Our Daily Bread – Forsaken?
Read: Psalm 22:1-8,19-26
Do you know which psalm is quoted most often in the New Testament? You may have guessed the familiar and beloved 23rd Psalm, but actually it is Psalm 22. This psalm begins with David’s poignant, heart- breaking words that were quoted by Jesus on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).
Imagine the situation David must have found himself in that caused him to cry out to God in this way. Notice that he felt forsaken and abandoned: “Why are You so far from helping me?” (Ps. 22:1). He also felt ignored: “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear” (v.2).
Ever been there? Have you ever looked up into the heavens and wondered why it seemed that God had abandoned you, or was ignoring you? Welcome to David’s world. But for every plaintive cry David expresses, there is a characteristic of God mentioned that rescues him from despondency. Through it all, David discovers that God is holy (v.3), trustworthy (vv.4-5), a deliverer and rescuer (vv.8,20-21), and his strength (v.19).
Do you feel forsaken? Seek the Lord. Rehearse His character. And “let your heart rejoice with everlasting joy” (v.26 nlt).
my life. When those times come, please remind me
of Your character as You did David. Help me to
lean on You again and know that You are there.
His loving care is all around us.
Don’t Get Squeezed Into A Mold
Posted by Joel Osteen on 10/26/2012
When my father went to be with the Lord, I had to accept the fact that God’s purpose for my life was not the same purpose as my father’s. His calling was to help bring down the denominational walls and let people know about the fullness of the Spirit. When I took over, I felt pressured to be like my father, to fit into that mold. I thought I had to minister like him, run the church like him, and go down that same path. But when I searched my heart, I knew my calling was to plant a seed of hope, to encourage people, to let them know about the goodness of God. At first, it was difficult because some people had been in the church for 40 years. I thought, “I can’t be anything different. What would they think? They may not like me. They may not accept me.”
One day I read a scripture talking about David. It said, “David fulfilled his purpose for his generation.” I heard God say right down in here, “Joel, your father fulfilled his purpose. Now quit trying to be like him and go out and fulfill your purpose.” When I heard that, it was like a light turned on inside of me. I realized I don’t have to try to be like my father. I don’t have to fit into a certain mold. It’s okay to run my race. I am free to be me. After all, God doesn’t want us to be an imitation of somebody else; be the original God created you to be.
Friend, there is an anointing on your life, and it’s not so you can be like someone else. You are anointed to be you! But if you let people squeeze you into their mold and bow down to that pressure and change with every criticism, that’s not only going to take away your uniqueness, but it’s going to lessen God’s favor. It’s going to reduce His anointing on your life.
As the church started to grow and more people were watching on television, the critics came out of the woodwork saying, “He’s not like his father. He’s too young. He doesn’t have the experience.” Even now, “Joel is too much of this, not enough of that.” If you change with every criticism, you won’t have a chance. I believe one reason that God has promoted me is because I have tuned out the negative voices and done my best to stay true to who God has called me to be. I don’t try to compete with somebody else. I don’t let people control me and feel guilty if I don’t fit into their box. I don’t get upset because somebody said something negative. I look straight ahead. Like the apostle Paul, I do my best to run with purpose in every step.
I learned early on that in order to please God, you may have to disappoint a few people. The scripture talks about how some people loved the praise of people more than they loved the praise of God. One of the tests that we all have to face is when someone in our life that we love or look up to—a friend, a boss, a family member— wants us to go a certain direction when we know in our heart that God wants us to go another direction. We don’t want to lose their friendship. We don’t want to disappoint them. We want their approval. But if you’re going to fulfill your destiny, you’ve got to be strong. You have to have this attitude, “I want the praise of God more than I want the praise of people. I have an assignment. I have a purpose. I have a destiny. I’m going to become who God has created me to be!”
Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries
Truth In The Inner Being
by Joyce Meyer – posted November 01, 2012
The heading under this psalm reads: “A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.” David cried out for mercy because he had sinned with Bathsheba, and when he learned she was pregnant, he had had her husband murdered in battle.
After David confessed his sin, Nathan said to him, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:13–14).
That’s the first lesson I want you to grasp from this incident. When you fail God, you harm yourself, but you also bring dishonor to His name. Whenever you take a false step, there are those who watch and gleefully point their fingers. The two always go together. Not only do you bring disgrace on the name of the Lord, but you fail yourself. You knew the right but chose the wrong.
As if that were not enough, the evil one also whispers, “See how bad you are. God won’t forgive you. It’s too awful.” Of course, he’s lying, because that’s what he does best. Don’t listen to those words, because there is no sin you’ve committed that God won’t forgive. You may have to carry scars or pay the penalty, but God wipes away the sin.
