Thinking

I came across a good thought-provoking poem today.

Source

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.
― Walter D. Wintle

Thinking is something that can affect us in a lot of ways, both good and bad. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we think we can do something, and yet if you have the opposite mindset it’s amazing how little can get done!

A while back I had the privilege of reading two blog posts about thoughts, and I’d like to share those with you today.

What do You do With Your Thoughts? and Keep Serving With Your Thoughts

Rhoda has some really good ‘thoughts on thoughts’ here. I pray you will be blessed by the articles as much as I was! :)

~Esther

My Identity in JESUS

Source


Click on the image to make it larger :)

Recipes

Well, the time has come for me to begin putting together JOJ issue seven! My, how time does fly!

I’d like to thank each one of you for your support these last few months. I’d especially like to thank those who said they’d be willing to write for us—Bonnie, Cosette, Andrea, Rhoda and Rosie. I’m feeling very blessed by your willingness to write. Thank you SO much!

But most of that is beside the point. Today, I’m wondering if some of you others might not mind helping? I know we’ve done this before, but it never hurts to do a re-run. :) In this issue, we’d like to have a recipes page. Would you mind sharing a recipe with us to put in it? It doesn’t have to be any fancy recipe, just one that you enjoy making and others might as well. If you’d like to share one with us, comment below or you could fill out this form. :)

The more entries the better because that means that we can spread them out over more magazines! :)

Again, thank you so much for each word of encouragement you drop our way. I pray that you are encouraged as well! :)

God bless!
Esther

A Song for your Saturday

Today, I thought I’d share a song I enjoy listening to, sung by the Eshes.

He IS God! :) How has He shown you how great He is today?

~Esther

Trust in Jesus, he never changes!!

Source

Source

Delight in the Lord

Delight in the Lord…how am I delighting in Him today? How am I praising Him for what He’s done for us? For that matter, what does it mean to delight in Him?

Noah Webster (1828 edition) describes the word “delighting” this way:

• A high degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy.
• That which gives great pleasure; that which affords delight.
• Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.
• To affect with great pleasure; to please highly; to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear; the good conduct of children, and especially their piety, delights their parents.
• To receive great pleasure in.
• To have or take great pleasure; to be greatly pleased or rejoiced; followed by in.

So, if you delight in the Lord, you’re taking pleasure and rejoicing in Him. Giving Him great satisfaction or joy.

Did you notice the third explanation: “Delight is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.” That is so true. So often we rejoice in something, and then forget about it quickly. Delighting is returning again and again to that joy, and filling yourself with it.

How are you delighting in the Lord today? For myself, I’d say that I’m delighting in His Word. I love reading it, and finding little gems all through it. And there’s so much more I could say about ways I’m delighting in Him today. Now…your turn! How are you rejoicing in His goodness today?

Keep delighting in Him!
Esther

Chocolate Chip Cookies :)

source

Recently, I found a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies, and since, I enjoy trying new recipes, not to mention I love chocolate, I just had to try it. :) It especially appealed to me, because it said they were soft and moist. Chocolate, and cookies that are soft, and moist?! This sounded great. :D Plus, the recipe for CCC that we have used quite a bit of butter and Crisco, and these didn't have near as much. 

It had 2 ingredients in it that I had never heard of as being in cookies before. You know what they were? Cream cheese, and cornstarch! 

So I tried it, and they were delicious!! :D The first time I made them, I couldn't find the cornstarch, so I used Glucomannan Powder. (A natural thickener, that we occasionally use.)  The second time I made them, I used cornstarch, which Mom had found. =D We (Mom and I) both thought that the first batch (with the Glucomannan) was softer than the one with cornstarch. But both ways were delicious =D 

Now after my ramblings...here is the recipe for you to try! =D Hope you enjoy!

(PS: My changes/notes are in italics/parentheses.)

~Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies~  (Source)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted butter, and didn't add any extra salt.)
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (use cream cheese in a block or spreadable, don't use fat-free, light or whipped)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch (Or Glucomannan powder. I know we didn't use 2 teaspoons, we used much less.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 to 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (We just had chips, and they worked fine. Although, I think the chucks would be great! =D )

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Add chocolate chips and/or chunks, and beat momentarily to incorporate, or fold in by hand.
4. Using a 2 inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter. (If I remember correctly, I did not refrigerate my dough, and the cookies were fine.)
5. Preheat oven to 350 F (about 177 C) spray your baking sheet with cooking spray or butter and place mounds on baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly under cooked, pale and glossy in the center. (I had to bake mine for a little longer, just bake then according to your liking.)  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a little before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
6. Enjoy your cookies! Let me warn you, they disappeared FAST over here! :D I think I made a double batch. :)