There Will Come a Day When You'll Need This--Our Favorite Brownie Recipe

Because there will be at least one day in your life, regardless of your stage of sanctification, when you'll find you need the following:

~2 minutes to yourself
~a spatula
~leftover brownie batter
~a room with a door with a lock

And you'll want getting to that place to be an easy journey...no chopping chocolate or mixing together complicated ingredients or even running to the store for a boxed mix.

And for all of the other days when you just want homemade brownies, no desperation involved, this recipe is perfect. Just take it out when the time is up. No toothpicks or 2 or 4 or 6 more minutes needed. Hot, fudgy brownies. Ice cream optional.

2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
10 T. unsweetened baking cocoa
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or nuts,optional, to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″ x 13″ pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with optional chocolate chips and/or nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Then turn the heat off, leaving the pan in the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove pan to a rack to cool completely.

***original recipe found here

You're welcome.

With love,

Trisha

Psalm 119:135

Blessed Are the Meek

These passages are taken from Spurgeon's most excellent sermon on the third beatitude, found here.  Highly, highly recommended!

 *******

"The meek in spirit are like a photographer’s sensitive plates—as the Word of God passes before them, they desire to have its image imprinted upon their hearts. Their hearts are the fleshy tablets on which the mind of God is recorded. God is the Writer and they become living Epistles, written not with ink, but with the finger of the living God! Thus are they meek towards God."

"When a man is converted, the first operation of the Grace of God within his soul is to give him true poverty of spirit, so the first Beatitude is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The Lord first makes us know our emptiness and so humbles us. Then next He makes us mourn over the deficiencies that are so manifest in us. Then comes the second Beatitude, “Blessed are they that mourn.” First, then, is a true knowledge of ourselves and then a sacred grief arising out of that knowledge. Now, no man ever becomes truly meek, in the Christian sense of that word, until he first knows himself and then begins to mourn and lament that he is so far short of what he ought to be. Self-righteousness is never meek." 

"It is true that it has a relationship to God, but a man’s meekness is especially towards his fellow men. He is not simply meek within himself—his meekness is manifest in his dealings with others. You would not speak of a hermit who never saw a fellow creature as being meek. The only way in which you could prove whether he was meek would be to put him with those who would try his temper." 

"The meek-spirited man may be naturally very hot and fiery, but he has had Grace given to him to keep his temper in subjection. He does not say, “That is my constitution and I cannot help it,” as so many do. God will never excuse us because of our constitution—His Grace is given to us to cure our evil constitutions and to kill our corruptions!"

"If you take your brother by the throat because he owes you a hundred pence, can you think that God will forgive you the thousand talents which you owe Him? So the meek-spirited man forgives those who wrong him—he reckons that injuries are permitted to be done to him as trials of his Grace, to see whether he can forgive them—and he does so, and does so right heartily."

"The meek-spirited man is not ambitious. He is satisfied with what God provides for him. He does not say that his soul loathes the daily manna. And the water from the Rock never loses its sweetness to his taste. His motto, is, “God’s Providence is my inheritance.” 

"If we are meek, we shall the more readily see the excellences of other people."

"With a gentle temper and a quiet spirit, and Grace to keep you so, you will be inheriting the earth under any circumstances. If trouble should come, you will bow to it as the willow bows to the wind and so escapes the injury that falls upon sturdier trees. If there should come little vexations, you will not allow yourself to be vexed by them, but will say, “With a little patience, they will all pass away.”

"But this must be the work of Grace. We must be born-again, or else our proud spirits will never be meek."

"Put those five qualities together and you have the truly meek man—humble, gentle, patient, forgiving and contented—the very opposite of the man who is proud, harsh, angry, revengeful and ambitious. It is only the Grace of God, as it works in us by the Holy Spirit, that can make us thus meek."

"There are some people who are very gentle and meek as long as nobody tries them. We are, all of us, remarkably good-tempered while we have our own way. But the true meekness which is a work of Grace will stand the fire of persecution and will endure the test of enmity, cruelty and wrong—even as the meekness of Christ did upon the Cross of Calvary.

