Do You Enjoy The Taste Of Mint? If So, Here Are A Few Suggestions Of How To Savor The Minty Flavor.

I enjoy the taste of mint. For some reason I tend to enjoy it more in the Winter months then I do the warmer months of the year. I wonder why that is? There are not a bunch of suggestions of products to try but let me share with you a few. Try them and you may become a fan. If you prefer coffee or tea I have two suggestions. "Brew la la Coffee" offers a Candy Cane flavor. When you open up the coffee it has a nice aroma of mint. It is regular coffee so when I make it I mix it with decaffeinated coffee. A flavor that compliment the mint flavor. I purchased this at TJ Maxx. I purchased at either Ross Dress for Less, TJ Maxx or Marshall's, Bentley's Minty Mint Green Tea. It has a great flavor but the down side is each tea bag has a small staple that connects the tag to the bag of tea which prevents one from placing it into the water that goes into the microwave to boil. Carrington Tea makes a Peppermint tea that you can purchase at WalMart, the down side is that it does not have that precision of taste like Bentley's. It is OK if you want a cup of mint tea but it has a distinct after taste which I do not particularly care for. The plus side to this tea is there is no string and tag to deal with.
Onto other mint treats, I discovered at WalMart the other day that there is a Limited Edition of Mint Cocoa flavor of Snack Pack puddings. I was pleasantly surprised at the nice mint flavor in the pudding. Why do I like Snack Pack Pudding? On Occasion one may have a taste for something sweet but may not want to overindulge in it and I find this size is just enough. The packaging is also cute in this item. It is a friendly looking snowman holding a cup of cocoa with a green hat and scarf, wearing mittens and I like the fact that the snowman has a great big smile on their face. If you prefer a good yet intense flavor of mint I would suggest the snack size 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate unwrapped bites. You can purchase them at Walgreen's. The package is a sharing size and it offers two servings. If you really like the flavor of mint then I would search out Russell Stover's Mint Dream candy. They are individually wrapped. They can tend to be a bit messy when you bite into it, some of the mint filling may come out. So be careful in the way you bite into it.
I would not recommend Dove Chocolates Dark Chocolate Mint Swirl candy for you taste more of the chocolate flavor over the minty flavor. It is not bad though if you are enjoying a cup of mint tea or coffee and let the piece of candy melt in your mouth while enjoying the coffee or tea. If you are looking for a great mint taste to pop out at you this is not the choice for that.
May you enjoy your day in the search of  minty treats.
A side note...I grew fresh mint and spearmint a few times but I do not like the flavor and how to infuse it into something. From what I  understand it is OK to grow it in a planter but it you grow it in the ground I think it just starts growing wild and spreads so take caution as to where you plant it if planting in a garden in the ground and not a planter.

St Patrick's Day Is Right Around The Corner. Here Is A Great "Reuben Dip" Recipe I Thought You May Enjoy Trying. It Is Very Good.

I have made this warm dip several times now and each time I make it people enjoy it. That being the case, I share it with you today. The traditional way to serve it would be with cocktail rye bread but I find it to be a bit dry tasting so I opt to serve it with Triscuit Caraway Seed Crackers or Snyder's makes a Pumpernickel Onion pretzel twists. A secret to this recipe is that I make my own corned beef. I have used Boars Head corned beef before and it turns out OK but it seems to taste so much better if you use corned beef that you cooked. I also enjoy getting a brick of Swiss cheese and grating it myself. I combine grating it fine shred and regular shred together.

REUBEN DIP
1 cup sauerkraut drained
1-8 oz. cream cheese softened
6 oz.-8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (adapt it to your liking the original recipe called for 6 oz but I have used 8 oz.also)
6 oz. diced corned beef (if I have more than 6 oz. I add it, you can never have enough corned beef right) make sure it is in equal proportion though
2 T. thousand island dressing
Drain & rinse sauerkraut (I do not rinse the sauerkraut for I like the tangy taste of it.)
Mix with cream cheese & Swiss cheese. Add diced corned beef and thousand island dressing . Cover and heat on low until cheeses are melted, stirring occasionally to blend all the ingredients. Serve warm with crackers or cocktail rye.  If there is any left over refrigerate it and it is fine if you re-heat it in the microwave for another time.

What Do You Think About Churches That Do Not Extend An Invitation For Salvation Through Jesus Each Time They Gather For A Church Service?