There’s something else to learn from this: You need to face reality. You sinned. You disobeyed God. What will you do about your sin? You can plead excuses (and most of us are good at that), or you can follow David’s example. When the prophet said, “You are the man…” (2 Samuel 12:7), the king did not deny his wrongdoing or try to justify his actions. David admitted he had sinned and confessed.
He wrote in the psalm quoted earlier: “For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment” (vs. 3–4).
If you follow Jesus Christ, not only are you declaring to yourself, to your family, and to the world your trust in the Savior, but you are also declaring your stand for truth. It’s easy for us to deceive ourselves, but God has called us to be totally, completely, and scrupulously honest in our inner being. Don’t look at what others may get away with or how they justify their behavior. We can’t blame others, the devil, or circumstances.
When you fail, remind yourself that the greatest king of Israel cried out to God and said, “My sin is ever before me” (v. 3). Those sins, failures, or shortcomings (or whatever you may choose to call them) will always be there until you admit them and confess them to the Lord; only then can you know the joy of living with integrity and in truth.
This is the message for you from this final meditation; this is the message of the entire book: Strive to live with truth in your inner being. You—you and God—are the only ones who know what’s in your heart. Live in honesty and truth.
Holy God, David prayed, “You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.” Through Jesus Christ, I plead with You to help me desire truth in my inner being, to live in such a way that I’m as honest and as open with You as I can become. I know that the life You honor is the life You bless. Amen.
From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.
The Greater Jacksonville Fair
The fair is incomparable to any other event in the area. This isn’t just Jacksonville’s offering to the annual fairs that roll through every county, this is The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair. It’s greater, in that it dwarfs any of the other county fairs in both size and extent. I’m not sure precisely how it compares in size to other fairs, but it is the biggest I’ve ever attended. Of course, that perception is relative too. Because in Hoboken or Minneapolis, an agricultural fair may not be that big of a deal, but in the Deep South, a fair is part of our folk history. In fact this one has been around longer than anyone reading this, I would dare bet.
Of course there are the spectacles that everyone goes there for, the rides that spin and teeter and rise far above the earth. Few things can give you that anxious and excited feeling that rides at the fair provide. People that adore the scariest roller coasters and travel the country to try the rides are still scared of the fair rides, and therein lays precisely their thrill. They are thoroughly inspected and tested on hapless, toothless carnies before you are allowed to get on board, but the knowledge that it is at least slightly more likely for these road-weary portable machines to jeopardize your life than it is a permanent fixture at a theme park provides a portion of that thrill. Real terror. Couple that with Iron Maiden blaring through the speaker and the cryptic look in the eyes of the man controlling your fate with a lever, and you have a perfect autumn scare.
In the midway you can test your skills against the taunting carnies and win your sweetheart a framed velvet portrait of the Guns N’ Roses logo or a 80% likeness Winnie the Pooh doll for your sweetheart, or dare to try one of the many other spectacular spectacles along the walk around the fair. Whether you want to get upside down or just see the county’s finest hog, the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair has plenty to offer for all ages and is a true cultural experience. Read on for details about the shows and the exhibitions (not to mention the food).
General Admission
Admission tickets may be purchased on-line at any time before and during the Fair or at the gate.
Adults $8.00
Children 6-12 $5.00
5 and younger Free
Senior 65 and over $5.00
Ride tickets are available, and different rides require different numbers of tickets, but wristbands for unlimited rides usually cost between $20 and $25 dollars depending on the day. Go to JacksonvilleFair.Com for more details.
7 Detox Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to boost your fruits and veggies daily intake. It makes a delicious quick breakfast, a nice refreshing snack, a wonderful healthy dessert or a super post-training drink. Not only the flavor combinations are infinite, you can prepare different recipes to benefit from specific health components from its ingredients. One other great thing about smoothies is that to the opposite of simple juices, it keeps all the natural fiber, which help cleansing the digestive tract. The powerful detox foods that go into it help your liver to detox naturally, and they can help you stay healthy and look great.
Flat Tummy
Rich in digestion supporting ingredients, this smoothie will help prevent bloating and digestive stress that can sabotage your tummy flattening efforts.
- 3/4 c. papaya
- 3/4c. sliced peaches
- 1/2 pear, sliced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger
- 2 mint leaves
- Water to thin
Skin Saver
Antioxidants in berries are known to help to fight wrinkles and other skin ageing signs. Berries are also a great way to control blood sugar that can sabotage your complexion. This smoothie also contains Omega 3, to fight inflammation, as well as vitamins E and C, both renown to help the skin.
