The human machine

O Lord, I know the way of man

is not in himself.....

Jeremiah 10:23....

Man is such a complex human being. It is mere common sense that He has a creator and I am filled with awe to see His power, His hands at work everyday.

I am inspired by C.S Lewis's writings , where he says.....

"Now God designed the human machine

to run on Himself.

God cannot give us happiness and peace

apart from Himself, because it is not there.

There is no such thing."

C.S. Lewis

These days I have been very busy and time seems to be flying away. All my kidos have been playing basketball and practise schedules have been pretty hectic. I am so thankful to the Lord for good health He has bestowed upon us to enjoy the life He has given us. At this I also take a moment out to pray for all those with health issues and I know our Lord is sufficient for me and them. The Lord has a purpose for everyone in their life however it may be.

We should do the best we can where life has placed us. God did'nt create us for mediocrity. If we feel passionately about our choices we should be thankful for it and do our best. Asking God for the courage, the perseverance, and the wisdom we need to do what He has created us for to glorify Him.

"Let no corrupt word

proceed out of your mouth,

but what is good for

necessary edification,

that it may impart grace to the hearers."

Ephesians 4:29

Being in God's house makes me happy

How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

Psalm 84:1-2

Yummy Vegetable Soup

Tonight is soup night and my family loves vegetable soup. It is so refreshing to our bodies and cleanses our body and mind of it's impurities. I do make different types of the soup so that our family doesn't get bored of the same kind each time. They love the idea of me adding a new twist to it each time. I do this by altering it with different spices. It almost feel like a chemistry lab, I guess I consider my kitchen as a lab were experiments are done. So here is one of the recipes I found on the fat smash diet forum.

• 2 cans of low sodium broth
• 1 bag froz. mixed veggies
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup brown rice
• ( i used blk. pepper & onion powder , you can spice it up any way you want)
• let this simmer in crock until rice is tender. I sometimes use the pressure cooker instead of the crock pot. It does save a lot of time.

Enjoy and Happy cooking or rather experimenting.

If any of you lacks wisdom,

let him ask of God,

who gives to all liberally

and without reproach,

and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

Love

Paul writes that we have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal, if we speak with tongues of angels and of men but have not love. How true it is. Many a times We've seen some
preachers making great sermons, it makes the audience think that the preacher really is what he preaches but it is sad to see some of the private lives, they are totally opposite of what they preach.

Like Pastor John Hagee once said, that many put on Christ like behaviour, when they come to church like a robe and take it off when they are done with church. Such christians are a stumbling block to the weaker ones. Let us pray that we will be true to the Lord and be an inspiration to those the Lord places in our paths so they would be drawn closer to the Lord in their relationship with Him.

Love suffers long and is kind;

Love does not envy;

Love does not parade itself ,

Is not puffed up;

Does not behave rudely,

Does not seek its own,

Is not provoked,

Thinks no evil;

Does not rejoice in iniquity,

But rejoices in the truth;

Bears all things,

Believes all things,

Hopes all things,

Endures all things.

Love never fails...........

1 corinthians 13:4-8a

By Humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4

These past holidays were a time my husband, children and I spent that much needed time with each other. We played board games together and laughed our hearts out when jokes were shared when one lost or won. The fun part was also because there was no time restriction nor was something else that needed to be done. And what a sight to see my sweetheart playing video games with our son and my hubby took it well whenever he lost which he did all the time.

We spent time with our Lord and were so thankful for our family He has given us. By the end of the holidays my children were so thankful and happy, they did not want it to end.

It was a joy to see my little ones coming closer to the Lord. They see the Lord through us parents. After all that was my mission ever since they were born. I've no greater joy than to see them enjoying a relationship with their Heavenly Father who gave them to me and my husband to parent for a season. Enjoy your children, show them you love them. Happy Parenting.

Thanksgiving

O give thanks unto the Lord,

Call upon His name:

Make known known His deeds among the people.

Sing unto Him, Sing psalms unto Him;

Talk ye of all His wondrous works.

Glory in His name

Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

Psalms 105: 1-3

That they might observe ,His statutes.

And keep His laws.

Praise ye the Lord.

