John 3:36

John 3:16

John 15:5

John 14:6

John 14:2

Joke of the Day

Man Is Created

ne day, Eve was walking in the garden with the Lord. She said, "Lord, the garden is wonderful, and the animals and birds provide such joy, but I am still lonely sometimes."
      
      "No problem!" the Lord replied. "I will make you a man for a companion. He will desire to please you and to be with you. But I have to warn you, he won't be perfect. He'll have a difficult time understanding your feelings, will tend to think only of himself, and will stay out late with his bowling buddies."
      
      "What's bowling?" Eve asked.
      
      "Oh... never mind. I was just getting ahead of myself, sorry."
      
      "That's OK. I think I can handle this 'man'," Eve replied.
      
      "Great, I'll get right to it!" God said, and started grabbing some mud and shaping it.
      
      Suddenly, the Lord stopped and said to Eve, "Oh, there's one other thing about this man I'm making for you."
      
      "What's that?" asked Eve.
      
      "You'll have to tell him he was here first."

Recipe of the day

Jack-O'-Lantern Chicken Taco Cups

A bright Halloween smile tops a quick chicken stew in a biscuit bread bowl.

Prep Time:

15 Min

Total Time:

55 Min

Makes:

8 servings

INGREDIENTS

8

slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese

1

can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1

container (20 oz) refrigerated taco sauce with seasoned shredded chicken

1 1/2

cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn

1

can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles

1/2

cup sour cream

1

medium tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

Shredded lettuce

DIRECTIONS

• 1Heat oven to 375°F. With top edge of custard cup as a pattern, cut out round from each cheese slice. In each round, cut out small triangles for eyes and nose, and small shape for mouth to resemble jack-o'-lantern. Set aside. Spray outside bottom and sides of eight 6-ounce custard cups lightly with cooking spray.
• 2Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Roll or pat each biscuit into 4 1/2-inch round. Place biscuit rounds over outside of sprayed cups; press to fit over bottom and part way down sides of cups. Place cups, upside down, in ungreased 15x10-inch pan with sides.
• 3Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• 4Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, cook taco sauce with chicken, corn and chiles over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thoroughly heated.
• 5Remove pan from oven. Carefully remove biscuit cups from custard cups; place biscuit cups, right side up, in same baking pan. Spoon chicken mixture evenly into each biscuit cup. Top each with tomato slice and jack-o'-lantern cheese slice.
• 6Return to oven; bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle tops of cheese with shredded lettuce to resemble hair.

Christian Poem

It's often easier to trust
In what our eyes can see,
But God asks us to look to Him
For our security.--Sper

Quote of the day

The name of the Lord is our safe room.

daily devotional

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19 KJV

Today is your best day because you can grow a little more in your faith, a little more in your maturity, and a little more in your intimacy with Jesus. Today you can take another step higher as He takes you from glory to glory.
Corrie Ten Boom once said, "God doesn't have problems; He only has plans." God doesn't make bad days for you and good days for you. God makes each day fit perfectly into His plans for you.
There are two ways that we can walk through a day. One is to walk by sight, and the other it walk by faith. To walk by faith means to walk in the truth of God's word and the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

daily devotional

John 15:2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
One of the things we've all done in our lives is run away from problems.  Don't like this person, ditch them.  Don't like my boss, change jobs.  Don't like my wife, divorce her.
That's how it goes in this world.  Everything' disposable these days.
But what if it wasn't meant to be like that?
One day, when I was contemplating running away from something - a situation that was causing me a lot of pain - God just did this powerful thing inside me, and convinced me to stay right where I was.  Right in the middle of that painful situation.
Didn't make sense at the time, and it hurt like - well, it hurt like hell.  At least what I imagine hell would be like.
Years later, I looked back on that as one of the defining moments in my life.  A time when God pruned some of the dead branches of my life so that I could flourish.
Sometimes, sometimes where meant to bloom, right where He planted us.

