Saturday, February 8, 2025

Baked Beans

 



Ingredients

4 16 ounce cans of baked beans (drained)        


1 onion (chopped)


2 cups brown sugar


1 bottle chili sauce    


1 pound thick bacon (cooked and crumbled)


Directions

Combine all ingredients.


Stir until blended.


Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.



I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Thankful for What - Martin Wiles

thankful for what
We praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. Ephesians 1:6 NLT

Complaints and questions rolled off my tongue like water cascading over a waterfall.

Wasn’t I working a full-time job? Wasn’t I taking every opportunity that presented itself to make extra money? Wasn’t my wife doing all she could to sell items on Facebook? Why, then, was the freezer empty and our cupboard bare? Why was the bank account sitting on empty, just like the gas needle in our car? Why did I have to worry about whether our insurance company would cancel our renter’s insurance?

“I put a little surprise in your car,” a church member and friend whispered. When I looked in the bag after church, I discovered several things we were out of. Since we hadn’t shared this information with her, I figured God must have.

“She also gave us this card,” my wife whispered. I slithered my finger under the flap and removed the card. After reading the outside, I opened it to peruse the inside, but first, I had to remove the fifty-dollar bill. There was the remainder of what we needed to pay our renter’s insurance. 

The above episode was topped by another the next day. As my wife checked our bank account balance to ensure we still had the same four dollars we had the last time she checked, she discovered a twenty-dollar deposit had been made. Calling the bank to check on this mysterious deposit, my wife was informed she had made the deposit. But she hadn’t. Now we could gas up the car.

Suddenly, my complaints seemed selfish. I had forgotten I served a big God. Paul reminded first-century believers of the same.

God’s kindness is worth thanking Him for. He has poured out His love through the sacrifice of His Son. We can have all the earthly goods we desire and never have to worry about some of the above things I’ve mentioned, but if our sins remain, our account is still in the negative. God offers freedom from the debt we owe for our sins if we simply ask for forgiveness. Along with forgiveness, He gives wisdom and understanding so we can make sense out of life. And even when it appears senseless, we can thank Him because we know He understands it when we don’t.

Think of things to thank God for rather than complain about.

Father, I thank You for the many gifts You give me, but most of all for allowing Your Son to pay my sin debt. 


I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Your Heroic Moment - Abigail Skelton

Your heroic moment
We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Corrie Ten Boom is a household name today in the Netherlands. And for anyone who has read the Hiding Place or her other books, she is remembered as a hero for helping hide Jews from the Nazis. 

But isn’t it noteworthy that Corrie was in her fifties before anything grand and heroic happened in her life? In the years leading up to Hitler’s invasion of the Netherlands, Corrie worked in her father’s watch shop, volunteered with young adult Bible studies, helped special needs youth, and furthered her own education by reading books in other languages … including German. Her habits and discipline when it came to spending time with God and learning Scripture may have seemed insignificant for years, but when trouble hit, she was more prepared than most. She had already spent a lifetime readying herself for heroism.

We see examples of this all throughout the Bible as well. Moses grew up with the education and connections to Egypt, which later probably came in handy when he sought an audience with Pharaoh. 


David spent years herding sheep and talking to the Lord out in fields, which was clear preparation for shepherding the people of Israel and living on the run, dependent only on the Lord. 


Even Paul had the education, citizenship, and discipline needed for his calling to bring the gospel to new lands and to testify in Rome.


Sometimes even when our situations or skills seem random, God is at work in the background, preparing us for a moment when He can use what we have for His purposes—if we are willing participants. 


In most situations, heroes have chances to turn back, to live for themselves, and not bother with risks. We have that choice as well. But if we do decide to join God in what He is up to …perhaps even our daily routines and personality quirks can be instruments for the kingdom. Perhaps God is already getting us ready for our own heroic moment.


Pray that God will reveal His heroic moment to you. 



Abigail Skelton
 is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.



I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Life on a Higher Plain - Martin Wiles

life on a higher plain
I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe in him. Ephesians 1:19 NLT

Almost without exception, it happened every time we backpacked.

From my late thirties to early forties, my brother, daughter, and I observed a regular backpacking routine. Several times a year, we trudged the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee mountains. We planned our trips meticulously and looked forward to each one. With one exception—the uphills. Camping spots were almost always in a valley, meaning an uphill climb was the first thing we faced the next morning. But the strenuous climbs were always worth it. Reaching the tops provided us with vistas never before witnessed.

Although Paul wasn’t describing a hiking trek or a higher plain, he could have been. Obviously, many of the first-century believers didn’t understand the power they had in Christ. They were dwelling in the valley of satisfaction when there was a higher plain to reach. Understanding their power in Christ would propel them to these high peaks.

Living on a higher plain of understanding allows us to use the power God gives to witness. Sharing our faith can be a frightening thing. We never know how people will react and sometimes don’t know the right words to say. Some may just walk away, while others might berate or physically attack us. Though we may fumble our words and risk harm to ourselves, God’s power to witness will enable us to overcome both possibilities.

Life on a higher plain entails trusting God’s power for life’s trials. No temptation will be greater than His power to help us endure and overcome, nor will any terrible situation be so unbearable that He can’t walk us through it.

On the higher plain, God also gives us the capacity to touch others in His name. Loving them as we do ourselves is the second greatest command, according to Jesus. God will provide the opportunities and resources if we merely ask.