Psalm 105:45

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Taking Care Of Our Body

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Today, I thought of writing about my views on exercising our bodies. Our body is God's Temple and it is our responsibility to take good care of it. Many a times we just take it for granted and don't think much of it. Well, as a result we find ourselves abusing our beautiful bodies by neglecting it, gluttony, not providing it with the right nutrition that is right for our bodies.

Now just like anyone else I struggled with the inability to take time out to exercise. I found an umpteen number of excuses, well I should say perfectly sounding reasons to do from my todo list. Finally after many an attempt from my own self, I surrendered my desire to exercise, to my Lord in prayer. And just like I hoped He sure came through. Bringing the right type of exercise for my body type (mine is a ruler body type). Do you know what is your body type? It will really help finding out the body type in order to figure out the type of exercise. You can google it and find out.

The type of exercise that I've stuck with now is simple walking using a couple of pounds of weight. Walking is really neat and doesn't hurt the joints and is perfect for any age group.

It's amazing what a little exercise can do to our body and mind. Exercise releases endorphins which makes you feel good. I do it with my hubby and that's an extra bonus ummm...

When you exercise you are able to do more for your loved ones. Remember body is meant for motion not for sitting around. So Happy Exercising!!!!

Jerusalem

שַׁאֲלוּ, שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם; יִשְׁלָיוּ, אֹהֲבָיִךְ.

"SHA-ALU SHALOM YIRUSHALAYIM".

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

they shall prosper that love thee.

Psalm 122:6

Learning To Drive

A couple of weeks ago, as I was driving my kids to their music lessons, my smart son

said, " Ooh Mamma, you are driving at 50 it says 45 on the signs!!!!"

Oops! I was caught! not by the cops but by my watchful son. I realised that as my mind rolled on different things that needed to be done, I was breaking the law. Needless to say, after his reminder I slowed down and paid more attention to my trusty speedometer.

Well, this got me thinking....My son was learning to drive allready in the passenger seat. He was watching closely my speed, my turns, my driving techniques....

Aha! now I thought this was a good opportunity, even before his driving lessons start which is a long way to go, I was teaching him, and truly I did'nt want him speeding away in his teenage years.

I put my brakes on in my brain, sort of like a light bulb moment went off , " Years ago I walked to teach him to walk, now I was driving and these were his learning moments....Yeah!!! there you go, I thought, I have all these opportunities to teach my son that it's not okay to break the law......

Those mundane things which we take sometimes for granted are really affecting our children knowingly or unknowingly,,,,Thankyou son and Thankyou Lord for making me aware....and thankful .

"Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities,

to obey, to be ready for every good work,."

Titus 3:1

God is soooo good, His word has equiped us with all we need. His joy is our strength.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."

Philippians 4:8

" ....... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6

Lately I've been reading C.S Lewis's "Mere Christianity"......and in the chapter 7 titled, Let's Pretend. He says"...to make a shot at saying your prayers: and whatever else you say, you will probably say the Lord's Prayer.

Its very first words are Our Father. Do you now see what those words mean? They mean quite frankly, that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like ,you are pretending. Because, of course, the moment you realise what the words mean, you realise that you are not a son of God. You are not being like The Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with those of the Father: you are a bundle of self-centered fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death. So that in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek, But the odd thing is that He has ordered us to do it."

It made me think how awesome and kind our God is to have shown infinite mercy to this sinful mankind !!!

As I read on C.S Lewis's continues to explain how we are to put on Christ....He says"....Christ stands beside you to turn you into one. Is not that how a higher thing always raises the lower? A mother teaches her baby to talk by talking to it as if it understood long before it really does."

Now we can be joyful knowing the fact that we are not alone giving a shot at being a Christian in this wicked world, literally I say see in your mind's eye Christ is right beside us helping us... now is'nt that wonderful!!!

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God !

How unsearchable are His judgements and

His ways past finding out!"

Romans 11:33

Many of us live passive lives, as if on a wave tossed and turned by the wind. Sooner of later we realise it's a choice we make.

Many a times we are caught up in our own affairs without realising the awesomeness of our God.God is looking for our undivided loyalty. Wherever we are, all hours and days, let's do the things God enjoys seeing us do.

Fall is here, yet we do not see much of a fall colors where we live. Even then, when the sunlight pours through, all the colors bounce of the objects and is a pretty sight to see!!