Joshua 1:8

John 3:3

Job 35:11

Jeremiah 51:15

Joke of the Day

How Man Earned Longevity

od created the donkey and told him: you will work tireless from sun up to sun down, carrying heavy bags on your back, you'll eat grass, you will not have intelligence and you will live 50 years. You will be a DONKEY!
      
      The donkey answered: I'll be a donkey, but living 50 years is too much, give me only 20 years. And God gave him 20 years.
      
      God created the dog and told him: You will look after the man's house, you will be his best friend, you will eat whatever they give you and you will live 25 years. You will be a DOG!
      
      The dog answered: God, living 25 years is too much, give only 10. God gave him 10 years.
      
      God created the monkey and told him: You will jump from branch to branch, you will do silly things, you will be amusing and you will live 20 years.
      
      The monkey answered: God, living 20 years is too much, give me only 10 years. And God agreed.
      
      Finally, God created man, and told him: You will be Man, the only rational being on this earth, you will use your intelligence to control other animals, you will dominate the world and you will live for 20 years.
      
      The man answered: God, I'll be man, but living 20 years is not enough, why don't you give me the 30 years that the donkey refused, the 20 years that the dog did not want and the 10 years that the monkey refused.
      
      That was what God did, and since then, Men live 20 years like a man, then he enters adulthood and spends 30 years like a donkey, working and carrying the load on his back, then when his children leave home, spends 15 years like a dog, looking after the house and eating whatever is given to him, then he gets into retirement, and spends 10 years like a monkey, jumping from house to house or from children to children, doing silly things to amuse the grandchildren.

Recipe of the day

Hide & Seek Cupcakes: 
Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
1 quart ice cream
1 container ready-made frosting

Directions:
1. Prepare cupcakes as directed on the box. Let cool.

2. With a sharp knife, cut a hole in the center of each cupcake, leaving 1/4 inch of cake at the bottom, and scooping out cake to make a 1 to 1 1/2-inch diameter hole in the center of the cupcake.

3. Let ice cream soften, and with a tablespoon or melon baller, push ice cream down the center of the cupcake. Note: Work quickly!

4. Frost the top of the cupcake and place back into the cupcake tin.

5. Freeze until firm. Take cupcakes out of cupcake tin and place in resealable bag for storage.

Makes about 20 cupcakes

Christian Poem

The words we speak may indicate

A heart that's filled with pride;

But godly self-control displays

The Spirit's work inside.__Sper

Quote of the day

It's not the words we know that show wisdom, but how & when we use them.

Mission of Mercy

We had a true blessing today!! We saw on the news last night that Mission of Mercy in Cumberland, Maryland, was going to be @ their fairgrounds....so we went, & thank God we did! Me & my husband both had dental work done today, for free!!!! I got everything I nedded done, free!!! It was awesome & amazing! That program was surely a blessing to us & others! & I thank God for it & the Doctors, volunteers, nurses, etc.,,etc...for doing this for us & others! Thank you, thank you!!!!!

Word of the Day

We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
We may still feel like we're basically good people. Yes, our lives may have gotten a bit out of control, but the good we've done surely outweighs the bad. Maybe we don't need to turn our lives over to Jesus Christ and accept him as our Savior. Perhaps we can just make amends for the wrongs we've done and do our best to be good in the future. Then everything will be fine.
Maybe not! The Bible doesn't say that God weighs our good deeds out against our bad. Here's what God says: "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws" (James 2:10). " 'Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law.' So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life' " (Galatians 3:10-11). "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
The Bible makes it clear that if we reject Jesus Christ's payment for our sins, we will have to pay the debt ourselves. The only acceptable payment is death. Not even a lifetime of our good deeds is enough to make amends for the bad deeds we've done, no matter how few they may be.
The Cross frees us from having to be "good," so we can freely admit we are bad.

Isaiah 43:10,11

Isaiah 46:9-11

Isaiah 65:24

Isaiah 55:8,9

Joke of the Day

A New Beginning

ne day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.
      
