Vinegar Pancakes

I recently came across a recipe for the “fluffiest, biggest, best ever” pancakes. Of course, much to my husband’s dismay (he is not a pancake fan), I simply had to scratch down the recipe and test it out. I scanned through the ingredients to make sure everything was in order. Flour – check. Baking powder – typical. Milk – yep. Vinegar…what? This recipe called for two whopping tablespoons of white vinegar. In my opinion, the optimal pancake was sugary, sticky, and syrupy and didn’t come anywhere close to tasting like vinegar! Now this ingredient seemed ridiculous to me, so as I read through the comments on the website, I was shocked to discover that popular opinion insisted that it worked. In fact, without the vinegar, the pancakes would be rather flat and bland. As it turns out, the sour substance actually enhances the baking process and causes the batter to rise into a fluffy, delicious pancake.

I tried them. Yes, they really were some of the best pancakes I have ever had. A little bit of vinegar turned something ordinary into something better.

It seems life works in a similar fashion. Often times when “bitter” things come into our lives, we grow angry or upset. We despair at the situation rather than taking a moment to realize that perhaps it is for our betterment. Some of the finest Christians I know have been through some terribly dark times and the Lord used those terrible moments to give them a “better rise” and in the long run, they were able to use those trials as a tool to help others.

This concept reminds me of the story of Naomi. She had been dealt a good share of “vinegar” in her life. She lost her sons, her husband, and was living in poverty with her daughter-in-law. Her bitterness was so overwhelming that she changed her name to "Marah" which literally means "bitter"! The pancake recipe only calls for two tablespoons of vinegar mixed in, but if those were swallowed on their own it would be a large enough amount to make for an unpleasant taste. If you look further on in the book of Ruth, we discover just how those sour situations in Naomi’s life turned into something beautiful. She received a great blessing through her daughter-in-law Ruth’s marriage, son, and her family is traced to the lineage of Christ.

Ruth 4:14-16 says, "And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.”

My dear friend, next time you find yourself in a bitter situation, remember that the Lord’s hand is at work and He will mold and make you to be more like Him. As the Pastor of my church says, “No matter how bad things may get for the Christian, they can never get that bad.” Because we are bought with a price and children of the Heavenly Father, we can peer through the clouds of adversity and look forward to the sweetness of the refined product of our life through Him.

 

P.S. - On a more personal note, my husband and I leave tomorrow for a 4000 mile journey around our old stomping grounds! Please pray for safety in travels and that our vehicle will continue to chug along on God's grace! Also, if you would like the actual "vinegar pancakes" recipe, leave a message in the comment box and I will get it to you!

Love Through Lilacs

 Friends,

It has been ever so long since I sat down to write. I truly have no excuse other than a lack of motivation and the discipline to push myself. Somehow I don't think a forced post is worth reading anyhow.

Life has carried on with both monotony and enough change to keep me sane. Wyoming seems to skip right over spring and jump head-long into summer. Day light arrives before five in the morning and the night doesn't settle in until after nine. The summer breeze brings many many memories of summers spent with the people I love. People I miss tremendously. There are days my heart aches for the kindness in a cherished, familiar face and for true godly friendships near by. Next month, Russell and I will be making a journey back east (about 4000 miles round-trip) and I am thoroughly looking forward to it! We will be traveling twelve states and visiting with friends and family in Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Wyoming does have its comforts though. One of them being the massive lilac bushes on every single corner of this sleepy town. They remind of childhood, simple times, and the familiarity of home. I am ever so grateful to the Lord for the reminder that no matter how far a child of His journeys, if they are in His will, He will bring peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. Often times, He gives us reassurance of His love through the simplest things like lilacs. As for our trip east, already I prepare myself for the onslaught of questions like, “Why are you in Wyoming?”, “Don't you miss it here?” or “Are you planning on being out there for a while?”. My answer simply is (and I pray it always will be) that we are where God wants us to be and when He moves us, we will follow. I truly believe that this is God's way of preparing us for the solitude of the mission field. On a positive note, the mountains out here have a way of sneaking into the soul. I love walking out my front door and seeing pine-covered mountains on every side. Creation truly shows off God's creativity out here! If any one ever visits Wyoming or South Dakota, they should definitely come in the month of June.

My dear hubby gave in to my pleadings and in May we brought home the newest addition to our family – Cosby! He provides endless amusement and frustration but he wiggled into our hearts without any difficulty. The little monster tears through the house like he owns the place and despite that he tries to be obedient, he often lets his short attention span get the better of him. I truly do adore him and the excitement he brings.

June marks six months that Russ and I have been married. It truly still amazes me how the Lord worked in our lives to bring us together. His way is always perfect! There is no one in this world who knows and understands the inner workings of who I am better than the man God gave me and I am so grateful for him.

Please pray for us! We ask that the Lord would continue to give us the vision for the future He has called us to and that we would keep our focus on Him. Russell has been given several opportunities to serve in the church here, and I must admit, he is the best looking choir director I've ever seen, ha ha.

I leave with a verse that has been a comfort to me the past few weeks. Our Saviour says in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Be of good cheer, my dear friends!

Adjustments

In my first year of Bible College, a dear friend of mine was giving our “dorm devotions” and passed out to each girl a small slip of paper. It said something along the lines of: “I steadfastly refuse to gratify the devil by being discouraged.”

Lately that simpleprinciple has been floating around in my head and I am truly grateful for the reminder. While being a newlywed is amazing and I wouldn't trade the life God has given me for anything in this world, it also has been a new test of faith. The only option to defeat discouragement is trust. And trusting...it's kind of hard. Trusting God to provide, to sustain, and to give me the patience I need to deal with situations is a daily battle. Giving over to discouragement and worry only succeeds in giving the devil (and my flesh) the victory and rejecting the peace and blessing that comes from believing God.

Getting married is an adjustment. Moving 1700 miles away from all that is familiar is an even bigger adjustment. In the process of being adapted to these things, I frequently find myself frustrated. By being frustrated, I am trying to do these things in my own power and this powerless self can truly do nothing aside from Him. In turn, my frustration and discouragement is then only frustrating my husband and as you can imagine, it is nothing but disaster and tears...lots of tears.

But God is faithful! And every day I seek Him, He gives me a reason to praise Him all the more. Something as simple as a text from a friend, sunshine amidst the winter drear, or my husband discovering a place with cannoli not too far away are enough to brighten my spirits. Every good and perfect gift is from above and the breath in my lungs and the start of a new day are plenteous reason to proclaim “To God be the glory!”

After all, without Him, I can do nothing. Without His light, I have no light to shine. Without His grace, I have no reason to sing. He has blessed me tremendously and I cannot even being to thank Him enough. The Bible instructs to cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us. If I hand him frustration, worry, and discouragement, He gives me back peace, comfort, and joy. The Saviour can do that for you too!

Perhaps today, we should be steadfast in refusing to gratify the devil by being discouraged. Instead, allow the peace of God that passeth all understanding to fulfill us completely.

Blessings!

The moon on our way to church last Sunday evening.

Just a couple of wedding pictures...because I can!