I have'nt blogged for quite a while now. It's not because there's nothing exciting but I've been busy with my duties as a wife and mother.

Here's something I've had to remind myself lately, it's when all of a sudden there is a blank feeling, when things are not the way we want it to be, or when there is a lot to do and don't know where to start.... Then I have to -

1. Talk to my best friend (My Lord Jesus)
2. Refine my head talk.
3. Imagine my day is over and what would I really want to have accomplished.
4. Write down my new list of things to accomplish today.
5. Get started doing the things that need to be done.

Great! God is so good, He always helps us poor humans get back on track.

With God all things are possible!!

"To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under Heaven:

A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance!

Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Time, such a precious commodity, the Lord has freely given to each one. Equally for each one, 24 hours in a day for the rich and the poor, for man and for woman, for the citizen and for the foreigner, for the young and the old. We are accountable for the use of it. Do we give the best from it to the Lord ? I love to talk to the Lord in the mornings on my bed ,when there is no interruption from the cares of this life, it nourishes my soul to read His word in the morning. Then I am ready to face the challenges of the day. It fills me with an attitude of joy, humour no matter what the circumstance. Think, what an awesome God we have!!!

He will cover you with His feathers

and under His wings you will find refuge.

Psalms 91: 4

Under His wings I am safely abiding,

Tho the night deepens and tempests are wild;

Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me,

He has redeemed me and I am His child.

Under his wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

William O. Cushing

Cleaning Schedule

A clean, happy and well organized home enriches the lives of those who live in it and those who come in contact .

Weekly Clean up-

1.Monday- Major bathroom and toilet cleanup,

Refill soap, Dust furniture, Pick up dog poop.

2. Tuesday- Wash and fold Laundry,

Vaccum downstairs, Wash down garbage cans,

Pull weeds, Tend to garden.

3. Wednesday- Organize an area, example..(closet, drawers, pantry, photos etc..)

Sweep and mop floors, Vaccum blinds in an area ( example..dinning

or living area or bedrooms)

Check for cobwebs , Vaccum upstairs.

4. Thursday- Clean stove, Fridge, Clean all screens and mirrors

Vaccum car and van, Sweep and clean front porch and patio.

5. Friday- I like to keep friday as make up day if some cleanings left undone from

the other days.

Wow! It feels so good when you have a clean house, it is a beautiful

background to live life for the Lord.

Remember , Focus on the end result. Then you will find cleaning good,

necessary and even noble.

Some Cleaning Rules

"The fear of the Lord is instruction of wisdom,..

Proverbs 15:33

Daily Clean up

1. Make sure beds are made everyday.
2. Quick clean up of sinks and mirrors and toilet bowl in the bathroom as necessary.
3. After every meal time clear table and clean kitchen counter top.
4. Make sure the dishes are washed after every meal. Do not leave dishes in the sink for the next time, if not watched a mole will turn into a mount before you know it.
5. After play time is over make sure all toys are picked up and put away in their special areas where they can be retrieved from next time . Toys laying around can be hazardous and cause children to trip or step on.
6. Cleanup all spills right away. The longer the spill stays, it gets harder to remove the stain.
7. Empty trash cans from all the rooms and take trash out everyday.
8. Fold and put away any laundry.

Monthly Cleanup-

1. Change the bed sheets once a month or as necessary if dirty.
2. Clean and organize the garage.
3. Sort children's clothes, Clean and give away any outgrown clothes.
4. Check air filter and change as necessary. We change ours every 3 months.
5. Bathe the pets (dog and cat ) once a month.

Feel free and add or delete items to your lists to suit your family. It is so much fun to share my cleaning tips. Now turn some good music and have a great time cleaning.

Home made Yogurt

I love yogurt in any form. It can be easily made at home.

Steps in making home made Yogurt.

1. Bring approximately half a gallon of milk to a boil in a stainless steel pot. Mix it so the cream that collects on the top mixes with the milk.
2. Turn the stove off and let it stand for about 10 minutes, until the steam from the pot stops.
3. Now mix the milk into 2-3 tablespoons of store bought yogurt. Stir well until the yogurt blends well with the milk.
4. Set the oven to 100 degrees farenheit and warm it for about 5 minutes and turn it off.
5. Now place the milk-yogurt mixture into the warm oven. If the mixture is in a rubbermaid container, place it on a pot holder, on the rack in the oven . I repeat, make sure the oven is off.
6. After 24 hours, take it out of the oven. You have home made yogurt. Enjoy!!
   

