Tag: Meghan E White

Bible, Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

Need A Fresh Start?

meghanewhite

silhouette of mountains

Do you ever wish there was a reset button in life? Things are just going downhill and it sure would be nice to start over again. There is good news for you. Today, right now, you can start again. Each day is a fresh start. A gift from the Lord. He knew we needed beginnings and endings, each and every day. Doesn’t necessarily mean that the problem or issue disappears the next day, but it can mean a renewal of your attitude and faith.

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, NIV 

 

I can’t help but think of Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship, when needing a restart comes to mind. Chuck was one of President Nixon’s right hand men, and went to prison for his involvement in Watergate. Chuck met Jesus and accepted Him as Savior, and eventually started a world renowned prison ministry. That’s a spectacular fresh start. Only God would do something so magnificent with something so ugly.

Moses had a few fresh starts during his life. He flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian who had beaten one of his fellow Hebrews. Moses then becomes a shepherd and starts a new life in the desert. Years later God talks to Moses from a burning bush. God tells Moses that he’s sending him to Pharoah to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 3) That is a historic fresh start. Definitely a hard job, that changes the course of history.

Moses was not asking for that fresh start. God had other plans. Sometimes we think everything is going fine. Like Moses, maybe we want to hide out in the desert and give ourselves a fresh start. But God shows up and surprises us. God always has a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB

Is there a destructive habit that needs to stop in your life?

Maybe there’s an ugly attitude.

Is there a strain in one of your significant relationships? Marriage, kids, family, friends.

Do you need to forgive someone?

Do you need to apologize and ask for forgiveness?

I’m not suggesting you can instanly fix everything. Only God can change hearts, minds, and attitudes. And time travel is not an option to go back and make changes.

The one thing you can change is you.

Your fresh start begins the moment you surrender it all to Jesus. It takes humilty to lay it at the Lord’s feet and ask for His help.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10, NIV 

Every single moment is an opportunity to start again.

If you’ve never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you can change that right now, today. God is drawing you to Jesus.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44, NIV

If you need a fresh start, it begins right now. You can choose.

Love you all,

Meghan

P.S. If you need prayer please go to my contact page and send me an email.

 

 

 

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/
Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com
Faith, Family, Parenting, Uncategorized

They Call Me Mom

meghanewhite

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As a little girl, I dreamed of being a mom. I wanted at least six children. I came from a family of five kids, so six seemed like a good number. I know. Crazy, right? Several years later, and after several years of marriage, I had two sons. Two beautiful boys. God chose me to be Dylan and Joshua’s mom. There aren’t enough words for me to express my love for my children.

The mug in the picture was a birthday gift from my boys last year. They gave me a bunch of very thoughtful things in that gift, but I love this coffee mug. I love big mugs since I drink a lot of coffee and I love that it says “Mom”. A title I dreamed of having for so many years. God made my dream come true.

I remember when I was finally alone with newborn Dylan. My husband had gone back to work and it was me and this tiny human. What was I going to do with him? How was I going take care of a baby all day, every day? I was overwhelmed.

Being a brand new mom with a brand new baby is like being dropped in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. 

In the beginning I flailed in that deep water. My baby wouldn’t nurse. My baby wouldn’t sleep. I experienced my first “Mom guilt”. Great, I can’t even feed my baby. I loved my new baby dearly, but my dream didn’t look as I imagined. Lord help.

Slowly things got better. Dylan began to eat and sleep. I found a rythm as a mom. My confidence built. My prayers grew daily. My “mom” instincts kicked in. And in a short amount of time I felt like an actual mom.

Mom’s do crazy things for our kids because of our crazy love for them.

Mom’s sleep on the floor of our baby’s room right next to the crib, when our baby has the croup.

Mom’s stay up all hours of the night with a newborn, feeding and holding them.

Mom’s change diaper, after diaper, after diaper.

Mom’s haul everything but the kitchen sink in those diaper bags.

Mom’s volunteer at the school, at the church, for the team, or at whatever our kid’s are participating in, just to be close to them.

Mom’s make meal, after meal, after meal.

Mom’s wipe down high chairs countless times.

Mom’s empty potty seats, and watch the potty video over, and over again.

Mom’s wipe noses, and rear ends, and anything else in between.

Mom’s drive our kids to practice, play dates, parties, and school.

Mom’s hold our children tight when they are afraid.

Mom’s kiss the boo-boo and apply the band aid.

Mom’s cheer our kids on when they think they can’t do it.

Mom’s cry when our kid’s cry.

Mom’s laugh when our kid’s share a knock-knock joke, or two, or three.

Mom’s call the advice nurse a few dozen times.

Mom’s make the birthday cake, and decorate it with our kid’s favorite character.

Mom’s pray, and pray, and pray for our children.

