All is Against Me!

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Jennifer Grace

And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.” Genesis 42:36 (NKJV)

Have you ever felt like Jacob from the Old Testament? Jacob thought all was against him. There was a famine throughout the whole world. His favorite son Joseph was no more, his son Simeon was taken prisoner in Egypt, the governor of Egypt wanted his youngest son Benjamin if Jacob’s family wanted to trade for more food…all these things were against him.

And yet, we who know the whole story want to tell Jacob, “It’s all okay! Don’t worry! God’s got it all planned out! God sent Joseph ahead to Egypt to preserve your whole family. When Benjamin goes to Egypt, Simeon will be released from jail, your whole family will be invited, and Joseph will take care of everyone. God is taking care of you!”

Can I remember this when things seem against me? Don’t worry, God has it all planned out! When we can’t see the big picture, it sure is difficult. This is especially true when it comes to our children, perhaps that’s why Jacob was so worried. But we can remember the words of Jesus from Matthew 10. Here Jesus reminds us not to worry for we are of more value than many sparrows…

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: One of my favorite Old Testament stories is that of Joseph. If you have time, why not read it today (Genesis 37-47). Then share your heart with Jesus in prayer: O Jesus, please help me trust you with ______ and not worry.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NKJV)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things… Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

When You Don’t See His Plan

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Jennifer Grace

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

My new year began with the most wonderful book I “just happened” to find in my mailbox. I love how there are no accidents with God, just God-incidents. He knew I needed to read this biography, so He mailed it to me! If you’ve ever had things go wrong in your life (and who hasn’t?), you will love this book, too!

When You Don’t See His Plan is the touching and inspiring story of Nadine Hennesy, missionary to Kosovo. What makes her story unlike others was the tragic death of her husband after only 11 months of marriage. It seemed their dreams of missionary work in Peru were over, as Nadine gave birth to their daughter without her husband Ed.

But Nadine did not give up. She started teaching again, served the Lord a year in Peru with her daughter Lydia, then was called to an orphanage in Albania, and finally is directing a school in Kosovo. Nadine is a regular American girl who put herself in God’s hands, allowing Him to use her wherever needed. Just imagine the number of lives Jesus has touched through her!

I immediately felt drawn to Nadine, as she and author Rebecca Baker shared her story. Nadine shows us all how to trust Jesus through the hardest situations, and come through praising Him. What a joy to count her as a sister in faith who I will meet in heaven someday.

Today’s TEA CUPP: If you’d like to read this book and share in Nadine’s ministry, When You Don’t See His Plan is available from Discovery House Publishers. My prayer is we all can be such bright lights for Jesus as Nadine and her daughter Lydia.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:18 (NKJV)

dhp.org/s8283.html/

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

THE BEST COOKIES!

These might be the BEST of my cookie recipes! So healthy and so yummy! Gluten-free, dairy-free, low fat, low sugar — perfect for tea time or any time!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 cups gluten-free oats (I prefer quick-cooking)
1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life chocolate chips (dairy-free)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients: brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together, coconut oil, apple sauce, peanut butter, and sugar. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and cream together. Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared cookie sheets, 12 to a pan. With a fork dipped in water, press the cookies to flatten. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool on cooling racks. Makes about 4 dozen, but they won’t last long!

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV)

New King James Version (NKJV)

Rice Pudding for Breakfast

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.”…John 21:12 (NKJV)

One of my favorite uses for leftover rice is to make rice pudding. I can mix this up the night before, refrigerate, and pop it in the oven in the morning. It makes a yummy gluten-free breakfast, with a bit more protein than plain oatmeal.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with coconut oil. Arrange rice in the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with raisins. Cut coconut oil into small pieces and arrange over raisins. In a large measuring cup, combine coconut milk, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Pour milk mixture over rice. Place cover on casserole dish and bake 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Rice pudding will be golden on top and hold its shape when cut. Spoon into bowls and top with additional coconut milk.
Note: This recipe may be doubled and baked in the same 2 quart dish, just bake for longer.