      The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."
      
      God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this?
      
      Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!"
      
      But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
      
      The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
      
      God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"

Christian Poem

Give me a heart sympathetic and tender--

Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine--

Touched by the needs that are surging around me,

And filled with compassion devine.

Quote of the day

As Christ's love grows in us, His love flows from us.

Recipe of the day

Hamburger & Sour Cream Casserole:

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 2 bunches scallions, trimmed 1/2 pound lean ground beef, preferably ground round 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil 1/2 cup bulgur 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce 1/2 cup water salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 6 ounces no-yolk egg noodles 1 cup 1% cottage cheese 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1/4 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

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DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish or with nonstick spray. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Separate white and green parts of scallions; thinly slice both parts and reserve separately. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Wipe out skillet. Add oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Add bulgur, garlic and reserved scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, water and beef; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the bulgur is tender and sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook noodles until al dente, 6 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; fold in sour cream and the reserved scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper. Layer half the noodles in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with half the cottage cheese mixture and half the meat sauce. Repeat with remaining noodles, cottage cheese and sauce. Sprinkle Cheddar over the top. Bake the casserole until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

A Friend You Can Trust

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. —Psalm 25:14
There are certain people in my life that I regard as true friends, friends whom I know I can trust. A true friend is someone who will keep your confidence. You can reveal your heart to a true friend. You can trust a true friend. You can tell a secret to a true friend. That, for me, is my Husband.
Not only that, but a true friend tells you the truth. A true friend will speak the truth, even if it is not easy. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
God is our friend, and He always will tell us the truth. Not only that, but He wants to reveal His secrets to us. In Psalm 25:14 we read, "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. . . ." God wants to speak to us. In fact, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).
That Jesus compares us to sheep is not a compliment, by the way. Sheep are among the dumbest of all creatures. Most animals, in many cases, will survive if released into the wild. They will learn to fend for themselves and make it. But a sheep released into the wild cannot survive. Sheep have no survival skills whatsoever. They are totally dependent upon the shepherd—just like we are. The sheep come to know that when the shepherd speaks they should follow, because his plan for them is better than their plan for themselves.
It may be that one of the reasons we don't know the will of God in certain areas is because we have not applied what is clearly the will of God for all areas. Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed.

Sermon of the week

“Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: 
therefore God hath blessed thee for ever,” Psalm 45:2.   
 
 
If you see the context in which our verse is written, you will notice in verse 1 
that it is speaking of the king: “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of 
the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready 
writer.”
 
 
This speaking of the king is a prophetic insight that the psalmist had of the 
Lord Jesus Christ in His kingly position, and it points to that blessed 
condescension of that King in verse 2: “Thou art fairer than the children of 
men: grace is poured into thy lips.” He is seeing the overwhelming beauty in the 
grace and tender love that comes forth from the King of kings.
 
Many of the Old Testament writers spoke of the blessedness of our lovely Saviour 
in a prophetic way as we see from Song of Solomon 5:16: “His mouth is most 
sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 
O daughters of Jerusalem.”
 
We see such a beautiful parallel between this verse and our text. The writers 
see such preciousness and such beauty in the words of the King of kings and in 
His loving condescension.  
 
 
The love of God for His people is eternal, and that has been the source of 
drawing His people to Him from eternity. I want you to turn with me to Jeremiah 
31:3: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee 
with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
 
The Old Testament writers saw and understood what had been from the beginning. 
This was not a new exposition. It is an eternal love, and they see the 
blessedness in that eternal love of God. The word therefore shows that because 
of this everlasting love, He has drawn us with lovingkindness. It does not say 
that He has driven us. The Lord does not use the law as a whip to drive us to 
Christ. He draws us with the blessed revelation of that love. He does not drive 
us to Christ out of a slavish fear. 
 
