Gluten Free Oatmeal Brownies

Now let me say right off this recipe is still full of calories but I discovered today that you can make them sugar free using Stevia in the Raw powder. They taste great with sugar or with the Stevia!

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter 
2 c. sugar, molasses or Stevia powder
4 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla or orange extract (I prefer the orange because they will taste like orange chocolate truffles)
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 c. oat flour (you can make your own in the food processor or blender!)
1/2 - 1 c. nuts (optional)

Preaheat oven to 325. Coat 9X13 pan with cooking spray or grease.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. When completely melted, remove from stove. Beat in sugar or Stevia. Add eggs & choice of extract. Beat til glossy & smooth. Add cocoa, salt, soda, cream of tartar, & oat flour. Add nuts. Put in pan and bake for exactly 30 mins. Cool slightly and cut into squares.

***Check on them after about 25 minutes. If they are pulling away from pan at edges and middle seems set then go ahead and pull them at that point instead of waiting the 30 min. They will get too hard at edges if you do not.

The Mary & Martha Point

Wow! August has been an extremely busy month! I can't believe this is my first post for the month and it is already the 22nd! So much is going on and there just hasn't been time to put thoughts into type lately. Gardening, babysitting Amelia, teaching children's church, and going to Oklahoma for Bob to candidate at a church where he had his first pastorate has been using all my computer time. Also, we had our cell service down for almost two weeks which meant having to drive up the road to make calls or send texts!!! Anyhoo, that is just a light catch up for my life.

Have been thinking lately and heard a sermon about the story of Mary and Martha. Not the one where their brother Lazarus dies but the one where Jesus comes to their house to visit. Mary sits at Jesus' feet and worships and listens while Martha is "cumbered about" doing things and making everything just right because Jesus is coming and is there. She gets upset that Mary is not helping her and even asks Jesus about it and tells him to tell Mary to help her. Jesus replies that (paraphrasing) she is too worried about the serving and that Mary has chosen to do the one thing that is needful...to choose to worship him.

I have heard lots of lessons on this passage from ladies at retreats or meetings and have heard preachers preach on it too. I think lots of applications can be made and learned from the passage. However, one thing that I think is overlooked as a point to be made and learned, that I don't think I have ever heard taught, is this...If you are going to serve and do for the Lord, then just do it. Do it with a humble and serving heart and do it heartily as to the Lord and not to impress people around you. Don't worry about what others are doing and how they are serving...Just serve!

 

It is easy to allow ourselves to get "weary in well doing" and gripe because "no one else is helping" in this area or that area. ---Been there! I believe we are all guilty of this at some point once in awhile. But this poor and prideful (yes prideful) attitude will rob us of rewards and will also create anger and bitterness in our hearts. It will also cause us to not give our 100% in the area we are serving. We may start doing with a half-hearted will and the fruit of our work will then show this half-hearted attitude. Not as much time and effort will go into cleaning, teaching, cutting the grass, or even door knocking.

In reality, scripture tells us to do all to the Glory of God and to do all heartily as to the Lord. It doesn't matter what others are doing. Just do it!! Your reward depends upon you and your attitude!