I’ve never considered myself a good cook, just a gal with a collection of pretty good recipes that manage to turn out decently every so often. Many times, in despiration, I’ve invented things based upon the contents of my cupboards and refrigerator, and predictably crashed and burned with many EPIC failures over the years, but once in a great great while even a blind squirrel gets a nut, and here’s the nut I ended up with recently.
I’d fretted all busy day about what to make for supper. Opened the fridge in between loads of laundry and errands. Surveyed the cupboards between mowing and paying bills. Inspected the freezer between my shower and mopping the floors. Nothing was jumping out at me. Whatever plan I had come up with before my last trip to the grocery store a few days ago was totally escaping my memory. The whole day had now passed and here I was AT crunch time, almost in a panic, hubbie about to walk through the door, and me with still not a clue what to make. The only thing jumping out at me from the fridge was the tube of crescent rolls I’d bought to make sopapilla cheesecake.
I sat down for a quick read of my devotional and there found offered below the scripture, commentary, and prayer, a recipe for “Meatball Sandwiches” … Hmmm… ?
I had a package of Italian meatballs buried in the bottom of my freezer. I had purchased them to make Zuppa Toscano soup a few months ago, but then never made it, because hot summer weather and soup just never seemed to trip my trigger. And niether did speghetti.
What if I used those meatballs and the crescent rolls to make some kind of Italian Beerrocks?
Ingredients
1 pkg Spicy Italian Meatballs
2 sticks of mozzerella string cheese (the ones I had were “Hot Habanero”)
1 tube refrigerator crescent rolls
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Marinara Sauce
Garlic Powder
Italian seasonings
minced serrano chile
Instructions
1. First I cooked the meatballs according to package instructions, in the oven on 375*F, but for only 20 of the 30 minutes recommended.
2. While they cooked, I opened the tube of Crescent Rolls (gosh I hate that – gives me heart failure every time), and laid them out on my work surface and separated the sections. Then I sprinkled each triangle with garlic powder, and some Italian Seasonings.
3. Next I made my marinara sauce, since I didn’t have any jarred speghetti sauce or Butoni in the fridge. I poured two cans of crushed tomatoes into a sauce pot and whirled them with my Braun-wand-thingy until there were no chunks. Then I added about a tablespoon and a half of some Pizza spice I had in my cupboard and about a tsp of Italian Seasonings. And because I like things a little on the spicy side, I added a little bit of minced serrano chile that I had in the fridge. I set the pot on the stove and turned the burner to medium and let the sauce come to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. When the meatballs were cooked I removed them from the oven and sliced them part-way with a knife to make room for a piece of string cheese.
5. I placed a spoonful of marinara onto each dough triangle, then put a little pile of shredded parmesan (about a tablespoon worth) on top of each spoonful of sauce.
6. I cut my string cheese sticks into 4 pieces and placed a piece into each meatball, and set a meatball on top of each pile of sauce and parmesan, on each dough triangle as shown in the illustration.
7. I rolled each triangle up tightly, by first pulling the corners up and over the meatball, and then rolling it towards the far corner as shown here:
…And when I had formed nice tight balls, I pinched all the open places closed, and laid each ball on my cookie sheet, about 4″ away from each other to give them room to expand. (NOTE: 1 tube of dough makes 8 rolls. To make the meatballs and dough come out equal, you would need 3 tubes of dough and two 1-doz. pkgs of meatballs. Or, if you just want to make 8, you could cut the remaining meatballs in half and add half to each bun before rolling them up).
8. I placed the cookie sheet into the oven (350*F still warm from cooking the meatballs) and baked them as directed on the dough packaging – about 13 to 15 minutes.
This is what they looked like when they were done baking.
I served my little Beerrocks with a cup of warmed marinara to dip them in. They were delicious. Hubby even thought so. And, because they got the seal of approval from him, I thought I would share them with y’all … just in case you are in a pinch over what to have for supper, and happen to have all these same ingredients tucked away in your cupboards! 🙂
Note: These are only as good as the meatballs you make them with. Not all meatballs are created equal. I can totally vouch for this HEB brand, found in the meat section of the supermarket, or you can make your own if you have a terrific recipe.
Suggestion: Serve with a side Caesar Salad, or a nice cucumber salad (cucumber slices, red onion slices, bell pepper slices, and split cherry tomatoes in a sweet vinegar and oil sauce), or some cottage cheese and fruit, or just some carrot and celery sticks. The kids will love them too!
“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14, KJV
((( P.S. Thanks Ms. Karen for the inspiration!!!!! )))
2 Serrano Chiles, stems removed, minced (mince the seeds also for heat, or discard)
1 7-oz can chopped Hatch Green Chiles (mild)
1 cup whole milk
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 8-oz pkg Shredded Cheese (*Mexican Blend), plus ADD an extra 1/2 cup of Pepper-Jack Cheese, grated
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400*F.
In a large pot, boil water and cook macaroni to “al dente” as instructed on the package. Drain off the water and place macaroni in a buttered baking dish large enough to fit, or use two baking dishes (one for enjoying shortly and one that you can freeze for later, or one you can give away to your busy daughter, a sick friend, or the elderly gentleman next door). Set macaroni aside while you make the sauce.
In a large saucepan on medium high heat, place the stick of butter and let it melt. Add the flour and whisk together until blended. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Add the onion, Serrano, and green chiles. Let cook until onion is tender. Add milk and chicken broth, whisking to make sure it doesn’t have any lumps. Let it cook a few minutes to thicken and then remove from heat. Add the *cheese and stir to blend. (* I like the HEB Mi Comida Mexican Cheese blend with Cotija, Manchego, Asadero, Muenster, Oaxaca, and Quesadilla cheeses, and then I add a little pepper-jack as well.)
Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and use your spoon to make sure it completely seeps down into the macaroni, every last millimeter of it.
Lay a piece of foil loosely over the top and place the dish in preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes. Adjust cooking time if using two pans – it won’t need to bake as long. Make sure it is bubbling all around the outsides and a little bit in the center, that’s when it’s done!
Goes very well with a nice crock pot roast (I like to make two – one to eat right away and one to freeze and use for other dishes later, like Stroganoff, Roast Beef Hash Casserole, Beef Quesadillas, Veg Beef Soup, BBQ Beef Sandwiches, SOS, Loaded Baked Potatoes, etc.). I like to pull mine so it soaks in all the juices.
Pot Roast and Mac & Cheese make just a Jim Dandy plateful of down home comfort food on a busy back-to-school night! Just add whatever vegetable you wish. I’m a big fan of Butter Beans, which are super easy-peasy. Just pour the frozen baby lima beans (the little green ones that come in a bag in the frozen section) into a pan of about 2 or 3 inches of boiling, salted water. Let the beans cook, covered for a few minutes in the rapidly boiling water until tender (the instructions are probably on the package, I’ve just never looked). As soon as they are just tender (I don’t like them mushy), drain them and toss a half a stick of butter in with them and let it melt and soak in. That’s it. That’s the way I like them. They can keep warm on a low burner of the stove, swimming in that creamy butter for a little while, if you like. Grind a little pepper melange on top and serve when you’re other dishes are ready.
“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” Genesis 9:3
I’m not a big breakfast person – making it anyway. I am a huge, hUgE, HUGE fan of eating breakfast…out! Especially on the weekends. Cracker Barrel…. I-HOP…. Denny’s….. Jims…. that little mom-and-pop joint at the end of the street, here I come!!!!
I guess it is the mess that gets me. It is usually a collection of elements (eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, toast, pancakes, hash browns, oatmeal, grits, coffee, orange juice) that all need to come together at the same time and be served hot and fresh — oh the stress! And after that, all those dirty pots and pans. UGH! Not my favorite way to start the day.
Wait…did you hear that? Shhh. It’s the dusty, far off shuffle of our ancestors collectively rolling over in their graves and huffing – women in aprons and hair buns, wiping sweat from their brows and grumbling, “Grind the coffee, pick the berries, make the jam, mill the flour, churn the butter, reap the oats, tap out the maple syrup, squeeze the oranges, stand over an old iron stove in an un-airconditioned house, and get back to us!” Bow-legged, hunched-over men mumbling in their deep voices, “Butcher the pig, dig the potatoes, chop the wood, start the fire in the stove, and get back to us!” And sleepy-eyed little children sniffling, “Milk the cow, collect the eggs, get a bucket and go fetch water from the river to wash those dishes, and get back to us!” — Wow, I’ve got it pretty easy. I feeling pretty guilty now! 😛
Soooo, uh-hem, back to my easy Sunday morning breakfast.
Did I mention that I (((L❤VE))) Migas!!! Mind you, this recipe is not intended to be authentic. It’s just the way like and make mine. My Migas are easy easy easy peasy, and they are yummy! 🙂
Ingredients & Instructions
((( This recipe serves two)))
2 Tablespoons butter
3 corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 pepper of choice, diced (I use jalapeno, or poblano, but some of my fam can’t handle heat, so bell pepper works great for them)
1 serrano chili, diced (if you like it spicy! – I do!!!!!)
Melt the butter in a frying pan on the stovetop on medium high heat. Slice the tortillas into strips, then cut the strips in half. Toss them in the pan with the melted butter and let them fry on medium heat, flipping and tossing occasionally until they are golden and crispy (I like mine very crispy). After the last flip add a little more butter and then toss in the onions, poblano/jalapeno, and serrano and let it all saute together, just until tender.
4 large eggs, broken into a bowl and mixed with a fork
1/4 cup of cooked chorizo (or crumbled bacon, or chopped deli ham, or smoked sausage, whatever you have on hand – no meat is fine too)
1/2 cup grated cheese (I like the Mi Comida cheeses that they have at my local HEB grocery, but you can use colby, cheddar, muenster, gouda, pepper jack, whatever you have – and no cheese if fine too)
Once the tortillas are nice and crispy and the onions and peppers are tender, push them to the outsides of the pan, add a little more butter to the center of the pan and then pour in the eggs.
