Women's Ministry

Hope for a Happy Ending

March 30, 2015July 6, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

This post originally appeared as part of an article on Sheila’s personal blog, Pausing to Praise. She has given us permission to share it here.

I remember when we brought my oldest son, Justin, home from the hospital after he suffered severe brain damage following open-heart surgery. He was a dramatically different child from the happy, energetic five-year-old little boy who went into the hospital several months earlier. My red-headed fireball of energy was no longer able to walk or talk or eat or even hold his head upright without assistance.

I felt as though my whole world had come crashing down around me, and all joy had been swallowed up in deep darkness. But in the midst of my pain, I clung to the hope that someday he would recover. I imagined a day when Justin was again normal and all my children were healthy and happy. My heart hoped for a happy ending that would relieve my suffering by removing it.

How do we envision our happy ending? Most of us have a preconceived idea of what will make us happy, satisfied, and fulfill all our longings.

Of course there are some very real hurts and difficulties in this broken world, but most of us are unhappy because we’re chasing earthly things, and all the while our hearts long for something more. But when we don’t understand our heart’s cry for God, then we have a misconception of both suffering and happiness.
So we keep hoping for our ‘happy ending.’

But hope is a ‘maybe’ word, while faith trusts in a sure thing. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). I love what Matthew Henry had to say in his commentary on this verse. “Faith and hope go together; and the same things that are the object of our hope are the object of our faith. It is a firm persuasion that God will perform all that he has promised to us in Christ.”

If He is the object of our faith, then He is the substance of our hope. But we don’t often exchange our hope for faith overnight or with the sheer force of our will. Sanctification is a slow process, fed by devotion to prayer and God’s Word. Some lessons don’t ever seem to take a permanent hold in our thoughts—we have to keep preaching them to ourselves—reminding ourselves about the truth of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. Often it is suffering that forces us to surrender our imperfect desires and our feeble hopes, and brings us to our knees and to God’s Word.

The day when Justin fully recovered from his brain injury never came, but I found true joy and the real source of my ‘happily ever after’ did not rely on material possessions, earthly relationships, or circumstances that relieved my difficulties. And today I remind myself that when I surrender my hopes for happiness for faith in a sovereign Savior, he becomes both the source and substance of my joy–today and tomorrow and ‘happily ever after.’

This post was written by Sheila Campbell. To read more about her, click here.

Faith, Fruitfulness

When Dreams Invade

March 16, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

This post originally appeared on Heather’s personal blog, Discovering the Extraordinary. She has given us permission to share it here.

“What would you do if you knew you would not fail?”

I’ve never really liked this question.
To me, it seems to put so much pressure on finding that one thing that’s absolutely perfect for the rest of your life.

What’s the opposite of failure? Success.
Well, maybe…but I don’t think so.

I don’t think success has anything to do with not failing. In fact, if someone does anything successful, chances are, they’ve failed many, many times. Because we all have times that we fail, make mistakes, and royally mess up. But that’s part of the journey. Success is taking those failures and learning from them, and getting up and continuing to move forward.

So maybe the right question to ask would be:
“What would you do if you knew your heart would come alive?”

What comes to mind when you hear this? Does your heart leap within you? Do you feel free and inspired? Or do you feel fear and discouragement?

I don’t know if you have these moments like I do…but I can’t seem to get away from them. Let me set the stage for you here: In reality, I find myself in situations where it seems like the dreams God has put on my heart are impossible–or at the very least, postponed for a very long time. Things just don’t work out as I thought they would.

But then God keeps putting these things on my heart. Even in the midst of my heart giving up, these dreams keep coming back, and keep invading my thoughts and the direction of my heart. I’ve even been so brazen as to ask God, “Why?”

Why, after all that is going on, is this coming up now? Why, when it looks like everything is a mess, do You even put this as a thought in my heart? Can’t You see that it’s impossible? Can’t You see that reality has set in…that this can’t happen now?…

But as much as I try to get around it, His response continues to be:
“These are dreams that I have put in your heart. I spoke these words to you in the first place. And I will fulfill them.”