I struggle with this concept when it does not happen at churches. I guess I am old fashioned when it comes to this concept. I was taught that anytime there is a church gathering and the people gather together, an opportunity should be extended to those there to invite Jesus into their heart. We do not know what brings a person or people to a particular church service that particular day. Maybe they were down and out, about to commit suicide, seeking some ray of hope for their life...and the list could go on and on. They felt the leading to enter a church service to find hope, consolation, peace and a word of encouragement in their very time of need. They enter and the worship is grand, and the word of God is being preached from the bible (and not some watered down version of it either.) You would think everything is fine except...they do not offer an invitation for those there to accept Jesus into their heart. I have heard others say that if one needs prayer there is always someone at the altar after the service to pray with you. I have even heard others say that the saints are also to be leading people to Jesus in their lives too. I agree, there is a responsibility of those that are believers in Jesus to share their testimony with others and the living gospel of their life with Jesus too. It is wise to be a soul winner. Yes, it is important to have people at the altar and throughout the church building that are there to pray with those that need prayer.

How does one know what salvation is if they were never trained on that subject and even knew what that meant? That is when I feel it is imperative to offer an opportunity to everyone each time the church is open. How would you feel if a relative of yours or even a close friend/acquaintance was about to end their life. They were at church but no one told them about Jesus and how He could save/change their life?  Would you not feel defeated in knowing that their entire life could have changed around with a simple altar call sometime during the service. You may have been attending a grand celebration of some sort in their life as opposed to a funeral service. Life is too short for us to ignore those around us that need to know about Jesus. Are you sharing what He has done in your life with others? Do you follow through when Holy Spirit gives you that gentle nudge to share with others when He does? If you do that is great and I commend you for those appointments with destiny that you chose to follow through with. We tend to miss the mark at times also. In those moments ask for forgiveness and pick yourself up and onward/upward to the next opportunity.

God uses those that are willing to heed His leading to reach His people. Remember, God created (and continues to create) all and what He creates is beautiful. 

When He creates we are created in His very image and how could anything be ugly that He creates? It cannot be, so when you come across someone that is not acting lovely consider this..there may be a great deal of hurt in their life. They use that to mask the hurt inside of them. Ask Holy Spirit to show you through His eyes what He sees in that person. If you do that you will be pleasantly surprised to see them in a different light and compassion will well up inside of you. Jesus was moved with compassion for so many and He reached out to them to heal them and touch their very life. He came to the world as a baby through the virgin birth of Mary. Holy Spirit planted the seed of life into her womb.He grew up and walked the earth with people and operated in miracles. He chose to die a painful death via crucifixion on a cross to allow you to be saved from damnation in hell for all of eternity. He was so disfigured from beatings that one could not even recognize him and that was prior to the nailing of his body on the cross and death. There is a happy, hopeful finish of this story. Three days later he rose form the dead and He is alive today. One day He will come back to claim His people and until then we are to be busy sharing the gospel message with others and telling of the wonderful things Jesus has done in your life with others. If you were given an abundance of fresh fruit and you knew you could only consume so much of it is a short period of time before it became rotten, would you hoard it all and let it rot and throw it away? Would you find others to share it with so they could enjoy the sweet flavor and nourishment of the fruit before it rotted?

If you believe that Jesus came to the earth, died on the cross and three days later rose from the dead then you are on the road to freedom. Believing this in your heart is a great start. Now it is time to confess it with your lips. If you feel the time is right in your life right now then repeat after me this simple yet profound prayer.

"Jesus, I am a sinner. Please forgive my sins. I believe that You came to earth as a baby, You walked this earth and reached out to others. You died on the cross and three days later You rose from the dead. I am so thankful that you are not dead but ALIVE. I ask You into my heart to forgive me and change my life from this moment forward. I will walk with You and show me the ways of living a life with You. Thank you from saving me from eternal damnation and one day we will be together forever in heaven. I will give my entire life to You, I trust You, I believe You. I know that You will never leave me or forsake me like others may have done in my life. Thank you for this very moment in my life. In Jesus name I pray this. Amen."

Today It Is 2 For 1. I Will Review A Book & A Movie I Recently Went To See.