Stir the eggs with spatula as they cook and then gently fold them with the peppers and tortillas and mix everything together.
Add the cooked meat (if desired – honestly sometimes I don’t add any meat) and cheese (sometimes I don’t add the cheese either) and toss around to mix together.
Let the dish finish cooking another half minute or so.
Season to taste with ground sea salt and cracked black pepper. Remove from heat and serve with homemade Salsa Verde! Count yourself lucky if you have a friendly neighbor who makes her own Salsa Verde and shares it with you!!!!!!!!
Mmmmm…mmm…mmm!!! Grab a fork baby and dig in!!!!! (Oooops, after the blessing, of course).
NOTE: You can dress yours up any old fancy way you want it. Add a slice of avacado, give it a splash of green or red salsa, toss a sprinkle of chopped cilantro on top, serve it with freshly friend and buttered gorditas or a side of Indian fry bread and honey, or some crispy hash browns, even a little dallop of sour cream, if that’s what trips your trigger. And if you are feeling especially ambitious they are off the chain with a side of fried potatoes!
Thank you Father for providing this food! Bless it to our bodies for health and strength. Be present at our table Lord, be here and everywhere adored. These morsels bless, and grant that we, may feast in Paradise with Thee. Be honored in our hearts and homes this beautiful day. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
This is the number one requested supper of my son-in-law. I make it every year for his birthday. I kind of almost reinvent it every time I make it – making it mostly from memory, and really don’t measure anything – but he says it is always good, even it if is just a little different each time. I make mine with bacon and BBQ sauce and am pretty sure that’s what makes it better than your average meatloaf. Sometimes I add diced celery or grated carrot to the meat, not a lot, just a little. Maybe a half a cup or so? Sometimes I can’t find ground buffalo and so I have to make it all beef – And I prefer using a good quality ground sirloin, organic if I can find it. Often times I add a jalapeno or Serrano from my garden, minced, sometimes I give it a couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce. I rarely repeat a BBQ sauce, and that is really what makes it different every time, but the boy insists that no matter how it turns out it is always his favorite. He makes me want to spoil him rotten – or fatten him up, one!!!!
If you can’t find the Salt Lick dry rub, basically all it is is about 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder, 1 tsp of ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp of salt. It might have a sprinkle of garlic powder in it too.
I wrap my meatloaf with bacon, and I’ve discovered that a bacon lattice is the best way to go. I didn’t always do this, as you’ll see in some of the photos here, but trust me, it is the best way, because the bacon stays in place when it cooks and when you slice it to serve. I like a thin sliced applewood smoked bacon the best!!!
First, I lay out a sheet of aluminum foil and then lay slices of bacon across it, about the length of my baking dish. Then I weave another set of bacon strips into the first strips like a lattice pie crust.
Next I take my mixed up meatloaf and pat it into an oblong tube shape and lay it down the center of the bacon weave. Finally, I pull the sides of the foil tightly up and around the meatloaf and press the bacon against the meatloaf. I then unwrap the foil and pull the bacon until the ends meet and the meatloaf is fully covered, and then I roll the meatloaf over and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
I use an oblong glass baking pan. I then like to season the bacon with steak seasoning and coarse ground black pepper. I put it into a 325*F oven and let it bake for about an hour and 20 minutes before I put the BBQ sauce on. This way the bacon gets crispy. Check the internal temp of the meatloaf. It should be 160*F when it is done. When it is nearing this, that’s when I start the BBQ sauce process. I don’t have a favorite brand of BBQ sauce. I use all kinds. But I prefer the sweet and spicy types (Sweet Baby Rays Honey Hot, Famous Dave’s Devil’s Spit, etc.) that are thick, not runny! Part of the fun for me is experimenting with new BBQ sauces.
After I put the BBQ sauce on, I put the meatloaf back in the oven and turn up the heat to broil. I let the sauce cook until it almost burns, and then I add another layer of it and return it to the broiler, making sure the sauce gets good and carmelized on top.
And then I take it out and let it sit for a few minutes on the stove top before I slice it. While it is cooling I use a turkey baster to syphon off all the grease out of the pan.
That’s it! That’s my most special meatloaf. But wait…
The last time I made it for my son-in-law I added a treat to it. As soon as we finished dinner my husband’s exact words were, “Wow! Just when I thought your meatloaf couldn’t get any better, you go and kick it up a notch! That was freaking fantastic, wife!” Wow, he makes me blush. So, what did I do?
Well, I had some herb, garlic, blue cheese butter wrapped in plastic in my fridge that I’d whipped up for our grilled steaks a little while back. I thought it might be good on meatloaf, and would be a great way to use up those leftovers. I gotta tell you, it was not only great, it was freaking incredible. The BBQ sauce, bacon, beef, jalapeno, herb, garlic, blue cheese thing just WORKS!!!!! Oh my goodness!!!!!
INSTRUCTIONS: mince the herbs and garlic and add to room temp butter in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Crumble the blue cheese and mix in with the herb butter. Spoon onto plastic wrap and roll into a tube shape, covering it completely with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and allow to harden. Slice into half-inch thick slices and lay a slice onto a hot-off-the-grill steak, or a slice of fresh-out-ot-the-oven meatloaf. YUM!
And (drum-roll please) my latest tweak… smoked meatloaf! Instead of baking it in the oven I asked my son to grill it on his Pit Boss. It turned out freaking amazing!
No, this is not health food. This is that one cheat meal that you get to have once every 364 days! I served my latest meatloaf with Mexican Street Corn-in-a-cup and a baked potato, but it is good with any sides really. I love loaded up green beans! I love loaded up brussels sprouts! I love cream corn (cream cheese and butter) with a can of green chiles added. I love mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and potato casserole.
Maybe you like sweet potatoes? My son-in-law loves his mashed with brown sugar (or maple syrup) and butter, crushed up pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a few mini-marshmallows – basically like a sweet potato casserole.
I also found a yummy recipe for Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes that’s a nice change of pace from the usual marshmallow or pecan varieties. It has fresh crushed pineapple, a firm (green) banana chopped fine, melted butter, fresh lime juice and coconut syrup for sweetness, and then garnished with shredded coconut and crushed salted macadamia nuts. Delish!
Instead of baked potatoes, you can make a loaded mashed potato casserole, with butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese mixed in, and garnished with green onions and crispy bacon.
Any-hoooo… ENJOY!!!!
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Wrap up your leftovers (if you can manage to keep some back), and make yourself a jim-dandy meatloaf sandwich the next day!!!!! .
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Mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm, here’s how I like ’em: .
Whole Wheat bread
Mayo
Course Ground Mustard
About 1/4 inch thick slices of cold meatloaf
a nice thick slice of sweet, white onion
Lots of Romaine Lettuce
and sometimes a slice of dill pickle .
Come for Supper?
“She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table” – Proverbs 9:2
I remember when I worked at the school district, the last week of school, that our bin of lost and found items would get drug out and the items hung up on racks, or laid out on tables in the front foyer, where parents and students would be coming and going, and hopefully they’d see an item that belonged to them and take it home. I was always amazed at how much stuff would accumulate over the year. Coats, hats, gloves, shirts, sweatpants, lunch boxes, shoes… just a myriad of things. My goodness, didn’t anyone miss this stuff?
I have lost things though, so who am I to judge?
I lost my cell phone once. I had it and then I didn’t have it. I always kept it in my purse. Then one day I went to lunch with friends and afterwards ran a few errands, and when I got back home and went to make a phone call it wasn’t there. I stirred the contents of my purse around with my hand, and then emptied it out completely, dumping the contents all over the floor. Nope, no cellphone.
I looked in my car, all over the car, under the seats, between the seats, in the console, and even in the backseats. I looked on the garage floor (maybe I accidentally kicked it out with my foot), and under the shelves along the wall. It wasn’t there. It wasn’t anywhere.
Like most people now-a-days I don’t have a landline, or even another cell phone as backup. And even if I had walked to the neighbors that day it would have been useless to borrow their phone. I did’t know anyone’s number. No one calls a NUMBER any more, we all call a NAME or a FACE. Oh dear. This was bad. This was my only communication with the outside world and it was gone, gone, gone, forever!
I went back in the house and looked on every surface where I might have laid the phone: the kitchen counters, the bedroom dressers, the bathroom, the laundry room. I retraced every step I’d made before leaving the house that day. And then I got back in my car and drove back to every business in town where I’d been, and asked if anyone had found a cell phone. Not a one.
I came back home and sat in a panic in the middle of my living room floor thinking intently about what to do next. And in the middle of my racing thoughts I heard it…I heard my cell phone ringing. “My phone! Oh my gosh, where is it coming from? I jumped to my feet and dashed around my house like a raving maniac, trying to get to the sound before it stopped ringing…….and where did I find it? My… PURSE!
It had slipped through a tear in the lining and was caught between the lining and the shell of my hard leather purse. I felt like an idiot, and at the same time was soooooooo relieved to have found it. So happy in fact that I wanted to drive back to every place I’d been, call all my friends, and tell them all, “I FOUND IT!!!!”
So, I completely relate to the thrill of the woman finding her lost coin in the story below.
Click below for the FREE PRINTABLE coloring page
FREE PRINTABLE coloring page, click >>>>>> Lost & Found
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The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Matthew 18:10-14 (NKJV) Courtesy of Bible Gateway
10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.[a]
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV) Courtesy of Bible Gateway
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10 (NKJV)Courtesy of Bible Gateway
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,[a] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
Luke 15:11-32 (NKJV)Courtesy of Bible Gateway
Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[a] out the best robe and putit on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”
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Here’s my story:
I had been born an innocent child of God and raised going to church, but somewhere early in life I saw the things that the world had to offer and I was lured away by deception. It’s a great cavernous thing that the world offers. There’s never money enough, or time enough, or energy enough to attain that carrot that Satan dangles before our faces, but the game is so enticing (everybody’s doing it) that we continue to seek to try until we have nothing left to give. That’s when we realize we are now slaves to things we hate (relationships, drugs, alcohol, situations), and it was all just a trap. God in His mercy didn’t let it get so far with me that I was stealing pig slop out of hunger, but a diet of rice and oatmeal are close enough. My father was about as far from rich as one can be, but he met me at the train station with as much relief and love and thankfulness as the father in Jesus’s story. He had his own demons that he was fighting, and it was still a while before I came to my senses, but thankfully I settled down eventually, got married, was blessed with a child, and landed a decent job back home where I belonged.