"Commit your work to the Lord,

then it will succeed."

Proverbs 16:3

Renewing the mind

"And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
That you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12 : 2

It's been a while, the Lord is teaching me a lesson.

It is our human nature that we have to overcome. It's not like something out there we have to win over. But it is within ourselves . That intrigued me .How do we overcome this thing that is constantly with us every step of the way.

I found that many of us, including myself were constantly trying to do the best in our homemaking skills like cleaning, cooking etc. I could be the best homemaker.On the outside we could put on a nice show of a clean house but our minds could still be unclean. It would be another waste. Because the Lord sees within us.

When I see the organs of the body, all of them do different functions. With my knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology of the human body I know all of these organs are doing there best keeping the body healthy by nourishing, repairing, cleansing etc. I had given my heart to the Lord so I knew my heart was in tune or in other words in the right path.

My mind was the one that appeared to be in the leading position. What my mind said that's what my body did. In other words where my mind went , my body followed. I found that my mind was almost functioning on it's own. Thoughts came to mind that I didn't want. And what was happening was as a person I was believing those thoughts were mine and I accepted them.

I found that majority of those thoghts were the negative in every situation however small or big the situation was. So now that was not what I desired nor was I raised to believe negative thoughts or ideas.

But why was I doing this ? I guess this was probably what was the sin nature of man. Now our hearts have to get into the lead position. That's why it's so important to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins and come and dwell in our hearts.

This is a great revelation the Lord was helping me analyse. Now I understand why Paul says, that we must renew our minds. In other words our heart where the Lord dwells has to be in charge. Whatever comes to our minds should be filtered through our hearts.

If it's a thought that Jesus would not accept then we should choose to reject. Our God is Holy. He is so pure, He can never sin . He proved it for us to understand when He lived as a man on this earth. And He is so kind that each time we sin and realise we have fallen, He is always ready to pick us up. Each one of us . He is not a respecter of persons. What He will do for me surely He will do for you.

I am so glad every moment that we can choose to accept or reject and not blindly take everything that comes racing to our mind's imagination. This appears like hard work. But I think the benefits of choosing are far more richer than just taking all the negative that comes to our minds.

Now I had to choose what I needed to do with this information.

1. I chose to ask my Lord to please help me., for I found myself helpless. I couldn't do it on my own. If I did it on my own, I would definitely fail. Immediately I felt the calm confidence that my Lord was with me on this.

2. I claimed to choose to think like a victor.

3. Before every situation or trial comes I claim to choose to believe positive, calm, confident, thoughts about the place and issue I was dealing with .

4. When doubts came racing in, I called on to the Lord and even at the beginning of the process of calling to the Lord a calm confidence came in that only the Lord could provide.

5. Amazingly I found that negative thoughts were not rushing to my mind.

6. Wow! it felt so good in a long time. As if my mind was cleansed of all its impurities. The poor battered brain finally got a relief . Joy started flowing in and out of my mind. I viewed things in a positive perspective. It's so awesome, I wish everyone could enjoy this freedom. Being led by the Spirit not by our human nature.

7. However as long as we are in this body, once in a while the negative thoughts come through some one's speech or even to our own mind out of nowhere.

8. Immediately I bring it to the Saviour in my heart. And then realise it's not acceptable to Him and that thought is not mine. And kick the speech or thought brought in, out the door!!

9. With the confidence in Christ we can shine our lamps in our own little corner the Lord has placed us . That through all this the Lord's name may be glorified.

" I can do all things

through Christ who strenthens me"

Phillipians 4 : 13

My New Beginning

"I am He who lives,

and was dead,

and behold ,

I am alive forever more......"

Revelation 1: 18

When I was 12 yrs.old I had a deadly disease called Diphtheria and the doctors told my parents that I would be dead by morning. I saw my parents crying. This was all pretty confusing to me. That's when I wanted to be sure I would be going to Heaven. My Dad told me all about Jesus and I prayed a simple prayer asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and come into my heart. I also asked Him to take me to Heaven when I would be dead. I lay down peacefully expecting to be with the Lord the next morning.