I don’t know what that will look like (chances are, it’s not going to be how I pictured it, anyway). But I keep coming back to this promise from God:
I’m not done yet.

This post was written by Heather Dillard. To read more about her, click here.

Family, Parenting

A Note to Moms

March 5, 2015September 5, 2016by hcfwomen3 Comments

For a month now I have been really praying and seeking the Lord about what I would share with you in regards to raising godly children. My children are 3 and 1, and though we talk about the Lord, pray, and worship daily in our home, my three year old will flop back and forth every week on whether or not she prays. She told us a few weeks ago that she was simply “over it.” Yes… she’s over it. So when I was first approached about writing to you all about this topic, I kind of wept and honestly took my heart to the Lord.

“God… there is no way I have anything to say! My children are one and three… I have no track record and quite frankly I’m pretty sure I’m doing it ALL wrong. What could you POSSIBLY have for me to share?”

God: “That right there.”

It took me a few weeks to process all of that but here’s what I feel like God told me: The vast majority of Christian mothers feel as though they are failing. That they are not good enough, that their children are not mannered enough, dressed well enough, spiritual enough, or even playful enough. In my life I know this to be true.

It has taken so much work for me to shake a lot of this fear of failure, and believe me—it is a daily battle. I still have to wake up in the morning and remind myself of who I am in Christ and that when it comes to motherhood—I haven’t failed! I may have small battles with my children that I don’t always win, but in the BIG picture—I haven’t failed, and neither have you.

“My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, and their descendants with them.” -Isaiah 65:23

Moms—this season is tough. There are so many days I feel like I’ve got it all wrong. Remain teachable in his Spirit. Allow him daily to lead you to wise counsel when it comes to raising those sweet babies, and remember his promises.

So when you wake up in the morning and those fearful thoughts start creeping in—allow him to remind you of who you are! That you are victorious through all that his Son did on the cross—that you are WHOLE complete, LACKING nothing. That you are NOT a failure. He has given you all you need to parent those gifts he gave to you. Pull out his Word, bring your little bit of willingness to hear his Spirit talk and lead you, and as Lysa Terkeurst would say, “trust him enough to let HIM write their story.” Push through, sweet mama friends—You got this!

“Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but rather someone you raise.” —Craig Groeschel

This post was written by Maggie Riley.

Fruitfulness, Scripture

Be A River

February 9, 2015by hcfwomen1 Comment

One thing I love about God’s Word is that it’s always fresh and relevant. Just when you think you’ve read a Scripture a hundred times, God can shine His light on it and cause you to see a whole other level of meaning. Even so, I think it’s easy sometimes to fall into the “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” (or bumper sticker, or refrigerator magnet) trap. Especially for folks who have grown up in church, the power of the truths that we hear preached over and over again can seem to get lost in their familiarity.

So what’s the solution? Be a river. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:38 NASB) We’re meant to let life flow from our hearts. We’re meant to take what we’ve been given and share it with others.

Do you know why the Dead Sea is dead? It’s constantly being poured into, but it has no outlet. This results in a toxic situation in which nothing can live. The Jordan River flows in, but then the water is trapped and eventually just…evaporates. If the Gospel seems stale, powerless…it’s not a problem with the message. Maybe it just doesn’t have an outlet. Allow the Good News to flow and see if that doesn’t bring life to all involved.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (NIV) Another version says it this way: “He who waters will himself be watered.” (NASB)

We know all about the need for water here in West Texas. We’re all too familiar with drought. We would think it was crazy if a farmer had an irrigation system with a full well and he never used it to water his crops. No one would just sit there and watch his harvest literally shrivel and die just because he made a choice to keep the water for himself. Let’s not make that mistake as Christians. There are people all around us–in our own circles of influence–who desperately need the life-giving water we’ve been given. We’re meant to flow. We’re meant to be refreshed…inspired…ALIVE…and that’s what happens when we become a river.