And then I was working for a small town newspaper and calling on a customer for an ad. This customer had a wrapping and shipping business located inside a liquor store on the east side of town. As I made my acquaintance on my first visit, the woman of this husband/wife team set me on my heels with a pretty direct question. One I wasn’t prepared for, or was even expecting that day. She asked me if I knew Jesus, and if I were to die today if I knew where I would be going. Wow…I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. She made me very uncomfortable. But her words haunted me for weeks after that.
I knew what she was talking about. I had been raised in Sunday school. I had Christian grandparents. My dad had always said he hoped his daughters would get baptized at some time in our lives. I always intended to get baptized, but being fresh into my young life I wasn’t sure I was done sowing my wild oats yet. Somehow I had it in my head that making a commitment to God meant the end of “fun.”
I avoided her in every way after that, but a month down the road when I stopped in to pick up their ad for our paper, being careful to go in the afternoon when I knew she wouldn’t be there, she WAS there and smiling at me as I walked through the door. DANG-IT! But as much as I make this out to be a bad thing, truly our conversation had been all I could think about. I had wrestled with God over what she said for weeks. So when she asked if I had thought about what we talked about, I humbly confessed I’d thought of nothing else.
She asked me if I was ready to make the commitment and I said yes, afraid I may not get a second chance. She whisked me off to the bathroom grabbed my hands and told me to pray with her, “Repeat after me” she said, and I did.
I honestly couldn’t tell you the words I prayed with her that day. All of them escape my memory. But something incredible happened in that bathroom when I said, “Amen.” My blood felt strangely carbonated in my veins, like life was flooding into me in some magical, spiritual way (very much the way life flooded into the Beast when Bell, the Beauty, kissed him and told him she loved him). That very similar magical effervesence bubbled up inside of me and all around me. I was saved from spiritual death that day. My legs were wobbly and weak. My mind was swirling. I absolutely was not the same person walking out of that bathroom as the person who walked into it moments earlier. I followed her out to her desk and stared in a daze out the huge picture window. All of a sudden I became aware of the sky and the most gorgeous sunset I’ve ever seen. It was magnificent with reds and purples. I wondered in my heart and asked God, “Have sunsets always been this beautiful and I never noticed, or did You make this one especially for me?”
Just as I thought this I saw a figment of angels in the clouds…thousands of them. They were all singing and rejoicing. It was so emotionally moving to me that I dissolved to tears instantly. It was some months later that I came across the scripture that says, there is “more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7, and how we have so great a cloud of witnesses watching from above (Hebrews 12:1).
The angels were rejoicing over me that day, a great cloud of witnesses, and God gave me a brief and beautiful glimpse. But I’m not the only one; they are gathered to rejoice over you too!
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If you are reading this and have never asked Jesus into your heart, but feel His Spirit speaking to you, take heed my friend. He is seeking you. You didn’t end up here by accident. God brought you to these words today for a reason. He wants you. He’s reaching out to you right here and right now. Please trust Him! Give Him your heart today. You don’t need any fancy words. You just need to talk to Him. If you would feel better talking to a real person right now about this decision, that’s good too, and CBN has prayer partners ready to pray at any time of day, just give them a call (1-800-823-6053), or seek out a local pastor. Pray right now, whereever you are, and ask Jesus to come into your heart while He is knocking on your heart’s door, and let Him be Lord of your life. Don’t quench His Spirit! Don’t let the devil lure you away. Let God’s Spirit lead you. Trust me, it’s the best decision you will ever make, and the greatest love story!
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(This is a video of Glen Campbell, sometime soon after he got saved. I’m a big Glen Campbell fan, and this is one of my favorite songs. I am pretty sure it tells his personal story, and that’s really what I love about it. At the time of this video it wasn’t recorded on a CD yet, but it is now. He actually recorded several Christian albums! Glen has gone on to be with Jesus, but his beautiful, personal songs and music live on for us to listen to, and you can get them at Amazon.com.)
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You are the Lord’s Pearl of Great Price!
You are His Hidden Treasure!
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The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13:44-46 (NKJV)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
My Bible footnote says it would have been 6:00AM.
2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
My Bible footnote says a denarius (a word of Latin origin) was the standard wage for a full day’s work. The KJV uses the word “penny” or pence in place of denarius which in Roman currency of the time would have been ten asses (asses were bronze or copper coins used during the Roman Empire). Denarius is the origin of the common noun for money in Italian denaro, in Portuguese dinheiro and in Spanish dinero.
Here are some example salaries and product costs as of the times of Diocletian in the third century AD:
3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
The third hour would be 9:00AM; and there were more people standing inactive, unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless: – barren,idle, slow“(Strongs #692 argos) in the “agora” (Strongs #58), which is probably the town square, market, or thoroughfare/street.
4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.
Their wage: whatever is right (just drawing attention to that). The Greek word used is dikaios (1342) and it means “equitable” (in character or act); (by implication) innocent; holy, just, meet, right(-eous).
5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
The sixth hour is noon and the ninth hour is 3:00PM.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle,[a]and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’
The 11th hour is 5:00PM (an hour before quitting time), and is it just me or does the land owner seem kind of annoyed that there are folks just standing around idle all day?
7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’[b]
Again he promises “what is right.”
8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
To pay them, the landowner worked his way backwards from the new hires to those with seniority (which btw, is an exact representation of the grapes in the basket. The first grapes gathered are at the bottom and will be last to come out. The first grapes to come out of the basket are the last ones that went in).
9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
Quite a generous wage for an hour’s worth of work.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
The landowner was certainly a man of his word wasn’t he, although “fair” is in the eye of the beholder isn’t it? Ever been hired for a job and completely happy about your wage until you found out what others were being paid? My husband calls it O.P.M. (other people’s money), and it is the root of all discontentment. Yep; been there and done that.
11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
I believe the “wage” in the parable is probably A TICKET TO HEAVEN, and when I look at it like that I kind of get a different perspective. I can’t help but draw a parallel with the thief on the cross. Jesus told him as they hung on their crosses together, with the sun fading on the day, that today he would be in paradise with Him. The thief had run out of time to do very many good works. He was at the 11th hour of his life. All he had time for was to witness to one last man, yet he got the same reward as our righteous King, as well as all the prophets and saints and godly Hebrews of the Old Testiment who had preached, and prophesied, and judged, and led, been faithful, and died before him.
The thing I have to remember is that Salvation is not earned. It is a gift rewarded for saying yes to an invitation.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
My Bible footnote says that this parable blossomed out of the attitude that the disciples had shown toward service and rewards.
I find this a tricky thing about church. It is so easy when you belong to ANY group of people to look around at others and compare. So easy to get hurt feelings about things. So easy to get wrapped up in unholy competitions.
Am I the only one that is secretly longing for pats on the back for my good deeds? Sometimes tempted to brag about charitible things I’ve done just to make myself feel more spiritual or worthy to my peers? Am I the only one that feels a twinge of jealousy when someone else in the congregation is liked more, fawned over more, appreciated more? Am I the only one that is hurt when my fruit salad is passed over for Linda’s Fritata? Or when Beth is chosen to lead next month’s Ladies Group instead of me? Or when Emily puts a picture on Facebook and it gets 47 likes immediately and I don’t even have 47 friends? Or when a certain, once unknown blog writer, celebrates her Food Network show and new line of kitchen wares filling up all the isles in all the Wal-mart stores across America and I count it a huge success if just one person clicks the “like” star on one of my posts.
Although rewards are part of God’s plan (Romans 2:6; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10), Jesus rebukes the spirit of serving for the rewards rather than out of love (1 Corinthians 13).
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”[c]
Click this link for the FREE downloadable coloring page:Grapevine to use for your small group, or Sunday School class, or just to color as you spend time in prayer.
The last will be first and the first will be last…just like the grapes being gathered into the baskets, the last ones in will be the first ones to enter the winepress, but they will altogether be a lovely batch of vino.
Chosen vs. Called.
The Greek word for Called is “Kletos.” Strongs #2822. It means invited, appointed. It is used eleven times in the New Testament (Bible Study Tools), and most of those times it is in reference to a calling to ministry or a special appointment, such as apostle or saint.
A calling is kind of a general thing, but it is usually geared to a specific group of folks. For instance, I think of a ranch cook calling the hands for supper. She yells or rings the bell and anyone on HER ranch who is hungry will come running. A church bell calls ITS congregation to church. A school bell calls ITS students to class. The disciples, and we as Christians, received a calling from Christ to take the love of Christ to our neighbors. Many are called.
The Greek word for Chosen is “Ekletos.” Strongs #1588. It means select, favorite, elect.
Choosing is much more personal. We choose a mate. We choose our clothes. We choose what we want to eat from a menu. Choosing is intimate. This word is used 23 times in scripture (Bible Study Tools). Most of those times the word is translated “elect” as in “the elect,” the favorites of the called, the cream of the crop, the most exalted ones of the called. Jesus called many disciples, but chose a smaller group of twelve apostles. Of the apostles, Jesus chose an inner circle, Peter, James, and John as His elect. Often He asked these three to come be with Him for something special, like healing miracles, the transfiguration, or the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Although the two words, Kletos and Ekletos are spelled the same, they are not pronounced the same and have different meanings. They are homographs, but I have an uneducated hunch that there is an intended play-on-words in the Greek that is sort of lost in English, don’t you?
