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Greetings!
February brings days of winter snow, bitterly wind chills, and slippery roads. But it also brings that wonderful time of year, where we focus on LOVE.... our love for each other and our love for God.
This month, Best Life wants to encourage you to make time for the people around you. Value them, embrace them, and tell them that you LOVE them. What a better life we'll live...in just loving our BEST.
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 For the Love
Kathy A. Weckwerth
John 15:12 (ESV Bible)
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
It's that Valentine's Season and we like to think and talk about the word LOVE.
The one thing I've learned over and over about God is that He sets the example for loving like no other.
As a matter of fact, I've watched first hand at times, how the most "unlovely" of people, those who others might think are not physically beautiful, have the deepest depths of love in their hearts.
Sometimes the person who perhaps looks differently from what the "norm" of this world's standards are, will be the one who is genuinely, truly beautiful. I believe it's because their love for others is what is prevalent on a day-in-day-out basis. Their actions and attitudes take over anything physical, and all you can see is their LOVE.
I am reminded of a conference that we delivered at Best Life a couple of years ago. Unbeknownst to me and our staff, one of our church friends headed into our conference at lunchtime, and brought along a homeless man that had been standing on the corner by the church. He, by any standards was unlovely. His shoes were worn, his jacket was dirty, and his hair was in disarray.
As I watched my friend completely ignore all of the outward appearances, she quietly sat him down and said to us, "This is my new friend, Fred. Fred was hungry and we are sharing my lunch." I smiled and thought....wow.
And then something very wonderful happened. Fred stood up, took off his hat and said, "Thank you so much Ma'am for the food. I am so very grateful to you. I pardon the imposition of your women's event, but am so very thankful." And he sat back down.
In a couple of swift moments, I saw love from our friend to this man, and love from this man to me and our team. Although the outward appearance was somewhat awkward, the heart rose to the occasion, and shone with gratitude and love.
I have often noticed this trend...have you? I have watched over these past few months that those who have had the least have given the most to our church project.
Why? They are beautiful....all because of love. All because of the gift of giving, the willingness to serve and share, and having hearts that are focused on others....on neighbors and friends...and serving God.
God sent out a command....not a timid, gentle request, but scripture says it's a command...that we LOVE one another.
And when we do, that love completely takes over our entire being and we shine like the risen Son. I'm feeling drawn today to love like crazy! How about you?
For more from Executive Director, Kathy Weckwerth, read her blog at
http://bestlifeministries.com/best-life-lifelines/
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Love is Patient & Kind
By: Susan Snow
On that early summer day our evening meal was going to be a little late. I had spent the day with my mom on our family farm. She had a wonderful garden with just the right blend of vegetables and flowers.
That day I had helped her pick a bowl full of green peas. It was just like when I was a young girl and my mother would pick a five gallon pail brimming with peas for my siblings and me to shell. Often the sweet, tender peas would go into our mouths instead of the pan. My hardworking, patient mother would blanch the peas and measure them into bags for the freezer; thus ensuring wonderful winter eating. Love poured into future meals for her family.
When I got home I started shelling some of the bounty for our supper. My four blond-haired daughters were sitting at our farm table patiently waiting for the creamed peas to be served on fresh from the oven homemade buttermilk biscuits. My kind children had helped by setting the table. The two younger girls had put on plates and silverware. The two older girls did their share by pouring milk into kool-aid character cups.
The milk quickly disappeared. The four of them were hungry! While they knew they would love the meal that was almost ready, their patience was growing thin. It was easy to mimic each other, pick up spoons, pound the table and start screaming, "
I am hungry! Hurry! Hurry!" I could hear their demands, and I worked as fast as I could.
As children, they didn't they realize that loud demands would not get the meal served any sooner. They could only focus on one need, the need to fill their bellies. How I wished they would be patient, quiet, and especially stop the spoon clattering. Don't they know that I love them?
As God's children, we don't pound on tables with spoons to get His attention. We don't shout out, "Hurry! Hurry!" But at times we do demand that God listen. When we call out towards the heavens, we may wait for a sign on Earth for Him to have heard us. When we think He isn't hearing us, we may repeat and repeat again our demands or wishes.
We may also expect God to act speedily when we pray. Our patience may quickly wear thin when the stresses of life weigh us down.
We can be so focused on that one thing, that one thing we think we need, the one prayer we think needs to be answered right now, that we forget all of our daily blessings.
The Creator loves each one of us and gives us what we need in due time.
The Lord is patient and kind.
Grandmothers are patient and kind.
Mothers are patient and kind.
Love is patient and kind. I Corinthians 13:4a
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 | | Owner, Julianne Johnson |
BLM LOVES Cricket Meadow Tea
An Interview With Owner, Julianne Johnson
Last week, Jenessa (youngest daughter) and I popped into our favorite restaurant, Cricket Meadow Tea, located in Litchfield, MN.
As I sat munching on my amazing salad, while Jenessa was biting into her mile hile sandwich, I looked over her shoulder, onto the bookshelf, and saw the most wonderful books, offered by the shop!
The next few moments were filled with "oohs and aahs" as we perused the beautiful books and I decided it was high time I shared my knowledge...and love of Cricket Meadow, and it's talented owner, Julianne Johnson.
Julianne, along with her daughter, Kelsey Leaghi, created fabulous books that they are now for sale, promoting lovely photography, scrumptious recipes, and insights into the world of Cricket Meadow. The book I have in my hands right now is Come With Me To the Meadow. Let's chat with my friend, Juli, and find out more about this wonderful adventure!
BLM: What inspired you to open the tea shop in Litchfield, MN, called "Cricket Meadow Tea?"