This post was written by Becca Wilhite. To read more about her, click here.

Life Groups

We See Leaders

January 27, 2015by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

This post was initially written by Jodi about her life group during the fall semester. However, it is still a great post for us today, as we have just begun life groups for the spring semester! For more information on HCF Life Groups, click here.

We kicked off the Fall semester Life Group last night with a meal at our home, and I’ve been thinking about what a great time we had being together. We’ve led this group for quite a few months, and this morning I am pondering our group’s personality and potential. My husband and I felt totally filled up with love and goodwill last night by having two Life Groups share a meal in our home (we literally ran out of chairs and people were sitting on the floor).

Colossians 1:27-29: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”

God showed me that I get to be a part of creating an atmosphere for each one of these precious people to experience Christ revealed in them. Each person is a depository of His grace, His power, His heart, His creativity. They are future leaders who will impact their family’s legacy. Literally generations are held inside them, and our Life Group team gets to speak life and encouragement over their giftings, callings and potential.

We don’t just want to gain members at Harvest. We train leaders. Life Groups help us disciple people to lead. That’s our group’s mission. We are leaders and we want to come alongside other leaders as they grow.

We desire each person in our group to SEE themselves as a leader.

Why, you may ask?

Dear Reader, you lead yourself as you submit to Christ. You lead your family as you serve. You lead those outside your family group as you stay true to who you really are in Christ. He is our hope of glory! Simply put, leadership = influence. And you have influence. I beg you to leverage your influence to build God’s kingdom.

In case you haven’t heard, there are a lot of people in this world and in your realm of influence that aren’t experiencing a Jesus-filled life. I’m NOT saying you have to quit your job and become a full-time evangelist. I AM saying that you need to see yourself as a full-time evangelist as you leverage the giftings and unique personality God has given you to serve those around you, however God calls you.

In other words, be yourself!

May we remember our true identity as sons and daughters of the King as we live (more than just survive) through this day. We have a choice to rely on Christ’s power in us moment by moment. Let’s step up to the plate, actively depend on Christ today, and encourage each other as we go.

This post was written by Jodi LaFrance. To read more about her, click here.

If you are not currently in a Life Group, we would love to have you! Find a group by checking out the HCF Life Group page here.

God's Presence, Holidays

God With Us

December 1, 2014July 6, 2015by hcfwomen1 Comment

Christmas. What comes to mind when you think of…Christmas? I seem to go through some sort of emotional metamorphosis every year during this season. It starts on November 1^st, when I run into Walmart to grab a few things (including the leftover Halloween candy that I’m hoping is on sale, because my kids have already put a restraining order on me to stay away from theirs), and THERE. IT. IS………….an explosion of red and green, tinsel, garland, lights, and trees. In a panic, I run home, plop myself on the couch, turn on the television, and eat my discounted Halloween candy. But it’s even on the television. It’s ESPECIALLY on the television; endless commercials with jingle bell-type songs with all kinds of Christmas gift ideas we all need but don’t really need. It is overwhelming, and frankly, it puts me in a bad mood. This is frustrating. Because I love Christmas. I really, really love Christmas.

At the very basic level, Christmas is about God’s love. We all know this: “For God so LOVED the world that He sent His one and only Son…” He sent Him—to US. You and me. God saw us from the very beginning and said, “THEM….I will send my Son for THEM!” And eventually, even in the midst of the chaos and hysteria our culture creates during this season (even as early as November 1^st), I am reminded of the Christ Child, the fulfillment of the promise made by our loving God.