New King James Version (NKJV)

7-7-7 Prayer

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

“But the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.” Luke 5:35 (NKJV)

Anna Graham Lotz is sharing God’s call to pray for our nation and world this July. As the Israelites marched around Jericho 7 days, we are to pray the first 7 days of July. Then on July 7th, we are to fast and pray 7 hours, sounding the trumpet for Jesus. If you’d like to read more about it, please click to see Anna’s website. Please join us in praying and fasting for our country this Monday, July 7th.
www.annegrahamlotz.com/events/urgent-call-to-prayer/urgent-call-prayer-day-three”/

“Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to Your holy Name,
that we may glory in Your praise.” 1 Chronicles 16:35 (NIV) & Psalm 106:47 (NIV)

Give ear, O God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name.” Daniel 9:18-18 (NIV)

God With Us

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

God with Us

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)

The book of Matthew begins and ends sharing the message “God with Us.”

My TEA CUPP Prayers are all about getting to know our wonderful Lord, sitting down daily with Him for TEA. He promises He will be with us!

Why not in preparation for Easter, read the book of Matthew? You can divide the 28 chapters into 7 daily readings:

Palm Sunday (Sunday before Easter): Matthew 1-4
Monday: Matthew 5-8
Tuesday: Matthew 9-12
Wednesday: Matthew 13-16
Thursday: Matthew 17-20
Good Friday: Matthew 21-24
Saturday: Matthew 25-28

Happy Blessed Easter Sunday, celebrating our risen Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus!

Chocolate Avocado Cake

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

Thank you to my daughter Kallie for sending me this recipe! I tweaked it a bit to be more chocolatey and use the ingredients I have on hand. So far, our family has devoured three batches! The avocado replaces the butter, egg and dairy in this cake recipe, making it dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. With another avocado in the frosting, you are really getting extra nutrients with your dessert. Why not enjoy this with your Easter celebration?

Ingredients:
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 medium avocado, remove pit and skin
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 T. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with 18 cupcake liners, or oil a cake pan and sprinkle with a bit of extra cocoa. In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the cocoa and stir to dissolve. Set aside. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients: rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, mash the avocado until smooth and creamy. Add the coconut oil and sugar, mixing well. Add the cocoa mixture to the avocado and blend well. In the measuring cup with the water, add the vinegar and vanilla. Add a bit of the water to the avocado bowl and stir. Now add some of the flour mixture to the avocado bowl and stir. Repeat until everything is mixed into the large bowl. Scoop the batter into your cupcake pan, or pour into prepared cake pans. Bake cupcakes 25 minutes, or cakes for 30-40 minutes. Allow cakes to cool before frosting.

Chocolate Avocado Frosting Ingredients
1 medium avocado, remove skin and pit
2 T. orange juice
1 cup powder sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 t. vanilla

Mashed the avocado in a medium mixing bowl. Blend in the orange juice until smooth. Use a strainer to sift the powder sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl, so there are no lumps. Mix well. Add the vanilla and taste. Add more orange juice or powder sugar if needed to make the frosting thinner or thicker. This recipe makes 1 cup frosting, enough for a batch of cupcakes or a 13×9″ cake. Double the frosting recipe if you are frosting a layer cake. Enjoy your avocado treat!

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

“Thank you, dearest Jesus”

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 (NKJV)

A miracle happened in our town last week. You had to be there to believe. It was one of the worst days of winter with deep snow and sub-zero temperatures. One look out the window made you just want to sit at home by a fire. But we couldn’t. A special event was planned for some dear friends. Their son Jake needs a kidney transplant. A small group organized a benefit dinner and auction to help raise money for his expenses.

I arrived at 4:45 p.m. to set up my cook book table, another fundraiser for Jake. A few people were gathered here and there around the American Legion, looking at auction items and visiting. Servers were busy lining up roasting pans, lovingly prepared that morning. Long blue tables set up by Jake’s 4H club the day before, waited expectantly for guests. Would all those chairs fill?

By 5:15 p.m., more people came through the door, shaking the snow and cold from boots and jackets. People began to sit at the tables. At 5:30 p.m. our pastor said grace and folks started going through the food line. Pulled-pork sandwiches, potatoes, coleslaw and goodies filled their plates. And the people kept coming through the door. I imagine some people lost their seats to new arrivals when they were up getting their food.

