Car Cheese

May 23rd, 2012 dsisler

Throughout his life, my husband’s family made food creations that reflected both Russian and German heritages. Each of these creations were welcomed and enjoyed. Some were reserved for holidays or special occasions, while others were made for everyday meals.
One creation that was made for Easter was Pashka. It is similar to cream cheese when finished, but it is filled with nuts and dried fruit and it is delicious.
However, Mason’s family made Pashka with a twist.
The recipe calls for weights to be placed on top of the mixture to press out the fluid. Instead of weights, they place one of the car tires on it to weigh it down…with the tire attached to the car. So, instead of calling this deliciousness Pashka, they called it “car cheese.”
A couple years ago, we decided to make “car cheese” for Easter. We also made sure we made it when Joy, our granddaughter, was with us so she could have fun with us.
I mixed all the ingredients together, wrapped them in cheesecloth and then into a pan. Mason jacked up the car; we placed the pan under the tire with a board on top, and then set the car down on top of the cheese.
It did exactly what it was supposed to do. The pressure of the car pressed out all of the liquid from the cheese and we enjoyed delicious “car cheese.”
Sometimes in our lives, we are put under pressure. When it happens, we can struggle with everything in our lives. All of our joy can be squeezed from us. Our patience is stretched to the limit.
But we have the assurance that God’s power is stronger than any pressure we might feel from the struggles we encounter.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Our lives are represented by the jars of clay. They are fragile, easily chipped and some might say breakable.
But through the power, the all-surpassing power of God and His Gospel, we can withstand the pressures we undergo. And like the “car cheese,” we can become better because of the pressure.
Pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and stuck down are the terms presented that we can expect to encounter. But, we have theTreasure. We can counter these encounters with the ability not to be crushed, not be in despair, not feel abandoned, and not be destroyed.
With these words of encouragement, we can face the difficult struggles of this world with confidence and power. We can survive and useful in God’s Kingdom because of what we have become through the pressure.
“Car cheese” hasn’t been made since. I really don’t know why. It was delicious. I suppose it took a lot more energy and effort than it was worth.
I’m thankful that making it through the pressures of this life is worth it all. I’m thankful for the all-surpassing power within me to do so. Bring on the pressure…with God, I can handle it.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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The Bread of Life

May 22nd, 2012 dsisler

I love bread. I come by it naturally. My Mom could eat a bread sandwich. I’ve seen her. Each evening in the hospital they would bring her a snack. One half of a turkey sandwich. I saw her take off all the turkey and eat the bread. She still won’t sit down to a kitchen table without some sort of bread being there for her enjoyment. You see, it comes quite natural to me.
Several years ago I was employed as the Hospitality and Special Events Director at my local church. There were parts of this position that I really didn’t care for, but others made this position so enjoyable. One of which was being able to lead a group of volunteers in this special ministry of hospitality.
In this role, I was to lead. To share knowledge. To engage in others’ lives. To encourage. And I did so by writing a quarterly newsletter and leading monthly meetings. These two elements were the most exciting to me.
Each monthly meeting was designed around a theme. National Gumdrop Day, Spice It Up, National “I want you to be happy” Day, National Cookie Cutter Day, and many more.
But the one I want to talk about today is National Homemade Bread Day. I’m either a little early or a little late for this one, because this day is celebrated on November 17 each year.
We talked about the importance of bread through the centuries and how it has evolved. We discussed the versatility of bread dough and how it can be used for so many purposes. And of course we chatted about Jesus calling Himself the Bread of Life in John 6:35-51.
In the church service I attended this past weekend, we sang the old hymn, Break Thou the Bread of Life. To be honest, I hadn’t heard it in years and don’t know that I ever truly read the words to this song. But what a message!
It’s not about The Lord’s Supper. It’s not just about Jesus being the Bread of Life. It’s more about allowing The Bread (Jesus) and His Word to come into our lives, make a difference, and change us. And then, we are to be “bread” to this world.
Break Thou the Bread of Life
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!
Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace, my all in all.
Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.
Oh, send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes, and make me see:
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.[i]
This hymn now has new meaning for me. I do want these very changes in my life. And I want others to see those changes. I pray that you might accept the Bread of Life and allow Him to make those same changes within you.
As November 17th comes around in 2012, we can remember not only National Homemade Bread Day, but also the changes that have come to our lives because of The Bread of Life.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

[i]Break Thou the Bread of Life, Author: Mary A. Lathbury (1877) Author (st. 3-4): Alexander Groves (1913)
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Writing