There is nothing quite like a mother’s love. God made mom’s special.

I have made many mistakes with my boys. I have lost my temper and yelled at them more times than I can count. I have said “I’m sorry” many times. My boys have said “I’m sorry” many times. As a mom, I’ve learned what real unconditional love really means. I understand the love God has for me in a whole new way.

Being a mom has brought me to my knees, asking for God’s help, wisdom, and mercy. I cannot be the mom God called me to be without Him. I can’t do it in my own strength. I wasn’t supposed to.

 

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This photo booth picture was taken about twelve years ago. It was right after a camping trip. A kind of exhausting camping trip. Joshua was three and was a handful. He spent a lot of time in his car seat in “time out”. Not a dreamy camping trip with a naughty toddler, but still fun. It was nice to stop in a local arcade at the Oregon Coast and just have some fun. Laughter is such a great release from stress. I love that you can only see Joshua’s eyes and nose.

Those amazing boys call me “Mom”. It’s an honor and a privilige to spend time with two funny, brilliant humans. And yes, we laugh a lot. You’ve got to laugh as often as possible, especially when you’re a mom.

Thank you Dylan and Joshua for the joy I get in being your mom. I love you this much (picture my arms spread out) and more. My love for you is bigger than the earth, moon, and stars. God’s love for you is the biggest, beyond measure.

Happy Mother’s Day to every mom. You have a unique calling. May God bless you abundantly.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11, NIV 

 

Love you all,

Meghan

Bible, Faith, God, Obedience, Uncategorized

A Talking Donkey

meghanewhite

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This amazing mule takes people up and down the steep, winding trails of the Grand Canyon. On an early morning walk during our vacation, I came across the mules getting ready to make their trek for the day. They are lovely. I can’t help but admire and respect what they do. Mules are the unsung heroes of the animal world. I have to believe that animals go to heaven, especially all the ones that have helped us humans.

A mule is the result of a male donkey and female horse. Mules are tough, sure-footed, intelligent, and instinctively cautious. Those traits come from their donkey DNA. They have been around for centuries and haul everything from people to supplies. Both mules and donkeys are mentioned in the Bible.

There’s an unusual event recorded in Numbers where a donkey speaks.

The Israelites camped along the Jordan River. The Moabites were terrified because of what the Israelites had done to the Amorites, and there were many Israelites. (That’s a lot of “ites”) The king of Moab, Balak, sends for Balaam to curse the Israelites. (Numbers 22:1-5)

“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:5b-6, NIV)

At first, God tells Balaam not to curse the Israelites because they are blessed. Balak sends princes with a very attractive offer for Balaam that he will be rewarded handsomely, and the king will do whatever he says. God finally gives Balaam the OK to go. (Numbers 22:7-20)

But God was really angry with Balaam. (V. 22)

Balaam is riding his donkey to Moab when an Angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. The donkey sees the angel with a sword drawn and turns off the road into a field. Balaam beats the donkey. The Angel of the Lord appears again on a narrow part of the path with two walls. The donkey pressed against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot. He beats her a second time. The Angel of the Lord appeared a third time on the path, that was narrow, with no room to turn. The donkey lay down under Balaam and he beat her again. (v. 22-27)

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.

31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”

34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

35 The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.  (Numbers 22:28-25, NIV)

What’s the point, right? Is this just one of those odd stories in the Old Testament? No, it’s not. Yes, the circumstances are strange. A talking donkey is not ordinary. It wasn’t normal then, it’s not normal today.

Balaam was foolish and prideful. He didn’t even pay attention to his own donkey that knew to stop. Balaam was driven by greed. He was tempted.

“Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.” (Numbers 22:18-19, NIV)

Balaam says he won’t go outside of what the Lord wants, but he makes sure the princes of Moab stay for the night.

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you ignored all the warning signs that God gave you? I have.

Balaam beat his donkey and forced her back on the path three times. Have you ever forced something to happen, that in your heart you knew was out of God’s will? I have.

God allowed Balaam to go on the path to Moab, yet warned him three times to stop. God knew Balaams heart. God knows our hearts too. Sometimes God allows us to feel the sting of our bad choices.

The hero in this story is the donkey. A simple creature that saw the Angel of the Lord and responded appropriately.

God can speak to us any way He chooses. Are we listening? God spoke through a donkey to Balaam. God speaks through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, people, circumstances, nature. I see no limit to how God speaks. He will never compromise His Word, the Bible, when He speaks to us.

I pray that I am more like the donkey, a willing servant of the Lord.

Love you all,

Meghan

 

 

 

 

Faith, Jesus, Salvation, Uncategorized

The Aroma of Christ

meghanewhite

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Lean into your screen. Now inhale. Can you smell it? I really wish you could right now. Imagine sitting on my patio together as the sweet aroma of jasmine gently drifts past us. This lovely plant is growing on the fence in my backyard and it’s in full bloom. I’ve been sitting outside in the mornings with my coffee, my bible, and the delightful scent of jasmine. What a great way to start the day.