I have a very vivid memory of Christmas when I was about 4. We had just come home from our church’s Christmas Eve service. I was in our living room. All the lights were off, except the Christmas lights. I remember Christmas music playing in the background. I was looking at the nativity scene my mom had placed around the mantel of the fireplace. I had this feeling, or maybe just the realization, that I wasn’t alone…that I was very loved…that I was safe and secure. There was a great anticipation inside of me. It was more than just believing in a large, old man bringing me gifts through our chimney. As an adult and believer, I know exactly why I felt the way I felt in that moment. I truly believe God introduced His Spirit to me that evening. He pursued my heart, even at 4 years old, and made Himself known to me.

There is a great mystery that surrounds the Christmas story. I have always been fascinated with the thought of the Christ Child…fully God, fully man…coming to earth as a baby from His throne in heaven. The angels understood the significance of this event. This was the coming of Immanuel…“God with us.” All of creation had been waiting for this moment since the beginning of time: God reconciling Himself to His beloved. You can hear the anticipation in Gabriel’s words to Mary: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Friend, can I just encourage you today? You are highly favored, and the Lord is with YOU! This is the true gift of Christmas: the gift of God’s presence. There’s nothing we have to do or say to invoke the presence of God. He is here, just as He promised to His disciples. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The question is: do we live our lives as if we are standing in His presence in every moment, or do we convince ourselves that we are alone? Or even worse: “I can do this on my own.” Isn’t this what our culture tries to tell us to do during this season? And for that matter…EVERY season? No wonder we are so stressed out!!

The Scriptures paint a picture of Mary of being humble, trusting, and pretty much NOT STRESSED OUT. Although there’s a good chance she had a well-deserved freak out session at some point between Gabriel’s appearance and the birth of the Savior, her response speaks volumes: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?! Remembering, pondering, treasuring up all the things God has done for us?

My goal this Christmas is 3-fold: Anticipate the promise, accept the gift of His Presence, and ponder these things in my heart.

“O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him…Christ the Lord.”

This post was written by Allison House. To read more about her, click here.

Fruitfulness, Holidays

Decorating for the Holidays

November 25, 2014by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

During the next several weeks, we will be enjoying a beautiful series of very special holiday posts! Some of them are from familiar writers, and some are guest posts…All are from remarkable women whose words will be sure to give a breath of fresh air to your spirit during this holiday season! Keep reading for inspiration, encouragement, and of course, yummy recipes!

I have to admit that I chuckled a bit when Julie asked me to write about decorating for the holidays. About two months ago, I decided in my heart that I wouldn’t decorate this year for the holidays. This decision all came about when I was cleaning out a room in our house that we kept all of our decorations in. I found myself actually getting depressed as I sorted through all the boxes, and was truly worried about what was coming out of my heart. Decorating has been a constant source of joy for me and has been my favorite avenue of expressing creativity. As far back as I can remember, I have always gotten a thrill out of decorating, and Christmas is no exception! When I was little I practically begged my parents to get the tree down from the attic. So for me, getting depressed about Christmas decorations was a huge shock.

In my moment of overwhelming pain, I made the only sensible decision, which was to just avoid what was causing me pain. So therefore I stubbornly said no to decorating ever again. Great decision, right? Well, my sweet and loving husband thought otherwise. As he saw me sitting there on the floor in the middle of trash piles and boxes, he uttered the most profound words ever uttered: ”What’s going on?” It’s then that I began to actually let myself feel the pain in my heart and really figure out what was going on.

Going through all the boxes reminded me of all that I had “accomplished” last year in decorating, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I couldn’t do it again this year. I was comparing myself with…well…myself. The thought of decorating left me feeling tired and overwhelmed, because I thought I had to live up to what I had done in the past—when really, last Christmas, I was in a completely different season of life. So why should I expect the same standards of decorating to hold true to me in this season? I have decided that one of the greatest gifts I can give to others (or even myself for that matter) is the gift of letting others run in their lane how it best suits them. I’m not any less of a person because I can’t run in my lane of last year, or the lane of those who are in a different season than I am. I literally can’t do what I did last year, and that’s ok. I had to find out what best suits my family this year and give myself the freedom to enjoy what that looks like.

