I remember a long time ago I was driving to campus as a student listening to a Christian radio program about a book that was coming out (couldn’t tell you the title or the author to save my life, but I wish I could). The author was sharing about making the best out of hard seasons of life, and she shared this story how all they had left in the cupboards was enough pancake mix to make ONE pancake. Could you imagine as a mom (and maybe this is your reality today) opening your cupboards to that?? For me, I think I would burst into tears! But this lady made it so special by putting a candle in it and then saying they were celebrating! (Celebrating what I couldn’t tell you exactly either, college was a while ago for me.) The author said later how her kids don’t even remember things being difficult financially when they were growing up, but they remember all the good and fun things they did have.


Even though I don’t have all the details exactly right, the message of that program stuck with me. You can thank God even in the moments of sparseness! And when you don’t have a lot of food in the house, you can always make pancakes. This was so helpful for me later on when we have gone through difficult financial seasons. I remember especially when we were going to buy a house and we had pretty much NO wiggle room in our budget to buy extra food. I had no clue what to feed my one-year-old, or even mego prego me! I remembered about the pancakes and, with the help of Pinterest, I found LOTS of pancake recipes for whatever I had – more like didn’t have – in the house – bananas, eggs, no eggs, oatmeal, pumpkin, apple, peanut butter – you name it, I have probably made it!


I think all of us have at least gone through a season of life where money is tight. Maybe for some people it’s more a lifestyle than a season! I know for us we have had seasons where we are swimming in abundant blessings and sharing it with others, but we also have had seasons where things were so tight I wondered about where the next meal would be coming from. Most people I have talked to when they struggle with their finances complain about where they are at and tell me a dream of being in a different job, a different living situation, a different paycheck.


Recently I was listening to the Little House on the Prairie books, and Laura talks about her beautiful rag doll, the joy of making a button necklace for her baby sister, having fun playing 4 in a corner (which is get in a corner, and then run to another corner) – it took a whole winter of blizzards to bring the family’s spirits down, but not enough to defeat them! I kept thinking, “They saw so much blessing in so little!”


The fact is we are so easily discontented. We want have our dream of the perfect house, in the perfect town, surrounded by the ideal people, with the abundant paycheck to make our life look and feel like a Pintrest win – anything less is not good enough. But what if God has a different plan that is BETTER for you than your picture of perfection?


Philippians 4:11-13 says, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”


We can do all things through Christ by surrendering to HIM our circumstances and CHOOSING to be good with where God has us!


Paul writes Timothy about this too in 1 Timothy 6:6-11, ”But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”


What is our gain? Not getting the right job, but being content in the job God has called us to right in this moment. Not complaining about our coworkers, family members, friends that irritate, but asking God to change how we see people and how to love them. Not worrying about our paychecks and how bills will be paid, but trusting God that He WILL rich supply our needs (Phil. 4:19) and that He DOES work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to HIS purpose (Rom. 8:28)! Not being anxious about anything, but praying about everything and being thankful for the things He has given us (Phil. 4:6).


Instead of being anxious, discontent and desiring the greener grass you see somewhere else, water your own grass and make it green! When life gives you hard times, anchor into Jesus. When it seems you have little, make a lot of pancakes. So I share with you my very OWN pancake recipe (adapted from lots of pancake recipes I’ve used).


Coffee Pancakes

1 ½  cups flour
2 Tbls cocoa powder (it enhances the coffee flavor)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
6 Tbls sugar
4 Tbls butter (half a stick, or you can use margarine because it IS cheaper)
1 cup STRONG coffee
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla


1)   Make coffee – to taste the coffee in the pancake, you want to make the coffee taste stronger than how you would drink it. Either make the coffee then add instant coffee to it, or use ¼ cup instant coffee and then add boiling water to fill to a cup. OR brew the most intense cup of coffee in your LIFE.
2)   Melt butter in small saucepan
3)   Once butter is melted, add your coffee to the pan and boil for 1-2 mins. Then set aside to cool.
4)   Mix dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar) in a large bowl.
5)   Add coffee mixture to dry ingredient and slightly mix (just mix it enough to cool the coffee mixture down so it doesn’t scramble your egg).
6)   Add in the egg, milk and vanilla, then mix until everything is well incorporated.
7)   Make your pancakes.
8)   Gobble them up.
9)   Leftovers (if you have them) can be stored in the fridge and reheated best by popping them in the toaster.


