The past week found me outside more than at the computer or the kitchen sink! The weather has been perfect, cool, breezy, highs in the mid-70’s, sunny, and inviting. A few years ago my husband built the most amazing outdoor paradise for us…a large, two-level deck that has a beautiful wild cherry tree growing up through the middle of it. My gardening is done in pots, which I must say allows for perfect weed control, and so I have been busy hanging baskets and filling pots with ferns, petunias, verbena, daisies, marigolds, and some tiny, beautiful white wisps with an exotic name I don’t recall. The boys gave me a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque fountain that now sits on the upper deck and at night I like to light candles and relax to the trickling of the water. Who needs an expensive vacation?

Clay has been working about 30 extra hours a week this month and the schedule will last into June as the power plant maintenance continues. I have been using the extra time to sew a rag doll for my granddaughter who will turn 4 soon and to bake special goodies for Clay’s lunch box. I am missing a family reunion with my three older children and all the grandchildren so I must be content to nurture a husband, teenage boys, and green things, I suppose!

I came across several good articles I wanted to be sure to share, each of them having some implication for the topic of spiritual abuse and homeschooling moms. Sandy discusses the fact that we are all part of a royal priesthood. Lin has a series of thought-provoking posts on the servant hood of elders. (Be sure to read the intro and all four parts!) And Cindy has been reading about Jewish tradition in courtship and marriage and showing the contrast between genuine Hebrew tradition and what is passed off as such among the patriocentrists. All interesting and enlightening!

Finally, I thought you all might enjoy a couple of the recipes I baked and froze last week to send with my husband. These are both from Paula Deen so you know they are delicious.

White Chocolate Caramel Cashew Oatmeal Bars

1 package caramel bits or candies
½ cup evaporated milk
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ½ white chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped salted cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 X 9 pan with foil and lightly grease. Combine milk and caramels in bowl and microwave until melted, stirring well. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and soda. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press half of oat mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle white chocolate morsels and cashews evenly over crust, drizzle with caramel, and sprinkle remaining crust over top. Bake 20 more minutes. Allow to cool completely and cut into squares.

Mississippi Mud Bars

1 cup butter
1 cup milk
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup water
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 ½ cups toasted pecans
Mississippi Mud frosting (see below)

Prepare frosting and keep warm. Toast pecans by placing in single layer on a cookie sheet and putting in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Combine next four ingredients, whisking until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. In bowl, combine sugar, flour and soda. Stir in cocoa mixture and pour into greased 15 X 11 jelly roll pan or small cookie sheet that has edges. Bake for 20 minutes. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and pecans evenly over hot cake. Pour frosting over all and allow to cool.

Mississippi Mud Frosting

½ cup butter
½ cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4½ cup powdered sugar

In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in milk, cocoa, and vanilla. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.

During the past few weeks as we have been looking at the subject of spiritual abuse, I have received some interesting notes from women, each who have a story to tell. One of the questions that keeps coming up is “why did I get involved in this situation in the first place?” It is a question I have asked myself before and I know that has several answers. I believe that one of the reasons can be found by taking a closer look at Luke 9.

The disciples had just witnessed many miraculous works. They had traveled around, under the power and authority of Jesus, healing and casting out demons. They had trusted that God would provide all they needed as they went from town to town and He did. In fact, when they returned from their journey, they witnessed one of the most spectacular miracles of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the feeding of the 5000 men plus any women and children who were present with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. Living by faith and watching God provide in such amazing ways had become a very real part of their lives.

It was on the heels of this miraculous way of life that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him to a mountain top retreat for a time of prayer. Scripture tells us that as Jesus was praying, his countenance and his clothes became “bright as a flash of lightning.” And as if that wasn’t spectacular enough, suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared, also in “glorious splendor” and began talking to Jesus about the coming events surrounding His death and resurrection. Since the Bible tells us that the disciples had been sleepy, I think they must certainly have been thinking they were dreaming, one of those dreams that seem very real right before we wake up. Even as they had been basking in God’s provision for them in ministry, they must certainly have been blown away by the sheer glory and splendor that surrounded them.

Then Peter, the disciple whose zeal and naiveté I always find myself relating to, excitedly suggested, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s put up three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!” Oh, how I can relate to this situation. Peter, bless his heart, was so caught up in the glory of God’s presence and the joy of that small taste of heaven that he didn’t want it to end. His offering to build shelters for those whose glory could not be contained is amusing but it is such a great commentary on our own humanity when we are confronted with the power of God. Even after being shown the taste of what is real and eternal, so often we want to control it, to put it in a “shelter” and keep it according to what we know here on earth. We live in the present and in the temporal even when Jesus gives us a taste of the eternal and the divine.

As moms, we are often overwhelmed, making sure all the housework and schoolwork are done, everyone’s needs are addressed, and that all our responsibilities are met at the end of the day. We are so focused on our earthly lives that we want to bring Jesus down to our level, to house Him on our own property, to keep His glory contained for our own personal benefit. When that happens, I think we tend to take our eyes off of the glorious Jesus, the One who dwells in the heavenlies, the One who has called us His own, saved us by grace, and who is preparing a glorious home for us in heaven. It is at that point that we can become tempted by false teachers and abusers who will use us for their own means.

Luke chapter 9 then goes on to say this: “While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Isn’t this really the solution for all of us who are so caught up in the things of this world? We have to listen to Jesus, to read the Gospels and learn from what He shows us. It is as we stay in the Word and seek to walk with Him that the cares and concerns of this world are put into proper perspective. Spiritual abuse is real and no one is exempt from its influence. But trusting Christ alone for all we need for life and godliness and living in a daily relationship with Him will keep us from placing our confidence in man.