But when the morning came I was still alive and the doctors were surprised. The Lord left me here on this earth to be a light for Him.

And I am so glad I can share this Jesus with you . He is my best friend. Choose to accept Him as your Lord, He will be with you always and give you a peace that no one can give.

Here is a verse from the Bible, which is the written word of God.-

"For God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him

should not perish

but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Life is an exciting adventure with Jesus Christ by my side.

Vegetable Garden

"To everything there is a season,

and a time to every purpose

under the heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

We enjoy the truth of this verse all evident in nature around us. We have a small vegetable garden where we grow several vegetables like tomatoes, okras,peppers, beets, bitter gourd. Our family enjoys the process it takes to garden vegetables.

Every year we take the seeds of the vegetables and store them after they are washed and dried, they are placed in freezer bags and frozen. Here they stay all nice and safe until it's time to be sowed.

Last February, we sowed the tomato and okra seeds in little containers with peat moss. Water them and keep them covered away from direct light. Send a prayer to the Almighty that He may give life to those tiny seeds.

Within a week, lo ! and behold tiny seedlings started sprouting. Now, take the cover off and bring it under a plant light. Water them as necessary to keep the soil moist.

By the time spring is here and the frost chances are almost eliminated, plan on planting them outside. However, before transplanting, take the plants outdoors during the day in the shade, bringing them back indoors during the night and get them acclamatized for almost a week . After this the plants can be transplanted in the ground.The pepper seeds, and beets and bitter gourd were directly sown into the ground .

Today, we picked our bush beans, and tomatoes. It's amazing to see this practical lesson of a season for everything in our vegetable garden. God is so awesome. He amazes us all the time, showing us His presence in nature. If only man could see!!!

Motherhood

"Train a child in the way

he should go ,

and when he is old

he will not turn from it."

Proverbs 22 : 6

As a mother I find myself eager to please the Lord in all I do. Oh it's such a privelege and joy to have been blessed as a mother. The ability to make a difference in the life of the children God has given. I don't need to go out looking for places to do the Lord's work. It's right here in my house to create experiences and make memories with my own children. Wow! when I think of its depth I am filled with awe that the Creator has given us the gift to mold, direct humanity.
In raising our children I find myself having a tendency to get frustrated during the training process. We are all human and that's the reason why we have those weaknesses. That's when I have to remind myself -

Be patient with my children

Ask the Lord to help me see them as He sees them curious, beautiful, creative, strong.....

Thank the Lord for all the opportunities which come over and over again which is part of the
process of their growth mentally, spiritually and not to choose to get frustrated.

Thank the Lord for each one of them so unique, their Creator has entrusted me with their life.

When I look to Him for my direction, He gives me a new perspective, the frustration just disappears immediately. It's amazing what a freedom we experience when we choose to pray instead of choosing words of frustration.

Once again it's a matter of choice, how do we respond to today's portion of challenges?

With the Lord by our side and our choice to do His will = Great things happen.

GOD

One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That I will seek;

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord.

Psalm 27:4

GOD, when I think of Him, I am filled with awe. What a great intelligence behind this creation of this beautiful universe. At night, the skies amaze me. Each of those stars stare down at us. How strategically they are placed. The brightness of their appearance, surely a clear contrast to the dark blue sky. Every night a praise rises from the very inside of my heart. It's inaudible, an awesome fullness within that I myself can't express with words.

The morning sun rises to give light to all. To the rich and the poor, to the good and the evil. The rain waters the earth for all. How generous is this creator. Truly supernatural, cause man by nature would choose to be biased one way or the other.

The trees look upward, who are they looking at? Rightly the One who gives them rain and sunlight. The birds sing sweetly early morning, who are they singing to? The One who knows each one of them.

Look at the ants, see the order in which they go about their life, who taught them? Truly the one who sets everything in order. Look at the tiniest creature to the largest creature, ask if you may, why they are the way they are?

You will get the answer back, It is He, the ancient of days, the Creator of them all. He set everything in order.

When I see all this, I ask, why oh mankind? to whom was given the right to choose, have you chosen to cause chaos?