The same phrase is repeated in Matthew 22:14.
We all have an inner circle of friends, a small group that we trust just a little bit more, cherish just a little bit more. I want to live my life in such a way as that the Lord would trust me just a little bit more, and cherish me just a little bit more. Not to lord it over anyone, but just to have Him smile at me with affection. I want to have a comfort zone thing with Him. I want to have the trust/integrity thing with HIM!!!! I have been forgiven much, I also want to love much (Luke 7:47)!
Personal Application
In penning this post I got to thinking about the shopping trip I made with my granddaughter this past weekend. It wasn’t going to take us long to pick out some uniform pieces for school: a couple skirts, a couple pants, and a couple pair of shorts, but our little dash in to Old Navy hit a roadblock when we encountered the unbelievable, Disneyland-like lines for the dressing rooms, and then to pay at the end. It was just crazy how many people were in that store. I guess that’s what we got for not arriving there until afternoon on the half-price day of the tax-free weekend.
While we were in the monsterous line to pay we passed a bouncy-ball vending machine, and to help pass the time I dug some quarters out of my purse to let my little schnookums try for a pink ball. One…two…three tries and one…two…three green/blue/yellow balls came out. Well, shucks. I asked her what she was gonna do with three balls? She decided she would give one ball to her sister and keep the other two for herself, but I suggested she give the third ball to another kid in the store. “Why?” she inquired. “To be nice,” I riposted, and then I asked her to look around for a kid her age who would be a good candidate. She looked around, but was overcome with fear and shyness. She wanted me to do it. I kept pointing people out to her, and encouraging her, promising that it would make her feel good to do it, but she just couldn’t get up the gumption to talk to someone she didn’t know. I asked her to choose which ball she wanted to give away, and on our way out of the store I asked a little girl if she’d like to have it. Although my little jelly-bean was too scared to step out and talk to another person, at least she was willing to give, and I was proud of her for that.
I feel the Holy Spirit challenging me in several ways today through the reading and studying of this parable. Like my darling granddaughter, I too hold back sometimes, because of timidity. My anxiousness causes me to stand around idle all day in my comfort zone waiting for a job to come looking for me. Sometimes I find myself looking around to see if anyone else is stepping out before I do, so I don’t look foolish taking a leap-of-faith all by myself. Consequently, I don’t make it into the vineyard until the 6th or 9th hour (if at all). But then there are other times when I feel like I am the one who has been there all day, putting in the biggest effort, and here come others that have done barely anything and are getting lavish praise. Sometimes I get jealous over favoritism shown to others in the small groups that I belong to.
In all honesty, I don’t accept praise well, but admit it is a nice reward to have someone notice my efforts (so that I can humbly dismiss them – ha, right?). But to get very little praise or appreciation when others around me seem to be getting tons of praise for what seems like a fraction of the work, that is pretty hard to take. Stumbling blocks. Oh Lord, I hate the stumbling blocks in this Pilgrims Progress of life. They are so hard to get past, but here’s what I’m feeling the Lord leading me to use as tools to help me climb over them, dig under them, and squeeze around them:
Try to remember that Jesus made a fair deal with me when He invited me to work in His vineyard.
Remember that He is a man of His word and will reward me with what is right. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9
Stop looking around at the deal everyone else is getting, or get jealous over favoritism. It’s Satan’s oldest trick to get us to LOOK at things we’re not supposed to have and then looooong for them. There are far more harder working Christians out there than me who are going to be given the same gift as me in the end, and who have done a mountain more work. Who cares if I am His favorite or not. As long as I make it to heaven, who cares if all I have to live in is a pup-tent, and scraps from the Master’s table to eat. Tis better to be in God’s kingdom than to be anywhere else.
Be motivated by love, and not distracted by greed, or jealousy or even obligation, nor tempted into expecting a reward for every little thing. To keep my eyes on the vineyard and not on the prize box. To take the hard shell off my heart and let it swell for that person in front of me who needs a friend, or a sandwich, or a hug, or a kleenex, or a good laugh.
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Dear Lord Jesus, help me not to fall into the trap of comparison. Help me to keep my eyes on You and consider only the prize that You have promised me. Help me to be content with such things as I have. Help me not to be idle, or crippled by fear or timidity, or green with envy and miss a great blessing. In Your precious name I pray. Amen.
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“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Never, never, never was this an issue for me in Wyoming, but apparently is a common problem in Texas. I’m not sure I understand why. In Wyoming we ladies have our feet cooped up in socks and shoes for most of the year When not in shoes, our feet are usually in house slippers, and I even wore sockies to bed. My poor feet rarely saw the light of day and rarely got a breath of fresh air except in the summer.
I confess that in Wyoming I used to get a pedicure maybe once or twice a year, usually in the spring and again sometime in the late summer, and that last nail polish job would (I’m kind of embarrassed to say) last for most the winter on my hibernating tootsies. Honestly, I didn’t spend too much time caring all that much about what my feet looked like in the winter; they were out’ta sight out’ta mind. The only housekeeping I did to my feet during the dark months was to keep the nails short and filed with no sharp edges, so they wouldn’t wear holes in my socks.
In Texas, where our feet are on display for ten months out of the year, I notice my feet need work just about once a week. And the little darlin’s breathe fresh air daily and get plenty of sunshine. So it is kind of a head-scratcher why I have had so much trouble with this nail fungus thing – whatever it is? Maybe it’s that mold spores and fungus have a greater survival rate in hot and humid climates than in the harsh winters and dry climates of the Rockies?
I first discovered this fungus on my big toe toenail (shown on the left foot in photo above) when I was removing toenail polish several months after moving to Texas. I freaked out, went crazy on Google researching this strange phenomenon, and then made a mad dash to the store to find my hopeful cure. I purchased the most expensive brand of Tea Tree Oil, a #1-rated toenail fungus medicine with brush applicator, and a tube of Lamisil, suggested by the pharmicist. I trimmed all my toenails close and sanded the tops to make them thin.
I soaked my feet in an epson salt solution, dried them off really well, and then gave myself a thorough pedicure, removing all dead skin under and around the nail. I did NOT polish my nails afterwards; I left them naked so they could breathe. I washed all my sandals in the washing machine, HOT wash and rinse cycles, and then wiped them off with Clorox wipes to kill any residual spores. I let them completely dry out in the bright, hot, Texas summer sun for a day.
I tossed out all my socks and bought new, 100% cotton ones. I wiped down my dresser drawer with Clorox wipes and let it dry out in the hot summer sun.
I worked tirelessly to cure this fungus, if indeed that is what it was, with my over-the-counter remedies. I never let my feet stay wet. If I walked across wet grass, played in the sprinklers with the grandkids, or walked across the yard in the rain, I always toweled them off after, and after all my showers, with a clean, fresh towel that didn’t get reused or shared.
I kept my toenails short, but didn’t cut away the detached part on the advice of the pharmicist, although because I had sanded them really thin they did tear from the digging underneath with my fingernail file. I also sterilized my clippers, files, knippers, etc. after every use. I applied the Tea Tree Oil, the toenail fungus medicine, and the Lamisil cream after every shower, and made sure to get it up underneath each nail really good, and all over the tops too.
Months, and months, and months, and months went by with little improvement, but eventually the detached area slowly diminished to the point where I thought I was cured, and I relaxed my toe treatments.
And then this last January I noticed that the stupid thing was back. UGH!!!! Worse than before. The detachement was almost to the root of my cuticle, and almost the whole left side of my nail. Bummer!
Now, I’ve heard there is a pill for this, but I didn’t want to treat my whole body for an issue under a small area of one toenail, especially when it costs money to go see a doctor to get a prescription, and when there are side effects to that medicine that are a little bit unsettling. I’ve also heard that an alternative treatment and even more effective is laser therapy, but Holy Jemimah monkeys, it’s pricey, and may require several treatments to cure, which would mean several trips to the big city. My toenails are not thick and yellow, they are normal and clear. They just have one little place of detachment.
So this time I followed my gut instincts and trimmed the detached toenail away from the cuticle beneath, using knippers so I could get in really close, and completely expose the area to fresh air and direct treatment. Don’t worry, it didn’t hurt at all. It probably does kind of make you cringe to look at it though. I’m sorry.
I then applied a drop of Clorox directly to the infected cuticle and nail with a Q-tip and let it soak in.
I figured that if Clorox kills everything, including funguses on a variety of surfaces, I would do a clinical study of my own and see how effective it was on human tissue. (Note: it honestly sounds less dangerous to me than prescription topical medications). I used a Q-tip to apply a drop of Clorox to the cuticle, rubbing it into the skin and allowing it to soak in, and then over the nail, and I let it completely dry on its own.
I wore nothing but flip-flops. I again tossed out all my socks and purchased brand new ones. I didn’t share my towel, or reuse it. Everything got washed in the hotest setting on the washer and dried on the hottest setting in the dryer.
A couple of days later I applied hydrogen peroxide to the same area with a Q-tip, and let it dry on its own. I spent the next month alternating my applications of Clorox or peroxide every few days. After a few weeks I went to a once-a-week application, and then a once-every-two-weeks application, and finally once-a-month.
Here’s what my toe looks like now after only six months:
Here, look at the extremes side by side:
Soooooo, if you want my unprofessional opinion (I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV) …forget about all the fancy, expensive, over-the-counter medications that take forever to work and aren’t effective at keeping fungus away, and before you spend your life savings on doctors and prescriptions. Just get a small jug of cheap old Clorox and an inexpensive bottle of ordinary old trustworthy Peroxide, both of which are easily found, some steril Q-tips, and give this a whirl. In my personal experience they are much more effective, and obviously won’t harm your skin when used topically on the infected site in small amounts and in moderation. And another tip… DON’T POLISH your toenails. For one, polish keeps your nails from being able to breathe, like they need to, and two, polish hides (yes, I know that you want to hide your issue, but) it also hides dirt and grime. It’s okay to paint them for a special occasion, but don’t let them stay polished for more than a day or two. I believe the fungal spores live in the soil, and if that soil is allowed to just sit under your nails for any length of time, it breeds infection. So I keep my toenails naked, and clean.