Jasmine is one of my all time favorite flowers. Clusters of delicate white flowers releasing their pleasing scent. The smell is intoxicating. I am reminded of my childhood in California as the enchanting fragrance of jasmine is in the air. Scent is the strongest of our human senses.

Two people can smell the same thing with different results. To one it can be offensive, and to the other it’s the best thing they have ever smelled. I can’t imagine many being offended at the smell of jasmine, but I’m sure they exist.

The Bible tells us that as Christians we are the aroma of Christ. What does that mean?

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

(2 Corinthians 2: 14-16, NIV)

Paul used the analagy of a triumphal procession in a Roman military parade to compare Christians to non-Christians.

Back in the day, when a Roman general had a victory on the battelfield there was a great parade through the streets of Rome. They had a very specific route taken through the city, all to show off their triumph. Senators, and state officials led the way, followed by trumpeters, and carts loaded with the spoils of war. There were musicians, and exoctic animals from the defeated enemy. Bulls and oxen were brought along for sacrifice to their Roman gods. Infantry, and the general’s adult sons were also included. It was over the top.

Also in this great procession, were the captives of war. The enemy leaders were paraded through the streets in chains on their way to prison, and ultimately their execution. Garlands of flowers were carried and incense was burned by the Roman priests. The aroma was sweet for the victors, and meant death for the captives. Same smell, different meaning.

The message of Jesus Christ is a death sentence for those who reject it. That same message is life for those who recieve Christ as Savior. The same beautiful fragrance, yet death for one and triumph for the other.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

(John 3:17-21, NIV)

Christ followers get the awesome privilege to spread the fragrance of life. This is not on our own ability. It is God at work in every Believer, sharing His sweet, glorious aroma. Even better than the scent of jasmine.

Jesus loves you and wants life for you. I pray you know Him as your Savior.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

(2 Peter 3:9, NIV)

Love you all,

Meghan

P.S. If you need prayer go to my contact page. God bless you!

Faith, Food

Chicken Tortilla Soup

meghanewhite

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I love soup. It’s hearty, and can be loaded with all sorts of goodness. This one has shredded chicken, black beans, corn, cilantro, and a few other ingredients that make a filling meal. Some soups can be bland and mushy. Chicken tortilla soup is flavorful and scrumptious. No soggy soup here.

This lovely soup comes together pretty quick. You can easily make this on a busy weeknight. As long as your chicken is already cooked, you’re good to go. If you’ve got some leftover chicken on hand that would work too. 

One pot meals are some of my favorites. No cooking multiple things all at once. Juggling the oven, and the stove top can be a challenge. I cook like that quite often, and I don’t mind it. But, using the same pot for the entire meal is such a nice break from the norm. 

This particular version of chicken tortilla soup calls for hominy, which is dried corn kernels that are soaked in an alkaline solution. Basically, hominy is big puffy corn. I do not use hominy for this soup since it’s not at my local Aldi. Instead, I use white beans as a replacement. If you like hominy, or you’re just curious, give it a try. 

Something that I add to make this recipe even more delicious, is homemade tortilla strips. It’s worth the extra time to fry up your own tortillas. The flavor and richness that the fresh tortilla’s add is mouthwatering. If you are not up for that, just add store bought tortilla chips to the soup. Still very good and easy. 

Enjoy this fantastic soup.

Happy Eating!

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

Matthew 4:4

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 diced onion

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth 

1 cup water

3 to 4 boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breast (shredded)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 cup whole kernel corn

1 cup hominy or 1 (15 oz.) can white beans

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles 

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

homemade tortilla strips 

sliced avocado

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

  1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook until soft.
  2. Add oregano, chili powder, tomatoes, chicken broth, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, hominy or white beans, green chiles, and cilantro to the pot. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. While the soup is cooking make your tortilla strips.
  5. Serve up the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, sliced avocado, Jack cheese, and cilantro.

Notes:

  • Always taste while you are cooking. Check if salt is needed, especially if low-sodium broth is used.
  • Add onions, black olives, or sour cream for toppings.

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Homemade Tortilla Strips

4 to 6 6-inch corn tortillas

¼ cup (approximately) vegetable oil

salt

  1. Slice tortillas into ½ inch strips.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.
  3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil has a shimmer and coats the bottom of the pan it’s ready.
  4. Cook tortilla strips in small batches for a couple of minutes per side. Turn them once they stiffen up and are golden brown. 
  5. The tortilla strips cook quickly.
  6. Place cooked strips on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

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Check out my monthly column at Mustard Seed Sentinel.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-chicken-tortilla-soup