Juli: I have about 100 teapots and naively thought that qualified me as a tea shop proprietress! But seriously, I felt that one of my gifts was hospitality and growing up on a farm the only girl, I was in the garden or kitchen nonstop with my mom. She loved tea and we spent hours cooking and baking. My children were almost grown and I needed an outlet for my interests in herb gardening, baking, entertaining and writing so it all kind of came together in that way.
BLM: Was it your idea or your daughter, Kelsey's, to create these beautiful books and how long does it take to put one of the books together?
 | | Owner's daughter, Kelsey Leaghi |
Juli: I have been writing my whole life and in 2000, took a job as a food columnist in the Litchfield Independent Review. Lots of people have asked if I would do a cookbook. I never seemed to find the extra time to put it all together. So, my very talented daughter, Kelsey, did the first book, Come With Me to the Meadow, as a surprise Christmas gift to me 2 years ago. We then printed some for friends and family. Pretty soon other people were asking for a copy, so I began to do limited runs for the tea shop. We have now sold quite a number.
BLM: What was your favorite part about the whole process of the upstart of a business, and now publishing books?
Juli: It took a year and a half to get up and running and I have learned so much from the process! My husband calls my business my MBA! I really knew nothing about running a business but I have always run a tight ship at home so that skill stood me in good stead. I am gratified to serve others and see them happy with the food and atmosphere. I enjoy the positive feedback. I have been a writer for my whole life and now to do these books has been fun because they are simple and down to earth and give readers a sense of serenity in Kelsey's lovely photography.
BLM: Growing up, did you always enjoying cooking?
Juli: I always did the baking growing up and my mom did the cooking. I seriously never really did much cooking until I was married 35 years ago. So, with that many years under my belt, I guess I've gotten the hang of it. But my sweet tooth makes me still prefer baking!
BLM: While cooking and baking, what's your favorite thing to make?
Juli: I guess that my favorite thing to make is bread. But I love to make cake, cookies and scones too!
BLM: How can we purchase any of the books?
Juli: The books are available at Cricket Meadow Tea or by going to the publisher's website, Blurb.com.
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 | | Photo by Josh Garland |
Loving God, Loving Others, Loving Yourself
Ephesians 3:18-19
The NIV Worship Bible
"We will never find the outermost limits of Your love for us. Your love is immeasurable, inexhasutible,
inescapable, irrepressible, insatiable, irrational. O Lord, my deepest desire is to know Your love through personal experience and in my limited capacity, be filled from Your unlimited resources."
Help me to love You, to love others passionately, and to deepen my relationship to you, therefore loving myself. Empower me to be a risk taker with love, and to lead others to You, through my love. Amen.
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BLM LOVES Red Velvet Cake!
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Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake |
· Cake
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with cocoa and food coloring and add to the cream mixture. Mix salt and vanilla in with buttermilk. Add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Mix soda with vinegar and fold into mixture. Pour into 2-9" cake pans and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
· Frosting
5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
Cook flour and milk until thick. Stir constantly. Make sure you cool milk and flour mixture (in refrigerator). Mixture will be lumpy. Cream together sugar, butter, Crisco, and vanilla well with electric beater. Add flour and milk mixture. Beat until right consistency to spread. This should get fluffy.
Delicious, decadent, and goes great with a big glass of cold milk!
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BLM's "The Bottom Line" Book & Movie Critic,
Karen Barton, is back to
loving Karen Kingsbury's work......
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Karen Barton |
This month's Review: The Bridge
by Karen Kingsbury
I have made it no secret that I have been disappointed with Karen Kingsbury novels in the past year or so. Don't even get me started on The Bailey Flannigan Series. I obviously still have unresolved "issues" regarding those books.
However, this October 23rd, 2012 release, The Bridge, was a step in the right direction for Kingsbury. The Bridge is a heartwarming story of a struggling bookstore and the people who pull together to try and save it.
Charlie and Donna Barton have owned a small, but charming bookstore, named "The Bridge," in Franklin, Tennessee for 30 years.
In May, there is a flood that claims almost every book in the store. The book store had not been doing very well in recent years due to the advance of digital books. So the flood leaves Charlie, in particular, devastated and in a financial crisis. The bank is threatening to close them down for good.
Molly Allen and Ryan Kelley are former regulars at "The Bridge." They were in love and spent many happy hours there. But after a misunderstanding, they walked away from each other 5 years ago. They haven't spoken or seen each other since. When sad news reaches them regarding Charlie Barton, these two return to Franklin because Charlie is like family to them. Will Molly and Ryan be able to put the past behind them and save the bookstore?
The Bottom Line: Although I felt there was a lack of complexity to this book, it was a good reminder of the importance of relationships and a connection to the community where you live.
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BLM Loves Delivering Our Conferences!
Upcoming Conference Dates:
April 6, 2013-McCarthy Baptist, in partnership wtih New Harvest Baptist, St. Joseph, MO
April 13, 2013-New Joy Church, Rogers, MN
April 27, 2013-Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church, Bloomington, MN
May 11, 2013-Frank Lake Church in the Grove, Benson, MN
For more information about any of these conferences, or to host a conference at your location, Please log onto our website@ www.bestlifeministries.com
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What's Happening at our headquarters, The Church in the Grove?
A new magazine will be coming out in the next few weeks, a Best Life conference on May 11, 2013, 2 weekly Bible studies, and plans for upcoming worship events, and a 1-year-since-the-move celebration! We thank God continually for His goodness! |
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Best Life LOVES YOU, our readers! Thank you for your support, encouragement, prayers, and for being with us on this journey called LIFE.
Bless you this week....and know you are loved and valued.
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Dave & Amanda Herring |
BLM LOVES our worship leader, Dave Herring.....
Help Dave get to Nashville where he and his band will be recording their latest cd...
"The Revelation Project."
For More Information: log onto~
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Remember, it's never too late to make changes. Start today. Start living your best life!
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