As I feel downhearted, my heart comforts me, that's why Jesus came , to set everything back in order. I am so glad He came for me and all of mankind. I pray that eyes will be opened and will see the invisible Hand of Him who is in control of all.

Would you please share, how you see GOD in your daily life.

Safe in His arms

" I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."

Psalm 3:5

My heart has been heavy these days and I've been appearing in our Almighty God's presence with my petition. I know in my heart that the Lord is with us every moment of our lives. He is a supernatural God and He has the power to be everywhere though we maynot understand how it is.

Yet our flesh is such that it makes us look at our circumstances and when life happens, or tragedies occur we start wondering and questions just pour into our minds- -HOW ? WHY ? WHY NOT ? etc...you name it.

This morning during my time with the Lord the portion I read was Daniel 1 :1,2 . Right there, the kind Lord spoke to my heart, the verse 2 says " And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God,...."( King Nebuchadnessar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it)

The Lord is in control even when we feel things are not in our control. Who better to trust than our Lord. I am safe in His arms, the Lord is fully aware of each minute detail of every issue of all the people everywhere. Our God is a big God. I am so glad He is my God and I am His.

The heaviness that was in my heart lifted up and a peace came that took all doubts away.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork."

Psalm 19:1

Recipe for Butter Chicken my family loves

Don't forget to be kind to strangers,

for some who have done this

have entertained angels

without realizing it!

Hebrews 13:2

My hubby and my children love this chicken. Here's the recipe.


Ingredients:
One whole chicken
Butter - 4 table spoons
Cream --1 cup
Tomato puree--3 cups
Garam masala Powder ( Mixture of powdered spices like cloves, caradamoms etc.)

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Chopped green coriander leaves
for garnishing




Method:
1. Take 1 whole chicken, cut it into pieces, wash it and set it aside. I wash it with a little vinegar diluted in water. It takes all the slime away.
2. Heat half of the butter in a frying pan. Add ginger, garlic and and saute for a minute. Now add the chicken pieces and toss them. Cover it and cook until chicken is no longer pink or it's done. Set it aside.

3. While the chicken is cooking in another pan add the remaining butter and reheat. Add tomato puree, red chilly powder, garam masala powder ( can be bought at any Indian stores) coriander powder and salt. Stir well.

4. Add little water just enough to make a thick gravy and bring it to boil on high. Reduce the heat and add chicken pieces.
5. Stir gently to coat all the chicken pieces with tomato gravy. Add 1/2 cup cream and simmer for 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and rest of the cream and serve hot over rice or with bread or wheat tortillas.

Visit www.anniekitchen.blogspot.com for more recipes

My Daily Routine

Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be

established.

Proverbs 16:3

I am so thankful to God that He gave us a will and ability to choose to live the life God wants us to lead.

4 A.M Wake up! Time with God

5:30 A.M Make beds, Start Laundry

6 A.M Start coffee,

Wake up children

Make breakfast

Pack lunch

Learn memory verse, Pray

Drive children to school

Time with God

Dog to buisiness

Feed dog and cat

Tidy Living room

Quick bathroom, mirror, sink and toilet clean up

Water plants, I eat breakfast if not allready done with the children and Hubby

9 A.M Exercise

9:30 A.M Quick shower

9:40 A.M Sweep and vaccum ground floor

10 A.M Cook dinner

12P.M Fold Laundry and put it away

1:15 P.M Pick up dog buisiness and empty cat litter

1:30 P.M Organize craft section and steel cabinets

2:45 P.M Pick up child from school, serve snack and ask about what was taught today etc....

3:30 P.M Pick up older children from school, serve snack

4:30 P.M Supervise Homework, Read with child

Supervise Piano practise

5 P.M Serve dinner

6 P.M Free play time, walk with family and dog

7 P.M Bath time

8 P.M Family devotion time

9 P.M Bedtime

Time with Hubby

Time with God

Sleep zzzzzzzzzzzz.........