"The meek-spirited man is glad to know that other people are happy—and their happiness is his happiness! He will have a great number of heavens, for everybody else’s Heaven will be a Heaven to him! It will be a Heaven to him to know that so many other people are in Heaven, and for each one whom he sees there, he will praise the Lord. Meekness gives us the enjoyment of what is other people’s, yet they have none the less because of our enjoyment of it!"

When You Must Believe to See

Sometimes we are left in the dark. Whether you are, or not, I know that I have been where I could not see sun, or moon, or stars, or even get so much as a look from my Master to cheer my sad heart, or a word from His mouth to make my spirit glad. At such times we must remember that ancient message, “Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.” If you cannot see, you must believe to see. And if your heart feels like a stone, still believe that Christ is your life. And if, instead of holy meditations, your soul is racked with blasphemous temptations and evil thoughts, still hold on to Jesus, sink or swim! If, instead of clear evidences of salvation, you are half afraid that the Lord has forsaken you, and given you up—and you fall into an unbelieving frame of mind—go again to the Fountain filled with blood, that this sin, like all others, may be washed away! Trust Christ all the more “when the enemy shall come in like a flood,” for then, “the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Those must be strange Christians who never have any conflict raging within their souls. If that is true Christian experience, I wish I could get it—to be always at peace and at rest and never again have to wrestle with sins, doubts and fears! But, Beloved, if we cannot attain to that position—and I believe that the most of us cannot—let us still walk by faith, for, so we shall walk triumphantly even under the discouragements of our inward spiritual conflicts!

~C. H. Spurgeon

'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee

'Tis not that I did choose thee,
For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse thee,
Hadst thou not chosen me.
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to thee.

'Twas sovereign mercy called me
And taught my op'ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heavenly glories blind.
My heart owns none before thee,
For thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love thee,
Thou must have loved me first.

~Josiah Conder, 1843

Thanksgiving 2012

It doesn't matter how much time we spend giving thanks, it never feels like it's enough. And truly, it isn't. 

Thanks be to God for the many joys of yesterday.

The cooking ahead that made for a much more enjoyable and stress free day.

The help in the kitchen from my Mountain Man and all of our children.

The laughter around the table.

The many times of correction, the Holy Spirit's work in us, making us more like 

Christ.

A conversation with my sister whose husband is battling stage 4 colon cancer--to hear of God's provision, to hear her clinging to His truths. 

The joyful recounting of God's mercies throughout the year. How many there have been!!

Grandma's visiting and feasting with us.

The reading of His Word.

The abundance of delicious food and sweet fellowship.

The games and books and constant flow of creativity.

The beauty and coziness that abounds in tight spaces.

The wonder of photography.

The work of our hands that is because He is and gives us so graciously all things.

Waves of buttery potatoes, tender turkey, flaky rolls, sweet and crisp corn, roasted asparagus, southern-style sweet tea, Chariot wine, cranberry sauce, berry pie, and chocolate.

Grace to obey and walk in His ways when our flesh resists at every turn. 

Repentance. Forgiveness. 

We are the redeemed!

Elijah's Advice to You on His First Thanksgiving

Elijah finds it amusing that on this Thanksgiving Day there will be those who will spend more time counting their calories than their blessings. He's graciously offered his fresh perspective on giving thanks today.

1) Count God's mercies instead of carbs.

2) Enjoy butter and heavy cream and toss the tofu-laden brownies.

3) Say "I love you" without reserve and squeeze all of your loved ones tighter and longer, like you should be doing every day.

4) Laugh heartily and often.

5) Be ALL THERE, wherever you are. Not checking texts and tweets and Facebook updates while little and big ones beg for your attention, your eyes, your face, YOU.

6) Make known the Ebenezers He's given you this past year, and recount the ones from previous years. How good the LORD is in everything He does!

7) Pray for those for whom this day will be a great struggle to give thanks, be it because of serious illness or tragedy or profound sadness. Pray the joy of the LORD will abound.

