Grateful Prayer | Thankful Heart

Pumpkin Scones

By Lorraine

 
Easy recipe for spice glazed pumpkin scones with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Delicious autumn breakfast or snack treat.What do you love best about October? The brisk mornings? The colorful foliage? How about the flavors of the season? We love all of these things and picked the month of October for our wedding day. Soon John and I will be celebrating another anniversary. Coffee and delicious Pumpkin Scones is how we like to start the day.Continue Reading

Great is Thy Faithfulness

By Lorraine

Morning by morning new mercies I see is a true mark Gods faithfulness toward me classic hymn - Great is thy Faithfulness Thomas O. ChisholmThink on These Things thoughts from John…

Have you ever questioned God’s faithfulness? Did you ever think that He has left you or forsaken you? These are questions we sometimes are uncomfortable voicing or admitting. As you contemplate your answer, think of times of disappointment, loneliness, grief or despair. This is when we are most vulnerable to the thought that God had forsaken us. God uses His Word and sometimes a person, a quote, a book or even a hymn to remind us that He is and will always be faithful to His children. One of these classic hymns is my focus on today’s post… Great is Thy Faithfulness.Continue Reading

Centered in Prayer Quote from Anne Graham Lotz

By Lorraine

“If prayer is our compass in life, then the needle that points north is the focus of our faith in prayer on the living God.” This quote is just one of several that I that have really liked from a new book I am reading. The Daniel Prayer, Prayer that Moves Heaven and Changes Nations by Anne Graham Lotz is part of an online Bible study I have recently begun.

He is the “North” on our “compass. “He is the center-point. When our prayers are focused, regardless of what life throws at us, whether it’s a long, hard climb to the top of our profession or career, or the steady trail of perseverance as we set out to achieve our goals, or the confusion and lost feeling that can envelope us when we find ourselves in a thicket of problems and pressures and pain, if our prayers are focused on the living God, they will make a difference. (Page 65)

Of the many things that come across my Facebook homepage, this one caught my attention. It came from Gateway Online Bible Studies. I signed up and really glad I did. It is an online study, free and short, just 6-sessions where Anne teaches how to pray powerfully and passionately. Each week she shares a video about the lesson. The series can be used in small group setting or done individually, which is what I do. The book and study guide can be purchased through the online site but I got mine from Amazon. There is a link below if you want to take a look.

Known to me only because of her dad, Billy Graham, I was not familiar with Anne. Viewing her videos and reading this book, I am impressed with the way she speaks with clarity and her knowledge of scripture.

Using the life of  Daniel as an example, Anne covers the following topics.

  • Preparing for Prayer
  • Prompting in Prayer
  • Pleading in Prayer
  • Prevailing in Prayer
  • Battling in Prayer. 
In her real and down-to-earth manner, Anne includes personal stories and gives an approach to Bible study that challenges the reader to hear and apply God’s Word in a systematic way. First by listing the facts, then asking yourself what does it mean, next thinking about what is means in your own life and finally how you might respond to the Word.
With a little practice I can see that I am gaining a deeper understanding of the passages I read and study.
Well, I didn’t intend for this post to be a promotion for this study as it turned out to be. Just thought I would share something I think valuable and that you would like to know about.
As you may have noticed, my husband John is becoming more involved here at Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart. I love that we work together so well as a team. He has volunteered to write our Think on These Things Sunday Posts. It has become his lunch hour project while he is at work. Right now he is fighting a nasty sinus and ear and eye infection but I want to thank those of you who have commented or sent him a note. He appreciates each one and finds it to be a great encouragement. It seems like our days are filled with new and stretching opportunities. John will be back with his thoughts next week because he is so much better at it than I am. I’ll head back to the kitchen with my recipes and leave (most of) the faith posts to him 🙂   
Perhaps you will take a moment to join me in praying for our nation as we celebrate the 4th of July this week. I can’t think of a better verse to pray than this one as we look at the great needs of our land.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

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Bloom Where You Are Planted

By Lorraine

 

A Post from John…

 When I first read this phrase, it struck me with the thought that the place where you and I find ourselves in this vast world has been ordained by God’s sovereign will. It may be in a major city with millions of people, or a very rural town with people few and far between. It may be in a different country with mountains all about or even in a flat, dry desert region. Countless possibilities. It’s where God has ‘planted’ us and His good intentions are for us to prosper and thrive where ever we find ourselves.

Now thinking back with me to what we learned in elementary school… once a plant is ‘planted’, it begins to grow and mature as it is fed and watered. In time, it begins to produce flower buds that will shortly ‘bloom’ and produce fruit, the very fruit that will contain the seeds that will produce more plants of its kind.

To me, this is a wonderful visual showing the goodness of God. His intentions are for us to not only be content wherever we find ourselves but also to help and encourage those around us. How do we find the desire, strength and ability to be a help to those we come in contact? How do we effectively encourage one another? The answers comes in the choice we make in the source of our ‘food and water’.

If we choose to ‘feed and drink’ on impurity, hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy… the ugly things people do in this world… we will produce ‘bad fruit’. But if we are ‘feeding and drinking’ on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we will produce ‘good fruit’.

The Vine and the Branches
John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

So, BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED and with God’s help, choose to produce ‘good fruit’, that you may help and encourage those that come into your path where ever you live.

Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.
Psalm 119:54
God has placed you here for a purpose,
Whatever it might be;
Know He has chosen you for it
And labor faithfully.
anonymous
If you’d like to learn to make text mask like the ones used in these quotes, check out this easy step-by-step HOW TO MAKE A COOL TEXT MASK tutorial using PicMonkey.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

By Lorraine

 
 
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is a favorite with kids and adults. Full of amazing flavors bringing boring salads to life. Easy recipe for a fresh, bright taste.
Wanting to lose a few pounds? My husband is on the home stretch of a weight loss challenge happening at his place of employment. He requested lots of salads this week and I want to make them really satisfying for him. Buttermilk ranch dressing is a great way to make otherwise boring salads taste great!Continue Reading

Cape May

By Lorraine

Last week John and I spend a short getaway celebrating our anniversary at the southern New Jersey beach town, Cape May.  Though just an hour and a half drive from our home, neither of us had ever been to this lovely area that is a National Historic Landmark due to its concentration of well-maintained Victorian buildings. It is one of the country’s oldest vacation resort destinations.Continue Reading

LBI Lighthouse & Tomato Jam Recipe

By Lorraine

Before summer is gone and fresh garden tomatoes are unavailable, I wanted to make a batch of this unique Tomato Jam using a vintage recipe from my husbands great-grandmother. I shared the recipe for Tomato Jam a couple years ago but thought I’d post again because it is a good way to use summer ripe tomatoes and it is delightful to enjoy the bright taste during winters sometimes dreary days.
 

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Hawaiian Pasta Salad

By Lorraine

 
Hawaiian Pasta Salad with brightly colored veggies is a perfect summer salad. It is a hearty one too, with cheese tortellini, diced ham, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and pineapple in a creamy dressing.Hawaiian Pasta Salad, brightly colored with an abundance of crisp veggies makes a perfect summer salad. It is a hearty one too, with the tortellini and diced ham. I served it at a graduation party as a side dish but it would be a great entrée served with crusty bread (and maybe a glass of wine) for a lovely summer supper.Continue Reading

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