 
The gospel has a drawing love. The love of God draws us to repentance. This is 
what gives us a different attitude. I saw a man one time who whip-broke a horse, 
and he could crack a whip one time in the corral and a horse out in the pasture 
would come running to him and stand there trembling. That is not how the Lord 
draws His people to Him. The Lord draws us with the everlasting love of Christ.
 
Our blessed Saviour tells us how sinners are drawn to Him in John 12:31: “Now is 
the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” The 
prince of this world will no longer sit as king on the throne of your heart. The 
Saviour is showing us how He will accomplish this.  
 
 
Continuing in verses 32 and 33 we read: “And I, if I be lifted up from the 
earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should 
die.”
 
Much more is to be understood here than just that we see His human body hanging 
on a tree. What death did He die? We read the answer in Romans 6:10: “For in 
that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” 
If we start to see the love that was in the ignominious death of our dear 
Saviour and how He died unto sin, then sin becomes exceedingly sinful. This is 
what has to be lifted up before our eyes—that tender love of God, of how He gave 
His Son, and that tender love of the Son, how He hung on the cross. It was not 
the nails that hung Him there. It was His love.
 
These gracious lips of our Saviour are what makes Him “fairer than the children 
of men” to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. He is pleading with 
His church. He is pleading with His lovely bride. He is telling them of His 
love. He is showing them how He was lifted up from the earth, and how He was 
hung there from a motive of love. This is what causes us to hunger and thirst 
after righteousness. You and I will never have enmity against sin by the whip of 
the law. We will only see the sinfulness of sin and have that hunger and thirst 
after righteousness as our eyes are opened to see the love of God. Amen.
 
And can it be that I should gain 
An interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death persued?
Amazing love!  How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be?
Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

daily devotional

The popular movie Raiders of the Lost Ark familiarized a whole new generation with an ancient Biblical relic that has been largely forgotten: the Ark of the Covenant. The ark represented God's presence among his people, and His awesome holiness. Not only is the actual ark lost today, but I believe we have lost what it represented as well. We have lost the sense of God's holy presence among His people. Nothing is viewed as sacred anymore. Cameras intrude into bedrooms, courtrooms, and all areas of our private lives. Networks air suicides to capture ratings. Ordinary people and celebrities mock God openly. We have lost the reverence of God that is critical to our very survival. Listen! Even the seraphim who surrounded the throne of God knew when to cover their eyes. Even the sun knew to hide its face on Good Friday. How we need to bring back the ark to our land, to recover our sense of the sacred.
How do we bring back the ark? The same way Israel did. We repent, confessing our sin to the living God who makes ethical requirements of us. We return to Him with our whole heart, acknowledging His authority over us. Then we remove the foreign gods from among us. Foreign Gods? That's right. "Little-g" deities like the god of comfort, the god of beauty, the god of gain and ease and activity—all of these must go if the ark is to return. Then we are to serve God only, and God alone. He is not to be just a part of our agenda, but our entire agenda. He is to be involved in every endeavor, every relationship, every dream and desire.
There's an agricultural truism that fits here, I believe. When a farmer whose crops were choked out by weeds would blame the soil, he would be told "any soil that will grow weeds will grow beans." A life that is sensual can also be a life that is pure. A life that is prideful can be a life that is humble. It is possible to live in the presence of God in a wicked world. The ark can still reside among us!
MEMORY VERSE 
I SAMUEL 4:22 The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE 
2 Chronicles 27; Jeremiah 41-42  

Word of the Day

Generously Speaking

For they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had. LUKE 21:4

Let me tell you the true story of a really generous giver.

Christian financial expert Ron Blue and his oldest son ate breakfast together on a regular basis at a local fast-food restaurant. The same place, every week.

And each time they went, the same Hispanic woman would wait on them at the counter, always greeting them with a warm smile and a radiant spirit.

The weeks turned into years until one day, spurred by a passing thought of pure generosity, Ron decided to do something unusual in the fast-food world.