When discovering what best suits your family this year, you might find that going bigger than usual is your route; or, like me, it might mean keeping it simple. I have chosen this year to decorate in ways that best suit this season of life I’m in, and I encourage you to do the same.

Blessings!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

It’s a family tradition to make cream cheese and corn for the holidays. You just add a block of cream cheese to a few cans of regular corn; it was my favorite food during the holidays growing up =)

This post was written by Abbie Kellum. To read more about her, click here.

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Here are some simple, practical ideas for decorating your home this Christmas—without adding to the stress!

Use candles. Even plain, white candles are a fairly inexpensive way to bring a warm, cheerful glow to any environment. Or (especially if you have little ones) try battery-operated flicker candles.
Take advantage of nature. Use pinecones, evergreen sprigs that have fallen down, or even fresh apples (green and red) to brighten up your dinner table, mantle, or even the bathroom counter!
Layer fabrics. You are sure to find many types of fabrics around your home that you can use to enhance your decorating: a light scarf, a cloth napkin, or even a spare sheet…Whether used as a table runner, or gracefully gathered under a lamp, fabrics add an element of warmth and comfort to your home.

Family, Holidays, Love

Love God, Love People, Live Simple

November 20, 2014by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

I love the holiday season. There’s just something about how fall ushers in cooler weather, the cotton strippers and combines start to pull out of the barns— signaling the beginning of harvest—and of course, pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING! There’s just so much to love about this time of year! I get so excited about reaching towards the back of my Scentsy drawer and pulling out my fall and Christmas scents. And I am sure my husband just loves having to drag our Christmas décor out of the basement earlier and earlier each year…because seriously, one month is just not enough time to enjoy a beautifully decorated Christmas tree! Can I get an Amen??

And the food, oh the food! Hot chocolate with marshmallows, chai tea lattes, soups in the crock pot and warm pumpkin cookies…why does it all taste so much better this time of year? Oh well, I will start my diet next year.

This will be my twin boys’ first holiday season, and I am so excited about sharing it with them. I can’t wait for Bryan and I to create new traditions with them, and I am especially excited about seeing their faces light up when they see our Christmas tree for the first time. But most of all, I am looking forward to watching them experience their first holiday season with our incredible family. Out of everything I love about this time of year, I look forward to spending time with our family the most.

I recently heard something that resonated with my heart. It was a call, an urging to embrace the following:

Love God. Love people. Live simple.

These three statements showed up in my life just in time for what usually turns into a crazy season for me. As much as I adore this time of year, by the middle of December I am so ready for Christmas to be over and the New Year to begin. Can anyone relate? I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that I completely miss out on the beauty this season has to offer.

Love God. Love people. Live simple. This is now my to-do list every day, and let me just say how freeing it is. If I have done just one of these three things in a day, I’ve done enough. When did these things become not enough? I’m not sure, but I am so ready for that to change in my life. I want Thanksgiving and Christmas to simply be a time to be grateful because of what we’ve been given, and a time to give out of the overwhelming gratefulness we have for the One who gave everything for us. It is so easy for us to miss the opportunity this season offers us.

If we allow Him, I believe God is extending an invitation to us all to embrace a new perspective this year. Instead of spending money we don’t have on gifts that have no meaning, what if we gave our time and energy to those we love? Isn’t that all we really want from those we love? What if instead of dreading the time spent with extended family, we chose to love them the way God does? What if we chose to expect the best instead of the worst when it came to relating to that difficult family member? What if we practiced these simple truths this holiday season? Love God. Love people. Live simple.

I am compelled by this scripture we’ve been studying at church the past couple of weeks.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 ^“18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

“…the life that is truly life.” Friends, let’s choose to do something different this holiday season. Let’s choose to embrace a simpler, more fulfilling way of life. Aren’t you curious about the kind of life this scripture is offering to us? I know I am.