Sending prayers of healing your way!!!
“Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.. Hebrews 12:13 NKJV
Jesus was with His disciples in the last days of His life, and coming from Jericho, where a large crowd had been following. At Jericho Jesus healed a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, and had also gone to the house of Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector who climbed up in a tree to see Him as He passed by.
Luke says that Jesus told the parable of the minas when He was “near Jerusalem.” Matthew has this parable as part of the “Olivet Discourse” given to His disciples on the Mount of Olives.
Looking at the map below we can see exactly where Jesus was. Mark 11 says Jesus and his disciples were near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, when two disciples were sent to retrieve a colt for Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, so we know the timing was Jesus last week of life on this earth.
We celebrate the Triumphal Entry as Palm Sunday, and the next Sunday of course is Easter. So, the events coming soon after this moment on the timeline were…
the Triumphal Entry,
the cleansing of the temple,
the Last Supper,
the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane,
the betrayal,
the trial, scourging, and crucifixion.
All of this would happen in the coming few days.
As Jesus went through Bethany, Matthew and Mark tell us He shared a meal with Simon the leper (who was the father of Judas Escariot), and John tells us that Lazarus was there, and that Martha served (perhaps they were relatives or close neighbors?). This is the supper where a woman (John 12:3 says she was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus) came and poured an alabaster flask of costly perfume on His head, worth almost a year’s wages. John also tells us that Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son protested the waste. Judas, you might remember was the treasurer of the Twelve, and according to John 12:6, “was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag, he used to help himself to what was put in it”.
On the timeline of events, John says this was 6 days before the Passover, but Luke and Matthew say it was 2 days before. I’m not a Bible scholar, but perhaps it was 2 days before the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples (The Last Supper), but 6 days before the actual Passover, when Jesus was crucified. Or that it was 2 days before preparations for Passover begin (inspecting lambs for blemishes, collecting wood for the cooking of the lambs, etc.), but 6 days before the actual sit-down celebration. At any rate, it was very near to “Palm Sunday.”
According to the notes in my Bible, a mina was about three months’ worth of wages, and a talent was worth about $1,000 in that day.
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The Parable of the Minas
Luke 19:11-27 New King James Version (NKJV)
11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,[a] and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
*Jesus was of course trying to help His audience comprehend a vision of heaven, and His kingdom, by relating it to something tangible they could personally relate to, something that would be gererally familiar to them on earth. In this instance Jesus may have been drawing upon Herod the Great’s son Archelaus’ journey to Rome to bring His spiritual lesson to life. (Several sources, including a footnote in my Bible confirm this).
15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’”
The Parable of the Talents
Matthew 25:14-30 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
We know that Jesus told this parable as He was on His way to receive His kingdom, but by very different means than any earthly king of any time in history, and very differently than His disciples were expecting. Jesus would pay a very high price, by our standards, for His kingdom – with His life. His disciples expected Him to establish His kingdom in the flesh, soon. Jesus wanted them (and us) to know that His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and it is coming. He wanted them to know that he was going away, but would come back, and was leaving them (and us) with a job to do. I see the mina or talent to be like the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. These are what Jesus left for us to use to do the work (or use in “trade”) until He returns.
In this parable, the wicked servant said he “feared” the king, but God’s word says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It wasn’t a reverent and trembling fear this servant had, but the same disease the Jewish leaders had at the time of Christ – greed and jealousy. Satan dreads for Christ to rule over him; he wants to be the boss.
And I don’t know if Jesus meant to draw this parallel, but it’s interesting to me that there are three who give account in this parable and that one of the three is wicked, because when Satan (who’s name means “accuser”) fell from grace he took 1/3 of the angels with him. Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Luke 10:18-20; and Revelation 12:3-9. He also was judged by his own accusations. And in the end shall be cast into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:3) and then into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10), where there is eternal torment and weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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I can relate to this parable as both a rebellious teenager and a protective parent. When I became a parent I’d had enough life experiences to see the troubles my kids were headed for, and tried my level best to steer them away (because I loved them dearly) from making a big mistake or a bad decision. Many times they accused me of being mean or harsh, as a means to manipulate me into letting them do what they wanted. Many times that’s exactly who I became to them, mean and harsh. Those teenage years were the hardest, but I am thankful for them, because they helped me see and appreciate the patience of God with us. To show me both the wretch that I was and the loving parent that He is. And for giving me that small glimpse of His mercy, and what He deals with every day. And honestly, to call God hard or austere is more a confession of who we are, our own selfishness, and shows that we don’t really know Him, or want to know Him. We just want our own way.
I can’t say or claim to know God the way we know people, Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out (Romans 11:33), but I do get to know Him every time I read and study and search out His word. And I am humbled that He wanted me to be part of His kingdom by sending a courageous lady to preach the gospel to me when I was a young and foolish mother. That lady led me in a prayer of salvation that changed my life. Certainly changed the course of my life. I shall never know what the Lord saved me fromthat day, but I know what He saved me to, and it blesses my heart so much that He was not willing that I should perish, but that I should come to repentance. He waited all these years for me to be born, and to choose Him. The Jesus that I know is merciful, caring, sacrificing, and loving…no greater love has any man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. He purchased a kingdom for me that I didn’t deserve. And even more importantly, He sent me to invite YOU with these words today!
So I ask you…what’s in YOUR WALLET?
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Do you know Jesus as Savior? Do you have His minas and talents in you? How will you invest them in His kingdom, or trade them on the stock exchange of heaven? Don’t worry, I am not asking you to really tell me, or even keep a record for yourself. I just think we need to ask our selves this question every day in order to put our schedules in right order. Truly there is so much work to do. We can do the work ourselves, or donate to causes that will do the work in our place. I believe this parable tells us that it all counts. But, whatever we do, let’s do it out of love, not out of obligation, for anything not done out of love is, well, not done. (1 Cor. 13)
The commandments are summed up in this, that we Love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27; Matthew 22:37; Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:30-31). Let us love like the Good Samaritan – which just so happened also on that same Jericho road.
Let us love when we see love is needed. Love is what causes our giving to earn interest. Let us help when we see help is needed. Give when we see giving is needed. And then let us forget what we’ve done.
And let us keep our eyes on the skies, for our King is coming! Amen?
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PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to have eyes to see the needs around me, and the unselfishness to meet them. Lord forgive my selfishness. Lord forgive my fearfulness. Help me to have the courage to share this gospel of yours in the best way to honor You and tell Your story. Let those who have ears to hear, hear Your message and believe, and be saved. May those who love You be encouraged and strengthened. May those who don’t know You, find You. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.”
My bestie and I live three states apart, but out in the west, and when one of those states is Texas, this adds up to a pretty dang far distance. Too far to get to spend as much time together as we’d like. But we stay close by texting every few days and calling often, we read out of the same Bible devotional every day, we send each other pins on Pinterest, and at least once a year we travel to meet somewhere and spend a few days hanging out.
She came to both my girls’ weddings, my girls both call her Aunt Treva. And I in turn got to go to her son’s wedding, and even take pictures. We are as close as sisters, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life. She’s my people. My home team. My rock. My laughter. And my comfort zone. We go together like peas and carrots.
Her family moved to my little town when we were just four years old, and she and I went through school together, from Kindergarten to graduation, although she got to graduate a year early.
Her mom was the best cook in town. You can string me up if I am lying. Ask anyone who lived there. I cherished every invitation to come to supper. And, I have several of her recipes that I still make to this day. I even found a set of dishes at a yard sale once that are the same ones she had, pattern, color, and everything, and I bought them. Whenever I serve food on them I hope that it is somehow blessed by sweet mama-Agnes as she looks down from heaven. Her own dishes of course passed down to Treva, and so we both have the same dishes in our kitchens. Isn’t that fun?
Treva and I were visiting on the phone the other day, asking each other what we were going to make for supper, and when I told her I was thinking of making tuna salad she told me about a tuna salad her mom used to make sometimes when she was going to have girlfriends over. I’m not usually a fan of tuna on a tomato, and what’s funny is neither is my friend, but I will admit, it is much better on a nice fresh ripe garden tomato, one of those magnificent heirloom black tomatoes especially, which I just happen to have today. Treva also suggested trying a halved bell pepper next time. A red one, for looks. She’s a genius … it is a perfect substitute!
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MRS H’s SHOESTRING POTATO TUNA SALAD
1 cup julienned Carrots
1 cup julienned Celery
1/4 cup finely chopped Green Onion
1 can (12 oz) Tuna (I prefer the kind packed in water), drained
Mayo (maybe half to 3/4 cup – I just eyeball it)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 heaping tsp. fresh or dried Dill Weed
1 serrano chili, seeds, stems, and membranes removed, minced
season to taste with: (start with a little shake of each)
lemon pepper
ground pepper
Montreal steak seaonsing
1 (1.5 oz.) can Shoestring Potatoes
Romaine lettuce
2 Fresh, ripe, garden Heirloom Tomatoes (or substitute red bell peppers)
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Instructions
In a large bowl, combine carrots, celery, onion, tuna, mayo, lemon juice, dill weed, serrano chili (I am hopelessly addicted to heat, so I add the whole thing, but you can add as much or as little as you want, or none if you are sensitive to spicy foods), and seasonings. Add a little kosher salt to taste if desired. Cover and chill for an hour or so in the fridge.
When ready to serve, cut tomatoes in half (be fancy), wash the lettuce and lay a leaf or two down on each plate. Set half of a tomato in the center of the lettuce. Now, at this point I like to drizzle both with dressing, and I happened to have Green Goddess when I took this photo, but my favorite, favorite, favorite is Serrano Ranch!
Stir half of the shoestring potatoes into the tuna… (I like the spicy ones)
…and then pile tuna salad onto each tomato, dividing equally between four servings. Garnish with the remaining shoestrings and serve.