And his most important one of all...

8) Avoid excessive pinching of chubby baby's cheeks.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Much love from the Poff Clan

***photo credit to Luke, who can be completely dangerous when left alone with a baby and a camera and a few props...

When The Frog is Boiling, and the Frog is Us

J. C. Ryle once said that there is a hatred that is downright charity, and that is the hatred of erroneous doctrine. Erroneous doctrine, heretical doctrine is what Mormons believe, and to say anything else is to deny our Christian faith.

I'm shocked by Franklin Graham's being "shocked" that his website labeled Mormonism a "cult." I'm shocked by his reticence to call Mormons what they are...false teachers who preach a different gospel, who are leading many straight to hell, black suits, bicycles, and all.

Why should I care? Why should my blood pressure rise when I read stuff like this? Why should this Mom of 9 take precious time to make my objections known? I mean, there's laundry to do, meals to cook, boo-boos to kiss, and bills to pay.

But there are also souls to disciple and train up for His glory. That's why this matters.

When you teach your children that 2+2=4, and they start hearing the whispers that 2+2 can really equal 3 or 5 or 9 or that we shouldn't declare without apology that 2+2=4, will they abandon the truth or believe they've just misunderstood 2+2 all these years? Perhaps they've defined 2+2 so narrowly, and love and time now reveal to the more enlightened ones that 2+2 can be whatever it needs to be to whomever.

This isn't just about Franklin Graham and his Dad denying the power and truth of THE gospel. They're not the only ones who have compromised.

This is about the slippery slope into heresy, the frog in the pot of boiling water that doesn't even know it's dying. This is about sugar-coated apostasy, weak-willed calls for accountability, and Christians who are so Scripturally ignorant that we buy in to it all.

We are the frogs, Christians, and we're boiling in a pot of lies and heresy and compromise and relativism.

I'm not a pastor or a master theologian. I haven't been to seminary or studied theology for years, but I do know what the gospel is and what it isn't. And frankly, I'm weary of some pastors and master theologians trying to convince me that the gospel really isn't what I thought it was. Or that so-and-so really isn't denying the gospel or truly hasn't left the faith. 

Or that I must tiptoe around the truth, because that's what grace would do.

Don't say Mr. Graham is misunderstood.

Don't say the Mormons are misunderstood.

Don't say it's not loving to speak the truth.

Don't say the gospel is not offensive.

Don't say Graham should not be held to a higher standard and that his politically correct dance around truth and words won't cause some to stumble.

Do say, "God help us."

God help us train us bold souls for His glory, souls that stand fast on His Word and are not carried away by every wind of doctrine, by every man with "strong moral convictions", by every mega church or sharp-dressed preacher with a silver tongue and snow-white teeth who fears man more than he fears the God he professes to love.

God help us not put stumbling blocks before our children by catering to relativistic distortions of the gospel that deny the very Savior who was spat on and beaten and scorned and mocked and who suffered the wrath of God for our sakes.

God help us remember, as Morley said, that the enemies of truth are awfully nice.

We must teach our children, and teach them well. Teach them faithfully. Teach them firmly. Teach them and be willing to be persecuted for what we teach them. Teach them that the truth of His Word is more important than popularity or friends or blog stats. Teach them that it is LOVE to speak the truth, that showing grace doesn't mean compromise, that the gospel is offensive. 

Teach them that we can recite perfectly the truth of the gospel, while boldly living out its antithesis.

With love,

Trisha

Talk to Me

Those first moments and first conversations with Grandma...

God's Been Painting

"God's been painting."

~Elisabeth, 5, when she saw tonight's sunset

Sweet Rolls

Barring the Dark Gate of Ingratitude

"Ungratefulness can become a heart-hardening habit. First comes complaining, then bitterness, anger, then feeling victimized or entitled to things we're just not getting. Covetousness. That mindset stealthily lifts the latch and eases open the dark gate to all kinds of sin." 