Other tasks that will be included into the daily routine on other days are below---

Task A- Wash down garbage cans

Pick up dog and kitty litter

Task B- Plan meals, Make shopping list

Task C- Major bathroom and toilet clean up

Refill soap

Dust furniture

Task D- Sweep and vaccuum ground floor

Mend clothes

Task E- Check for cobwebs and vaccum first floor

Fold laundry and put it away

Task F- Sweep and mop loors

Organize an area

Task G- Vaccum furniture

Plan on inviting someone over for sunday lunch

Plan games with children

Task H- Pull weeds

Tend to flower garden

Task I- Vaccum blinds in an area

Task J- Change sheets

Wash sheets

Task K- Organize photos

Task L- E-mail friends

Pay bills

Blog on website

Task M-Bathe dog and cat

Task N - Sweep and clean front porch and patio

Cleaning tasks-

Stove

Fridge

All screens and mirrors

Sinks, bathrooms, toilets,counter tops, showers

Mop floors,wash trash cans

Vaccum car and van

Spice cabinets, pantry

Coat closet, garage

This is just a guide to help get started and each one can tweak it as necessary according to our needs.

Homemaking

....young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Titus 2:4-5

Wow, this is so wonderful. I feel so blessed to be the wife of this great man and mother of our precious son and daughters.

The Lord spoke to me that I was doing a very important job at home. My hubby is travelling and he was looking for some place to eat his breakfast at the airport. What if the cafe workers thought that it was a boring job or demeaning job to cook food and wouldn't open the cafe. My hubby and many others like him would go hungry and their bodies wouldn't get the nourishment needed. This would result in him not being able to function well and serve the people he had to serve.

In a way if we look, all the people are serving someone who has been placed in their path by way of occupation or family or friendship. It wouldn't be a pleasant feeling if everyone decided that their service was not worth their time which they could use for their own self. And things wouldn't get done and any nation wouldn't be what it is, if the citizens didn't do their part.

Homemaking is a great job. Home is the background against which our life is lived. A safe retreat from the world's buffetings. Home is the most sacred and exciting place on earth.

Committing my family early every morning to the creator of this universe my Lord Jesus Christ.

As a homemaker I am preparing nutritious food for the nourishment of the bodies of my husband and children.

I am making sure our home is a clean and orderly place where they can come and rest and be replenished.

The clothes are all laundered and ready to wear. Teaching my children by example and training to have order in their life.

Teaching my children to set their priorities God first and all things will be well and in order.

Always being available for my hubby and children whom I have chosen to make the center of my life next to God.

Showing hospitality to those the Lord has put in our path so they will be refreshed and be inspired to get closer to the Lord.

Being charitable to those the Lord has put in our heart and path and thereby being a good steward of all that's given to us.

This is my gift, may be different for each person. I am gifted with the ability to appreciate Landscapes and paint them . It draws me closer to the Creator whenever I paint, it's a spiritual experience for me.

Now it's my prayer for all those wives and mothers to take their job seriously. No matter what you do, remember you are a child of God, a woman , a full time mother. By doing so we are making this unit of society called home the launching pad where we are getting our family launched into life.

A clean, happy, well organized home life enriches the lives of those who live in it and all those who come in contact.

There is cleanup always launching any worthwhile project. Focus on the end result. Cleaning feels good, necessary and even noble.

Need of the early morning quiet time

Now in the morning having risen

a long while before daylight,

He went out and departed to a solitary place;

and there He prayed.

Mark 1;35

If the Lord Jesus felt the need of this early morning quiet time,how much more should I!

He opened His ear each morning to receive instructions for the day from God the Father.(Isaiah 50:4,5)

How often the Lord has woken me up,

and I just tried to roll on and catch some more sleep.

Pretty soon as the day dawns,

say a quick prayer and a quick reading of the Word.

And all that needs to be done crowd into my schedule.

Chaotically every thing's done as if to keep from drowning,

in all that needs to be accomplished.

I realise, oh I haven't spent my quiet time with my Lord today,

No wonder I have been gasping for time.

when I did not give my early morning to the owner of time,

To come and meet quietly before daylight.

He's waiting there for me,

to give me the secrets, for my day ahead.

I earnestly repent and He quickly forgives,

and is always ready to restore ,

the close relationship I cherish.

My Father,my Daddy,my Lord!

Abraham, a hero!

And truly if they had called to mind

that country from which they had come out,

they would have the opportunity to return.

But now they desire a better,

that is , a heavenly country.

Therefore God is not ashamed

to be called their God,

for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:15-16

This was the portion my son was memorising this morning for kid's club and it spoke to my heart.

