Heart Hope by Olga

This recipe is from Southern Living, one of my favorite places to get good recipes. (It's almost as good of a source as my sister, Ginny Phillips.) 2  cups  all-purpose flour 1/2  cup  granulated sugar 1/4  teaspoon  salt 1  cup  cold butter 1  cup  peach preserves 6  teaspoons  raspberry preserves 1/2  cup  sliced almonds Garnish: powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup flour mixture. Lightly grease an 11- x 7-inch or 9-inch square pan. Press remaining flour mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or...

Have you ever walked into a room of strangers thinking “What am I doing here” or “Why did I come?” It happened to me recently as I walked into a house full of women I did not know. I was going to hear a friend speak that I met at the She Speaks Conference last summer.   After almost an hour long drive from my home, I arrived in Breckenridge, CO. Walking hesitantly up to the door of a home nestled in the trees I didn’t know what to expect—Would they accept me? Would they be open to my intruding on their retreat? Would I feel uncomfortable with a group of ladies I had never met? Would they be judging me for only attending one session of the retreat? Would I have anyone to talk to or sit with? As I peered through the window I noticed that the ladies were having lunch and were deep in conversation. Should I knock or simply walk in and try not to be noticed? I decided on a light knock and then just opened the door, so that maybe I could enter without being a distraction to the liv...

Spring is coming; I just know it. According to the calendar, the first day of spring is March 21 st . While that date has come and gone we are expecting at least a foot of snow in the mountains of Colorado in the next 24 hours. For this southern girl it seems that God has forgotten what time of year it is, but I know that is impossible because He is in control of everything and knows exactly when He will be sending spring to our valley. April in the South means the tulips have popped out of the ground, the azaleas are covered in blossoms and the dogwood trees are clothed with the white and pink nail pierced cross shaped flowers. All of these were signs of spring in a former life, but are not found in the mountains of Colorado…at least not quite yet.  We do however see evidence that spring is on its way. The trees are budding, but are afraid to open because of the cold evening temperatures and anticipation of the snow that is still expected for a few more weeks. I am also seein...

If you were asked the question “Who is God” how would you answer it? But maybe the more important question for you to answer would be do you know Him well enough to tell someone else who He is to you personally? God is Creator and Sustainer of the universe Hebrew 1:2-3 God is Grace, Mercy, and Peace and gives those as gifts to us 1Timothy 1:2 God is King over all the earth Psalm 47:2 God is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End--Eternal         Revelation 22:13 God is my Shield, my Fortress, my Rock and my Deliverer in times of trouble 1 Samuel 22:2-3 God is Love, and nothing can separate us from His love; it is only because of Him we can love Romans 8:38-39, 1 John 4:8-10 God is One, but exists as three Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit Matthew 3:16-17 God is Just, Holy and Righteous Isaiah 5:6 God is Almighty, Powerful and Sovereign Revelation 19:6 God is the Giver of eternal life and it is His desire that none should peri...

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onions 3/4 cup chopped carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 3/4 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped 1 (19 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and garlic until tender. Stir in green pepper, red pepper, celery, and chili powder. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.  Stir in mushrooms, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn. Season with cumin, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with sour cream or avocados.  www.hearthope.org

A phone call from the emergency room quickly alerted me to the fact that my budding ballerina, Molly, had cut her foot. This evening as she was dancing through the house in preparation for bed she passed a magazine rack and a metal edge caught her foot, making a long gash between her pinkie toe and its neighbor.  This is not the first trip to the emergency room for my daughter Margaret and her children. Five year old Will has had stitches a couple of times and a broken arm, so he was familiar with what Molly was facing as they raced to the hospital.  Will’s little mind must have had multiple thoughts swirling around as he reflected on his previous trips to the ER, but what came out of his mouth were precious words of love, kindness and compassion. As he sat wringing his hands in apprehension he said, “Molly, you can squeeze my thumb when it hurts.” These were soothing words he had probably heard before which had brought him comfort in a time of pain. Scripture tells us that...

1-2 lb wheel of brie, chilled 6 thin slices of ham or prosciutto ¼ c apricot preserves 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed 1 egg beaten with 1 T water Cut chilled brie horizontally in half. Place sliced ham on the bottom half. Spread apricot preserves on top of ham. Replace top of brie. Roll out puff pastry to get rid of folds. Cut puff pastry into large circle. Place brie in center of circle. Fold pastry over cheese, enclosing the entire piece. Brush egg mixture over seam. Place on baking sheet, seam side down. Brush top side with egg mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Let cool several minutes before serving. Serve with grapes, apples, pears, or any other fresh fruit. www.hearthope.org