Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

I have been reading the book written by Jane Jarrell, titled, "Simple Hospitality". I thought I might share a little of it with you.

I really enjoyed reading this one thing that she wrote about using the letters that spell out the word "hospitality". So today we look at the H.

H--Hospital for the Soul

Why does one go to the hospital? To visit, maybe, or to welcome a new person into the world. But oftentimes it's because our bodies are broken. A hospital can be a place to go for healing and repair.

So the word hospitable is taken from the word hospital, which means a charitable institution, a repair shop, a hospice, or a shelter. Hospitality is a shelter for the soul, healing for the spirit. So when we open our home in the true spirit of hospitality or when we bring our gifts of hospitality outside of our homes, we are offering hospitality!!

The Bible states it this way: Romans 12:9-13, "Let love be without dissimulation.....v10, Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;. .vs12, Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; vs13, Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

So real Christian hospitality isn't an option, it is what God commands.

O-Obedience

Some may think focusing on hospitality is frivolous or a waste of time. But in reality it is nothing less than obeying God's clear command in Scripture. Hospitality was not Martha Stewart's invention; it was God's!! Romans 12 paints an incredible picture of what it means to truly give our lives to God......In these selfless acts, we serve not only those in need but Christ Himself. Hospitality is obeying God by cheerfully serving others.

S-Simplicity

If we don't approach hospitality simply, most of us won't do it at all. When we exchange the harried hoopla for the heartfelt, everyone is blessed. Can we be comfortable when everything is not perfect, or do we always need to put on a show for people? As one lady states "I don't want to buy your house, I just want to visit." Simplicity brings us closer to having authentic relationships. Our focus is on our guests, not on the "stuff" that surrounds us.

P--Prayer

Hospitality involves prayer. Ask God to show you who and how to show hospitality to. God will show you the when, the how, and what that someone might need. I may not know what a person needs at the time but God knows!! You should always ask God for His blessing on the gathering you are about to have with someone, no matter how small or large the number will be.

I--Intimacy

Intimacy is sharing who you are and what you are to others. You need this type of relationship with your husband, your family and your friends, but nurturing genuine intimacy takes time and effort.

Cell phones and emails are nice, but we need to take time to sit quietly with a friend sometimes. You never know where they are at or what they may need.. Time plus realness plus genuine caring equals intimacy.

Simple Hospitality......It really can be simple!!

T--To Go

Are you ready to take your kindness on the road? Do you have a plan or list of ideas that will work in a hurry?

Keep a few recipes with the ingredients on hand so that you can prepare a meal or a welcoming treat for someone in need.

There is something extra-special about busy people who take the time to reach out and help others.

A--Acknowledge and Appreciate

We all have our own gifts, but what about those who are known for the hospitality? They also need a "dose" of hospitality sometimes. They need to be acknowledged for their kindness, appreciated for the efforts and recipients of the hospitality of others.

Most of us are "takers' by nature and unless we make a conscious effort, we’ll always take and forget to give back. Those who are more "givers", either by nature or intent, often get taken for granted.

In our busy lives, gratitude is often felt yet not expressed.

L--Lifestyle

Hospitality is a lifestyle, a ministry lifestyle. God weaves it into our hearts. We all need each other to make the body of Christ its best. You are making the commitment to a lifestyle of opening up your heart to others on a regular basis.

You will need to start small, perhaps by committing to one act of hospitality each month. Gradually you will see how easy it is and move towards once a week and before you know it you will be asking God to show you someone in need every day!!

Take time to ask God to show you how He might use you today, this week or this month. You are allowing God to work through you and when He is working, we cannot fail.

I--Ideas

When looking for ideas for hospitality, scan your favorite magazines, talk with your friends or keep a simple notebook or card file with your favorite recipes, holiday decorating ideas, party themes, or anything else that spurs your hospitality thinking. Just keep it simple, and honest. Let God's love show through you and that will be all that you need to make any time a good time to visit.

