Coffee Cup Friends

Our KITCHEN will be updated within a few days. Until then, enjoy this delicious and easy summertime favorite:

Tasty Hot Dogs “Done Right”
Serves 8
3/4 cup reduced sugar ketchup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. prepared mustard (regular or brown)
1 pkg. (8 in pkg.) favorite FF/RF Hot Dogs
8 hot dog buns
8 pieces of sliced cheese (your choice – Pepperjack is good)

HEAT hot dogs as directed on package. COMBINE first four ingredients (above). PLACE a slice of cheese in each bun, followed by a heated hot dog. TOP each with ketchup mixture. Enjoy the flavors of summer! Optional: Instead of sliced cheese, sprinkle shredded cheese on top after assembling other ingredients.

Ponder the special ministry of motherhood and the many blessings that flow from godly mothers to their children and generations beyond. Without a question, a mother is often the greatest influence in one’s life. By virtue of her tender, compassionate spirit, she was (and still may be) your best advocate when the world seems to come against you. She took the time to listen and hold you close as no one else could. And through her relationship with the Lord, she modeled Christ-likeness. Before reading on, pause for a moment and think of how your own mother (or some other special woman in your life who represented a mother figure) has positively impacted you as a person and as a Christian. Then, in that moment, lift up your thanks and praise God for blessing you with this remarkable influence. Continue Reading

The God of the Universe took David, the famous king of Israel, out of the pasture where he was quietly tending sheep, to place him over His people, Israel. David followed God. Therefore, God cut off his enemies and gave him peace.

One day David looked around at his own lavish home and compared it to the … Continue Reading

In an hour, I’ll be leaving for my Women’s Ministries Bible Study (our last day for this session until we resume in the Fall.) We’re having a brunch and since there will be 280+ women attending (and that’s just the “Women on Wednesday” group) there will be a vast array of food! I have some bananas I need to use up so am trying the following recipe for Banana Bread. Makes 3 loaves.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs (extra large)
4 medium bananas (soft and ripe, not rotting)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts (shelled, not crushed)
3 loaf pans (for this recipe, use three pans to make three loaves, of the following dimensions: 7 1/2 inches long — 3 1/4 inches wide — 2 1/2 inch deep – or adjust depending on YOUR pans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans or use pan liners for loaf pan. Mash bananas. Add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well with mixer (medium speed). Stir together flour, baking soda and salt and add to mixture and blend thoroughly. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into greased or lined loaf pans. Bake 35 to 45 minutes (3 pans – longer if using just two pans) or until bread tests done.

“Is our God big enough to fulfill His promises? Is your faith big enough to believe that He always does and will continue to do so? He listens when we cry out and hears our prayers and then works in ways we can’t imagine!” Hebrews 11:1

A simple coffee cake recipe that bakes up in only 20 minutes.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 6 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large mixing bowl, combine larger portion of flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening to pea sized pieces. In a smaller bowl, beat egg and stir in milk and vanilla. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just mixed. Pour batter into greased 9-inch cake pan. For the topping, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and last bit of flour. Sprinkle on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

It matters not to us your political affiliation or who you will vote for in November.
As Christians, however, we have a moral responsibility to pray for those in authority over our land.
Too many are complaining about the leadership of our country (regardless of who is in control)
without falling to their knees first. -CCF

Many Christians have “settled” and have forgotten how to issue the battle cry. We have settled for mediocrity and, too often, think others will do it for us. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility and privilege to come before the Throne of Grace to seek God and His will for our lives and nation. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” As one people, let us ask Him to move mightily on our nation’s behalf to preserve the sanctity of marriage and family, the sanctity of life, and take back truth, justice, and the freedoms that were originally established by our forefathers.

Continue Reading Here

coffeecupfriends
“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for building wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom… Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (James 3:13-18 – The Message)

Today, a term floats about our globe inviting people of various philosophies to form a group to think and then talk in order to form a conclusion and a course of action. It’s called “group think” or “group talk”.

This morning as I was enjoying an early morning cup of coffee on my porch while listening to God’s feathered friends, I became aware of a distinct contrast from humanity’s hullabaloo.

These messengers of the Creator migrate without wondering when or what their next move should be or worrying whether things will be the same or if there will be enough nesting material when they arrive. They manage to sing the same song separately, yet when gathered together they are like a well-tuned orchestra and their distinct “talk” a masterpiece. They are not pressured by the group to think differently; leave before their time; sing a new song; or conform to their surroundings. They know their identity and sing with ease and grace, except perhaps for the rat-a-tat of the woodpecker who seems to be very intentional in making his point, sometimes even pecking on metal. There could be an entirely different analogy there, but we’ll leave that for another time when we can get together as a group and think it through.

In the distance, a clarion call brings about a clarion echo. It is as it should be when a message is clear and concise. We will know who is listening and where they are located because they sing the same song. Unlike most of our human “group talk” or “group think”, which demands change for the sake of change and conformity for the sake of intolerance, their message brings hope renewed. It is the sound of contentment.

I wonder if the ease in which they exist means they know something we struggle to possess? Could it be they truly know their Creator? Could it be their trusting relationship with Him grants them such confidence? Hear the words of the Master, Jesus, for this season in your life and live in contentment:

“No one can serve two masters…for this reason, I say to you do not be worried about your life…look at the birds of the air…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well…do not worry about tomorrow…” – Jesus (Matthew 5:24-34)

Author: Peg CCF Contributor All Rights Reserved

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The National Day of Prayer is coming this Thursday, May 3. This will be the 61st annual obswervance. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to pray for our nation, its leaders, and for each other. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12)

Connect to the official National Day of Prayer website by clicking on NDP picture at the left.