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I want to leave you with my most favorite holiday recipe given to me by a very dear friend. I look forward to making it every year and I KNOW you will love it too.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Cream together the following until smooth:
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar

Add to butter mixture and mix until smooth.
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Sift the following together:
2 ½ cups flour (I use King Arthur…the BEST!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg

Add to butter mixture and stir until smooth…will be sticky.

Drop in heaping tablespoons onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. (Mine are cooked perfectly at 12 min)

Icing: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. melted butter, 1tsp. vanilla and milk to consistency. Drizzle over baked cookies.

Eat. Enjoy. 🙂

(I usually double this recipe and use a whole can of pumpkin)

This post was written by Amber Curry. To read more about her, click here.

Family, Holidays, Love, Recipes

Love, Thanksgiving, and Cherry Pie

November 13, 2014November 6, 2017by hcfwomenLeave a Comment

Last Thanksgiving began with the unmistakable sound of shattering glass. We had just arrived at my in-laws and when I opened the rear passenger door to our car, I watched helplessly as the coconut cream pie I had made slid out and crashed onto the pavement. Thus began a holiday that turned out opposite of what I had expected.

My husband and I are both from Plainview and have most of our family still there. We have a big lunch with his side and then turn around and have a big dinner with mine. We really have to pace ourselves so as not to end up in a food coma by the end of the day! The in-law lunch went by rather smoothly except for my pie debacle, but my family dinner was not the usual. We headed to my aunt’s house where—come to find out—the stomach bug had started to make the rounds. My parents only joined us for dinner for a very short time because they took food to Momo (my Dad’s mom) who was very ill. Then to cap off the night, while driving back to Lubbock, my kids whined about how they were hungry because they wouldn’t stop playing long enough to eat.

Expectations can be a slippery slope. If rigid and unrealistic, they can prevent you from experiencing all God has to offer. I often find myself building up in my head how special occasions, especially holidays, should look. Then as I go to bed that night and reflect on the day, I battle the disappointment of things not meeting my lofty expectations. If I’m not careful, I will find myself blinded to the love happening in precious moments that aren’t found within “the plan.”

We live in a time where social media, if we let it, can add to our unrealistic expectations. Rather that being inspired by Pinterest or celebrating one another’s accomplishments seen on Facebook, we feel inadequate in our own experience and start adding things to our check list to make it “better.” Great is the temptation to compare our journey with others.

My husband and I teach our boys that we have two main rules in our house: love God and love people. Everything else is simply a subcategory of these commandments that Jesus gave to us. As I am instilling these into my children, I am attempting to embrace them for myself. These are the only expectations I want to have for the upcoming holidays. My hope is that I am able to roll with the punches that life can throw at me, but still graciously honor my Father and those around me by laying down my life and plans.

My parents were my greatest example of this last Thanksgiving. As I said before, they were only at dinner for a very short time. They made a plate for my grandmother, even though she had to be coaxed to eat even a few bites. She was at home, where in the last month she had stayed, because of some unsteadiness and a severe fall. Momo’s health was suddenly going downhill fast. I watched as my parents selflessly jumped in to help her. That night my parents physically cared for her when she couldn’t care for herself. In the days and weeks to follow, my parents relentlessly served Momo with grace and love—allowing her to spend her final days with dignity, honor, and compassion.

This, for me, was truly a picture of loving God and loving people. As I look at last Thanksgiving, I am able to laugh off the splattered pie and late-night hungry kids in light of witnessing the beauty of my Mom and Dad walking out God’s commands.

Maybe you are dreading the family drama that seems to inevitably happen when your family gets together. Maybe you find yourself having to work and be separated from those you love most, or maybe you have a sick little one this year. Whatever our holidays look like, I pray that the things that can bring us down would pale in comparison to loving and serving our Creator and those around us.