T--Time

We are all short on time for the things that we want to do or need to do. That is why hospitality is such a valuable gift to others. It means we gave them our most precious resource: our time.

Think of things to do for hospitality for others when you are doing for your family. Double a casserole for dinner one night and freeze the one for a family that may be in need, or a mother who may be sick at the time.

When baking cookies for your family, bake a few more to brighten someone's day. Out buying groceries? Cut back on one thing or two for snacks and make up a meal for a new mom.

If your time is limited, begin your quest to hospitality with small things and think about other ways that you will want to show it when your time allows for it.

Y--You

To show hospitality to others, you must first love yourself so that you are capable of loving others. This means taking care of yourself so that you are able to take care of others. When we've taken the time to put our own hearts in order, we are freed to reach beyond ourselves to meet others where they are.

TOS SUMMER READING SPLASH!

Friends it is that time again to sign up for the TOS Summer Reading Program. Just click on the button above and see what is going on this summer. It is going to be great fun for the summer !

What Could Be Better....

Squash Fritters

About 3/4 pounds yellow squash, sliced
1 egg, beaten
6 Tbsp. of flour
5 Tbsp. of cornmeal
1/2 Tsp. baking powder
Salt/ Pepper to suit you
A couple shakes paprika
1 Medium Onion, grated
Vegetable oil

Cover squash with water and boil 10-15 minutes or till tender
Drain and mash squash to measure 1 cup
Stir squash and egg together well
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, pepper, paprika; stir these well.
Add squash and onion and stir till well blended.
Drop squash mixture by level Tablespoons into hot oil in skillet
Cook till golden brown, turning once
Drain well on paper towels and lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Fun Summer Eating......

Zucchini Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 cup quick-cooking oats

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         1 1/2 sticks butter (6 ounces)

·         1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

·         3 large eggs

·         1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

·         3/4 cup buttermilk

·         2 cups shredded zucchini

·         3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation:

Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt cake pan. Heat oven to 325°.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; set aside. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in shredded zucchini and nuts. Spoon into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Glaze or dust with powdered sugar.

Friday and a Holiday Week-End…..

Well, it is here !! The unofficial start to summer…… Are you ready?

So far I don’t have a lot planned for the long week end but that is good. I like to weigh out my options you know, lol.

I have a lot plans for this summer and I am just praying that my health holds up and I get to see some of my plans come in to play. I want to make us an “outdoor living” space to use this summer. So far to keep the cost low, we are going to start parking our cars in a different way so we can use the parking pad as our patio. I already have a swing/frame that my husband made me and also a nice bench that matches the swing. I have a small grill but would love to get a new one that is a little bit bigger. We will see. I am hoping that my husband will make me a picnic table and also a “work island” type table to have close to the grill. You know, high enough that the dog can’t eat the food, lol…….

I plan on using some flower boxes to define the area as a patio and to brighten up the place. In the late afternoon/evening, this area is shaded and is so cool to just sit and relax. My husband is using working out in the barn ( his wood working shop) making something for someone and so now I will be close by for visiting.

My middle daughter and I are also trying our hand at a very small garden this year and I hope to get busy with that this week-end. We have some things spouted and ready to go out in the garden. I am so excited to see if I can do this. My health is getting better and I am ready to be outdoors for the summer.

Saturday the men will be working on our new building at church. They are only planning on working till about noon so that still gives some time to do something with the day. I will be up at the church while they are working. I like to be close by for anything that they might need. Like something cool to drink while working on the roof.

Sunday will be church for the most of the day. I hope to maybe visit my parents in the afternoon between services. We will see. Monday afternoon our church family will be gathering a home for a day filled of family fun and cooking out. The kids love it. There will be so much to do, fishing, baseball, riding 4-wheelers, or just playing tag.  We will be grilling out and everyone just brings whatever their family wants to eat. We usually go till dark and it is just a wonderful time together.

I hope to come up with a few new recipes to try and maybe make a new desert for the holiday. All I know is from where I am sitting right now Tuesday looks so far off and the weekend looks great !!

