Chin Up

FAITH:
"Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." Ephesians 2:4-5

One of my all-time favorite kid's stories is Charlotte's Web, starring Charlotte the barnyard spider and Wilbur the pig. The farmer's daughter, Fern, loved Wilbur and adopted him as her pet—until he was too big for the house and had to move to the barn. Wilbur missed Fern and felt sad about being away from her. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, the mother hen came on the scene.

She told Wilbur that her purpose in life was to lay eggs for people to eat, and the cow's purpose was to give milk for the people to drink. Then came the real stinger: "Hey, Wilbur, do you know what your purpose is? Bacon!"

Needless to say, the hen was not a very encouraging friend!

Thankfully, Wilbur had a true friend. When Charlotte the spider found him wallowing in the muck of despair, she encouraged him with a resounding "Chin up, Wilbur!" She wove beautiful webs over his pen with words that made him feel loved and important. The webs attracted media publicity, and people from all over the area came to marvel at this "special pig." When it was time for the county fair, Wilbur feared again for his life and asked Charlotte to weave one more web. She knew that she had only one more web to weave and that then she would die. But out of her love for Wilbur, she wove the most spectacular web yet to prove how special he was. The townspeople were so taken with the web that Wilbur's impending death was no longer an issue.

I love the biblical parallels in this story. The most significant one being that Charlotte gave her life to save Wilbur's. Not only that—but she made him a special pig!

Most of us can probably identify with Wilbur at some point. All of us face problems in life when we desperately need someone to come along and encourage us—a "chin up" friend. But, at the end of it all, before God we are all losers at heart and deserve to die as the penalty for our sin. Yet God in His grace died to save us from eternal death and condemnation. And, as though that weren't enough, He makes us children of the King and fills us with hope and confidence regardless of life's threats. Jesus is a friend for the doomed! We can either mope around our little barnyard of life, or we can get our chin up and believe that our friend Jesus is making something special of our lives.

Next time you're feeling down in the dumps, rejoice in the fact that you have been rescued from the grave, promised eternal life, and are a child of the King.

Now that's a "chin up" thought that can keep you going with hope and strength! by Joe Stowell

YOUR JOURNEY…

* What is your attitude toward the "Wilburs" you encounter?
* What is your reaction to the reality of God's purpose and promise of eternal life?
* Will others find you wallowing in self-pity or rejoicing in the hope you have in Christ?
* In what ways can you be a "Charlotte"—bringing the good news of salvation and purpose to someone today?

FRIENDS:
I received some very sad news Wednesday about some people who are very dear to my heart. I would appreciate it if you would pray with me for them. It will not be made right for a long time.
Father, we're not perfect but we are yours. We're not what we should be, but we do claim your salvation and your grace. We ask you to make us every day more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. We stand amazed that you would have such mercy upon us to forgive us time and time again, Thank you for the immeasurable depth of your grace. Help us to turn our hurts over to you, Father. Remind us that your touch can make us stronger at our broken places. In Jesus' name, Amen.

TEN THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. When a project just goes the way one had hoped
2. If there is more money than month at the end
3. People who aren't afraid to ask for cabbage
4. I have had three old friends speak well of me in the last few days so that is also #'s 5 and 6
7. Having a God that we can go to when we are burdened and just give it over to him.
8. My decision to give up television
9. You can now play Netflix instant movies on Mac
10. The price of gas going down

FOOD:
This is a really good vegetarian dish......
Mushroom Casserole

Use any cooked grain you like. Feel free to use low-fat cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer.

1/2 pound (8 ounces) brown mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 large onion, well chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a bit of fresh tarragon, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil or butter and set aside. The pan I use is slightly smaller than a classic 9x13 baking dish - just grab for something in this ballpark.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil sprinkled with a couple pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt.

Combine the rice mixture and cottage cheese mixture in a large bowl, stir until well combined and then turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 or 30 minutes more or hot throughout and golden along the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and enjoy.

Serves about 8

FUN:

Three buddies die in a car crash, and they find themselves at the pearly gates.

They are all asked, "When you are in your casket and friends and
family are mourning upon you, what would you like to hear them say
about you?

The first guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was the
greates doctor of my time, and a great family man."

The second guy says, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful
husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our
children of tomorrow."

The last guy replies,
"I would like to hear them say... LOOK!!! HE'S MOVING!!!!!"