Be content in the Lord and enjoy these pancakes!!

​Leah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. 
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In May my ministry does a two week summer project called Crush Fear. This year I took a step if faith to crush some fears myself - I took on the job of cooking for everyone! For some, this is a no brainer job. For me, this was hard!

Through this process I realized some things about myself:

1. My fears with cooking for 25 people had to deal with what others thought about me.

2. My fears with cooking had to do with expectations from myself and that I assumed from others.

In reality, my fears were based off of what others thought of me, and not based off of the truth. When I did look at the truth and believed it, cooking food took on a different light for me. It wasn't about everything tasting perfect, but it was about the food being sufficient for the needs of those participating. The birthday cake I made didn't have to look perfect, but it was a sweet reminder of this life that God has created - to show them that they were thought of and loved.

The other thing I realized from this is that the fears I had about what I ate at home was also based off fear. I was afraid someone would look down on my food choices - not enough vegetables, not enough variety, too many carbs, too much cheese, too much processed food and not enough homemade food. But what's the truth? "Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) Food needs to be glorifying to God but also a help for you to fulfill the Great Commission. Realistically, I
don't have lots of time to make elaborate meals. I am a one dish wonder. I don't have lots of money to buy fancy ingredients. The last thing I want to do when I get back from campus is cook for an hour - I want to spend time with my husband before we conk out for bed!

There has to be a good balance, obviously. We shouldn't gorge ourselves on Twinkies just because they are cheap and convenient. But if having the "perfect meal"  is more important than being effective for sharing the gospel with others, then there is something wrong with our world view! We need to be realistic with the time and energy God has given us so we best use it to glorify Him. 
 
Here are some things I do to make my cooking life easier:

1. Cook a whole chicken, take the meat off the bones and put it into freezer bags. Then stick it in the freezer until you need it. It's cheaper than buying chicken breasts that you cube and cook anyway, and it takes less time and energy to stick the bag in the microwave
and toss it into things. I bought a huge turkey and the meat has lasted me a year! Worth it.

2. Buy already cooked meats. Smoked sausage/kielbasa, BBQ beef/pork, shredded beef, or, my favorite, steak bites. I put precooked and seasoned steak strips into Mac n cheese (homemade or from a box), quesadillas, etc. Super tasty and easy way to make sure you get
protein.


3. Add hard boiled eggs to ramen. I learned how to cook hard boiled eggs in the microwave too! (Boil water, add to eggs in safe dish, microwave for 2 to 3 minutes - no longer because they EXPLODE - then let them sit for 5 minutes.) You may not like ramen, but I've had the oriental and the hot chili both with eggs and they are really good!

4. Always keep freezer food/meal-in-a-box ready for when you don't want to cook. Malcolm lives pizza, and it's the one meal he's always willing to make. So I keep frozen pizzas on hand. Let's face it, you know what you're like when you don't want to cook. You
default to something, just keep it on hand.

5. Get a cupcake maker if you need to bake often and in a shorter amount of time. I had one and I made tons of mini cupcakes in a short amount of time. Mine died and I want another one! So easy - it's like an easy bake oven for adults.

So here's something I thought would be fun. In the comments, share you favorite
fall back recipe you make that takes less than 30 minutes to make. If anything,
you will be helping ME have some more ideas to cook in a flash so I can think
more about how to reach people for Christ than think about what to cook and cook
it!

Leah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. 
 
If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

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A couple of months back, I took meal to a dear friend who just had a baby. Every time I take a meal to a mom, I get transported back in time when our daughter was born, our first baby. Number of people brought meal to us during that time. As time has gone by, I have come to realize that those meals not only met our needs and nourished us, it also planted seeds and opened doors. Many of which I became aware of only after it took roots and
sprouted for years to follow.


Friendship 
It must be God’s timing that some of those who brought meal to us were also the new moms. Months after I was back on my feet, they were intentional about inviting me to their playdates, concept that I was unaccustomed to that time. They called to check up on me regularly. Transitioning through a new phase of motherhood was easier on me because of our shared experiences of sleepless nights. As time went on, we became close friends .They continue to shine as godly examples of Christ.

