Fluffiest Pancakes

by Sisterlisa

These pancakes were made by accident, or divine revelation, however you'd like to look at it, it is a scrumptious recipe! Heat oven to 300 degrees and place a cookie sheet in the oven til hot. Then shut off the oven. You will place the pancakes in there to keep them warm.

In a large bowl mix together:
-1 3/4 C. Flour
-1 Tbsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
Mix well
Set aside

In a small bowl mix together:
-2 egg yolks (Set aside whites for next step)
-1 3/4 C. whole milk
-1/2 C. oil
-2 Tbsp. Sugar Free Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Coffee syrup
Mix well with hand mixer and add to the dry ingedients in the large bowl. Mix well.

Rinse off beaters and dry

In another small bowl, mix the
-2 egg whites til stiff peaks form. Gradually add
-2 tsp. sugar and keep mixing til stiff peaks are fluffy.

Gently fold whites into the batter mixture. Do not beat in the whites, you want your batter to remain fluffy.

In a heated skillet, add spoonful of batter, but do not flatten or spread the batter out. The amount depends on the size you want your pancakes to be.

Cook til you see bubbles forming then flip til golden brown. Place them in pan in a heated oven to keep warm.

Be sure to use real Maple syrup (heated) for your pancakes and I recommend Challenge European Style Butter, slightly warmed so you can spread it well.


Tips:
Do not leave real butter at room temperature for long or it will turn sour.
Do not refrigerate your syrup. Over time the temperature causes your syrup to crystallize.
When measuring flour, spoon it into the measuring cup to avoid over packing flour.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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What Happened to the Friendship?

I don't know about you, but when dear friends live far away it's hard to keep up sometimes. Have you ever had a friend move away and you could feel the emptiness before they even start packing? Has distance caused time to pass quickly and the next thing you know it's been MONTHS since you've spoken? I wonder if they think I don't care about them anymore? Maybe they don't care about me anymore.

Perhaps we're just busy and life gets away from our grip sometimes. Not everyone can be the kind of friend that talks to you every single day. Some friends you may not be in contact with for several weeks and as soon as she calls it's as if time has never passed. Could it be that the last time you spoke, the words were misunderstood? How can we keep living a life full of unanswered questions? How can a friendship reblossom again after so much time has passed?

You'll never know until you try to contact them again.

I met a girl when I was in the second grade. I grew up in public school with her all my life. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but after all these years we are still friends! We live nine hours away from each other, but we connected through a social network site and still make late night phone calls to one another every now and then. Life gets busy and the next thing you know, her baby is six years old and can have a pretty good conversation over the phone. Wow I missed a few birthdays didn't I? (I'm really bad about that.)

I made another friend in the sixth grade and she moved away, never to be seen or heard from again. I have other friends that I haven't seen or heard from in several months. Were we ever really friends to begin with? Why doesn't she return my phone calls anymore? She didn't call me or even email me on my birthday. (Probably because I forgot hers first.)

There is something I have realized over the years and that is that we can't live life second guessing ourselves. Friendships come and go. Sometimes friendships can be so sweet and tight knit, and other times they seem to slip away from us. Instead of focusing on what you don't have right now, let's try to look on the positive.

Did you enjoy your times together? Did you have some really good laughs with one another? Did she encourage you when no one else would? Do you have any past notes or emails that really touched your heart? Think on these things.

Sometimes friendships are for a season in our life and for a divine purpose. Sometimes that purpose is fulfilled and it's time for someone else to have that friend. Maybe it's time for you to focus on being another person's friend for now. We all have different gifts and if we let Him, God will use our gifts to encourage one another for a season. It's a rare treasure to keep one friend for a lifetime. So for those friendships we enjoyed for a season, don't fret and grieve over the friendship moving on. She may have been an gift in your life for a time and now it's time for her to be an gift in someone else's life.

Maybe the parting wasn't good. Misunderstandings can really hurt. Words can kill. Were your last words unkind? Cover that friends heart with prayer and let our Lord help with that.

I've had many friends come and go, but thank you Lord for the sweet times you gave to those friendships. May the Lord use them all to help touch another person's heart as much as they touched mine. Even if you don't hear back from a friend, it's still a kind gesture to drop a line every now and then. Here are some tips to help rekindle a friendship that has been preoccupied.