If using bell pepper in place of tomatoes, you can slice it into strips (to make it a little easier to eat) and just tuck a few on the side of your tuna salad. Or, you can cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise and fill it with the salad, just like you would the tomato.
Tuna on a red bell pepper, using the regular shoestring potatoes. Delish!!!
This is how my friend Treva’s mom used to serve hers, with bread-and-butter pickles and a boiled egg. I also like to tuck in a couple cucumber spears, when I have them. YUM!!!!!!!.
Thank you Ms. Treva for sharing another winner with me!!!! Sending hugs to you and to your precious mother, God rest her sweet soul. I’m blowing kisses your way. ❤
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“We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic.” Numbers 11:5
This is one of THOSE recipes…that you’ll take to the party and not only will it be the first thing gone, but the bowl you brought it in will be licked clean, and everyone will be groveling for the recipe. I’ve been making it for 20 years and taking it to various parties, Bunco, work functions, church functions, luncheons, tailgate parties, and it dutifully makes an appearance at most of our holiday gatherings, especially New Years, when it is lucky to eat black-eyed peas.
Today my daughter asked if I could post it on Pinterest. I suppose because she wants to pin it and then she won’t have to call me everytime she goes to the store to get the ingredients.
There are other versions of this Black-eyed pea dip out there, but what sets mine apart is the “dressing.” I suppose that their recipes are probably good….but mine is to die for — and if you know me, you know it is waaaaay out of my character to make such a statement. So, I’ll tell you the truth. I got this recipe from a coworker a long long time ago (and added my signatures), and truly, none of the others you will run across can come close!!!!! Okay, maybe close, but this one wins!!! 🙂
RECIPE
*If you have fresh sweet corn in season at your produce market, by all means cut it off the cob and use in place of the canned. A couple of cobs will do ya. And you are also welcome to make your own black-eyed peas from dried. They are actually very easy. I drain and rinse the canned ones and let them dry a little in the strainer before they go into the bowl. I prefer garden tomatoes over the tasteless storebought ones and so I often substitute sweet cherry tomatoes, chopped, of course. I especially love the little black cherry tomatoes as they have a good firm texture and fantastic taste. Also, I just started adding cilantro recently and have decided I like it – but then again I LOVE cilantro and any excuse to use it is great with me. You might even like a little squeeze of lime?
ALL MIXED UP
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HERE’S THE BOWL I SERVE IT IN
(The dip goes in the center and the chips scatter around on the brim!)
“And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
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While I was praying for God’s wisdom to know what this parable is about, the Lord directed me to the notes in my study Bible. They said
“God’s kingdom is not fully manifested now. But will be reavealed in the Age to Come. And in that age it will be known to all. In the meantime, God’s works are permeating all of human society, penetrating evil and transforming lives.”
(Spirit Filled Life Bible, NKJV, Thomas Nelson Publishers).
Permeating all of human society… perhaps the three measures of meal could be the past, the present, and the future, …till it was all leavened.
The mystery of God’s kingdom was hidden in the past (from the beginning of time) in the rituals and the feasts of God’s people. It was hidden in the commandments and in the tabernacle. It was hidden in the prophesies of the prophets. It was hidden in everything God asked them to do. Even if they didn’t fully grasp the greater significance of all God asked them to do, by their doing it God permeated His message to the world of who He is, the One True God, and His kingdom to come.
When Jesus, the promised Messiah came, He revealed much of what had been hidden in the past, and revealed some of the future. And through the Holy Spirit He has hidden His kingdom in each of us, in the present age, who choose Him. The Lord is the breath of life in each of us. God’s kingdom is hidden in part from our eyes right now, but is active and working in the hearts of men. We see dimly as in a mirror now – but one day we shall see face to face. When we are obedient to do what He asks us to do, we are salt and light to the world.
In the age to come God’s kingdom will be hidden (untouchable) from those who didn’t want to be part of it.
A Woman Hid
I think it is a great mystery how mankind was created in the image of God — male and female, the scriptures say (Genesis 1:27). God gave Adam a wife from his own rib to cure his loneliness. The marriage of a man and a woman together makes them one. The man is to cleave to the woman, his help mate – his womb-man, giving them the power to bring forth life on earth after their own kind. Adam called her Eve because the name meant “life” “living.”
There are scriptures that hint at God’s feminine qualities. One of the Old Testament names of God is El Shaddai and literally means “God is my Breast.” Isaiah 66:13 say’s, “As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you.” Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 say, “…How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” This doesn’t mean I think God Almighty is a “she,” or “it,” or should ever be referred to by anything other than the masqueline pronoun HE, because He obviously set male above female in the order of things, and we should always respectfully refer to Him as our heavenly Father!!!!! But if we peek more deeply into His divine nature, I think there is a woman hidden in there somewhere. I think we are hidden in Him – and He in us.
All life on earth is hidden for a time in a female womb, so the seeds of the kingdom are hidden for a time in our dark world until the time comes for them to be revealed. Until then, it is the great commission God has given to each of us to permeate our world with the message of eternal life, till it is all leavened!
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Oh thank you Father God, I think (I hope) I understand this parable better now. Thank You for teaching me (teaching us) Your word. If I have any misunderstanding, show me my error, and teach me what is right, in Jesus’ name!
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Prayer: Lord, unless You build the house we labor in vain who build it. We believe, but help our unbelief. Unless Your Spirit is hidden in us we will have no power to live the Christian life, or love people, or share the gospel with the lost. Lord I ask that you please forgive my sins and my wayward ways. Wash them away in the blood of Jesus. And pour out Your Spirit into me today (and every day) so that I may be able do the work You predestined me to do until the gospel has reached to the ends of the earth. Direct my steps precious Jesus. Prepare the world for Your gospel. Go before me Lord, and be my rear guard. Prepare the hearts of the people here and everywhere to receive Your message. Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. It’s in Your precious name I pray. Amen.
8 baseball-sized portabella mushrooms, rinsed, and stems removed but reserved for sauce below
1 cup of freshly made bread crumbs (about 4 or 5 slices of day old white bread)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup of a white onion, minced
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper melange
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup Chicken broth
1/4 heavy cream
Directions
I like to fry my bacon in the oven – 350*F for however long until it is crispy. I line my cookie sheet with foil, lay a rack on top, and then lay the strips of bacon down on the rack, then pop it in the oven for…mmm..depends on your altitude and humidity, but probably about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it. (Clean up is really easy. Just let the foil cool completely and then lift off the sheet and toss. The wack will need a little scrub is all.
While it is baking make breadcrumbs by whirling the bread slices in a food processor until small crumbs. Add the cheese, minced onion, a ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper. Pulse together. Remove bacon from oven. Lay on paper towels to absorb grease. Pour a Tbsp or so of the bacon drippings into the breadcrumb mixture and whirl to mix – a couple of pulses. This should cause the breadcrumbs to stick together slightly. If not, add a little more bacon drippings and pulse again. Crumble the bacon and add to the breadcrumbs. Whirl briefly to mix.
Preheat oven to 400*F. Rinse the mushrooms and remove stems. Chop the stems and place them with a Tbsp of butter in a pan and saute until mushrooms are soft. Add ½ cup of chicken broth and ¼ c. heavy cream, a sprinkle of salt and some fresh ground pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the mushrooms caps.
Lay mushroom caps, stem end up on a foil lined, greased baking sheet. Use an ice cream scoop to measure portions of the breadcrumbs, dropping them into your hand first to kind of squeeze them together into a lump, and then press the lump into the hole of the mushroom cap where the stem was. Do this for each mushroom cap. Go back and add more breadcrumbs to each mushroom until all the breadcrumbs are used. Pop the pan into the oven and let bake for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are well toasted on top and the mushrooms are cooked through.
Pour the mushroom stem sauce into the food processor and whirl until blended.
Set mushrooms on a platter and drizzle with sauce. Serve.
BEFORE sauce
and WITH SAUCE!!!
***Forgive the crappy photos…I’m not the best photographer. And, excuse the paper plates. While I LOVE to cook, I loath doing dishes! =)
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”Matthew 13:31-32 (NKJV)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is the third parable told by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. Mark and Luke tell of it also.
Mark 4: 30-32
Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Luke 13:18-19
Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
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I’m a family history enthusiast. I began researching my dad’s roots when I was a young mother, so many years ago I don’t even want to number them. Seizing the small window of time available to me, I went to my grandma and got as much info as I could from her. We sat down with all of her old photos and I asked who the people were in them, and then we wrote their names on the backs of all that didn’t already have them, so this precious information would not be lost with her passing.
I’ve learned so much about my family, and my country’s history in the process of my research as well, and grown to love my heritage, even though there’s not anyone of any great wealth or affluence or notoriety really in the lot of us. I come from Quakers, who came to this country seeking religious freedom, and poor folk thrown into prison in England for stealing – who came to this country as indentured servants to pay off their crime. Members of my family have served this great country in every single American war, not to mention a few lesser known regional squabbles. They were farmers, chasing their dreams by land runs, and pioneering folk traveling westward-ho in covered wagons. Some chased after gold with a gold pan. Some delivered supplies to those chasing after gold. And some swung a pickaxe in the gold mines owned by wealthy tycoons. Some delivered mail. Some built railroad tracks. Some raised cattle. Some taught school and some preached. Some tended commissaries and grain elevators. It is a colorful and magnificent story – every one of them.
Magnificent and great like this story told by Jesus, because Jesus’ story tells us that as each of our families started with small seeds on a new continent and grew so big that it’s hard to number all of us now, so our Lord’s kingdom began with small seeds, sown by Him into brave apostles, and then by their works has grown into a mighty family tree that includes peoples from every tribe and tongue and race and nation – Jew first, and then the rest of us grafted in,as numerous as the stars of heaven, where the angels of God can come and nest in our branches.
