Pecan Pie - Michelle Wiles

PECAN PIE

Ingredients

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

1 STICK BUTTER

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

¾ CUP MILK

3 EGGS (BEATEN)

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 UNBAKED PIE SHELLS

Directions

CREAM FIRST 4 INGREDIENTS, AND THEN ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS.

STIR TO BLEND WELL.

POUR INTO PIE SHELLS.

BAKE ON 350 DEGREES FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL FIRM.

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Homemade Biscuits - Michelle Wiles

BISCUITS

Ingredients

2 CUPS SELF RISING FLOUR

2/3 CUP BUTTERMILK

¼ CUP OIL

1 TEASPOON SUGAR

Directions

MIX BUTTERMILK, SUGAR, AND OIL. STIR UNTIL BLENDED WELL.

ADD FLOUR AND MIX WELL.

ROLL OUT BISCUITS ON A FLOURED SURFACE.

CUT BISCUITS AND PLACE IN A GREASED PAN.

BAKE ON 450 DEGREES FOR 10 MINUTES.

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Enter the Garden - Martin Wiles

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” Matthew 26:39 NKJV

My garden could be the most enticing or the most forbidding place.

The love for dirt between my fingers was instilled in me by my grandfather and mother. Nothing gave me more joy than tilling the soil, planting the seed, and watching it produce. But there were a couple of things that could have kept me from the garden. 

Everywhere I had a garden also had a nasty reputation for snakes—rattlers, moccasins, and copperheads. Reaching down to pick fruit from a vegetable bush was a risky endeavor. The other culprit was bees, attracted by the blooms on the vegetables and silks on the corn. Since I’m allergic to bees, breaking corn and picking beans was risky as well.

Yet my fear didn’t keep me from the garden. Jesus also entered a garden…and one that caused him fear. The Garden of Gethsemane was the garden where he would be arrested by jealous Jewish authorities and hauled before a Roman ruler. This same garden was where he expressed his fear to the Father—his fear of bearing the world’s sin. 

A number of fears have haunted me. As a youngster, it was darkness. I’ve still not completely conquered that one. As a teen, it was the fear of not fitting in. As I got older, I stopped caring about this one. 

And then there was the fear of following God’s call wherever it took me. With God’s assistance, I conquered that one in spite of the challenges and disappointments. What’s left is the fear of the big one—death. 

God doesn’t intend for fear to paralyze me. Jesus experienced fear and can guide me through any I face: loneliness, childrearing, unemployment, financial crises. Regardless of what he allows me to pass through, I have no reason to fear that fear will overtake me. 

Perfect love—which God gives, casts out all fear as it did for Jesus. I can move ahead confidently, knowing he’ll provide what’s necessary for anything before me. Jesus momentarily feared, but he accepted God’s will. I’m learning to do the same. 

Face your fears. God will provide what you need to overcome them.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the courage You give that helps us face and overcome our fears.

Lilyan joins Patriot spies in Charlestown to rescue her brother from a prison ship. Use coupon MWiles for 20% off. Click here to order.

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Feeling Alone

“Hey Marty, I’m in a bind. Can you help me,” the voice on the phone echoed frantically. Mickey was a regular at the store I managed, but he hadn’t been in that day.

Mickey was re-tinning his house and had rented a lift to get materials from the ground to the roof but had accidentally slid from one section of the roof to another. He couldn’t get back to the lift, and the roof was too high for him to jump. Cars screamed by, but no one stopped to help him. He did the only thing he could do-call for assistance. Read more...

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Keeper of the Memories- Martin Wiles

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV

Recently, it dawned on me that I’m next in line to be the keeper of family memories. 

I’ve never had to keep the memories before. Sure, I knew them—and even helped with a family genealogical book, but most of the people—albeit my relatives, were strangers to me. My family was the only ones I had built memories with. Those memories I didn’t have to worry about forgetting because I had patriarchs and matriarchs to help me recall. Then one by one they began dying. My father followed suit. 

Now only my mother remains. When she’s gone, I’m next in line. Since her memory is fading, I try to ask her everything I might want to know about the family. Hopefully, someone in the family will keep the memories alive when I’m gone as well. 

Early in his history with the Israelites, God instructed them to keep the memories alive. Not family memories necessarily, but commandment memories. The only way their children and grandchildren would know God’s commands was if they talked about them continuously. Regardless of where they were, God’s mandates were to be on their lips. 

The only way to move items from short term into the long term memory bank is through memorization and continual use. I memorized multiplication tables as a middle schooler and have used them all my life. I don’t have to think about what eight times six is. I’ve calculated it so many times the answer comes naturally. 

So do God’s commands. I’ve known them since I was able to comprehend them. My parents engrafted them into my mind through various teaching methods. I did the same with my children. Hopefully they will do the same with theirs. 

Salvation and godliness can’t be forced on family members, but they can be offered by making them a normal part of our speech and by living out the memories through everyday activities. 

Are you keeping spiritual memories alive for your family?

Prayer: Father, may we keep the memories of Your commandments alive in our family’s lives.

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No Greater Love - Martin Wiles

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV

He was the only chaplain to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

Though Joseph O’Callahan loved teaching at Holy Cross College, he felt the need to enlist. World War II was raging. He thought his calling could better be exhausted by helping those who were fighting. 

Four years later, he found himself on the aircraft carrier, the USS Franklin, when a Japanese plane suddenly appeared and dropped two 500 pound bombs. Flames erupted. 