At the end of the day, my Thanksgiving will look different than yours, because it is uniquely mine. But what is the same—what we all have in common—is a God who loves us and gives us the ability and choice to love those around us. So I embrace my Thanksgiving in all its distinctive qualities (and celebrate you in yours), and I rejoice in the beauty of what we all have in common through our God.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

My passion for baking and creating desserts began with my grandmother. The following recipe is a favorite of my family’s that she would make for the holidays. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Momo’s Cherry Pie

Ingredients
3/4c sugar
1/4c flour
16oz. can red, tart cherries packed in water
Pinch of salt
2 TBS Cold butter
9 inch double pie crust
Ground cinnamon

Separate the juice from the cherries and place in a saucepan. Add sugar, flour and salt and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until juice turns clear and sugar is dissolved.

Place cherries in uncooked, prepared pie crust. Cut butter into small chunks and dot cherries with them. Pour cherry juice mixture over cherries. Cover with top crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then lower temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 30 minutes or just until browned.

*For added texture you can swap out the top crust for a streusel topping.
1/3c sugar
1/4c brown sugar
1/2c + 2TBS flour
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2c COLD butter cut into pieces

Combine all ingredients except for butter in a bowl. Add butter and using a pastry cutter or your hands, mash until the butter is the size of small peas. Sprinkle over the top of the pie and bake as directed.

This post was written by Meredith Riddle.

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Fruitfulness

Honoring Your Season

September 17, 2014September 5, 2016by hcfwomen2 Comments

Two years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a strong impression that the Lord had something to speak to my heart. As I lay in bed, I let my walls down and quietly allowed God to speak to an area of insecurity I had been carrying from season to season. In my heart, I saw a woman in a dark corner with her knees hugging her chest, grasping something tightly in her hands. As I came closer to see what she was hiding, she opened her hands and let a little light come streaming out, but quickly covered it—as if afraid to brighten the dark room with the light’s beauty. I quickly realized the woman in the corner was me.

How many times has God given me the opportunity to let my talents, gifts, and character shine, but the weight of all my insecurities cover them up—refusing to let others and myself experience all God has given me to offer? Too many times to count. I was then burdened with the thought that I was not alone in this war within. How many other women find themselves in the same internal struggle?

A few years ago, I heard a great message from Crystal Quebe about honor. She spoke on how dishonoring something means to treat as common. I soon realized that allowing my insecurities to hinder what God was wanting me to bring out in others was nothing less than dishonoring the season God had given me to cultivate.

You see, each and every one of us is in a season created just for us. You may be the young girl struggling with the transition into college, or the twenty-something newlywed trying desperately to find your role as a wife. You could be a woman like me, scared of what is to come with motherhood approaching, or the empty nester not knowing what to do with your spare time. We have a choice to make. We can choose to dishonor this season and become the woman in the corner, refusing to let others see this beautiful light, or we can decide to uncover the stream of light. This not only affects you, but it can pour in the lives of other women.

Roman 8:19-22 talks about the idea that creation is waiting in eager expectation for the sons and daughters to be revealed. I would bet there are a few women in your circle who are eagerly waiting for you to step up to the plate and reveal the uniqueness of your season that God has given you to let shine. Choose today to not let your insecurity trample this season; choose to see God has created you for such a time as this.

I am reminded of all the women in my life who have bravely accepted this challenge to honor their season. Thank you, Kristen Wright, for showing me that with four kids, you can still have fun and not take yourself so seriously, so you can join in the laughter. Angie Dickson, for opening your home to me and Cameron when you didn’t have to. Meredith Riddle, for teaching me that you can cook for fifteen plus people and still be a humble wife and mom. Or Crystal Quebe, who chose to let a young girl come into her home to simply fold laundry: you taught me at a young age how to keep a home. Most of these tasks for these women were nothing big or out of the ordinary in their everyday life, but their choosing to honor their season not only impacted their life, but gave me the opportunity to change mine. When we let our light shine, it allows others to do the same.

This post was written by Madi Mikael.