What are your plans?  Are you making anything special for the holiday weekend? Do share……

This Will Be The Perfect Week-End To Try This....

PHILADELPHIA 3-STEP Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time:

10 min

Total Time:

3 hr 35 min

Makes:

16 servings, one bar each

What You Need

1-1/2 cups soft coconut macaroon cookie crumbs

2 Tbsp.  margarine, melted

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup  sugar

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp.  fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. imitation vanilla

2   eggs

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crumbs and margarine. Press firmly onto bottom of greased 8-inch square baking pan.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour over crust.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into bars to serve. Store leftover bars in refrigerator.

The Last Day of March.....

The days are going by really fast these days. Sometimes I stop and look and then wonder, where are the days going.........There are so many things that I have on my "to-do" list that I never seem to get to. So many projects that I want to get made and never seem to find the time to start.

It seems that every day is filled with laundry, cooking, cleaning and school work. Now don't get me wrong, I love all of these things. This is way I love being a wife and mother. I am blessed with my family and home. But, boy......how do I find the time for everything????............

By now, most of you are thinking.....Schedules........right??  I hate schedules. Of, we have schedules here at the home. One big one for home cleaning, school work and such.......but it seems that I never schedule in time for ME !!  Time for me to do something that I want to do. I know that there is time in my day for me to do this. I just need to find the time and make it important to me.....

That is the whole problem. Me thinking that I can make time for me. If I have a free minute, I am trying to see what else I could do for someone else.

Well, I hope that my family and friends understand this but it is now time for me to schedule time for me..........It won't just be for my projects or hobbies.......it will also mean time for me to exercise or just do something good for myself.

What do you think? ....Are you taking time for you??? ,,,,,,,,,,,Do you have something to share with me about how you do this?????

Spring cleaning.........that will be my next post.....project...........

Friday here at my place.......

Well, I am going to try this again today, lol.....I have been so busy around here that I have not posted in quite a long time. Then when I find a minute or two the other day, I write out a post only to have it disappear !!  Of course at that time, I did not have a minute to redo it, lol.......

So okay, it's Friday morning, it is had been raining most of the night and it will be raining more later on tonight again...........

I am working on some job things that I have on my "To-Do" list from TOS magazine and I thought that I could use a break for a bit. The girls are working on their school work for now and in a bit, we will be heading into the big city for errands. I have a few things to do in the same area and also I need to stop by my heart dr's office for some lab work. They are always wanting more blood........

Yesterday I thought that I would spend some time in my kitchen before starting supper so I made us a home-made chocolate cake. Boy, was it good. I so do not need a cake laying around here all day.......

I then roasted a whole chicken and brushed it with Bar-b-q sauce mixed with lemon juice every so often the last 30 minutes of cooking time. The family loved it !!! I will have to put this one in the family recipe book to do again sometime soon.

Not much going on for the week-end. I do have a babyshower to attend up at our church tomorrow. My husband is making the new mom a baby craddle and he is not quite finished with it. It will be okay if I am not able to give it to her tomorrow at the shower, she still has 6 or more weeks to go. It would be nice though if it is finished in time. We will see.....

Well, I must get back to work. I want to get this finished before I head into town today.

Today is My Sarah's Birthday !!!

Sarah was born 15 yrs ago and has been such a blessing to raise. She loves cooking and baking and hopes to one day use baking for a way to make money.

Sarah has been homeschooled from the start and is in the 9th gr this year. She is always right up under my feet when I am in the kitchen and taking over when she can.



Sarah has had a few health issues her short life so far but as always meet every day with a smile. At church she is usually one of the first to jump in and help whenever she can. She loves being with the little children and usually is the one a young mom will call on when she needs help with their children.



I am very proud of Sarah and I know that one day, she will make a very fine wife to the right godly young man that will be blessed to have her.



Happy Birthday Sarah !!! We love you very Much !!!



Mom

Happy Valentines Day and Prayers Needed.....