THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

August 19, 2020

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

I just ran across a quote that God spoke to me back in April of 2019 that says, "Be in the picture; don't always be the one to take the picture."

Women are notorious for wanting to be the ones who take the picture, instead of being in it. If they have to be in the picture, they try to stand behind someone to hide as much as they can. Perhaps they feel that they are too fat, not dressed nice enough, are self-conscious or whatever reason.... but they would rather stay out of the photo. What they don't seem to realize is that there will come a time when their family will be thrilled to have pictures of them; and it there are none, then their kids and grandkids lose a part of their history. Their loved ones don't look at it through the same eyes that the one being photographed does. They don't look at size or hair or style through critical eyes, but look at it through filters of love; and are thrilled to have those memories of the one they love so much.

I look at some of my pictures from the 80's and 90's and laugh at my huge permed hair, huge glasses, and some of the dress styles..... and do the same with pictures of my sisters and other loved ones.... and they do the same. But we love looking through those old photos and seeing each other and how styles have changed or how we have changed. We love reminiscing about our shared memories. It's a documented part of our history together.

I love looking at pictures of my parents that were taken throughout their life and am so very thankful for having them. Both parents have passed away, and although I would rather have them with me, I'm grateful for having the photos of them that I can look at. I would hate to think that they had always been the one holding the camera, instead of being in the picture.

It's the same with grandparents that I never know, due to their deaths, either before or shortly after my birth. I love seeing their faces and looking to see if I favor them and knowing what they looked like. I'm thankful for the photos that I have or have seen and am grateful that we have pictures of them; or else, I never would have known what they looked like. Pictures are important!

But there are other meanings to that sentence. It also means don't always be the one sitting on the sidelines watching life go by, but be involved. Don't be afraid of not being good enough, or questioning your qualification, or have the mindset that someone else could do it better, or that it might take too much work or time, or that you don't matter; but get off your backside and become a participator and not just a spectator.

God put each of us here for a specific purpose, and we can't fulfill our destiny without getting our hands dirty and becoming involved. Not everyone has the same role and no one else can do the job that God created each of us for. If you weren't necessary and needed, God wouldn't have had a reason for allowing you to be born.

Regardless of when an individual was born, they were born at the appointed time that God needed them on earth. Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Esther, David, Mary, the disciples, and every other person in the Bible were born at the exact moment in history that God desired in order to fulfill their destiny. It's been the same throughout the ages. We may not ever have our name written down in a book for others to read our stories, but we still have a purpose. We need to be in the picture.

That also has a spiritual meaning. We need to grow and mature as christians, but that comes with us being in the picture and being involved in church, bible study, prayer, and whatever ways God leads. We can't say we are a christian, then stay out of the picture for the rest of our lives. Developing as a believer requires us to do something. It requires the world seeing us standing up and living our lives as godly examples. We cannot remain hidden, but are told in scripture to let our light shine.

When my niece finished kindergarten she told her mom, "Well, I'm all done with school now!" In her mind, she had gone to school, learned a lot, and now she could stay home because she was all finished. It was so disappointing to learn that she had many, many years left of schoolwork and learning. She ended up going to college and getting her masters degree, so extended her learning outside of high school.

People tend to have that same mentality, at times, regarding our relationship with Jesus. We read the bible, pray, attend church.... then after a while think, "I've learned it all! I don't have to do anything else!" But growing and developing as a child of God is something we work on until we get to heaven. It should never end, with us growing satisfied spiritually, thinking we know as much as necessary and no desire to know Jesus on a deeper level. We should never be satisfied with just enough salvation to slip into heaven and avoid hell; but should desire knowing our Father on a deeper, personal level.

I remember hearing a song many years ago, and can only recall one line that has stuck in my mind since that time. It said, "We can't be satisfied with where we are in the Lord, there's so much more... there's so much more." And that is so true. The more we get to know God, the more we realize how little we really do know about Him. But the more we get to know Him and the more time we spend with Him, the more He reveals Himself to us. But we have to be in the picture!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

I once put together a puzzle, and the very last piece didn't fit right. I started wondering how one piece might have gotten switched from a different puzzle and several other possible scenarios. Eventually, I discovered that I had already used the piece that belonged in the last space, but in the wrong place. Once I switched them, they both fit better, and both looked right.

The point here is that sometimes we might think we fit in one place, and we might go days or even years in a space where we kind of fit, but we really belong somewhere else. We might have to stay at a job or in a position at church or in a particular church for a long time to see for sure. And I really suggest waiting and watching closely for that right place to show up before leaving a job or church, but we should always stay open to God moving us to somewhere better.

ON THE MENEWE:

Beef Stroganoff

Place stew meat in crockpot (can used sirloin or round steak; cut into 1-2 inch pieces, either before or after cooking). Sprinkle the dry package of au jus over the top, then place the stick of butter on top of the meat. (No need to add water.) Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Add a can of mushroom soup, after the meat is tender, as well as the beef broth or water. Stir to mix.

Cube up the package of cream cheese and stir in. It will melt faster and more evenly, if cubed.

If desired, add in the mushrooms.

Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Add in egg noodles. I don't measure; but just pour some in until it looks about right.... probably around 2/3 of the bag, depending on bag size. Stir to make sure most of the noodles are covered with the gravy/broth mixture. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until noodles are tender.

You can add a splash of Worcestershire Sauce when adding these ingredients, if desires. You can also add some fresh Parmesan cheese, if desired.

When serving, sprinkle Parmesan on top, if desired.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

One of my most favorite things to do is have family dinners in my home. I don't particularly like hosting other social get togethers, but having family come to my house is my favorite. Whenever I can, I have family who live nearby to our home for dinner. I plan a theme or the type of food we will have, then everyone brings food. It is relaxed and nothing fancy, but a time of enjoying our time together and visiting. For our last dinner, we had "breakfast for supper", which was something that everyone who came enjoyed. In our busy lives, I've found that sometimes we need to set aside time to get together with family and keep involved in one another's lives. I encourage you to do the same; whether it is getting together for dinners or whatever it is that your family enjoys doing together.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Always pray to have eyes that see the best, a heart that forgives the worst,

a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org