Maybe you’ve been relocated to a place far from family. Take heart that our God has planted you and wants you to grow and blossom and flourish right where you are now. As long as there is a church and people of faith, you will always be close to family. Go and plug-in.
Maybe you are in the same old town you grew up in, that your parents grew up in, that your grandparents grew up in, and are surrounded by almost nothing but family. Celebrate, cultivate, love the ones you’re with. Cherish that family bond. Lift each other up. Pour your heart into the children and let them see the wonderful heritage that they have been born into. Celebrate the marriages, and the new births. God is making you into a beautiful family tree and if grafted into His family tree, is truly a magnificent thing.
Maybe tragedy struck when you were a child and the only family you had were taken from you? God will never leave you an orphan. He puts the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). He will graft you into His giant tree with people who will love you, and welcome you, and He will bring you in to be a part of the giant family of God forever. All you have to do is ask Him in, and that tiny seed will grow from you and become a beautiful tree.
My friend, we are meant to be fruitful and multiply. It was God’s first command to His creation, and it is the great commission Jesus gave to His disciples. God created us to be physically and spiritually fruitful. It is our blessing to get to sow His kingdom into the hearts of men, and no tiny act of charity is ever too small to grow and become mighty.
Prayer:Father God, thank you for your love and your amazing grace and mercy to make a way for those of us who choose You to have a place in Your great family tree. Help us to grow, and sow those seeds forward while we are here on earth, that our branches will reach into heaven. Your kingdom come, my Lord! IJN Amen.
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying; ‘the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;'”
– Matthew 13:24
This – the parable of the wheat and tares – begins with a statement, “the kingdom of heaven is like…” It is the first of twelve such statments made by Jesus (mostly recorded by Matthew, but also Mark and Luke). It would be easy for me at this point to go chasing down that rabbit hole, because I am easily distracted by such statements, but I’m going to stick to the parable for a moment.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
Matthew 13:24-30
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Mark 4:26-29
“And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Tares: the Greek word is zizania. My Smith’s Bible Dictionary says that tares are a common weed called “darnel.” Wheat and darnel look exactly the same when they are in the grass stage, before they come into ear. Back in Bible days it was mostly women and children who weeded the fields, and because the farmer wanted to get the most from his crops he wanted the women and children to wait until the wheat was fully distiguishable, so that only the tares would be removed. Lolium Temulentum (the Latin world for darnel) is very poisonous. If eaten, it produces convulsions and even death. Today darnel is not burned, but is fed to the cattle, and if any of the seeds manage to get in with the wheat they are plucked out and fed to the poultry.
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“Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
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In Mark’s rendition there is no mention of tares, only wheat. Mark is focused on and fascinated by the miracle of life that is in the seed, and the partnership between the seed and the earth where it is planted. It really is a miracle, isn’t it? Not just with wheat, but with all things. The life of the earth and all the living things that are in it are a miracle and a marvel. And while it is nice just to linger in that kingdom-of-God-place for a while, Matthew’s rendition points out how the devil messed up the utopia God had created and sowed tares among the wheat. Now we are in the place of waiting, until it all grows up.
I think it is important that we see who God put in charge of the weeding. Jesus tells the disciples that it is His angels’ whom He put in charge of collecting the tares (not us by the way, you’ll notice)! We may think we are doing a good thing for God, but just like Uzzahin the Old Testiment story ( 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12) itsnotourjob!!!! It’s our job to grow, and mature, and to put down good strong roots for ourselves, and to respect and stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ no matter what stage of maturity they are in, and wait for the day. The word of God waters us. Prayer is our sunshine. We are in this together.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” Romans 14:1
What I take away from this parable is that God wants for us to have mercy, and compassion, and love, and steadfastness for one another (Christians). That doesn’t mean that we are to tolerate sin in the house of God (1 Corinthians 5), but our Lord who planted this field shall surely be upset with us uprooting and trampling each other down to run after a job that isn’t ours.
Our heavenly father is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence (1 Peter 3:9). Only God knows the hidden things of the heart (Psalm 44:21; Daniel 2:22; 1 Corinthians 4:5), to know who are His and who are not. He wishes for us to be salt and light in a dark world and preach the gospel to all. What is the gospel? That the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. He made it. When we sinned, He redeemed us with His blood. He now resides in a kingdom which is coming. He has invited us to live there with Him for eternity. The only way to get there is through Jesus – accepting the gift He offers in the scriptures, and turning from every sin that so easily entangles us, letting the blood of Jesus wash those sins away.
Our Lord promises not to send His angels to do the sorting until the harvest is ripe, so that not one tiny grain of wheat is lost.
But make no doubt about it…waiting to the last minute to make up your mind is a dangerous proposition. For when the Lord sends his reaping angels it will be suddenly and swiftly. If you haven’t chosen the Lord by then you might not get any more chances. Please don’t wait my friend.
The Parable Fulfilled
Revelation 14:14-20
PRAYER: Dear and precious Lord, forgive me for the darkness in my heart that makes me judge others unfairly. Help me to tend to my own knitting – which is to help and encourage others in the faith, and be salt and light in this world. Help me to stand tall and strong, and flexible, as a reed unbroken by the wind. Lord help me to be obedient to Your teachings, and forgive me for my shortcomings. And Lord, I pray for my family and my friends who don’t know You as Savior yet, that you will also quicken their hearts to repentance, soon, before they grow cold and hard, before the reapers are sent for the harvest and it is too late. IJN, Amen
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“And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”
— Philippians 1:9,10
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And for all of you who are drawn to the rabbit holes…
…here are the ones touched upon in this parable. (Have fun!)
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The Kingdom of Heaven is like…
Matthew 13:24 — a man who sowed good seed
Matthew 13:31 — mustard seed, which a man took and sowed
Matthew 13:33 — leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal
Matthew 13:44 — treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again
Matthew 13:45 — a merchant seeking beautful pearls
Matthew 13:47 — a dragnet that’s been cast into the sea
Matthew 13:52 — a householder who brings out of his treasure things old and new
Matthew 18: 23 — a certain king, who forgave a great debt
Matthew 19:14 — like little children
Matthew 20:1 — a landowner, who went out early to hire laborers
Matthew 22:2 — a certain king, who arranged a marriage for his son
Matthew 25:1 — shall be likened unto ten virgins, five wise and five foolish
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For whatever reason, I feel compelled to draw a line between the weeping that endures for a night (the tears of the saints), and the wailing and gnashing of teeth (the defiant growling of the wicked).
“In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.
All your enemies Have opened their mouths wide against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day for which we waited; We have reached it, we have seen it.”
“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”
Revelation 16:10
“The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
I believe this gnashing of teeth referred to in these passages is a facial expression made by angry, frustrated, defiant-to-the-bitter-end people, who refuse to conform or acknowlege God. In their last rebellious gesture they stiffen their necks, squint their eyes, jut their heads forward, grind their teeth together, and growl through their pain and tears in fist-pounding defiance.
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In contrast to wailing of the wicked is the weeping of the SAINTS OF GOD… which only last for a moment:
“His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)
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“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (KJV)
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“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” – Romans 2:13
“All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.’” Matthew 13:34; Mark 4:33-34; and Psalm 78:2 (A Contemplation of Asaph)
The first thing that begs a question in my mind is WHY? Why did Jesus speak to the people in parables?
Let’s start our journey with the definition of the word parable:
par·a·ble
ˈperəb(ə)l/
noun
a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. synonyms:allegory, moral story/tale, fable, exemplum
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“And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given…because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.'” Matthew 13:10,11,13
In a recent teaching by Stephen Armstrong of Oak Hill Church in Austin, Texas, Verse-by-Verse Ministries, Pastor Armstrong points out that there was a defining point between when Jesus taught all of the people openly and when He began teaching only in parables. It was when the Pharisee’s accused Jesus of doing what He did by the power of Satan. Jesus informed the church leaders who were making that awful accusation, that their actions were considered blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which is the unforgivable sin. That’s when no more signs would be given to them except for the “sign of Jonah.”
Now that might be lost on us, but Pastor Armstrong goes on to explain that the “sign of Jonah” was a total eclipse of the sun (please listen to his End Times Seminar at Max Lucado’s Oak Hills Church, in San Antonio, TX. It is soooo good!). When Jonah preached to the Ninevites, all the way back in the Old Testament there was a total eclipse of the sun. The event was so significant to the people of Jonah’s day that it was registered in the Jewish church annals and the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus’ day would have been completely familiar with what Jesus was talking about.
Now perhaps they dismissed Jesus’ prophesy, or maybe His words didn’t fully register to them at the time, but for that sect of “sign seekers” to see the sun darkened at the moment Jesus died on the cross, it would have been the shuddering confirmation in their hearts that Jesus’ words were true and that they had just killed their Messiah.
I pray that our hearts are soft today to hear the word of God, so that we will not get to the end of our lives, filled with dread, when we realize God’s words are true!!!!
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Our Bible text is from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I have included all three versions of the story so we can compare them and try to piece together a whole story. I happen to use the New King James Version of the Bible, but if you have a version you prefer you are most certainly welcome to read out of your own. This is one of the longer parables, especially when there is also the explanation, so today’s reading will be a little longer than most of the others. Are you ready? Here we go…
The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:1-9
“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 4:1-9
“And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the aircame and devoured it.5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Luke 8:4-8
“And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
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The Parable of the Sower Explained
Jesus did everything that He did with a purpose. Everything He did was a training exercise, not only for His beloved of that day, but His beloved of this day as well. Jesus spoke in parables to see if we are teachable. The parables, like all of the word of God can be hard to understand. Some dismiss the Bible as fables, or as dusty old words with no relevance for modern day. If that’s how we approach the word of God, that is all it will ever be to us. But if we go to Him and ask for wisdom, and take the time to look deep into its mystery, like the disciples did, He will open it to to our understanding. We have prayer as a way to ask Him for wisdom, and He gave us His Holy Spirit to open our minds to comprehension. The Holy Spirit living inside of us will teach us.