~Ellen Vaughn

It's sobering to have God show you how quickly your heart will lift that latch on the dark gate of ingratitude. And when you open it, you might as well say, "C'mon in anger and covetousness. You join us, too. Let's visit for awhile."

One can be a list-maker while far from being a praise-giver. There are those days when you know there's much to be thankful for, but your heart just isn't in it. You see His mercies right before your eyes, but you still cling to thoughts of what isn't. Prayer and repentance, a bold begging of the Lord, are sure ways to warm a freezing, ungrateful heart. You're quickly reminded the joy in the thanks-giving, the desire to cry out to Him, the repentance, they're all of grace. His Spirit at work in you. What a mercy!

Thanks be to God for:

1) News that my Mom might be able to visit in April, oxygen tank and all.
I dream of the moment she'll hold Elijah.
2) A furnace that keeps us warm.
3) Just enough to meet our needs.
4) God's longsuffering nature...how quickly I'd be undone if I got what I deserved.
5) Children who keep me laughing.

6) A camera with which to capture those delightful moments of the everyday.

 Clairesy, who often laughs spontaneously and uncontrollably at dinner. We can't help but follow suit.

 This look in Elijah's eyes...the one that says, "I have everyone in this house completely wrapped around my sweet baby fingers."

 Precious Ella and her LOVE for reading aloud

 My little man Jedediah, who playfully lets me know he's not interested in indulging my Mamarazzi tendencies.

Remembering that life is short and that the time to get pictures with my children is always now.

 Jedediah's little hands holding Elijah's tiny ones.

 This grin and the dimples, too. The way those eyes light up when he sees me, the way his heart beats faster when he hears my voice.

 Sons who are so manly and yet so tender with the little ones.

 Luke's delight in making his Daddy breakfast.

 The assembly line method used to get the pantry organized quickly...or not. It doesn't matter. They had fun and worked cheerfully! Great idea, Emma!

"Gratitude, however, isn’t the fruit of happiness, but its root. When we give thanks, when we look at the world and our place in it realistically, remembering what we are due in ourselves, what we have, and all that we have been promised in Christ, we are astonished, overwhelmed.  And therefore overjoyed."
~R.C. Sproul, Jr.

With love,
Trisha

The Dense Wife and Mother

A dense wife destroys a situation by the very measures she takes to save it, denying her deepest needs by giving in to her destructive wants. Examples:

~A wife and mother needs a happily thriving home; but may want a career at any cost.

~A wife needs a husband who will be a man, who will lead--not just because she has to obey "another stupid Bible-thingie," but because she really needs it by created design; but she may want to control her husband, to force him to do things her way, no matter what it takes.

~A wife needs to be faithful to her marital covenant and work out her relationship with her husband; but she may want this other man, and thinks that he will meet her needs better than her husband is doing.

~A wife needs to use her tongue to help her husband, to convey God's Word, and not to destroy; but she may want to let her tongue loose cruelly, even though it may tear down her house.

In summary, then, how does she destroy her "house"? She can destroy her husband by betraying him, by degrading and shaming him, by defying him, by withholding her best from him, by unnerving him, by unmanning him, by picking at him until he loses his will to try, until he wants to be anywhere else in the world but with her.

She can destroy her children by neglecting their care in favor of a career, or by indulging and spoiling them (Prov. 29:15--"The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a lad let loose shames his mother" DJP), or by neglecting to teach them the Word by lesson and example.

In these active and passive ways, a dense woman can tear down her house with her own hands.

~Dan Phillips
God's Wisdom in Proverbs, p. 228

Chinny-chin-chins

Every baby needs a place to put his double chins.

Same Shoes, Different Fit

So I've decided to wear my blogging shoes again. The fit is a bit different this time, though.

There's not the discomfort that comes with having unrealistic expectations of posting a certain amount of time each week, even though I always had something to say. :)

As I can. When I can.

It was right and good to step away. It's what I was supposed to do at the time...stop completely, not just a bit. And in doing so, many things became clearer, and now, I can post here with a freedom that, in previous days, had started to slip away.

Much love,
Trisha


P.S. Here's Elijah now.