I completed another book by Charles & Frances Hunter and I went to see the Christian film that was released a few days ago, "Old Fashioned." Before I continue on I would love to share with you that when I read books that Charles & Frances write together they place a double heart where the word "and (&)" would be on the cover of the book. That sentiment is endearing to me, does that not show a bit of their love for each other? I do believe so, for I am a romantic at heart and I just love catching little things like this that show others of their love for each other. They are not ashamed of professing their love for each other. Does that not touch your heart? Let me think out loud for a moment...if one loves someone and they share that love out of the love they have for each other, without even really trying to or doing it for this purpose it actually slips onto others out there observing this genuine love. It is not only a relationship filled with love but it now becomes a witness to others to encourage them and build them up in their relationships. I love that concept. So, if you truly love someone and you are not doing anything other than loving them to the fullest in your relationship, others may be observing you. Not in a bad way, oh no, a way that may encourage them to be a little more kinder and considerate in their own marriage. Maybe even take a moment or two to hold hands again, to talk sweetly to each other, to remind yourself why you were drawn to each other in the first place. Let's take it a step further OK...when God draws a couple together it can only be through His working through Jesus and Holy Spirit. It is what couples should strive for in their lives. Not their own will to be done in their life but the divine will of God for your life. Do not settle for anything less than that in your life, for what God brings together no man can separate. In the same respect, if God did not bring forth a person in your life and you stepped out in your own will and not with God opening the door then the results will be different. God will forgive if you ask His forgiveness for stepping out without Him in the equation. Then heal what needs to be healed in your life and onward and upward from that point forward. Do not beat yourself up so to speak with the should have, would have, and could have things for once the day is complete and over there is no going back to re-do that day. A new day awaits ahead of you. Take the past and bury it and live for what God has just ahead of you on the horizon and look with anticipation at each new dawn of a glorious day ahead of you. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all else shall be added unto you."
I finished reading "IMPOSSIBLE MIRACLES" by Charles & Frances Hunter. If there are things that seem to be impossible in your life and you need an impossible miracle to happen, then read this book. It is filled with true examples of impossible miracles that happened. They share many testimonies with the reader. I have found that the reading of these miracles builds up the faith of the believer to prepare you to receive your very own miracle. Would you like to be around a negative person all the time? I hope you would answer NO to that for if you find yourself being in that situation you will then begin to think negative. In the reverse, being around a positive person a great deal of time would then cause you to think more positive. You would start seeing the good and lovely more so than the bad and unlovely. The same thought in regard to reading this book, reading and building yourself up in real examples of how God touched and healed many. It truly does build up your faith to be at the point of receiving the impossible miracle you need in your very life. What I love that stood out to me in reading this very book...when you finish this book on the last page is a prayer. Along with the prayer is a picture of their hands laying upon prayer requests. They ask you to place your hands upon their hands in the picture and pray the prayer with them. You see, even though they both went to be with the Lord, their legacy still lives on with those that believe Jesus heals. They were the conduit to bring forth Jesus' healing touch to those that believed that Jesus is there and He wants to heal you. Is that not beautiful? I think it is and imagine this, there may be others that have the simple child like faith to believe in their miracle this very day and one day they will meet this beautiful couple in heaven. You see, what you do today while you are still alive may impact many lives in the future. "Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and He will direct your path."
Maybe you need prayer today, is there something that is laying heavy on your heart and you just do not know how to pray about it? Let me pray a prayer for you, repeat after me..."Jesus came to earth as an infant through Mary, he walked the earth and performed many miracles, too numerous to even list them all in the bible. That gives me hope, for my miracle may be so seemingly impossible without the help of Jesus that if it were not for Him I would give up hope today and become defeated. I choose this day to ask Jesus into my heart and to direct my path and heal my broken heart. I love You Jesus for coming to earth from heaven so I may live with You for all eternity in heaven and not have to suffer with pain and torment all the days of eternity in hell. Thank you for saving me today and for allowing me to get to know You. You not only came to earth for me You also died on a cross in a painful death of crucifixion. The best news in this story is that You died but 3 days later You rose from the dead and You are ALIVE. You are not someone that died and was buried and You lay in a tomb somewhere, oh no, You are as alive and real today as You were when You came into the earth as an infant. You defeated death and the grave and You call to me today to come to You and You will give me rest. Thank you Jesus for Your love and mercy and I invite You into my heart this very day. I want You to know that I give my life to You to take with it and make it new. Thank you for this opportunity to get to know You as who You are and for loving me that much to suffer for me so that I may have eternal life with You in heaven. For this I am most grateful. Amen."
Let me now review the movie I recently viewed, "Old Fashioned." I must be honest with you, this seemed to be a slow moving movie. I wanted to jump up at times and say, hey get to the point. I did not and I continued to watch patiently. It all came together in the end of the movie. It really causes one to believe that having old fashioned values is a good and honorable thing. Never apologize for having these values in your life.