By 7:00 p.m., the Legion was jam-packed, with hardly any standing room, the food was mostly gone, and the auction began. Items were donated from people in our town, our county, and across our state! What was planned as a three hour event, lasted for six hours, with folks finally heading home at 11:30 p.m. We later learned that in those 6 hours, 600 people came and $60,000 was raised to help Jake. That’s $100/person and $10,000 an hour! Wouldn’t you call that a miracle?

Why did this happen? Because God wanted it to happen! He blessed this event because all glory was given to Him by Jake’s mom and dad, Wendy and Ode. This family is so dear, always https://tramadolmain.com giving so much to others…baking cookies, taking a meal, driving someone to an appointment, helping with ranch chores, praying for us… you name it! And so we all wanted to give back to them.

The same day as the auction, Wendy received the incredible news that she is a perfect match to give her son Jake a kidney. I was so happy for her, I cried. I realized on my way home, that even though we all wanted to give so much to Jake, we can’t out-give his mom who gets to give him the gift of life twice!

And I know Wendy will want me to tell you, the same is true with Jesus. Jesus also gives us the gift of life twice…once when we are born and once when we are born-again, confessing that Jesus is Lord.

So many of us want to give back to Jesus, for all He has done for us, for washing away our sins and giving us the hope of eternal life. We want to give offering at church, we want to teach Sunday school, serve cookies, help a neighbor…all things Jesus wants us to do.

But when it comes down to it, we can’t out-give God. For He gave His only Son. We just have to accept His free gift and say, “Thank you, dearest Jesus.”

Today’s TEA CUPP: Please keep praying for Jake, Wendy, Ode and all their family. Next week doctors will remove one of Jake’s kidneys and he’ll go on dialysis to clean up his system. Then this spring, his mom will give him a kidney. Thank you for your continued prayers.

If you’d like to support the family by purchasing a cook book, you can stop by or contact the Big Timber Evangelical Church (PO Box 696, Big Timber, MT 59011). Cookbooks are only $15, full of small town delicious cooking!

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9 (NKJV)

The Sweet Forever…My Story to Come

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)

The Sweet Forever is in my dreams today. So many times in the “U” part of My TEA CUPP Prayers, I focus on Understanding my story in the past. The above verse would take me to a sad time in life, reminding me of when I almost lost heart. One day when reading this passage I realized, I need to focus on seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! “My Story to Come” is what I must remember. Oh, hallelujah, what a glorious day that will be!

What will heaven be like? The Bible tells us…

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 (NKJV)

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NKJV)

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 11:16 (NKJV)

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelations 7:16-17 (NKJV)

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20 (NKJV)

At church recently we sang this beautiful old hymn about the land beyond the river. I want to remember this each moment…how I will see my Savior Jesus’ face when I cross the river someday. This is “My Story to Come” that I long for me, for our children, for all my family and friends.

There’s a land beyond the river
That we call the sweet forever
And we only reach that shore by faith’s decree
One by one we’ll gain the portals
There to dwell with the immortals
When they ring those golden bells for you and me.

When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me

Today’s TEA CUPP: My dear TEA CUPP friend, do you think of that day when you will pass from this life into the next one? If you believe in Jesus, you will live eternally with Him in heaven. That is why I spend time each day with Him having TEA, so I can get to know my forever Lord better. Won’t you do the same?

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11 (NKJV)

Pouring a Pot of Precious Promises

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Jennifer Grace

Through these He Has given us His very great and precious promises… 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

Today I sit with Jesus and let Him fill my CUPP. His teapot is brewing full of precious promises. I see the steam rising and smell the delicious aroma. I hold out my CUPP and pray, “Jesus, please pour me some TEA?” He slowly tips the pot, filling my CUPP to overflowing with His precious promises.

I try to keep up with Him, repeating each promise as it comes…

…And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33(NKJV)

…“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

But then I ask Jesus to slow down, I might have to savor these promises and come back for more tomorrow. My little human brain is trying to remember and embrace each one. Jesus understands, letting these precious promises soak into me. He will always be there with more for my every need…for comfort, for peace, for trials, for a friend, for heartaches…Jesus has a precious promise for everything. Thank You, dearest Jesus!

Today’s TEA CUPP: My friend, today as you read God’s Word, underline the precious promises you find. Ask Jesus for a cupful to carry you through this next week. It will be a most delicious CUPP of TEA!

Then they believed His PROMISES
and sang His praise. Psalm 106:12 (NIV)