As the captain watched the flames creep closer to two enclosed gun turrets, he saw the padre moving through the flames with a fire hose. O’Callahan calmed others, and even helped defuse bombs. 

The ship was eventually saved. On May 17, 1945, in the Brooklyn Navy Ship Yard, awards were presented. As O’Callahan’s mother came aboard, she was met by Les Gehres, the captain, who said, “I’m not a religious man. But I watched your son that day and I thought if faith can do this for a man, there must be something to it.”

What better person to talk about laying down one’s life for others than the person who actually did. Thousands followed Jesus. Laying down his life for them—his friends, was honorable. But what about those who despised, abused, ridiculed, and tried to kill him. Could he lay down his life for them with the same ease?

As it did with Father O’Callahan and Jesus, love demands action. If I only love in word, few will benefit. True love for others requires that I do something…anything. 

Jesus calls the ultimate expression evangelism. I don’t have to berate others with Bible verses or be obnoxious in other ways. I can simply demonstrate the love of Jesus in kind actions. 

Making Jesus a normal part of my daily conversations also helps me obey Jesus’ command. I don’t have to be a Bible scholar…just a Jesus talker. In numerous simple ways, I can lay down my life for others. 

Choose one way you give of yourself to someone. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, move us to lay down our lives for others even as You did yours for us.

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Dealing With Difficult Decisions Part 5

They were old and past the age of having a child, but God promised them one. Unfortunately, Sarah’s impatience led her to give her servant to Abraham in marriage as a surrogate mother.

God wasn’t pleased with the decision. The child was promised to Abraham and Sarah not Abraham and Hagar. In God’s time, Sarah became pregnant and bore the promised child. The elderly couple was ecstatic…until God said, Take your son, your only son…and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains (Genesis 22:2 NLT). Read more...

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Death’s Lessening Effect - Martin Wiles

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:4 NLT

John Donne said, “Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” And Larry’s did me. 

Larry and I became good friends after I began pastoring a church in the same town he was. Though we belonged to different denominations, our slight differences didn’t interfere with our budding friendships. We worked together in community events and multi church gatherings. 

After two years, I moved away. Shortly afterwards, I received a disturbing call from Larry. He had passed out while bending over and was transported to the hospital for tests. The results were life transforming. He had an inoperable brain tumor. He agreed to take treatments, but the doctors weren’t hopeful. 

On a trip to the area to visit a relative, we stopped by the nursing home where Larry had been placed. He looked old and different. We had a good talk, and I prayed for him. I imagined it would be the last time I’d see him…and it was. Larry’s death diminished me. 

Thankfully, God has prepared a place for his children where death isn’t. Neither will there be sorrow, pain, grief, or any other of those unpleasant things I disdain. But until then, I must live knowing my family and friends will die—myself included.

Though humanity has various genealogical lines, we share a common ancestry. If we trace our roots back far enough, we discover the first couple—Adam and Eve. 

All humanity runs through my blood line whether I consider them my relatives or not. Paul said the entire law of God could be summed up in one directive: love others. Jesus said it was the second greatest commandment. 

Recognizing everyone is important to God should make them equally considered by me. We are all God’s creations and worthy of showing respect to—a respect that should increase even more toward those who are in the same spiritual family. Death diminishes, but love builds up. 

Try loving others the way God loves you. 

Prayer: Father, may the lives of others be as important to us as they are to You. 

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Feeling Forgotten - Martin Wiles

A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. Ecclesiastes 9:15 NLT

I had languished in his office for an hour. What more did he want? 

He was a small town physician who I’d been seeing since I moved to my new residence to pastor my first church. We hit it off immediately. Many times—after my examination, he merely sat in the office and talked a few minutes. 

This day was different. Even though the sign in the waiting room said I shouldn’t have to wait longer than 30 minutes, I waited an hour. He was busy. I finally made it back to the room where the nurse took my vitals and said, “The doctor will be in soon.” 

One hour later, I peaked my head out the door, flagged a nurse down, and said, “Did ya’ll forget about me?” Sure enough, they had. After two hours of waiting, all I got was, “Oh, we’re sorry.”

The poor wise man knew how it felt to be forgotten too. His poverty hadn’t affected his wisdom. His town was in danger. He offered his solution to the officials who took his advice. The town was saved…but he was forgotten. 

Feeling forgotten isn’t fun. It quickly raises the anger emotion. How could you possibly forget about ME? I’m important. I’m a…. Don’t you remember the…I gave? My parents were…. I attended…. Or it can lead me to the depression mood. I’m not worth anything anyway.  

When my pride is assaulted and my anger aroused by someone forgetting me, it reminds me the world doesn’t revolve around me. This is God’s world. I’m only important because of my connection with him. Anything I accomplish is because he gives me wisdom and strength to do so. 

My light shines so others will see my good works and glorify God, not me. Though others may forget and neglect me, God never will. He never overlooks his treasured creations…the masterpieces he is still working on. 

If you are feeling forgotten, remember God is always by your side.

Prayer: Father, when all others forget us, we give thanks that You never do or will. 

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Throwback Tuesday - Martin Wiles

Dealing With Difficult Decisions Part 4

My wife was in a jam. Rather we were. If she paid the full balance on her sales account so her customers could receive their products on time, we’d be broke the remainder of the week. We could borrow money designated for another bill, but robbing Peter to pay Paul is chancy. 

Financial decisions can be tough, but so can spiritual ones. And Daniel was facing one. Read more...

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