Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

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Keep Moving Forward

January 28, 2022 by Ellen 2 Comments

Winter finally rolled into the south – with a vengeance! It was bone chilling cold, windy and dreary. The sun refused to peek out, even for a minute. The day was a burrow-under-the-warm-blanket kind of day. With a good book.

Sadly, I hadn’t exercised in days, and my body was letting me know. The aches and pains of being a slug were screaming at me. Off to the treadmill I went. 

Opting for the high intensity interval program, I started off walking at a snail’s pace. So, I upped the speed. A few minutes later, I realized my mistake: increasing the speed at the beginning, also increased it for the full workout. I was actually having to run instead of simply walking briskly. Horrors!! I couldn’t catch my breath. I was ready to quit and crawl back under my warm blanket.

Suddenly, in my flailing run, my arm hit the emergency cord and pulled it out of it’s socket. The treadmill stopped. Finally!  Exercise is hard work, and I was tired. Now was my chance! I could stop.

Or, I could keep moving forward. 

My spiritual walk can be like that at times. I childishly think I’ve served enough. Shouldn’t the younger folks take over now? Can’t I just be a pew sitter again? I obstinately will not sprout and grow, opting to hide underground instead. I just want to coast.

It isn’t just me. I think we all go through those times of spiritual laziness, when we just don’t want to move. We’re comfortable. We’re lazy. We’re slothful.

Scripture warns us against against this:

   “so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:12 ESV

Sluggish means lazy, slothful, slow and apathetic. It’s as dangerous in our walk as being lukewarm or spiritually fatigued. Maybe even more so, because it’s a choice we make. That day on the treadmill, I chose to continue. I was taking care of my physical health. 

On the other hand, when we choose spiritual sluggishness, we become stagnant. We’re not moving forward in our walk with Jesus. We’re remaining immature. 

How do we avoid becoming sluggish? Well, it isn’t about adding more to our spiritual to do list. It isn’t about doing at all. It’s about becoming. 

The author of the book of Hebrews was encouraging the recipients of the letter to continue to grow and progress in their faith, to persevere until the end. How?

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” Hebrews 6:11 ESV

Earnestness, or diligence is used in this verse to infer moving toward something. We grow and progress forward in our faith by moving toward Jesus. The closer we get to Jesus, the more we are being transformed into His image. We become spiritually mature and heavenly minded. Through faith and patience, we inherit God’s promises.

God will carry us along to maturity. But as believers, we also have to do our part. We have to put one foot in front of the other to move forward, not back. Becoming spiritually stronger, we’ll be able to stay the course and finish the race God set before us.

-What hinders your spiritual growth?

-What can you do to continue to move forward?

-Are you moving from spiritual milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:12, 1 Peter 2:2)?

 

 

 

We become what we behold.  ~William Blake

Until next time,

Ellen

Do you know Jesus?

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The Love Language of Cooking

August 26, 2021 by Ellen Leave a Comment

Today’s guest writer is my friend Mitzi Neely from Peacefully Imperfect. I love how Mitzi weaves tales of love and faith in with her oh, so good recipes! AND: We are “twinsies” who share the same birthday! Enjoy!

As a little girl, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. Besides telling stories and sharing giggles, much of what we did was centered around faith, family, and food. My sister and I used to say that our school cafeteria would have the best food in the world if our grandmothers were the chief cooks! Can I get an amen? 

As I reflect on my time with them, I remember my grandparents as a great source of joy. They lived simple, productive lives and were strong people, rooted in Jesus. They distanced themselves from drama. They were frugal and didn’t spend what they didn’t have. And they loved their family and their neighbors. 

Those time-honored qualities are laced in legacy. My grands may have had less on the material side of things than some, but the formula for creating a godly family was more important. With each one, it was always God first, family second, job third, and so on. They possessed beautiful, giving hearts and had spirits to match. More than anything, I saw them model extraordinary love and kindness to everyone they met. I’m thankful for their influence in my life.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Some of my earliest memories in the kitchen were helping my grandmothers make a dewberry cobbler, banana pudding, or meatloaf. Along with my mom and mother-in-law, they had a huge influence on my life, both in the kitchen and as a wife and mother. They were models for Christ-like living, savored the family unit, and taught me that cooking was more than combining ingredients. For me, cooking is a language of love, an act of service, and a space to create comfort on any given day.

Photo by James Besser on Unsplash

I am an avid cook who loves to bring joy to others through a good meal. I appreciate my time in the kitchen and consider it a sanctuary to restore, refresh, and refuel my soul. When it’s filled with the hustle and bustle of family and friends, it’s the perfect place for genuine fellowship where memories are created and time treasured.  

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash 

As a way of sharing those memories, I am pleased to announce a new project, Zizi’s Kitchen, to be published in late October 2021. Zizi’s Kitchen was designed to help you create your own special moments around your table. It’s a place where hearts gather in faith-full fellowship alongside amazing recipes to build lasting memories with those you treasure most. I pray you enjoy your time together and whisper your thanks to God for His abundant love and unfailing promises. 

Blessings to you, 

Mitzi 

To speak her Love Language to us, Mitzi is sharing one of her favorite recipes! Enjoy!

PARTY POTATOES

1 bag 32 oz. Southern Style Hashbrowns (little cubes, not shredded)

1 pint whipping cream

2-3 cups Colby/Monterey Jack grated cheese 

Salt and pepper

Parsley

1 1/2 sticks melted margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 casserole with Pam on bottom and sides of dish. 

Place potatoes in dish; pour whipping cream over top of potatoes; sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes, and grated cheese. Pour melted margarine over cheese and sprinkle with parsley. 

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes covered; cook uncovered for another 30-45 minutes until done. 

Absolutely delicious! Always requested! Subject to rave reviews! ENJOY!

Mitzi Neely is known for encouraging and inspiring people of all ages through her teachings on grace, love, joy, and peace.

Her primary goal is to use her gifts and talents as God leads, always waiting patiently before turning to the right or to the left, listening for His voice saying “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Mitzi’s heart is to lighten your load, while conveying her message that nobody’s perfect. Her desire when she speaks, sings, creates, or instructs is honesty and transparency, such that God receives glory and honor. She is the founder and ministry leader of Peacefully Imperfect and is the author of A Thankful Heart: 30 Days to the Grateful Life, Dwell in the Psalms, and JOY for Everyday Life. Mitzi is also the assistant superintendent of an East Texas school district.

She and her husband, Jerry reside in Longview and enjoy their family and friends when they aren’t working on the farm or tending to school.

Follow Mitzi at peacefullyimperfect.net because the joy of the journey is learning His word together.

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Torrential rains had been pelting us for weeks. With the rains came weeds growing tall in the flower beds. But I noticed other new growth, too. It wasn’t colorful flowers. It was teeny, tiny little oak trees! Squirrels had been working hard, burying food for later. The rains had soaked and softened … Read More...

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