Matthew 5:16 says, ”In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”


Discipleship
I was a new believer at the time our daughter was born. I learnt that some of those who brought us meal happen to have strong theological background, equipped with seminary degrees. They took time and walked with me when my faith was very fragile. They were patient with my very basic Bible questions. They discipled  me. They invited me to the Bible study. 
 
Their zeal for Christ is contagious to this day. They continue to mentor me, encourage me, cheer me  and keep me accountable on the faith journey. They are my dear sisters in
Christ today.


Service
After going to the church for a while now I understand that acts of service come naturally to a church body. However, I lacked this perspective years ago. Even though we were going to the church regularly, we were not involved in any ministry that time. Being as introvert as I think I am, I didn’t really reach out to anyone to make friends. I didn’t understand back then why someone would care to take a meal to the family, they have never met before. Most everyone who brought us a meal back then, we heard their voice for the first time when they called us over the phone on their way and saw their faces when they knocked on our door. Their generosity was perplexing breath of fresh air to me. I am fully assured it planted the seeds of service in me.

So to all of you, who have ever taken a meal or served a family you have never met before, you must know that when you personify love of Christ through your act of service, it leaves the life changing impact far deeper than the taste of casserole you prepared. You may have planted a seed or watered a fertile ground by your simple act of service.

Hebrews 6:10 “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

Has it occur to you that your simple and faithful meal service out of love for Christ can bring lifelong nourishment to a soul?

Nive was born and raised in India.  She has a degree in Civil engineering but she decided that developing software is much more fun, so she taught herself programming.  Nive has been married for about a decade to her husband, Randy, a software architect.  They are very blessed to live in the beautiful Texas hill country with their two kids.  Born and raised as Hindu and redeemed by love of Christ a few years ago, Nive has a heart for culture and desire to make her redeemer known.  She loves to cook, has a penchant for handmade crafty things and teaches her kids to serve in the community.  You
can find her food blogging at handfulofjoy  and serving at playdate with a purpose.

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A couple of weeks ago we hosted a family night at our home. We wanted to bring our friends together for food and fun as a part of ‘playdate with purpose’ fellowship.

In the past hosting preparation brought out the worst in me. I was stressed and overwhelmed. I wanted to change this pattern.

One morning, during my devotion time, I opened Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” I read it out loud, word for  word as if trying to hang on to it.

Prayerfully I focused on the following:

My Posture 
Spending time in God’s word every day is a key to a godly attitude. It sets the tone of your home as you carry out the preparation long before your guests arrive. God’s Word is essential at all-times in our lives, yet when I have neglected spending time in God’s word, I have found myself overwhelmed too easily.

My Preparation
Have you felt the urge to clean your closet, organize the craft room and hang the pictures in the last minute before guests arrive? Lack of focus leads to misplaced priorities.  2 Corinthians 12:9 affirms, His power is made perfect in our weakness. I am eternally thankful for His grace. With his assurance, I can pause and stop dusting to play checkers with my daughter or read a book to my son.

My Presentation
I struggle with self-control when it comes to decoration. Let me first begin by saying that there is nothing wrong in creating an ambiance for your fellowship with ideas that you have gleaned from your Pinterest board. However, if doing so overwhelms you and compromises God-honoring attitude, then Pinterest ideas must stay confined to the virtual board.

My Prayer
I made an intentional effort to invite some of my friends who didn’t share my worldview or faith. It may not come easy to you, but you could be a conduit for someone’s divine appointment. Pray fervently for your friends. I use a prayer sheet, my friend and Bible teacher, Darla Free, prepared for us during one of our Bible studies. 

My Plate
Fellowship cannot happen without food, right? We are blessed with friends from different ethnic and missionary backgrounds. Considering the diversity and large number of our friends, we settled on an international potluck. However, even if you don’t have an ethnically diverse group of friends, consider hosting an international theme dinner. Food is a great conversation starter. It is easy to talk about diverse cultures and the God who loves all nation while tasting ceviche  and slurping down beans soup with cornbread along with Biryani, won’t you agree?

