Squash Pie

Lovely, Autumn!  Cooler weather, leaves changing color, cinnamon and nutmeg...all the lovely things I associate with autumn.  And have you seen all the different types of squash there are?  As a kid, I thought squash was just those little yellow things (that looks like a zucchini, only yellow and smaller)...and I thought I was enlightened when I got introduced to acorn and butternut.  But when we were at the shop early this fall, I saw different types of squash I'd NEVER seen before!  Beautiful colors and odd shapes...I wanted to buy them just to give the kids a taste of something out of the ordinary.  Luke, trying to keep me from the display and in true Luke fashion was very expressive, "NO!  Not squash soup!"  lol  It's one of my favorite (and easiest) soups to make!

Well, today, I thought I should use up the over 20lbs of squash I have and instead of making soup, I thought to make a Squash Pie!  So Yum!  And it's perfect since today actually felt like autumn.  :)  I had my pie crust already prepped in the freezer.  When I make it, I just make a bunch and freeze them in flat-ish balls and then take them out when I want to use it and leave it on the counter to thaw.  So easy!

So, I cut the carnival and acorn squash cross-wise and put them face down in a couple glass dishes added a little water and cooked at 400 for 45 minutes or so and then I turned the oven off and left them in the oven and when I was ready to take them out, the meat was easily taken out and pureed.

3 cups squash pureed
3-4 eggs (I did 4 eggs b/c I had smaller eggs)
3/4 cup milk
4 tbs butter melted
1 tsp (or more if you like) pumpkin spice
1 tsp salt
3/4 Rapadura sugar (I was on the phone with my sister and put in one cup so it's a bit too sweet for my liking so I added a bit more squash but if you like to be on the sweeter side, go for 3/4 - 1 cup)

Mix well and put in the pie crust.  Bake at 375 for about 1 hour.  Try it and tell me what you think!

ENJOY!

P.S.  Luke LOVED it..wanted another piece.  ;)

God's Tootsie Roll

I try and limit the kids' candy intake.  I don't deprive, them...necessarily.  But if we do have candy in the house I usually give in to their candy request only after they eat their midday meal.  But a couple hours after breakfast, I had a moment of softness...or weakness, depending on how you look at it.  Jonathon was outside working with his daddy and I went to see how the grease monkeys were getting along.  Jonathon asked me out of the blue if he could have a tootsie roll.  Now, Jonathon is the type of kid that knows how things roll at home.  He is a very by-the-book kind of boy.  He likes to know the rules and endeavors to keep them.  So, when he asked me for a tootsie roll, he asked in such a way that I knew by his facial expression and tone that he "knew" I would say no.  For the fun of it I decided to just break the mold and say yes.  He looked shocked then perplexed and then confused and he asked me again..and I replied in the affirmative...with a grin on my face.  I left the scene and expected him to forget everything he was doing to hunt the candy down.

One hour later, Jonathon found me and he brought up our earlier conversation regarding the tootsie roll.  He wanted to know if I was serious and if he could truly have it.  I was taken aback and a bit hurt by his question and in just a few seconds had a whole bunch of thoughts cross my mind.  I was saddened that he missed the opportunity for a "treat" because he didn't take me at my word - the first time.  And then I thought, how many times do we go back to God asking him if He was serious about His promises.  We bring back the same sin...wondering if He truly forgave it.  Or the same need...wondering if He would truly provide for it.  The God of the universe, whose authoritative words spoke the world into being, whose strong hands shaped us and whose breath gave life, says what He means and means what He says.  And we hear His truths - the shocking, perplexing, amazing, unbelievable truths that are sure to bring sweetness to our lives - and instead of leaving everything behind and receiving that blessing, we come back an hour later and ask Him if He was serious.  How that must hurt His heart.  How could we possibly doubt His love when that is the essence of who He IS?  To doubt His offer is to doubt His Love and even doubt His character.  He laid it all out on the line so we could experience the good life.  And what great proof we have of His astonishingly magnificent love in the gift of Jesus!

God has offered you a tootsie roll...don't question Him and miss out - just take it!

The Devil and the Cheer

Keziah has been having a hard time going to sleep these last couple nights.  During the day, we of course, talk about God and the supernatural and at times the Devil comes up as a topic of discussion:  Why did he want to be God?  Where does he live?  And Luke always adds,  "I am going to kill him!"  There is a sort of fascination or curiosity when it comes to the supernatural.  I remember as a kid my mind played tricks on me and I'd "see" things in my room...and I was positive that sometime during the night, a witch would come into my bedroom and pull down my covers.  The only reasonable explanation after always finding my blankets off my bed when I woke up in the mornings.

Well, recently, Keziah has raised the subject of Adam and Eve and the Devil using the snake to trick Eve into eating the fruit.  I told her the story and she would ask questions and just chat to me about the whole scenario.  These last two nights she started behaving fearfully at bed time and wanted her door open (she already uses a night light) and she kept saying that maybe there was a snake in her room and she thought the devil would be in the snake.  I talked to her and prayed for her and even had her repeat in her sweet authoritative voice the truths of God's love for her and what He says.  But tonight it was the same deal:  difficulty going to bed.  After another reminder that God loves her, and that she is His daughter and He takes care of her and after insisting that the Devil didn't want to come into our house because of Jesus in us, I left the room to go and tend to the baby.  Antony checked in on her after 10 minute and she was still in there with her eyes wide open.  She was just wound up as tight as a spring.  Shortly afterwards, Antony came out and called to me and said, "Quick!  Come here!"  So he leads me right outside her bedroom door and I hear her sweet little voice saying:  "I. Am. A Child of God!" in a little cheer-type chant.  I stayed outside that door and heard her say it over and over with great conviction.  No less than 100 times.  Antony told me he talked with her and then walked out and turned off her night light and left her in the dark to repeat that simple phrase so that this crazy fear thing would be broken.  I sat in my living room and prayed - asking the Holy Spirit to comfort her with His love and peace and that this would be something she would remember - and that she'd sense His love enveloping her in that bed.  After a minute or two, the chant slowed in pace and her voice got softer and softer until she fell asleep.

Now, I know that she may not understand the fullness of what being a child of God means, and although I have a greater understanding, I am still learning what that entails.  But hearing her say it over and over stirred something on the inside of me!  I am a child of God.  I, am a child of God.  I.  AM.  A CHILD OF GOD!  I just pictured her saying it over and over in her bed - my sweet little pumpkin, facing that big fear with those 4 incredible words.  I was thinking about our positions as children of God and how confidence in our position as His children should help us face our own monsters in our lives.  Financial, marital, relational, physical, mental, past, present, future, shame, guilt, etc.  What monster has been terrorizing you, keeping you up at night, causing you to bead up with sweat at the mere thought of it?  Our position - our stance - our perspective - these are important in being free from the Frankenstein's in our lives.  If I keep my eyes on the ugly monster and forget that as God's child I am loved more than my mind can comprehend, I will miss the opportunity for my Heavenly Daddy to show me His moves in taking that thing down!  But it's remembering who we are and making our offensive from that revelation - I. Am. A Child of God.

What comes to your mind when you think of the aspects of being a child of God?  I'd love to know your thoughts!