1. Send an E-card. These are so simple to do.

2. Send a postcard.

3. Send a text message.

4. Find her on Twitter or Facebook and reconnect.

5. Take her some homemade cookies. Be prepared to leave a note if she's not home.

6. Pray for her.

7. Call your local inspirational radio station and dedicate a song to her.

8. Throw a blog party for her.

9. If you can afford it, send flowers.

10. Get her a coffee shop gift card.

What other ways have you reconnected with an old friend?



Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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SpellQuizzer Giveaway

We were contacted about a month ago by Mr. Dan Hite, owner of SpellQuizzer.com, a great new educational way for kids to learn through a spelling program that helps children master their spelling and vocabulary. SpellQuizzer is spelling software for students that need help learning their spelling and vocabulary words. There are pre-made spelling lists you can download and use from the SpellQuizzer website. Even the most misspelled words!

Miss Virginia and I enjoy SpellQuizzer and what it has to offer homeschool kids. It has a voice that speaks to them so they hear the words being recited to them and they get the opportunity to type in the spelling of the spoken word. You can also create sentences for them to read that gives clues to what the word is. I feel this is a great program that also helps them learn some typing skills too. They even have a page just for homeschoolers.

It does take a little bit of time to program in your chosen spelling words, but it's worth it. Once you take the time to train your child how to use the program, which is quite easy, then they can get on the computer for some fun learning.

SpellQuizzer is not like any other online educational program. SpellQuizzer is downloaded to your computer for you to keep!

Mr. Hite has graciously offered to give away a copy of this software to one blessed reader and here's what you can do to win this program:

-Blog about this giveaway on your blog.
-Send out a message on Twitter and include the link to this review. Hashtag #GGMgiveaway
(limit once a day, but feel free to tweet every day for more chances to win)
-Post about it on Facebook, in a NOTE and tag all your homeschool connections.
-Leave a comment below with your links for verification.

As you can see there's a lot of chances to win, just keep telling others about it and you'll have a higher chance of winning.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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How do You Judge?

by Sisterlisa

Over the years I have noticed how girls have prejudices for all sorts of reasons. When I was growing up there was prejudices among different cliques of kids in school. I grew up in the public school system in Los Angeles County in California. I saw different gangs who refuse to speak to each other, sit in the same class, or walk down the same streets. Among adults I see prejudices, but in a different form. I see adults who refuse to talk to each other based on how much money they make or which neighborhood they can afford to live in. I even see how homeschool girls and other school kids are divided as well. Did you know there was a division among the people in Christ's time too? When Jesus was sitting at the well near Samaria, a woman came to fetch water. When Jesus spoke to her, she was surprised that a Jew would speak to her, a woman of Samaria. When Jesus came to be our Messiah, he changed the social status of the communities.

Galatians 3:8, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

It is certainly sad to see so much division among people today, especially among Believers. I have seen more judgmental people among Believers than I have from any other groups, cliques, gangs, or the poor. Christians know they are not to be judgmental, yet it seems to be more prevalent among them. Why is that?

I believe part of the reason is because they live according to the Law. They become a judge of what is right or wrong in the life of another believer. Yes, we are to be accountable to one another. The Bible says to "confess your faults one to another." But it doesn't tell you to make a list of all your friend's sins and go to their door proclaiming how sinful they are. There is a fine line between being judgmental Pharisees and preaching to the people the message of repentance.

Ladies, it is not our position to be busy bodies, meddling in the affairs of one another.

1 Timothy 5:13, "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."

As a young lady, your position is to be obedient to your parents. If you have a friend who is close to you and she sees you talk back to your mother, I believe a true friend would admonish you to obey. You may not like it when a friend corrects you on the spot, but that is what a true friend would do. On the other hand I do not feel it is beneficial for a friend to come over and begin telling you about all your sins and how to make them right. Do you see what I mean about there being a fine line?

I feel that too many times we distance ourselves from others far too much, we become so high minded that we are no earthly good. If Jesus Christ lived that way, the woman at the well never would have tasted the Bread of Life and the Living Water. We are in this world, but we don't have to be of this world. I'm not too proud of my nation anymore, that's a sad statement, but it's true. I am saddened by the amount of sin that is prevalent in our nation. However, if I were to separate myself from America where else would I live? Is there not sin in the rest of the world's countries? I live in America, but I do not need to be the same kind of American as everyone else.

I am a Believer in Jesus Christ, but I am not the same as every other Believer. Some Believers don't want to reach out to a drug addict and show them how to be free from their bondage and work alongside them to get their lives back together. Some Believers don't want to help a homeless person on the side of the road, they think they are dirty and deserve to live like that. Many times that Believer may not know the woman lost her husband in death and suffers from extreme depression. She may have lost her home and had no where else to go. A widow indeed. But how many Believers take the time to find that out? Will they help a widow if she is homeless. Would they help a widow even if they didn't live up to their expectations?

