The Black Hole

FAITH:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

On February 20, 1962, at 9:47 A.M., the spacecraft Friendship 7 rose on a pillar of fire, piloted by lone astronaut John Glenn. Leaving the coast of Florida far behind, the space capsule orbited the earth three times, traveling 81,000 miles in less than four hours. As the craft began its descent from space, mission controllers in Houston received a warning signal. A sensor indicated that the capsule's heat shield was in danger of detaching. If the heat shield came loose during reentry, the capsule would burn like a meteor--and John Glenn would die.

Because radio waves cannot penetrate plasma, the spacecraft experienced a total communications blackout--what astronauts and mission controllers call a "black hole".

The minutes crawled by and the suspense mounted in the Houston control room. NASA engineers felt totally helpless. Finally, after five minutes of silence, mission controllers heard Glenn's voice crackling over the radio: "Friendship 7 to Houston?"

Shouts of joy shook the control room. John Glenn was coming home. Although neither Glenn nor the mission controllers knew it at the time, the heat shield was absolutely firm and reliable. The fears for John Glenn's safety during his black hole experience were unfounded.

If you've ever been through a major crisis, you probably know what a communications "black hole" feels like. While you are in the pit of adversity, you feel that your world is collapsing, that your life is out of control--and that God is silent. The silence of a black hole is deafening. You feel isolated and alone. You question God's love, His care for you, and even His existence.

But even when it seems that God is distant and silent, your "heat shield" is still there, firm and reliable. In your black hole experience, God is teaching you to go deeper into your relationship with Him. You may think that your life is out of control and burning like a meteor, but in reality God, your heat shield, still protects you from the fiery forces that surround you.
by Os Hillman



FRIENDS:

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds..." (2 Corinthians 10:4). Dear God, I know that there are evil influences in this world, causing spiritual battles for Christians. Please strengthen my desire to spend time in Your Word, that I might hide it in my heart and know it in my mind; fill me with wisdom and boldness through Your Holy Spirit that I might be spiritually wise and on guard, ready to resist temptations and break down the strongholds that would keep me from the life You have for me. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name.

FOOD:
This was from a food list I belong to. I made it around Christmas and everyone went nuts over it.

Smoked Turkey, Avocado & Brie Sandwiches
Make these when you have some beautiful fresh herbs. This is different and delicious because of the fresh herbs, garlic and pepperoni in the mayo mix. It makes a very special sandwich. If you like, you can also use this as a filling for lavosh wrapped sandwiches. Roll them up, chill them for an hour, and cut on the diagonal for a very nice lunch presentation.
Makes 6 sandwiches

6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped fine ( I only had dried Mexican Oregano)
1 clove garlic, minced
6 slices pepperoni, minced
(I MADE TWICE THIS MUCH DRESSING BASED ON SOMEONE'S COMMENTS ABOUT RUNNING OUT
OF THE DRESSING)

3 ounces brie cheese, sliced thin and at room temperature
1 lb smoked turkey slices, very thin
3 large tomatoes, sliced thin
1 head spinach leaves, washed well and dried thoroughly
1 avocado, peeled and sliced thin

1. Cut 6 small (one-person size) baguettes in half. (I used a softer bread based on what one person said about being hard to eat if the crust on the bread was too hard)
2. Mix together mayo, cilantro, oregano, garlic and pepperoni.
3. Spread evenly over the baguette halves.
4. On 6 halves, now layer the brie first, spread a bit to fill in gaps, then turkey, tomatoes, avocado, and season with s&p.
5. Top with spinach.
6. Put the other half of the baguette on top of the filling mix.
7. This can be refrigerated for about 2 hours, but any longer and
the avocado will start to darken.

FUN:
A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?'

The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was
all mankind made.'

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.

The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the Human
race evolved.'

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible
that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they
developed from monkeys?'

The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my
side of the family and your father told you about his.'

OBITUARIES

As many of you know, I am no longer working and have moved back into my RV. Hence the time glitch of not posting a devotional recently.  The move was a lot of work and very tiring.  God sent me help from parts known and unknown and I am so thankful to Him and to all who helped me physically and those that lifted me up spiritually.  The men from the moving ministry at church were wonderful and I appreciate their kind hearts and strong backs.

The following is from an email that a dear friend sent to me and I thought it was so well done that I wanted to share it with you all.

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FRIENDS: sent to me by a reader and dear friend....

Dear God, I know that there are evil influences in this world, causing spiritual battles for Christians. Please strengthen my desire to spend time in Your Word, that I might hide it in my heart and know it in my mind; fill me with wisdom and boldness through Your Holy Spirit that I might be spiritually wise and on guard, ready to resist temptations and break down the strongholds that would keep me from the life You have for me. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name.

FOOD:

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Kale
Don't bother slicing the turkey sausage; just squeeze it out of the casing directly into the pot. Serves 4 to 6
2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
3 spicy turkey sausages (like Jennie-O Turkey Store brand), casings removed and meat crumbled
4 cups vegetable broth (I like Swanson's)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 dried bay leaves
1 tbs. cider vinegar
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
10-12 oz. bag chopped kale, mustard or collard greens
Rinse beans and pick over. Add to a large pot and fill with water to cover by several inches. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add sausage; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Add peas, salt and pepper and bay leaves. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar, tomatoes and greens. Simmer 10 minutes or until beans are tender. Taste for seasoning and serve.


FUN:
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!' While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray... 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...But please don't shove me either!'