My Purpose
As a part of our Playdate with Purpose  service project, we wanted to send care package to U.S. military serving our country as well as raise a few funds for a mission India rice bag project. We asked our friends to bring goodies for the soldiers and loose change. On the day of fellowship, the kids made cards, filled up 3 boxes for the soldiers and counted the change, totaling $20.Fund helped to send 15 kids to the Bible Clubs and provided parasite protection to a kid in Africa. Our service projects not only tamed the joyful chaos of running kids, it also blessed us with the opportunity to share the bounty of God’s provision with others.

So, don’t let the detail of hosting overwhelm you. Focus your heart on the Word of God and trust him for guidance.

 Ask yourself, has your hosting endeavor been pleasing to God  or is it self-gratifying praise focused?

Nive was born and raised in India.  She has a degree in Civil engineering but she decided that developing software is much more fun, so she taught herself programming.  Nive has been married for about a decade to her husband, Randy, a software architect.  They are very blessed to live in the beautiful Texas hill country with their two kids.  Born and raised as Hindu and redeemed by love of Christ a few years ago, Nive has a heart for culture and desire to make her redeemer known.  She loves to cook, has a penchant for handmade crafty things and teaches her kids to serve in the community.  You can find her food blogging athandfulofjoy  and serving at playdate with a purpose.

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We moved into our home around Easter. But by Christmas, I’m ashamed to say, I still hadn’t met all my neighbors.

I knew that if I was ever going to connect with my community, I had to take advantage of the “door” Christmas naturally provides to meet others and share the love of our Savior.

So, I made my plan. It was pretty simple.

Step 1: Bake a lot of stuff.

Step 2: Attach a note.

Step 3: Deliver it.

So simple, I did it with kids in tow.

The Treats
For my immediate neighbors, I made these delicious cinnamon rolls from the Pioneer Woman. I chose this recipe because it makes A LOT! In one setting I made enough cinnamon rolls for four families. After they cooled a little, I wrapped them in cellophane and tied them with ribbon.

For neighbors who I heard had dietary restrictions, I made low-sugar applesauce in glass jars and sugar-free granola.

This year, I’m planning on making cranberry caramel bars, which quite honestly, are probably the most dangerous Christmas treat you will ever make. I can easily down a 9x13 pan in an afternoon.

The Real Sweet Stuff
With all my homemade goodies, I included a handwritten note. If I’d never met the neighbor, I introduced myself in the card, reminded them where I lived, and included my contact information.

Every year, our church plant hosts a Christmas Cookie Outreach. The ladies of the church gather with pre-made goodies and fill baskets with cookies to pass out in the community. The baskets serve as an invitation to our Christmas service and include a printed card or an official invite. Last year, we included a Christmas track and a business card for our church.

If your church doesn’t have a fellowship activity like this, consider adding the following to your treats for your neighbors:
* a Christmas card with a Scripture verse
* an invitation to your church’s Christmas services
* a Christmas tract or a small booklet that shares the Christmas story

The Neighborly Gesture
Loaded with my treats, I began ringing doorbells. Most of my neighbors weren’t home, and I was a little nervous about leaving food items on their porch. But the responses I received later proved worth the effort.  I received phone calls and texts, requests for recipes, and thank you notes.

The best reward was actually pushing past the awkwardness of meeting someone new and finding that something as small as a cookie can bless someone profoundly. One neighbor emailed me a thank you note, telling me that she had returned from the doctor’s office with an unsettling diagnosis to find my treat and warm wishes waiting for her on her doorstep. Another neighbor invited me into her home and asked me to stay for coffee. I discovered she was a widow, retired, and an accomplished pianist.

In my neighborhood, there are both needs and opportunities to show God’s love. This Christmas, open yourself up by reaching out. I think God will surprise you with the opportunities he provides for fulfilling the Great Commission at the birth of His Son.


Cranberry Caramel Bars
Recipe adapted from The Dallas Morning News

1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
½ cup plus 2 TBSP granulated sugar (divided use)
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (divided use)
½ tsp. baking soda
2 cups uncooked regular oats
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 (10 oz) pkg  dried cherries
¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans
1 (12 oz) jar caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together cranberries and 2 TBSP granulated sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.  Combine 2 cups flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, baking soda, oats, and brown sugar; stir in melted butter until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup flour mixture (DON’T FORGET THIS STEP!) Press remaining mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 3x13 baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle crust with dried cherries, pecans, and sugared cranberries. In a separate bowl, stir together caramel sauce and remaining 1/3 cup flour; spoon over cranberries. Sprinkle with the reserved flour mixtures and bake for 20 minutes and cranberries start to burst. Cool baking dish and cut into bars. 