Did you know that homeschool girls do the same thing to girls who attend a formal school? Did you know that some Christian girls do the same thing to other girls who don't live up to what 'they' think those girls should live up to? Just what is the measuring rod for finding the right friends? Who are we to judge another girl?

Your parents have the right to help you in your associations with other young people. They have that right. Above all you must obey your parents. However, there will come a day when you will be given more freedom to choose your own friends. We can have friends that are close while still being friendly towards the others. Our purpose in life is not to abstain from every sinful person out there, if we do that we'll never reach anyone with the Light of Jesus Christ. All they'll ever see are Pharisees.

We need to be wise and use discernment in our friendships with others. Yet we can still reach out at the prompting of the Holy Ghost. Just as the Good Samaritan did. Interesting to notice two stories that God wanted us to know about, the Samaritan woman who was not to be spoken to by a Jew (but He did) and a Samaritan man who was the real neighbor who loved as Christ loved. Yet it was the religious people who passed by the injured man and refused to help him.

Only you will know which kind of Believer you are. Believe in the Law and become a Pharisee or walk in the grace that Christ extended to you and love others in return. Jesus said this about the Law and his Love,

Matthew 22:34-40 "34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If we're quick to bring down the house on another because of their sin, then we need to get closer to Christ and sees others through His eyes. Will you be a 'Jew' living by the Law or a 'Samaritan' who lives by grace?

Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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10 Methods to Stop the Bedtime Madness

by Sisterlisa

Many of us may have heard that term 'counting sheep' and it's used when you just can't seem to fall asleep. There are several reasons why you may not be falling asleep at night. This bedtime madness has got to stop! Each person needs to find out what their best sleepy time routine in order to know what helps you get into the mode of relaxation that works for you. Here are a few ideas to help when counting sheep just doesn't cut it anymore.

1. Make sure you have ample time to have physical exercise during the day.

2. Limit caffeine after 2pm.

3. Tale to our Lord about everything that happened that day. When we take time to decompress from the things that crowd our minds each day it helps us to not think about them at bed time. This is especially true for children. If you take time to sit next to them when tucking them in they may begin to ramble on about everything that happened that day, I suggest you let them. Bedtime tends to be scary for small children. Many times they will have nighmares about their day and it gets all jumbled up in their little heads.

4. Make a list of the things you didn't get done so it is off your mind and you can pick it back up in the morning.

5. Have white noise in your room. If you have an ocean sounds CD or fan to run it may help drown out the other night time sounds that tend to keep you awake.

6. Have a bed time routine of things you do every night.

-Lock all doors
-turn off all lights
-plug in cell phone
-hang up cordless phone on base.
-set coffee maker
- pick up items from the floor. (laundry, toys, etc.)
-turn off computers.

7. Get to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every day. Our bodies do well with a routine that is easy to follow.

8. Don't fall asleep with the television on. Commercials are louder than the programming and it can startle you once you have drifted off then your heart is racing again.

9. Don't eat after 6 pm and limit late night liquids so you will have less or no trips to the restoom in the middle of the night.

10. Settle all household arguments with your family. No one should go to sleep with an angry heart.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Chrissa Stands Strong: Review

by Sisterlisa

I am not usually one to make a full 100% support of a film and even when I am, I will let you know what concerns I have for it as well. First and foremost Chrissa, a ten year old girl, attends a public school and the topic of homeschooling does come up, although is not pursued which is a disappointment. I feel it would be beneficial for American Girl to incorporate a homeschool girl into their cast of characters and dolls for the 21st Century.

I believe that 21st Century homeschool girls do face challenges for their family's decision to home educate and I feel it would behoove AG to look into another American Girl who lives the homeschooling lifestyle.

Now although Chrissa goes to public school, I feel her experiences with the girls in her school is a socially educational study, because I have seen plenty of the same struggles within many different girl groups, including among adults in most 'churches'. I don't mean that as a knock against people, but the study of group dynamics crosses many social circles.

Years ago I read a book that covers this very topic and found there are many books and websites available for resources to parents and girls about how to deal with the drama that surrounds that passage of life. Keywords for adults for searching are: school bullies, mean girls, queen bees, teen group dynamics, Rosalind Wiseman.

