tutorial

I was making Boston Creme Pies last night. So I thought I'd take pictures and turn it into a tutorial for my blog. :)
(Please bear with me, I'm not a photographer)

I didn't really have an exact recipe to follow so I kind of tweaked an old one (s) and put it together.

Lemon Cake (originally Yellow Cake)

Ingredients:
21/4 cups cake flour (regular all-purpose flour works just fine)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk (I used half and half because it was on hand and it makes the cake creamier)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lemon juice
3 eggs

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour a sheet cake pan or bar stone pan. Whichever one you have on hand
2. Into large bowl, measure all ingredients;

With mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Pour batter into pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Let the cake sit in the pan for about ten minutes. With a serrated knife cut even squares. When they are cool enough place on a cooling rack

While the cake is in the oven you will need to make a lemon-curd filling

Ingredients:
1 lemon
3/4 butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs.

Directions:

1. From lemon, grate 1 TBS peel and squeeze 3 TBS juice.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stir lemon juice, lemon peel, butter, and sugar until butter melts.
3. in small bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add eggs to butter mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick and coats the back of a spoon well, about 15 minutes (do not boil or mixture will curdle). Pour filling into a bowl; cover and chill. I chilled mine in the freezer because it was quicker and it took only about 30-45 minutes total.

Cut the cake squares through the middle. Spread the chilled lemon filling lightly on both pieces. Put the halves back together and sprinkle the top lightly with powdered sugar.

And Voila!! 

A Long Sister Gig

I thought I might have a bit of fun and post a few pictures from our singing gig earlier this evening.

We sang at an antique show over in a nearby town. We were filling in for someone else who couldn't make it.

It was almost a disaster. Emily and I had contracted colds. A bad concoction for trying to sing. I had forgotten some of my piano music, and mom had forgotten the camera. So mom decided to zip back home, driving my Grandpa's red Mustang, and retrieve the items we had forgotten.

Soon after that, the man in charge asked if we could sing for an hour instead of the original forty-five minutes. We agreed and hastily added five more songs we hadn't practiced. Then a little bit after that, the man came back to us and asked if we could sing for another fifteen minutes. Steph and I went behind the stage and came up with five more songs. Which we hadn't practiced in a while either.

Meanwhile the rest of the Yeahoos were out having boat loads of fun.
No, the kid in front is not ours. :)

Mom arrived in time, and we were a go for launch!

You'll never find a flattering picture of yourself singing. Excuse the terrible expressions on our faces. :D

Turns out we didn't sing all of the songs we had, which was ok. Though, we could have sang for a while longer. 

We had one last song to sing so we chose "You Get a Line I Get a Pole, Honey" 

Twas a lot of fun. Including playing Freeze Tag, Fox and Eggs, and Dutch Blitz. 

As a side note, we just ate dinner.....it's ten PM.... :D

Ta Ta for now!!!

Chazak Amats,

Haley

The Clock is Running Down

Time is of essence. Whether we realize it, or not.

This past Sunday guest speaker Rick Grubb gave a powerful sermon on time. It revolutionized my thinking and the way I now live. I couldn't keep this good, convicting stuff to myself, so I'm sharing it with you! :P

What does it mean to redeem time? 

• Redeem: to rescue from going to waste
• Time: the passing of life.

If time means the passing of life, then how much time do we have? 

The average life span is seventy years. Say you are thirty-five. Already half of your life is gone! To what has it gone to? What change have you made in the world? What service have you done for God? You have only thirty-five years left. Unless you succeed and live past seventy therefore making you one who is living on borrowed time. ;)

Why is it so important to redeem the time?

Our time is limited; death is certain. Hebrews 9:27 says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" 

Our use of time brings about eternal consequences whether they be good or bad. Whatever you invest your time in here on earth you are going to reap the consequences for years and years to come. 

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." 2 Corinthians 5:11

Time is not recoverable.

James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

Time is our most valuable earthly possession.

Matthew 25:14-30

We must give an account to God

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."

When you have a car running and it is sitting idle, what does it do? It wastes gas. When you are idling away your time you are literally throwing your life down the drain. Bottom line.

If we know what we know....

Why do we still do what we do?

What are specific ways I can redeem the time?

A) Learn how to wake up and get up

"How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." Proverbs 6:9-10

"As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed." Proverbs 26:14

You know your favorite button on your alarm clock? Yeah, the snooze button. The alarm goes off, you slap the snooze button, "Just ten minutes more..." It goes off again...."Oh, sleeping here for ten more minutes is not going to kill me..." By the time you actually get out of the bed most of your morning is gone; completely wasted by you sleeping. 

B) Get organized. 

Arrange your life so God can use you to your fullest potential. 

"Let all things be done decently and in order." 1 Corinthians 14:40

C) Identify and eliminate time wasters.

"Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."

Two questions you should ask before committing your time to any activity:

1. What will be the fruit of this activity in 5 years?
2. What will be the fruit of this activity in Eternity?

D) Conquer Procrastination!!! 

"And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient time I will call for thee." 

There is no record of Felix ever finding the right moment. Because of procrastination Felix is most likely now spending eternity in Hell. 

The real key to redeeming the time:

Constantly ask yourself: 

"What does God want me to do right now? 

 Don't waste your life. Do something for God. And do it now. 

THE CLOCK IS RUNNING DOWN!

Rick Grubbs lives in South Carolina with his wife Carrie and their 11 children. He is available for workshops and seminars. His web site is: Life Changing Seminars. There are many wonderful resources available there!