- 3/4 c blueberries
- 3/4 c pitted cherries
- 5 strawberries
- 1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 tsp wheat germ (optional)
- 2 tsp ground flaxseed
- Water, to thin
Peanut Butter Energy Booster
This protein-rich and minerals-filled smoothie will give you long-lasting energy. Cinnamon will help to control your blood sugar so your energy level won’t crash too quickly.
- 1 big banana
- 1 scoop of natural hemp protein powder
- 2 tsp of natural peanut butter
- 1 handful of fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
- Water, to thin
Bone Lover
This vitamin-rich green smoothie contains calcium, magnesium and other bone building minerals to keep your bone strong and healthy.
- 2 bananas
- 1 handful of Swiss chard leaves, stems removed
- 1 handful of kale leaves
- 1 tsp of green Matcha powder
- 1/2 cup of homemade almond milk
Immune System Booster
Rich in vitamin A, C and zinc, this smoothie can increase the production of white blood cells and antibodies to get your body ready to resist this season’s infections.
- 1/2 c. mango cubes
- 1/2 c. cantaloupe cubes
- 1/2 c. fresh pineapple cubes
- 1/4 c. chopped pumpkin seeds
- Water, to thin
Natural Skin Tanner
Studies have proven that a beta-carotene rich diet can make your complexion glow, and that particular skin tone is usually considered healthier than a regular skin tan. This smoothie can help you get that healthy glow without risking your skin lying under the sun.
- 1/2 cup of cantaloupe cubes
- 1/2 cup of papaya
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup of carrot juice (or water)
- 1 small knob of fresh ginger
Antioxidant Power
Feel the power of this detox foods-rich smoothie. Very rich in antioxidants, this smoothie will help to support your liver to detox naturally and help your body stay healthy and young longer.
- 1/3 cup of blueberries
- 1/3 cup of raspberries
- 1/3 cup of pomegranate kernels
- 1/4 cup of beet juice (optional)
- 1 banana
- Water to thin
What do you add to your Smoothies?
Monterrey Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 c. bar-b-que sauce
- 1/4 c. real bacon bits
- 1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (14 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)
- sliced green onions
- pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).
*CHEF”S TIP – Wanna take this dish to the next level? How about marinating the chicken with this simple recipe.
Marinade: 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 T. soy sauce, 2 tsp. McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning. (Only marinade for about a half hour or the meat gets too salty.)
Easy Blackberry Cheese Danish
Ingredients
for the danish:
- 1 tube Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
for the icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Set aside.
2. Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an ungreased baking sheet or silpat, lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. Dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan. Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough to be about 2-3 inches wide. Top with fresh blackberries. Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get a braided pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and crescent dough is golden in color. Cool before removing from baking sheet.
4. Once danish has cooled, remove to serving platter. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla and cream to create icing. You may need to add more cream to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish. Cut into pieces and serve.
*CHEF”S TIP – This recipe is perfect for you to BYOC (Be Your Own Chef). Dont like blackberries no problem just use whatever fruit you like best. The possibilities are endless.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies
Makes 24 brownies
INGREDIENTS:
For the brownies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped (optional, I didn’t use any)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For the caramel filling:
- 14 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and grease the foil well with butter or cooking spray. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and butter. Microwave in intervals of 1 minute at 50% power until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, stirring in between intervals. Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Stir in the flour and salt just until combined. Spread about half of the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven (keep the oven on!) and let the brownies cool for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the chopped pecans (if using) to a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and light golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside. To make the caramel filling, combine the caramels and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir. Repeat the process, keeping a close eye on the mixture as it can burn very easily (make sure you use low heat in the microwave). Continue the microwave process until the caramels and cream are melted and combined. Stir in half of the pecans to the caramel mixture. Immediately spread the caramel mixture over the bottom brownie layer. Scoop the remaining brownie batter in spoonfuls over the caramel layer and spread it evenly across the caramel layer (spooning the batter in piles over the caramel will help to get an even layer of batter over the caramel). Sprinkle the chocolate chips and the remaining pecans on top of the final brownie layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. I found the brownies sliced easier once they had been cooled and refrigerated for an hour or two.
Lift the brownies from the pan using the edges of the foil. Remove the foil and cut the brownies into individual squares. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe & Photo Credit is courtesy of: Six Sisters’ Stuff
Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
5. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.
7. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Serve & Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.
I Am Lady Fab 