In Chrissa Stands Strong we see a short story about a girl who moves to a new town and struggles with making new friends. The popular girls, the Mean Bees, in school seems to be bold and sure of themselves, but their subtle manipulation puts Chrissa in a paralyzed state of confusion.

A word of caution about this film; the Mean Bees are mean, really mean. I Gasped many times during this movie and was even moved to tears at times. I grew up in a public school and my girls in a Christian School and I can tell you from experience that Mean Bees from all over the world know how to perfect their craft. This is what is so startling to so many parents. This craftiness by Mean Bees is dangerous and must be dealt with.

Chrissa needs to make a decision about whether or not to tattle on these girls, or is it called standing up for yourself? No one wants to be labeled a tattle tale. I believe every young girl should be counseled by their parents on exactly how to handle situations like this. By the time you reach the conclusion of this film, take some time to discuss the story with your children. This AG film just barely touches the hem of the garment of how dangerous this issue is today.

If you decide to see this film, you may want to pause it after each scene and discuss the trials Chrissa is facing.

Some questions to consider:

How would you feel if..... happened to you?
How would you make a friend in a new situation?
What would you do if you saw girls treat others like that?
Would you know what to say?
Are you afraid of telling sometimes?
What kind of fears do you think Chrissa had in coming forward for help?
How much worse do you think it could get if she never told anyone?

This review is meant simply to give you some basic information about the film and the content thereof. If you are sensitive about bathing suits, Chrissa is on a swim team, but these girls are far too young to show any neckline issues. There is no bad language or romance involved. This story is just one of many reasons why our family chooses to homeschool. Keep in mind that this kind of bullying is not just in social circles in real life, but in virtual life as well. Cyber bullying is included in this film and should be researched in depth by any parent who allows their child to be a part of social network groups, message board forums, and blogging.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Sweet Grape Salad

by Sisterlisa

Ingredients:
1 cluster of Seedless green grapes (washed and half them sliced in half)
1 cup Candied pecans (slightly chopped)
1 cup of Craisins® (These are dried cranberries by Ocean Spray)
1/2 head Green Cabbage (shredded)

2 Tbsp White grape juice
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
1 Tbsp natural local honey

Dressing:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 oz. cream cheese(softened at room temperature)
4 oz. sour cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract


Preparation:
Place Craisins® in a bowl, set aside.
In a small bowl mix the grape juice, lemon juice, and honey. Whisk thoroughly.
Pour mixture into the bowl of Craisins®, cover with a towel for 8 hours.

Dressing:
-Mix cream cheese and sour cream thoroughly with a handmixer.
-Add cinnamon, nutmeg, pure vanilla extract, and brown sugar and mix well.

In a large salad bowl place all grapes and Craisins® (If there is any extra liquid, drain first) and mix well. Slowly add the dressing and coat well. Chill before serving.

Enjoy!

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Alpha Omega Publications

5 Ways to Rehydrate!

by Sisterlisa

The summer months are especially dry and hot which leads to a higher chance of becoming dehydrated. When your body needs water you may suffer from one or more of the following symptoms:

-dry skin
-dry mouth/thirst
-headaches
-dry itchy eyes
-drowsiness
-cheeks flushing (red cheeks)



1. These are just some of the beginning symptoms and must be taken care of immediately. Just because you feel a thirst come upon you doesn't mean you should grab a soda pop or other beverage, water is the best! If you have been outdoors and are not drinking enough water you can drink an electrolyte water such as Propel, which comes in different flavors.

2. Something that Lady Jess' dad likes to do is take a water bottle and drink some of the water out, then add ice cubes and he takes hat with him during the day. Most fast food places and mini-mart gas stations will allow you to refill with water and ice for free or for a small charge.

3. If you have a refillable sports bottle for water you can fill it with ice cubes and by the time you need to drink it, it would be half melted and still half full with ice cubes, iced water instantly to grab and use to hydrate your thirst.


4. We need to learn to keep our bodies hydrated throughout the day, but we should really get started first thing in the morning. If you're a morning coffee or tea drinker it would be wise to begin with a glass of water while your drink is brewing. This gives your fasting kidneys a chance to begin afresh with what is natural to them, water. If you sit at a computer most of the day you can keep a cup of water handy and refill as necessary. I enjoy sipping coffee in the mornings, but when I keep a mug for water in it's place I can stay hydrated by sipping water all day instead.

5. If water is boring for you as it is, try adding a spritz of lemon or orange to your water and toss a small slice of the citrus into the glass.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Are You a Morning Person?

by Sisterlisa


I am not usually a morning person, but when I purposefully choose to wake up earlier than the rest of the family I really enjoy that time alone with our Saviour.