Wow! Abraham made a good choice. He could have called to mind, in other words thought about or stay stuck in his memories of the country he had come out from.

Oh dear, then he would have had the opportunity to return, how sad that would have been, but instead he chose to desire a better, a heavenly country even while he lived on this earth and had all the great possessions he had acquired.

And how wonderful, God was not ashamed to be their God and prepared a city for them.

My aim should be to look forward not to worry about the past mishaps, portion of dissappointments, not even the past sweet memories that I can't get to.

This was a choice I had to make. My life is not on auto pilot. The Lord is my captain, I choose to listen to what He has to say in His Word and then choose to obey Him in all my day to day activities.

I am so glad I know Him. There is none better to trust. He is trustworthy and He is faithful.

I am so thankful for the free gift of free will He gave to mankind . And most of all for giving up His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to make a way for us mankind to have friendship with Him.

Though many a times we stumble, He understands us and provides a way out.My life and my family's life is proof of His mercy and forgiveness and provision.

The eye glass Miracle

My son's eyes were hurting. His eye glasses could'nt be found anywhere. My heart went out for him, it was hard for me as a mother to see him blink to try to focus his eyes. We prayed . As usual when something is missing we looked at all the possible places and also in some of the unusual places. But there was no clue of it. Before he left to school he kneeled on the couch and prayed earnestly to the Lord. My child needed a miracle today.

I ushered him off to school and comforted him that I would bring his glasses if they could be found. After dropping my darling children at school, I started my search prayerfully at 8 AM . I looked all over the place under the couches, everywhere up and downstairs . I tried replaying the events of the weekend in my mind to see if I could hit a clue somewhere.

It was almost 10:30 AM now and I thought "Well I've got to get my work started, the laundry is waiting to be folded , the floor looking at me as to when I was going to sweep it , couch craving to be vaccummed. Maybe I'll get started and keep looking as I go. "



From the bottom of my heart I whispered to the Lord, " Lord, how I wish the glasses were found and I could take it to my son" I did'nt know how he would manage to see his work in class today.
Resigned to the fact that I needed to start the routine, I plugged the vaccum to the outlet to vaccum our trusty couch, and instead of starting the vaccum , I found myself led without my own intention to the china cabinet to look behind our children's picture and lo and behold! there was our son's precious glasses!

Filled with joy I praised my Father in heaven who led me to the place where the glasses were. I was so excited to take my son's glasses to school and tucked a small note that the Lord had answered his prayer. I can only imagine how his heart would be filled with awe at His God's looking out for him.



Our God is such a great God,



nothing is too small or too big for Him.



Nothing is hidden from His Sight.



I am so glad our Lord has not left us



alone here to fend for ourselves.



His word is true when He said ..



"...Lo, I am with you always,



even to the end of the age.."

Mathew 28: 20

There is no other god like our God

He has made the earth by His power,

He has established the world by His wisdom,

And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.

When He utters His voice,

There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:

"And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Jeremiah 10:12-13

Reverence God

The sun is shining brightly this morning and I feel so peaceful in my heart

The little baby tomatoes and okras are ready to receive all the energy so they can be transplanted successfully in a few days. I am so thankful that they survived so far and are growing so well and most of all filled with gratitude to my Lord Who chose to give them life.

When it is cold and wintry , it seems as if winter will never end but low and behold hope of new life comes with the rising of the energetic sun. Life must go on. The Lord, Maker of all is in control. All is well, nature tells us so.

God is greatly to be feared

in the assembly of the saints,

and to be held in reverence

by all those around Him

Psalm 89: 7

Nature's speech

I am so glad to see the sun rise this morning, from my kitchen window. Once again I am reminded, the Lord is Faithful. My heart is filled with awe at His amazing ways all the time.
Today our devotional with the children was about Psalm 19. It's so amazing, even the nature is speaking of the glory of our wonderful Creator. Our children though very young, understood that fact, I say that because it took me almost 3 decades to really think of it that way. I am so thankful the Holy Spirit is leading my precious children.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

Psalm 19:1-3

God is real

Praise the LORD!

Praise the name of the LORD;

Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!

You who stand in the house of the LORD,

In the courts of the house of our God,

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

Psalm 135:1-3

How to worship God

Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High.

Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you,
and you shall glorify me.
Psalm 50: 14,15