Melissa’s motto as a Christian journalist and creative writer is to “tell of God’s marvelous works” (Ps. 9:1). And with almost 15 years experience in print and editorial services, God has embedded Melissa with passions gleaned from stories and experiences from the field. But helping women fall in love with the sweetness of God’s Word truly makes her heart sing. Two years ago, she launched HiveResources.com to help women sweeten their walk with Christ through Bible study, missions resources, and more. She recently published a 10-week Bible study,Daughters of the King, to help women find their place in the biblical story. Melissa has a M.Div. in Women’s Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She and her husband, Jonathan, are currently part of a church plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have five-year-old twin boys, Zacharias and Jonah, who are unwittingly and joyfully shaping them into the image of Christ.

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Every Friday night we invite students over to our house for Dinner and Bible-based discussion. Hands down it's my favorite part of the week.

Students eating together, cheering one another on, and looking to Jesus in the midst of hard questions. It's so good.

Last week we had questions such as:

“What do you do if someone you know is in an abusive relationship?”

“Where did Jesus go before he was resurrected?”

“Is there only one interpretation of the Bible?”

As much as I hate to say it, Christians sometimes stick their heads in the sand when it comes to hard issues. We hem and haw and just practice avoiding it all together.

But the reality is that there are people asking questions. Both believers and non-believers. There are people trying to figure out what they believe about God. And we can't keep avoiding the questions.

Now, obviously, we aren't going to be know it alls. There will be times when we have to say "I don't know" and that's okay so long as it's followed up by "Let's find out together"

There are questions each week that stump me, that push me outside of my comfort zone. But there is this giant stack of books that sits in the middle of the floor and an iphone in every hand. And so we all study together.

Over bowls of chili and taco soup, with cookies on the counter and questions in our heads, we try to figure it out. We dig through commentaries and shout out Greek words. We ask follow up questions and play devil's advocate.

This is the hem and haw that we should strive for. The back and forth of friends trying to best see the character of God.

Last week we had Pesto Chicken from the amazing Picky Palete. Pop on over to her site for the recipe! 

Check out the rest of the Not About Me November Series

Angi loves Jesus, coffee, baseball and baking cakes. She is a missionary to college students and can't think of anything she'd rather do to serve God. Angi first met the Lord while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa but really understood His love and grace as a freshman in college. Her heart is to invest in college students in the same way that many others invested in her. You can find her blogging over at Stuff Angi Does where she tells stories about Jesus, college students, and life. You can also find her on facebook, twitter, pintrest and instagram.

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Recently I took on a challenge to significantly cut down gluten and coffee in my daily diet *GASP* !! With discovering that I have endometriosis, and that having babies is good for endometriosis, I realized that I’ve needed to make some changes to help my health in the long term (and hopefully help my womb be baby ready).

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.” Whenever I have thought about this verse in the past, I rarely would think about what I was eating or drinking for God’s glory (funny enough, since it says those things specifically should be thought of too). But once you take something out that you REALLY REALLY like, you tend to need more of a heart check!

The days I do best when I’m being tempted to eat regular bread and noodles, or the days I smell coffee and my brain tells me I need it, are the days I remember that God is better than gluten and coffee. I’m not feeling as hungry as I usually do, nor do I want to eat as much at meals. I have noticed that I am more focused in discipleship appointments than I have ever been. I have more energy throughout the day and I don’t crash by 1pm. I was contributing these wonderful side effects to cutting out significant amounts coffee and gluten.

But I was convicted this morning thinking about all the things that aren’t about me. I’m attributing these things to my own abilities, to the lack of something instead of to the ONE who replaced the things I took out. The mornings I felt weak to want to eat a blueberry bagel and follow it with a couple mugs of black coffee, I turned to God to be everything I needed for that day. And then GOD showed up!

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

When we rely on God over gluten, coffee, bad test results, a day at work, cleaning the house – whatever it may be – God is faithful to come through our weaknesses and show how He is all we need.