Some people use an alarm to wake them up and I do that too. I have an alarm ring tone on my cell phone that sounds like frog croaking and birds chirping. I enjoy it because it's like waking up the natural sounds rather than a blaring fire alarm sound on a clock.


Although I have that set for each morning I also like the morning sunlight. It is the most natural way to wake up. As the sun begins to rise it gradually your eyes should adjust. If you've ever woken up to a shining light it is rather annoying, but when the sun shines in gradually it helps a lot. Then your eyes can open without having a difficult time for your eyes to adjust. Sunlight allows your heart to be more alert and assists you to get out of the drowsy feeling.


Whenever possible I like to go outside very early in the morning to sit in the stillness of the dew filled morning and listen to the birds chirping. It helps my soul to be filled with peace before the busy loud day begins and the hustle and bustle of life plagues me with distractions. This is a perfect time to worship our Lord and reflect upon His Word. Another good reason why waking up to the sunlight is better is for your heart. When the sunlight gradually wakes you up, you can avoid the *jump* your hearts feels when woken up by a loud alarm. The times I have had to wake up like that have been so annoying and I end up hitting the alarm and going back to sleep. I don't know of anyone who enjoys waking up to such an explosive sound.

In what ways do you wake up in the morning?
Do you enjoy the early morning hours?
What is something you enjoy doing before anyone else gets up?

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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What do YOU do in this Summer Heat?

Our family resides in Northern California and it has been an average of 100 degrees for the past couple of weeks and it's only July! August s ALWAYS hotter than this, for us, and I am wondering what YOU do to beat the heat?


By the time we wake up we MUST have the air conditioning on to make it through the day. We have house fans buzzing in each room and we limit laundry detail to early in the morning or late at night, because the machines heat up our tiny home.

If we want to get to the park we need to get up way too early to be able to make it happen and so we are limited in our outdoor activity. So what do you do inside the house when it's just too hot to go out?

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Tomato Basil Salad

This is a recipe we use often when the fresh grown garden tomatoes are ripe and ready for feasting on. I actually found this picture and thought it was a much more fun way to prepare this salad.

For this recipe you would use the Wilton Daisy Shaped Cookie Cutter. This or any other flower or scalloped shaped cutter will be very pretty.

We use home vine ripened tomatoes, and fresh garden grown Sweet Basil. You just can't beat that natural home goodness fresh from your garden taste.

The Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix is full of robust flavor and enhances any Italian dish you make. When using it in this recipe, just a light sprinkling will be enough. I have used many of their Pantry items and have always been fully satisfied.

I first discovered Lodestar's famous Balsamic Herb Dipping Oil at our local Farmer's Market a few years ago. It is now a staple in our home and we enjoy it for dipping sourdough bread cubes in as well as in this salad recipe.

If you don't grow your own tomatoes and Sweet Basil, you can get them at your local Farmer's Markets. It's a great reason to get out of the house with your family for a night of fun as well as enjoying the flavor of your community and supporting local farmer's.


For this recipe we use the following ingredients:



Large tomatoes, sliced
Slice-able Mozzarella, sliced and cut with cutter.
Fresh basil leaves, separated and stems cut off.
Italian Seasoning Mix, from Pampered Chef.
Balsamic Herb Dipping Oil by Lodestar
Olive Oil

Wash your tomatoes gently so you don't break the skin. Slice to your desired width. You want to be sure and use somewhat firm tomatoes. Place slices in a paper towle covered plat to absorb extra juices.

With a pastry brush, baste a cutting board with olive oil. Slice your mozarella 1/4 in. thick and place on the board. Using the cutter, cut your mozarella and set aside.

Gently wash the Sweet Basil and lay flat on a paper towel to absorb water. Gently pat dry and cut stems from the leaves. Although the picture shows full leaves, we personally slice the leaves into thin strips.

On a plate layer your tomato, mozarella, sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, add a few thin slices of basil and lightly sprinkle the Lodestar Balsamic Herb Dipping Oil.

Bon Appetite!

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Firework Safety

This very week most Americans will be celebrating Independence Day, commonly known as The Fourth of July. Some counties allow fireworks in your personal yard, while others do not. In my town they are not allowed and we have two choices of where we can see a fireworks performance. One is the local state university and the other is the fairgrounds. We enjoy the one at the university.