When living on a higher plain, we’ll experience God’s ability to help us endure to the end. Jesus said the one who does so will be saved. Life can throw some terrible curves that might tempt us to give up, but the Spirit’s power in us is greater than anything the enemy can lob our way.

Don’t live in the valley. Choose the higher plain.

Father, help me realize the power You give that enables me to live on the higher plain.


I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

 


Ingredients
1 CAN MUSHROOM SOUP
                           
1 CAN MUSHROOMS

1 CAN BLACK OLIVES (DRAINED)

1 ONION (CHOPPED)

2 CUPS SHREDDED MOZERELLA

1 BELL PEPPER (CHOPPED)

1 CUP SHREDDED PARMESAN
      
1 JAR RAGU (GARDEN)

12 OUNCES SPAGHETTI (COOKED, DRAINED)
    
1 TEASPOON OREGANO

       1 BOX TYSON (DICED CHICKEN)
           
1 CAN TOMATOES

         1 TEASPOON BUTTER           

1 CAN ROTEL

Directions
SAUTE CHICKEN, ONION, PEPPER, BUTTER, OREGANO, AND SALT/PEPPER.

ADD TOMATOES, ROTELS, MUSHROOMS, AND OLIVES.

ONCE ALL VEGETABLES ARE TENDER, ADD RAGU AND MUSHROOM SOUP.

MIX SAUCE AND NOODLES IN A CASSEROLE  DISH.

TOP WITH CHEESE.

COVER WITH ALUMINUM FOIL.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 35 TO 40 MINUTES.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Be Secure - Martin Wiles

be secure
For I can do everything with the help of Christ, who gives me the strength I need. Philippians 4:13 NLT

Donned in my walking attire, I looked at my wife and said, “Anyone who can wear this is secure in themselves.”

For years, I’ve walked to keep off the extra pounds. But one day, when I dressed in the clothes I intended to wear while walking, my wife took one look and said, “That’s a hot mess.”

My pants had stripes, and my jacket had checks. I topped off my outfit with a striped Fedora hat. I really didn’t care what anyone else thought about my outfit—but that hasn’t always been true.

When I was a young lad, my appearance caused me great insecurity. Somewhere along the line, I stopped caring what others thought and became secure in my identity.

Paul had many reasons to be insecure after choosing to follow Christ. He was hounded frequently by unbelievers who would have loved nothing better than to destroy his ministry. The multiple trials he faced also added to his precarious situation. But he was confident.

As followers of Christ, we can be secure in our identity. The Bible calls us saints. The last time I checked, I was far from sainthood, but that’s my position in Christ. When we trust Christ as our Savior and receive his forgiveness, we trade in the label of “sinner.” Though we still sin, it’s not the pattern of our lives, nor does it have to be. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live above sin regularly.

As believers, we can also be secure in our life situations. Paul experienced good times and bad times. He established many churches and witnessed thousands trust Christ as their Savior, but he also experienced patience-trying and life-threatening situations. Yet he was secure. In another place, he wrote, I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. Learning that lesson isn’t easy or quick, but when we’ve mastered it, unpleasant situations won’t cause us to feel insecure.

Further, as God’s child, we can be secure in our gifts. God gives all believers at least one gift of the Spirit, but most have more. Our responsibility is to use it (or them) wisely, faithfully, and in ways that honor the God who gave them.

If your life is hounded by insecurities, God can empower you to overcome them.

Father, I give my insecurities to you, believing you can help me conquer each one. 


I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Pain of Rejection - Martin Wiles

the pain of rejection
So because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23 NLT

Rejection is never pleasant, and Robert knew all about it.

Ronnie was a member of the first church I pastored. He and his family were faithful members as well as hard workers. But he faced the daily pain of rejection. His brother lived next door but rarely spoke to him. Years before, a family dispute had disrupted their relationship. Ronnie received most of the family estate when their father died—but only because he paid for it. His brother didn’t believe that, however. All he could see was favoritism. He took out his anger through acts of rejection. One was by rarely speaking to his brother. The other was by building a fence between their houses.

Although it was his fault, King Saul of Israel knew the pain of rejection—and from a higher source. Saul had a habit of disobeying God’s commands. Finally, God had enough and took the kingship from him.

God isn’t in the business of rejection. Had Saul repented, God would have restored his relationship with him—even though the consequence of losing the kingdom would have held. Once we enter God’s family, we’re there for good. He’ll never turn or throw us away unless we choose not to believe in him. Unfortunately, others don’t always act as God does.

Regardless of whom rejection comes from, it hurts. By its very nature, rejection is painful. God rejected Saul for disobedience, but others might reject us for numerous reasons. Rejection can come from our appearance, intelligence, or what we have or don’t have. Or because we hurt someone, because we don’t fit in, because we have an education, or because they found someone else.

Trusting God for peace when we’ve experienced rejection is always wise. No one or thing can give peace as he can. Even though someone has broken our trust, it’s also important that we don’t stop trusting everyone just because of what we’ve experienced with one. Not everyone will reject us. We can also find comfort by reading God’s Word, reading other Christian material, and praying. In times of rejection, having a good group of Christian friends is equally important. Because they have experienced Christian love, they know how to support and comfort us.

When others reject you, rejoice that God never does.

Father, thank you for allowing me to run to your arms of security and comfort when others reject me.


I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on FacebookTwitter, and Linkedin.