Surrendering something over to God should never be about us – it should always be about Him! We shouldn’t give something up simply for our health. Not saying we shouldn’t take care of our bodies – it is good to do so and should be done!! But our intentions should be because we want to trust and rely more on God than whatever is holding us back from trusting Him. If it benefits our bodies as well, then great!

Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I don’t think about how I can glorify you in whatever I do or don’t eat or drink. Forgive me for my lack of faith in the times I want to eat or drink anything that is for myself and for selfish reasons. Help me to surrender the things in my life that are holding me back from trusting and relying on You. Help me to sacrifice for YOUR glory, regardless if it benefits me in the ways I think it should or not. Show me every day how whatever I eat, drink, or whatever I do is not about me, but IS about you. In Your name I pray.

Check out the rest of the Not About Me November Series

Leah works with Master Plan Ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Other than watching college students' lives change, she enjoys getting her mind blown by God and His Word, watching sci fi, baking cupcakes, and spending time with her hunky husband. 

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I remember back in college I lived in a cozy 900 sq. ft. home with at least two to three other roommates at a time. I was blessed with having many of those roommates over the years share my love of hospitality and we enjoyed having other college students over weekly for snacks and games and had other small groups of friends over frequently. It didn’t bother me to have over thirty people in our little home at once because I knew they were having a great time and that they didn’t mind the cramped space. Most of the time they just knew it was a home of love and filled with people who cared about them! 

After I got married to Scott four and a half years ago we lived in a duplex and an apartment before we bought our first home which was “perfect” for having groups of people over! I thought it perfect because of the reason why most people think a house is perfect for entertaining… it was open, spacious, and had a great backyard for a large group of people. 

But, things often got in the way of my plans to be hospitable as our two kiddos, Daniel and Lydia, began filling up much of the house with their toys and I began to lose the excitement and joy of showing God’s love to people by opening up our home to them. Instead I would end up easily talking myself out of having a group of friends over because we lived to far out of town or our house was a big mess or we were raising money to go into ministry so we definitely didn’t have the extra money to entertain guests! 

I didn’t have a problem having our VERY close friends (almost like family) over because I knew they didn’t mind the mess and craziness, but looking back I so wish we had used the opportunities and wonderful house God had given us to build more relationships with other people in our church and through work. 

 Just two months ago we moved out of our home and made the move to Denver, CO, where my husband and I started doing full-time campus ministry with Master Plan Ministries. We moved from our “perfect for entertaining” home to a much smaller place that still has a nice, big backyard, but the living room definitely lacks the space that we had before. Already I’m realizing that although I love our new home, I’m already putting up the excuses for why we aren’t having many people over… “We haven’t unpacked everything!”, “I still have SO much organizing to do!”, “There just isn’t enough room…”, etc. 

I’m beginning to see that it really isn’t the place we live in that makes it easy or not to be hospitable. It’s more so my attitude and if I’m willing to lay aside my excuses, invite people over, and pray that they are blessed and encouraged by their time here no matter the size or organization of our home, how loud our kids are, how much money we have, or even if they’ll want to come back again! 

Especially as a mother who stays at home most of the week, I know that God has given me this opportunity to bless others. I really do love being hospitable and having people over, but I’m just praying that we can all lay aside our excuses and trust that God has us in the perfect home with the perfect kids and that we can reach out, invite in, and bless lives around us!

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9

 Here is a family recipe of mine that I love and wanted to pass on. It’s super easy and delicious which means it is a perfect dessert to bake up the next time you invite someone over, which will hopefully be soon! 

Banana Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box banana cream instant pudding and pie filling
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 bananas
¾ cup water

Mix and pour into 2 (9”) greased and floured pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Quick Fudge Frosting:
1 lb. powdered sugar
½ cup dry cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbls. Boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup soft butter

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add water, vanilla, and butter to first mixture. Blend and beat until thickened.

Natalie graduated with her Elementary Education degree in 2008 and now serves as a missionary to college students with Master Plan Ministries. Outside of ministry, she loves taking pictures of her husband and two children, scrap booking photo memories of vacations and day-by-day moments. She is so thankful for the opportunity to be a mentor to women who are faced with the peer pressure and endless life choices of daily college life, and is excited to see God’s transforming work as He shows His grace and love to these students and prepares them for the years ahead.  

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