Sunday School and Breakfast

A couple of days ago I was reading through the Good Book. I've been doing a Beth Moore Study on the book of Esther and it has been great, but I was feeling bogged down in all the "study" and felt like I had gotten away from just hearing from the Word. Well, I opened up the Bible and it fell to Jonah. I thought, "Nah, Jonah is soooo 3rd grade." So, I flipped some more and came to Matthew 12. Well, what do you know, Jesus is talking it up about good ol' Jonah. So, I surrendered.

Okay, Lord, you win.

I'll read Jonah, even though I know all about this big fish vomiting him onto the shore.

Well, as we all know, His ways are incredible higher than ours and that sweet Jesus I serve had a little lesson for me in those four short chapters. If you haven't read it in a while, I encourage you to do so. Here is what the Lord spoke to me yesterday:

So, after Jonah gets swallowed he prays to God from the belly of the fish. Part of his prayer really struck me in Chapter 2,

 ⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols 
   forfeit God’s love for them. 
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise, 
   will sacrifice to you. 
What I have vowed I will make good. 
   I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”

Verse 8 is so powerful to me. I began to think about things that I've made my idols. Lately, through personal conviction and the book, Radical, I really think I've made my comfort an idol. I am so comfortable in this world. What do I sacrifice? If I feel led to give, we might not get to eat out one weekend, but is that really sacrificing?  Jesus' definition of what a true sacrifice is looks completely different than what I've defined it as. 

If you continue on through the book, Jonah becomes very angry with God because God provides things for him and then they are taken away. Jonah becomes concerned with what the Lord took, instead of focusing on the blessing that it was while he had it. Then, the Lord questions if Jonah realizes that there are people to be concerned with and not comforts that he no longer had. 

So, there is your Sunday school lesson for today. I wasn't going to share that with you, but on our way to church this morning, the radio pastor guy discussed, you guessed it, the book of Jonah! So, I thought that maybe you might get a little something out of it too.

Now for the breakfast, or dessert, whichever you want it to be:

Pumpkin Muffins

These are one of my most favorite recipes of all time, yes, it is that good! :) I first got this recipe from my dear friend Beth. The most glorious part is that it only takes TWO ingredients! You will be tempted to add eggs, or oil, maybe even water. But don't do it!! It only needs these two ingredients and you are saving your waistline a few inches if you just stick with what I'm about to tell you.

Ingredients

1 box of spice cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

Directions: Mix. Pour in greased or lined muffin tins. Cook on 350 for 16 minutes. Eat 'em up!

We have these almost every weekend from October-February. We had the most wonderful drop in temperature here the past two days (it went from 872 degrees, to 72 degrees) and it made me think about Fall. With fall comes pumpkin recipes, and that is how it all began. 

My sweet sister-in-law mixes powdered sugar and milk and drizzles that yummy mix on top of these. Also, I've taken can of premade cream cheese frosting and added pumpkin pie spice to it and spread it on top for dessert. Do what your heart desire, but make these muffins quickly! You can read the book of Jonah in the 16 minutes it takes to cook them! :) You won't regret it. 

I hope you've had a terrific Sunday!