A Visit With My Brother

God sometimes we have no words,
Only the void abyss that engulfs us.
I've been to see my brother tonight
and tucked him in
under a blanket of love and a glorious sunset!
I love you Steve.

12-6-2013

0001 Cooking experiment: Robin's Spicy Applesauce Muffins-Gluten Free and Mostly Sugar Free

Robin's Spicy Gluten Free and mostly sugar free
Applesauce Muffins best served warm or microwave with a wet paper towel wrapped for 20 seconds before serving.
For this recipe I used homemade applesauce (one Cup) so some sugar there. And the brown sugar I used was the Splenda Blend so 1/2 calories but some sugar also. I divided this recipe in half as listed below. However the original recipe from Gooseberry Patch would require doubling the recipe below.
My flour blend includes no wheat or white flour.

Robin's Flour blend: Start with full 1# bags of Bob's Red Mill Meal and Flour Products
combine in a cannister 1/3 bag Almond Meal
                                1/3 bag Coconut Flour
                                1/3 bag Organic gluten free flax meal
                                1/2 bag Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
I just use a whisk and whisk this together and then use it for any recipe calling for traditional gluten flour.
When cooking gluten free I always add approximately 1 scant teaspoon of xanthan gum for lift or fluffier results. I use this combination in place of equal measure of regular gluten flour called for in most recipes.

6 muffins
Preheat over 350 degrees Bake 22 minutes/watch for browning

In a 12 slot muffin pan, stagger the muffin cups and fill the empty cups with about 1/2 inch of water. Adding the water after tapping down the filled cups works best. The added moisture improves the moistness of the muffin.

In a small bowl:
1 Cup Applesauce
1 egg
one half of a 1/3 C. measure vegetable oil (melted coconut oil would be better but may cook in less than recommended time) I say this because I don't have a measuring cup for cutting 1/3 in half :) )
Beat together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix:
3/4 cup Robins Flour blend
1/4 cup equal measure Stevia
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1 scant teaspoon xanthan gum

spritzing the paper cups with Pam may help with removing from cupcake papers.

Looking for the doorway to God!

Doorway to God



(from notes from Kevin DeYoung's Sermons)
Belief and Repentance are the banner over the Doorway to God.

Faith is an instrument of Life

Repentance is an Entrance to Life

Consider we are born by the will of God

There is only one way nothing else by which we come to Christ, it is through faith and repentance.

You may think this is works, faith is not a works and repentance is not a works.

No the Gospel is for all and you simply need to open two empty hands before God, the hands by which you receive the gospel.

One hand

To repent, to say, “God the way I’ve been living my life has not been working and I want your way not my way and I have nobody to blame, I can’t blame my parents ultimately, I can’t blame the system, I can’t blame my country, I can’t blame my upbringing, they’re my sins and I need your grace.

Second hand

Bring the hand of faith. I need Christ. I don’t need a wish and a prayer, I don’t need just positive thinking, I need a real Savior who really died because I have real sins, and He really rose again.

Faith and repentance are the empty hands to receive the gift of the Gospel.

Repentance

to acknowledge all I lack

and

Faith to cling to the only one who can give you what you need.

Perhaps some of us have forgotten what a great privilege it is that you belong to the family of God. Maybe you are very far from your family, maybe far physically, maybe you feel estranged from your family, but to belong to the family of God is a greater privilege than any of us ever deserved. Maybe we’ve forgotten that, we’ve been Christians for a long time, maybe it’s been a long time since we actually repented, maybe we never said we were sorry., we mope around, we feel really bad, we wish we hadn’t done that, but to actually say,

“Oh God, I’ve sinned . I am sorry and I’ve come now to Christ, it’s been a long time for some of us and maybe some of you’ve never done that at all, you felt bad you kind of know you need something, but you’ve never repented of your sins and come to Christ the only Savior.

But,

When you do, when those who are far off, those who are strangers and those outcast:

are brought home.

God says, ”Oh what a Joy to have you a part of my family..

My prayer:

Our Father in heaven, oh that we should call you our Father, we were lost and we were strangers, we had no right to be called your children, but you have made a way though your son in his death and resurrection, and when we turn from sin and turn to Christ you don’t just let us in you welcome us in, you take us in, you throw a party to have us, you don’t make us your servant, or slave you make us your sons and daughters, to be a part of your family to have a home here on earth and a home that will last forever!

What great Good News!

Lead us to repent.

Give us the Faith that we might know eternal life, In Jesus Name, Amen