Monthly Archives: July 2014

God at Work

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Although I seem to have disappeared for two weeks, I have been very busy. The first week was the completion of the language class I was taking. I am now able to apply for a five year residency visa. The second week I was at camp. This year, attendance was down but God worked in a mighty way.

Camp

From our church, we took 5 young people and 3 leaders. One of those young men was reluctant to go as none of his friends were going this year. I convinced him that even if his friends were not able to go, camp would be good for him emotionally. He has had a tough year and I knew that hearing God’s Word exclusively for a week would be beneficial. He started out camp listening intently to what was preached and on the last night of camp, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was one of two that were saved.

Apart from the two saved, God used the counselors and preachers to work in the lives of all present. Many of the campers had been to camp before and because they knew what to expect, they were able to concentrate on what God was telling them. One young man is looking into taking Bible Institute courses as a result of God working. I have to say this has been the best camp yet. I cannot wait to see the results of His work.

Pray for the campers who made decisions this week. The society we live in is hard on people who stand up for Christ. Pray they will follow through with the decisions made and will stay faithful to God.

Faithful Recipe

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I have a few recipes that are old standbys. You know, the recipes you pull out when you need something quick? I am going to share this one with you today. It is my recipe for brownies.

Photo Credit: QuintanaRoo via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: QuintanaRoo via Compfight cc

½ c melted butter

1 c sugar

½ c cocoa

2 eggs

½ c flour

1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter on low heat. Stir in sugar and cocoa. (My brownies tend to come out better if you melt the butter then turn off the heat.) Remove from heat. Stir in eggs one at a time and then add flour and vanilla. Grease bottom of 8×8 or 6×10 pan (you can also flour it. doing so makes the brownie removal much easier.) Pour brownie mixture into pan and put in an oven heated to 350°F or 175°C. Bake for 20 minutes or until the middle is cooked through.Cool and enjoy!

These tasty treats are my go to dessert when I need something fast or when that sweet tooth strikes. Of course, you can improve on this recipe by adding chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter, etc. I hope you can use this recipe and enjoy it as I have.

On a more serious note, if you are a single person and you have a recipe or blog idea you would like to share, please contact me at servingsingle(at)gmail(dot)com or comment below. I would love to hear what is important to you as a single.

A Tool for Children’s Ministry

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One of the most useful tools I have used in children’s ministry is flannelgraph. Flannelgraph is an effective visual aid. Especially in areas where children have either never seen flannelgraph before or where it has not been used in a long time. However, this tool can be hamstrung by a poor quality set of flannelgraph materials. This is why I am sharing with you today my favorite flannelgraph set. Betty Lukens Deluxe

Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph materials are made of high quality materials. The set my mother gave me has lasted at least 20 years and is still going strong. Their Bible stories set includes all of the major stories of the Bible and many of the lesser known ones. It also comes with a teacher’s manual that includes diagrams for placement of the figures and what figures were used for the story. Their website address is:

http://www.bettylukens.com/

There are two ways of getting the sets of Bible flannelgraph. The Basic set comes with all of the figures and backgrounds but you need to cut them out. The Deluxe set comes with all of the figures cut out and all of the backgrounds mounted on heavy duty cardboard. It also comes with a filing system for the figures. The deluxe set is more expensive but the money is worth it. It saves you from having to cut out hundreds of figures and having to come up with your own filing system. Both set also come in two sizes. The large set has 12” figures and the small set has 6 ½” figures.Betty Lukens Backgrounds

The teacher’s manual come in English and in Spanish. Even if you can’t use the teacher’s manual, the flannelgraph plays well with other stories. I normally use the teacher’s manual for placement of the figures and to know what figures to use. Then I use other materials for the actual stories or even tell it my own way.

These sets are available online and as of this blog post the deluxe edition is on sale. I have worked with their customer service before. They are friendly and helpful. They even told me of a great discount for missionaries. If you are looking for a good tool that will last a long time, I suggest you look into Betty Lukens materials. I know that they have other sets available besides the complete Bible sets.

Betty Lukens did not pay me to review this material. It was reviewed of my own free will and desire to be a blessing to others. I have tried to make my information as accurate as possible but something may have changed since I wrote the post. All pictures are from their website.