May 21st, 2012 dsisler

I read this quote recently about writing. “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” (W. Somerset Maugham) I don’t know about rules for writing a novel, but I am reading a textbook on writing and I can guarantee there are more than three rules for writing and the authors of this textbook know what the rules are.
Now I know I am not the best writer and I don’t profess to know all of the rules, but I certainly try to follow some of them.
Rules like:
1) A verb must agree with its subject.
2) Possessive Case – I must admit, this one gets me all the time. I try so hard to understand it and think I’ve done so, but then make a mistake. Apostrophe, apostrophe’s, and apostrophes’ always send me to review the rule.
3) Do not shift between active and passive voice in a sentence.
4) Punctuation enables communication with clarity and precision.
5) Sentence construction is the most fundamental tool a writer can utilize.
The list could go on and each of these rules is imperative when it comes to writing. Anything. A novel, a Bible study, or a daily devotion.
The same is true with my spiritual life. I know I don’t follow all of God’s commands. I may not even know all of them, but I do know a few and certainly try to follow what I do know.
Commands like:
1) Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
2) Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
3) Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
4) Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
5) 1 Corinthians 11:23b-26 “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took break, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
6) Ephesians 4:2-3 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
7) Ephesians 4:29-32 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
8) Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
9) Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
10) Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Again, this list could keep going, but I believe the 10 verses I’ve added lead us to the conclusion that God’s Word is filled with commands for us to follow. There is always something we can be working on to grow spiritually.
Perhaps my next step should be to figure out the three rules of writing a novel. Maybe my fourth novel will hold those elusive rules.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Work

May 20th, 2012 dsisler

I was helping Mom go through a few boxes this week and in the process found a plaque with this saying:
“It sure does make a day long when you get to work on time.”
I laughed when I read it and wondered how many people I know think this way. As I thought about my own work history, I believe I’ve tried to give my all in every position, but in reality I’m sure there were times when I didn’t give 100%.
And guess what? God has a few things to say about this topic as well.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 is where we’ll start. “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.” I know not everyone is happy in their work. But oh how much better life is when we accept it for what it is and strive to be happy doing it.
Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” We must put everything into our work because we should look at it as if we are working for God. We are serving Jesus!
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) There is something very satisfying about working with our hands. Knowing we can create or repair something should be part of our ambition.
And then in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 we see these words. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’” These words sound harsh, but they key words are “will not.” We must be willing to do what we can to make our lives better. You’ve heard it before, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”[i] 
And then there is the idea that we are to be doing good work for God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture if God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We need to be equipped by studying God’s Word and be ready and willing to do good works.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God created us to do good things in our world so that we might give praise to Him.
I’ve been unemployed for nearly two years and am still looking for a job. I look forward to the day I can once again give my all to a position. But until that time, I will give 100% to my writing and this blog. And I will be happy!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

[i]Author unknown
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Kings Island

May 19th, 2012 dsisler

I took a day off yesterday from caring for Mom. I had the opportunity to choose to do anything I wanted. So I chose to go to the local amusement park, Kings Island. It has been over 10 years since I went to the park and I always had so much fun.
We used to get Kings Island season passes for Christmas each year when we lived in this area and our family (brothers, sister, nieces, and nephews) would all gather together there. I have many fond memories of the park and today I made some new ones.
I went alone. I suppose I could have found someone to go with me, but to be honest, it was nice just to be alone…alone with thousands of my “closest” friends.
I first went to the kiddie section. I guess old habits are hard to break, but it was fun to see children enjoy the rides as much as my children did.
I rode the Racer…three times! It is my favorite roller coaster hands down. I do believe they took the old seats out and put in a new, smaller version because they were a little snug. It certainly couldn’t be that I’m a little heavier than the last time I rode the Racer.
Another favorite ride is the Viking Ship. Oh how I love it. However, my tummy wasn’t as excited as it should have been to be on this ride. I could only ride this once.
I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I’m so afraid of heights and I didn’t go near the edge, but I had to go. Just because. I took a picture from the top to prove I was there. With my stomach doing flip flops the whole time.
I sat near the water fountains for hours. Simply enjoying the sound, the sights, and the smells…
Of funnel cake and Starbucks and LaRosa’s and Skyline. Oh it was glorious!
I was at Kings Island yesterday, but I live in the King’s Kingdom daily.
The King’s Kingdom is glorious. I find joy in His Kingdom. I find love in His Kingdom. I find acceptance in His Kingdom. I find everything I need in His Kingdom.
But this Kingdom is so much more.
The King’s Kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36 says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
The King’s Kingdom is filled with light. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:10-12)
The King’s Kingdom will not be shaken. Hebrews 12:28-29 assures us, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’”
The King’s Kingdom has been promised. “Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5)
Yes, the King’s Kingdom is full of blessings for those who live in the Kingdom and love the King.
Kings Island is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. I was glad to be part of it. I hope they won’t be celebrating their 50th before I return.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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  • About Me

  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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