Although we don't have personal fireworks we still have some safety precautions that we need to practice in order to have a safe holiday. Since we enjoy the performance in the dark, in a large empty field, far from the parking lot, we need to wear light colored clothing to be able to find each other easily. Once the sun goes down we see other families selling the glow in the dark necklaces, which we always buy.

Some other tips are:
-Wear comfortable shoes for walking
-Bring a light weight hoodie in case the temperature drops suddenly.
-Bring water so you don't dehydrate.
-Bring snacks.
-Bring folding chairs
-A small bag of toys such as frisbees, softballs and mits, or hoolahoops for fun before the sun goes down.

When it's time to walk back to the car, stay close to one another. Be sure to look both ways when crossing streets and drive home safely. Choose the streets that are less traveled to avoid traffic.

If you live in a county that allows fireworks, check with the county office to find ut if there are specific laws concerning fireworks in their county. Some do not allow certain types such as sparklers and m-80's.

-Keep your hair back in a pony tail to avoid catching on fire.
-Do not wear lose clothing that drgas or hangs, or could get blown in the wind.
-Do NOT light your own fireworks. Parents only!
-Have a bucket of water handy to be sure they are completely out before tossing in the garbage. (Parents be sure it has colled substantially before tossing it in the water to avoid burns.)
-Have a pair of long tongs near by to avoid burns to hands.
-Wear closed toe shoes.
-Have plenty of ice available in case someone gets burned. Do not place ice directly on the burn, but place the ice into a container of water and immerse burned hand or foot into the water.
-See e-How for more info on handling a firework burn.


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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The Freedom Factor Found in Sarah

My daughter Jess pointed out this passage of scriptures a while back and at the time, while I understood these verses, it wasn't until later that it really struck me. This is a beautiful explanation of how the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar is a picture of Christ and His Church. It's the message of grace which was given to us through Abraham so many years ago.

In this passage we see God unfolding this drama into a captivating lesson of God's grace.
Old Covenant = Bondwoman = Hagar = Mt. Sinai = Torah/Law = Bondage = Works of the Flesh
New Covenant = Free woman= Sarah = Jerusalem = Christ= Freedom = Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 4:21-31, "21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. (Genesis 16:1-2) The Bondwoman is Hagar and the free woman is Sarah.

23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. (Genesis 16:15 and Genesis 17:17:15-16) The son of the flesh is Ishmael and the son of the promise through Sarah is Isaac (Genesis 16:11 and 17:19)

24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. (Exodus 19:1, First Covenant at Sinai)

25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. (Genesis 16:6-9)

26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Genesis 16:1)

27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. (Isaiah 54:1)

28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. (Genesis 17:19)

29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. (Genesis 21:9)

30Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Genesis 21:10)

31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Isaiah 61:1)

God shows us that the Old Testament Law kept us in bondage. We were kept under The Law, but when the Law of Christ came, we were set free. The results of living under The Law, (fulfilling the Lust of the Flesh), produce the Works of the flesh and the result of living in Christ, (walking in the Spirit), is the Fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-25, "¹⁶This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

¹⁷For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit(Gal 4:29), and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

¹⁸But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

²⁰Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

²¹Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

²⁴And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

When I lived under The Law, I felt condemned. I felt as though I could never measure up. Yet that is true. We can't measure up. We can't live up to God's standards, that's why He allowed us to have His Son, Christ our Lord. The Old Covenant gave animal sacrifices until the Messiah would come. He HAS come and He lives today. We were given the Law to show us our need for Christ. When Christ came and died on the cross, He bore our sins an fulfilled The Law. We now live under the Law of Christ.

John 1:17, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Galatians 2:21, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

Galatians 3:24, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Philippians 3:9, "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"

When we live under The Law it breeds boastfulness, arrogance, judgmental thoughts and words, and a lack of grace. Be cautious of trying to live up to Christ. There is not amount of righteousness we can do to please God. We must simply put our faith in Christ, "for without faith it is impossible to please him."(Hebrews 11:6)

We are not, however, to use grace so that sin will abound. We must still live a holy life, but we can not do so without Christ. For Christ is our holiness, our righteousness, our only way to the Father. No amount of obeying the Law will ever get us a relationship with the Father. It must only come through Christ, His Son.

John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

This is the freedom, the liberty, that Christ offers us today. The story of Sarah was the beautifully written handiwork of God our Father, to show us the freedom we can have in His Son. To trust in Christ is not a bondage. To live in bondage under The Law is not freedom. Christ offers freedom. Sarah is the Freedom Factor for us today, given by Christ.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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