He decided to give her a tip. Twenty dollars seemed amply big-hearted, but when he reached into his billfold, he sensed the Holy Spirit instructing him to do more. So he put together five twenties, folded them over, and asked the waitress if she would be willing to accept it. She did.

But that's not the big story I'm talking about.

This woman was a single mom with five kids. She had immigrated to America to provide new opportunities for her family and was working a fast-food counter to keep basic necessities on the table. When Ron gave her the money, she knew immediately what to do with it. Her car needed a new set of tires, and she figured a hundred dollars would probably cover it.

But when she arrived home that night, one of her high-school children told her about a fire at an apartment building nearby, where several of their friends had suffered substantial losses. As the woman told Ron several weeks later, "I knew there was a better use for that hundred dollars. We gave it to a family that had lost everything."

What we all shouldn't give for generosity like that.

DISCUSS

What are your goals for giving?

PRAY

Ask God to give you opportunities to be used as a generous giver toward others. Pray it like you mean it. And give like it doesn't really belong to you in the first place. It doesn't.

John 1:1

Job 13:15

Jeremiah 31:33

Isaiah 54:10

Recipe of the day

Squash-topped Cottage Pies:

Very similar to Shepherd’s Pie, Cottage Pie is made with beef instead of lamb. Our version—baked in individual ramekins to help you get it on the table fast—replaces the potato topping with convenient, delicious frozen squash puree. Make it a Meal: Serve with Romaine, Red Onion & Orange Salad. Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins RECIPE INGREDIENTS 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth 6 ounces baby spinach, chopped 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided 2 12-ounce packages frozen winter squash puree, thawed 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

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DIRECTIONS Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in beef, tomato paste and flour, and cook, stirring, until the beef is mostly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth is the consistency of thick gravy, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Place squash in a fine-mesh sieve and gently press on it to extract excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Divide the meat mixture among four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the squash. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until it is just melted, about 3 minutes more.

Quote of the day

Young or old--God can use you if you're willing.

Christian Poem

Start where you are in serving the Lord,

Claim His sure promise and trust in His Word;

God simply asks you to do what you can--

He'll use your efforts to further His plan.

Joke of the Day

Fishing Licence

ne day two men were fishing, when a Game Warden slipped up on them and asked to see their fishing licences.
      
      One of the men took off running. So the warden started chasing him. He ran after the man up and down the side of the river, thru the swamp, up the side of a mountain, the man swam across the river with the warden right behind him. Then he swam back across the river with the warden still right behind him.
      
      Finaly after about three miles of chasing the game warden caught up with the man, bleeding and out of breath the warden asked to see his fishing licence. The man reached in his pocket and pulled out his licence and handed it to the warden.
      
      The warden asked why did you run? The man just looked at the warden and smiled and said: 'my friend doesn't have a licence!'

Word of the Day

"Excuse Me..." 

Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
—LUKE 8:1 

One of the most difficult times to be courteous is when others interrupt us. How many of us have sighed inwardly when a co-worker "pops in just for a minute" when we are trying to prepare for a meeting? Even if we need to tell someone we are busy at the moment, we can do so courteously.
One day Jesus was walking with a huge crowd surrounding him when a woman touched his cloak. He might well have been tired, hungry, and eager to reach his destination. To stop just then would only delay him, by human standards. Yet he stopped and asked, "Who touched me?" (Luke 8:45).
He then identified the woman in need of healing and commended her. "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace" (verse 48).
On the same occasion, a man named Jairus fell at Jesus's feet, asking him to come to his house because his daughter was dying. Jesus changed his plans and stopped by Jairus's house, where he raised the girl from the dead.
By focusing more on God's "to-do" list than his own, Jesus showed that he viewed people not as interruptions but as friends.
Prayer
Lord, I want to be so aware of your purposes for my life that I treat even interruptions as opportunities to love others.