May I Refer Another Book I Am Currently Reading, "A Confession A Day Keeps The Devil Away" by Frances Hunter

I am reading this book by Frances Hunter, and it has an impact on your day. It is a daily devotional but much more of an  impact than other devotionals I have read. Let me share with you what today's devotion was...
"Feb, 14 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"Father, this is the day the world says is the day for lovers, but I don't have to depend on just one day a year, because I'm living in your love every single day of the year. Thank you that your love encompasses the entire world, and yet is personal just for me. I praise you because my Bible has my name in it, and not just the words "the world." It actually has my name in it. Father, you said if I would simply believe in you, I would not perish, but have everlasting life. I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE! Thank you for the faith that lets me believe.'"

Isn't that great? I am telling you this is a great devotional.

2 Books I Recommend Reading, the authors, Charles & Frances Hunter

I recently read two books, "How To Pick A Perfect Husband or Wife" by Frances Hunter and "How To Make Your Marriage Exciting" by Charles & Frances Hunter. One day a ministry had a great sale in which the books were $ 1.00 each. I reviewed the titles available and selected several good books. Did you ever purchase a book and the timing just was not right the moment you bought the book? It was as though you had to wait for the right time to bring out the book and then read it. I found this happening to me when I purchased several books by the authors I mentioned. Please note that both authors went home to be with the Lord. It amazes me that their legacy lives on through the print material that is still out there for others to glean from.
The first book I make mention of is the actual story of how Frances and Charles met. They never dated and they corresponded through telephone conversations and writing of letters to each other. It is a great, romantic story of how God brought two people together. They married each other and they never dated. What they did do was trust God speaking to each of their hearts. Is that not love, great love at that, coupled with trusting Holy Spirit as the orchestrator of this blessed union.
They were not some young couple they had years of wisdom on their side. If you want to read a good book that makes you feel like cheering on this couple as they make their way to the altar, I would then recommend this very book. It is encouraging to the young and the mature age groups out there. Learn from this example and wait upon the Lord to direct your path as to when and who you are to wed. That is the safest and most blessed place to be in your life. Pick up the book and feel encouraged with this love story. What God brings together no man can separate. Their lifetime together shows us that.
The second book I read, by Frances & Charles Hunter is an inspiration to couples out there. What I like about this book is they selected topics to write about and each one writes their own thoughts on the topic to encourage couples out there and even potential couples too. If you are not married and you believe God is speaking to your heart that marriage is a part of the plan for your life, then it is never too early to start seeking wisdom from those that have had great, Godly relationships to mentor you. It can be in person or through books, ministry, etc. To take a call of God that He placed upon your life in a causal manner is not wise. If He spoke it to your heart then you have an obligation to prepare before it manifests in the natural in your life. Would you allow someone to do surgery on you or a loved one that never went to medical school and became a Dr.? No, that is the answer I would give to that question. Read and connect with others that have healthy relationships with Christ as the center. Gain knowledge while you are still single so when the time is right to step into marriage you will have already prepared in ways that will make you a wonderful husband or wife.
So, if you want to read a few good books I recommend reading the two titles I listed. After reading them you will feel inspired and uplifted, be it that you are married or single. It amazes me that a couple lets you delve into their lives, that they chose to open to others to allow them to be blessed by what they learned. That is a good thing, a very good thing in my eyes. Happy reading.

Beautiful Song By Kari Jobe, "FOREVER." May Your Heart Be Touched By This.

It Never Ceases To Amaze Me..When I Need To Hear Worship Music, I Happen To Be At The Right Place At The Right Time To Hear It.

I was at a Christian book store and while I was browsing and the clerks were looking into an advertising flyer I brought in and inquired about it happened. There was a song playing that intrigued me. Enough so to seek out who the artist was. I was directed to the CD in which the artist was on. You see, I went in there a few minutes earlier and the owner was not at the location to answer questions about a flyer I received in the mail that very day. I went to my car to retrieve the flyer so I could show it to the clerk and there was a song playing that just caught my attention. I inquired and sure enough on that CD I now have 2 favorite songs that I listen to while driving. I love worship songs that I believe touch the heart of God. I know for sure that there are certain songs at certain times in one's life that seem to touch your heart. Music, for me, soothes the soul and lets me be most thankful to God for all the wonderful things He has done in my life and will continue to do also. I truly am a worshiper at heart. May you find peace and rest while listening to this song.