Matthew 13:18-23
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Mark 4:13-20
“And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?14 The sower sows the word.15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Luke 4:11-15
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”
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For this parable I took out my notebook and wrote the four types of soils, and then under each type I wrote what each of the gospels said about them. Were there some details in one that were missing in another? Good detective skills will help us piece it all together for a better understanding.
WAYSIDE:
(Matthew) – Parable: the birds (who are the birds?) came and devoured the seed (what is the seed?) Parable explained: the seedling (person) hears the “word of the kingdom” but doesn’t understand it; the “wicked one” snatches it away. (So Matthew understood Jesus to say that the seed that falls on this soil is the word of the kingdom, it basically falls on deaf ears, and doesn’t leave an impression).
(Mark) – Parable: ditto Matthew Parable explained: Mark heard Jesus say that if THIS parable is hard to understand, how will anyone understand the others (which is a challenge to me to always try to understand it)? Mark says the seed that falls on this soil is the word and Satan takes it away.
(Luke) – Parable: adds that the seed is trampled down(which I take to mean that it is considered to have little to no value), and the birds devour it Parable explained: Luke understood that the seed that falls on this soil is the word of God and that the devil steals it from our hearts, to keep us from believing and being saved.
Who might the birds be in your life who eat that seed every time it is planted? Who might those be in your life who trample God’s seed, and consider it of no value? Is it a teacher, a professor, an atheist friend, a book you read or the shows you watch on TV? Maybe none of your friends are people of faith and they would make fun of you for becoming a Christian? Maybe no one in your family is religious at all? Honestly, this was the condition of my heart for most of my teenage years. I believed in God, but His word was more like a good luck charm. I am grateful that the Lord was persistent to keep tilling the soil of my heart and sowing His seeds.
STONY PLACES:
(Matthew) – Parable: not much earth, seeds sprout quickly, no deep roots, become sun-scorched Parable explained: this person is quickly swayed by emotion into believing, but only for a short time. Tribulation and persecution causes this person to stumble.
(Mark) – Parable: basically ditto MatthewParable explained: basically ditto Matthew
(Luke) – Parable: Luke says “rock” instead of “stony places,” and that the seed lacks enough moisture to survive. Parable explained: basically the same as Matthew and Mark, but instead of using the word stumble, Luke says fall-away.
Have you heard the gospel and happily let it take root for a while, but then the fires and trials of life caused you to let it fizzle and die? Maybe something happened that caused you to question whether God is real? Like, why won’t He give you a baby? Or, why did He take your daddy away? Or, why did He let you be born with a defect? Or, why are evil people allowed to live and do horrible things?
I confess that when I finally believed as a young mother it was a very emotional experience. I was filled with joy and gladness, but those emotions soon came crashing back to earth when I started thinking about the persecution that would be coming for me. It caused me to go through a hard tribulation of self-conciousness and shame. I knew my salvation was real; everything changed inside, but I was also battered by Satan over all the sins of my past and what a worthless person I had been. Those sins truly haunted me, and I was embarrassed to show my face outside my house for fear of the finger-pointing by people who knew me at my worst. I wanted to, I guess, reject everybody before they rejected me, and kept a hard shell of Spiritual privacy on my heart for a long time, but the Lord has been faithful to complete His work in me and to turn my fearful heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Tribulation builds character (Romans 5:3-5), and is a refining fire. His perfect love has cast out a motherlode of fears. And praise the Good Lord, my family loved me and stuck by me, and most of them who weren’t saved even came to know Jesus as well. I can thank the Lord for keeping me from being like a dog who returns to her own vomit. The seed may have been sown on rocky soil, but the Lord transplanted me, and kept me alive with abundant water until I could put down deeper roots. Praise God Almighty He set me free!!!!
AMONG THORNS:
(Matthew) – Parable: seedlings choked from thornsParable explained: the seedlings live – they hear the word, but are more concerned with making money, which is the thorn in their life that causes him/her to be unfruitful.
(Mark) – Parable: choked and fruitlessParable explained: the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things are what choke the word that is sown in this person’s heart, and make them unfruitful.
(Luke) – Parable: thorns sprang up and choked it Parable explained: these seedlings hear and even go out (to be fruitful), but are choked by cares, riches, and pleasures of life so that the fruit on their branches never matures.
Has the word of God taken root in you, but the cares of life have you choked back from growing and maturing? You love God, and go to church, but not all the time. You don’t have time to read your Bible, or pray really, because you work full time and have family responsibilities. Maybe none of your friends or family are people of faith and they keep you busy with other things?
This one might be, oh who am I kidding, IS my biggest struggle! I’m glad I don’t live in the city where there are endless things to chase after and want. I get myself in enough trouble as it is. I am often distracted by the cares of this world (what I will eat, what I will wear, getting my house clean and my laundry done), and by the lust for riches (purchasing lottery tickets instead of giving to ministry), and the Lord knows I am a seeker of pleasure rather than a seeker of Him way too much of the time. My life has a weed problem, and it is my least favorite chore, but if I don’t get on top of it when I see it getting out of hand, it will eventually choke out all the life in me, and I will never mature past infancy in Christ. Even worse, when I finally get to heaven I will have little to no fruit to bring to God’s table. 😦
GOOD GROUND:
(Matthew) – Parable: yielded a crop 100-fold, 60, and 30Parable explained: hears the word, understands it, bears fruit 100-fold, 60, and 30.
(Mark) – Parable: the amount of fruitfulness is reversed, 30, 60, 100 Parable explained: hear the word, accept it, bear fruit in the same reversed order.
(Luke) – Parable: only uses the 100-fold yieldParable explained: Luke almost always has more details. He understood Jesus to say that this seedling hears with a noble and good heart, doesn’t forget what he hears, and bears fruit with patience.
I am soooooo blessed that someone had the courage to sow God’s seed in my heart and grateful it took root. My whole life honestly changed the day I received Christ! I love the word of God and study it often. I pray continually. Almost all of my friends are Christian. But when I look around I’m not sure that I have any evidence of fruit. I’ve never personally led anyone to the Lord and am worried and discouraged by all my dead branches. Perhaps I just need the Lord to prune me? Gosh, will there be anything left when He is done?
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8 NKJV
It might be a slower process than we would like – attaining to the perfect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control that the Lord is growing in us, but if the Holy Spirit is alive in us and allowed to have dominion in our hearts, He will constantly cultivate us towards the fullness of all those beautiful traits..
The FRUIT of the Spirit is:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Gentleness
Faithfulness
and Self Control
~ Galatians 5:22-23 ~
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He who began a good work in us will see it on to completion. A tiny mustard seed of faith WILL GROW into a giant tree that the birds of the air can nest upon.
I pray this study will bless you and strengthen you in your inner person.
Let us not look around at others and compare. Let us just keep feeding our Spirit and putting down good deep roots! When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and full of His life in us, those fruits will mature and drop off onto the soils of the earth all around us, and sprout and grow in the hearts of others. We may never know the impact we’ve had on people’s lives around us, and that’s okay. I’d rather be surprised by the abundance of fruit when I get to heaven than puffed up with pride thinking I deserve something that I really had nothing to do with.
But while we are on this earth, and when we feel His Spirit prompting us to love others, to give to others, to be kind to others, to have patience for others, to bless and not to curse… let us let His Spirit have His wonderous way. Those are His seeds we sow, and His fruitful harvest to come.
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“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” – 1 Corinthians 3:7
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Prayer: Precious Lord Jesus, thank you for Your word and for the Holy Spirit whom you gave to me, who helps me to understand what I read in Your word, and gives me the power to live it. Thank You for cultivating the soil of my heart, watering me, giving me food, loving me, protecting me, and always being with me on this road of life. Praise you Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Give me the heart for others that You have for them. Help me to be full of Your Spirit, and fruitful, that one day I may come to Your housewarming with a basket full of fruit to share with You. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.
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“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1:22-25
3. Next I made my marinara sauce, since I didn’t have any jarred speghetti sauce or Butoni in the fridge. I poured two cans of crushed tomatoes into a sauce pot and whirled them with my Braun-wand-thingy until there were no chunks. Then I added about a tablespoon and a half of some Pizza spice I had in my cupboard and about a tsp of Italian Seasonings. And because I like things a little on the spicy side, I added a little bit of minced serrano chile that I had in the fridge. I set the pot on the stove and turned the burner to medium and let the sauce come to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Note: These are only as good as the meatballs you make them with. Not all meatballs are created equal. I can totally vouch for this HEB brand, found in the meat section of the supermarket, or you can make your own if you have a terrific recipe.
((( P.S. Thanks Ms. Karen for the inspiration!!!!! )))
Try to remember that Jesus made a fair deal with me when He invited me to work in His vineyard.
Remember that He is a man of His word and will reward me with what is right. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9
Stop looking around at the deal everyone else is getting, or get jealous over favoritism. It’s Satan’s oldest trick to get us to LOOK at things we’re not supposed to have and then looooong for them. There are far more harder working Christians out there than me who are going to be given the same gift as me in the end, and who have done a mountain more work. Who cares if I am His favorite or not. As long as I make it to heaven, who cares if all I have to live in is a pup-tent, and scraps from the Master’s table to eat. Tis better to be in God’s kingdom than to be anywhere else.
Be motivated by love, and not distracted by greed, or jealousy or even obligation, nor tempted into expecting a reward for every little thing. To keep my eyes on the vineyard and not on the prize box. To take the hard shell off my heart and let it swell for that person in front of me who needs a friend, or a sandwich, or a hug, or a kleenex, or a good laugh.
My bestie and I live three states apart, but out in the west, and when one of those states is Texas, this adds up to a pretty dang far distance. Too far to get to spend as much time together as we’d like. But we stay close by texting every few days and calling often, we read out of the same Bible devotional every day, we send each other pins on Pinterest, and at least once a year we travel to meet somewhere and spend a few days hanging out.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
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mrshlovesjesus 