Jeremiah 12:5

Isaiah 44:22

Galatians 5:22,23

Colossians 3:12

Recipe of the day

Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Meat Sauce

Here's a true crowd pleaser: pasta shells in a simple sauce of ground beef, tomatoes, and pesto, layered with mozzarella and Parmesan and baked until bubbly. Fusilli or orecchiette would work well here, too. RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 onion, chopped 1 pound ground beef 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes, drained (from one 28-ounce can) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade pesto 3/4 pound medium pasta shells 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a large baking dish (about 9 by 13 inches). In a large stainless-steel frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the shells until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Variation: Almost any relatively soft, mild cheese will taste good here. You might try fontina in place of the mozzarella, or even Gouda or Havarti.

Joke of the Day

Ticket Collection

asper was speeding along the Interstate Highway when he was pulled over by a State Trooper. The officer wrote out the ticket and handed it to him.
      
      "What am I supposed to do with this?" grumbled Jasper as the policeman handed him a speeding ticket.
      
      "Keep it," said the officer. "When you collect four of them you get a bicycle."

Christian Poem

More secure is no one ever

Than the loved ones of the Savior

Not yon star on high abiding

Nor the bird in home-nest hiding.--Berg

Quote of the day

Our salvation is secure because God's Word is sure.

Word of the Day

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP John 1:14
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth

What effect did the Fall produce in Adam's mind? He and Eve lost their true perception of reality. We read in Genesis 3:7, 8, that they tried to hide from God. Doesn't that reveal a faulty understanding of who God is? How can you hide from God? After the Fall, Adam and Eve weren't thinking straight.
In essence, when Adam and Eve sinned, their minds were robbed of the true knowledge of God. In God's original design, knowledge was relational. Knowing someone implied an intimate personal relationship. You can see it in Genesis 4:1: "Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived" (KJV). Yet we don't generally equate a knowledge of someone with personal intimacy.
Before the Fall, Adam and Eve knew God, not sexually of course, but in the intimacy of a close, personal relationship which we associate with marriage. They knew God by being with God. When they sinned and were banished from the garden, Adam and Eve lost their relationship with God and the knowledge of God which was intrinsic to that relationship. And you and I inherited Adam and Eve's darkened mind. Before Christ, we knew something about God, but we didn't know God because we had no relationship with Him.
The necessity of being in relationship to God in order to know God comes into sharp focus in John's announcement: "The Word"-- logos in the Greek--"became flesh" (John 1:14). The word logos represented the highest form of philosophical knowledge. For the Greeks, saying that the logos became flesh was the same as saying that ultimate knowledge became personal and relational. God was announcing to the world through John: The true knowledge of God, which can only be discovered in an intimate relationship with God, is now available to the world through God in the flesh--Jesus Christ. In Christ we are able to know God personally, not just know about Him.
Prayer: Lord, I thirst for deeper intimacy in my relationship with You. I want to know You more personally today.

James 5:13

Isaiah 41:13

Isaiah 41:10

Colossians 1:11

Joke of the Day

In God We Trust

was sitting at a stop light this morning. The lady in front of me was going through papers on the seat of her car, and when the light changed to green she did not obey its command. You know, a green light is a commandment - NOT a suggestion. When the light turned to red, and she had still not moved, I began (with my windows up) screaming epithets and beating on my steering wheel.
      
      My expressions of distress were interrupted by a policeman, gun drawn, tapping on my window. Against my protestations of, "You can't arrest me for hollering in my car," he ordered me into the back seat of his.
      
      After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised me I was free to go. I stormed out at him, "I knew you couldn't arrest me for yelling in my own car. You haven't heard the last of this."
      
      The officer replied, "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. I was directly behind you at the light. I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is nothing I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car. Then I noticed the 'Cross' hanging from your rear view mirror, the bright yellow 'Choose Life' license tag, the 'Jesus is Coming Soon' bumper sticker, and the Fish symbol, and I thought you must have stolen the car!"