COME AS A CHILD LESSON 153 – A BLUEPRINT FOR THE TABERNACLE

BUILD ME A SANCTUARY

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

God was still speaking to Moses on the Mountain. 

I can’t type that sentence about God speaking to Moses on the Mountain without remembering some things of my own earthly father.  When I was a young girl he spoke to me of a dream he dreamed where he was driving with my mother up a huge mountain.  When they reached the top there were some gates.  He could look beyond the gates and he saw an amazingly beautiful place; but he was told he could not enter at that time; that he must turn around and drive back home.  At that point in his dream he woke up. 

Years passed and his body became ridden with Parkinson’s disease and he was living out his last days.  He had a near-death experience during a hospital stay; but was revived.  When we first saw him after this hospital experience he was mad at all of us.  He wanted to know why we had not let him go on because he was at the gate to the beautiful Mountain again and he was about to go inside and if we had let him; he would have made it.   

He described the grass as being greener than any place he had ever seen and the water was a very vivid blue.  His eyes sparkled when he spoke.  He said the butterflies were HUGE and the flowers were amazing.  He said he did not have the proper words to describe all that he had seen and heard and felt while he was so near the place.  With all of his heart he had wanted to go inside and he was very, very sad that the doctors had revived him and brought him back down to earth again.  He always called this the trip to THE MOUNTAIN. 

When he died; we all knew; he had finally got his wish to go up on that Mountain. 

I have to wonder if Moses, on that mountain with God within the cloud of glory from Heaven, saw some of the same things that my Dad experienced in his dreams. 

One day I will know for myself.

At any rate; God was still speaking to Moses from the cloud up on the Mountain.  He told Moses to tell the Israelites to bring him an offering.  Moses was to receive the offering for God only from those with a heart that prompted them to give. 

God specifically requested that they bring gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, along with goat hair, ram skins dyed red, some other type of durable leather, acacia wood, olive oil for light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and the breastplate. 

These offerings were the things that would be needed in order to build the wilderness tabernacle.  Everything that God asked for in the offerings was used in the tabernacle later.  We will go into more detail about the significance of these individual items as we discuss the building of the tabernacle in a future lesson. 

Now where would poor ex-slaves wandering in the wilderness have accumulated such things? 

Do you remember how God told them to ask the Egyptians for things as they fled their country in haste?  Remember how the Egyptians were so anxious to see them and their plagues go away that they bribed them by giving them  going away gifts of all the items that God is now requesting? 

They had been wondering through the desert with these things in tow ever since that fateful day.  There isn’t much use for such fancy things in the desert’s daily life; but these were things of great value that the poor Israelites had probably never had the opportunity to own in their past lives as slaves.  It probably just seemed very special for them to own such items. These things might have even made them feel rich, or at least a little bit wealthy.  To have such valuable items in your possession whenever you met up with someone trading in the desert might just come in very handy.  Maybe the items gave them a sense of security.  They might have been able to trade with the merchants for things that would actually make  the rough desert life a little bit more luxurious in some way.  After all; God had given these things to them.  They had been blessed! 

So now God is asking them to bring their cherished treasures back to Him to be used in His new Tabernacle. 

Will they try to hold on to some of it? 

Will they be willing to return the things that God has blessed them with? 

If they do offer up the items; will they begrudge the requirement? 

Will they go about being cheerful givers? 

How will the people react to this strange request of God?  Moses must have pondered the same question.  At least God had instructed him to only take from those who were willing to give cheerfully from their hearts.  That would keep Moses from being the bad guy .  If they didn’t want to give; they didn’t have to.  It wasn’t a requirement.  It was simply a request from the Master of The Universe.  So Moses made himself a note to go about requesting these items as soon as he returned to camp; just as God had instructed.

After asking for these rather valuable offerings; God instructed Moses to have the people of Israel to make Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among them. 

Wow!  This was finally going to happen!

With all that has come to pass in this story, do you still remember the original request of Moses to Pharaoh? 

It was for him to let the people go so that they could go out to the wilderness and worship their God. They wanted to hold a festival for God.  God had told them to ask for this because all along God had desired to dwell with the people. 

Now God was about to make this special event begin to happen.  He was about to come down and dwell among them and make it possible for them to worship Him right there in the wilderness.  When it comes down to the facts, this was THE WHOLE POINT of the whole experience; that mankind and God might find a way to dwell together!  Yet; that little fact is often overlooked and forgotten because we humans tend to get bogged down in all the many details of the rest of the story. 

God wanted Moses to build a Sanctuary in order to make this very special event happen. God desired to benefit the people with His Holy Presence and the people needed a place to meet with him!  He commanded that a Tabernacle be built so that they would know about and have a place from which to offer their prayers and sacrifices. It was to be that special place where the people could meet with God, and God could be among the people.  

Please understand what is happening here.  God did not need people……God was just acutely aware that people needed Him!  God was making provision for the needs of the people to be met.  In order to be able to train themselves in the ways in which they should live, they needed guidance and direction from a Holy God.  He was coming down from the clouds of heaven in order to greet them IN PERSON. 

This new Tabernacle was to become the symbol of God’s Presence being among them.  It would be a visual reminder to them every day of the bond that was formed between God and the people at Mt. Sinai by the Covenant that was agreed to among both parties. 

Once the wilderness tabernacle was built, the people traveled in formation with the tabernacle always in the very center of that formation.  Each tribe could look out and see the tabernacle from their tent door as they camped.  This helped Israel to recognize the fact that God wasn’t just up there on Mt. Sinai, but He traveled and moved among them as they journeyed through the wilderness.  He would be willing to go anywhere that He was taking them.  They were not alone!  Their God was always right there with them!  They did not have to experience His Presence there on the Mountain then leave it behind.  He dwelled within their camp and by moving the tabernacle they literally took Him with them everywhere that they went. 

Just as God had Moses very busy preparing a Sanctuary back in those days; so it is with us now, even in modern days.  All of those who desire to know God prepare and build a sanctuary within their hearts.  This is a place for God to dwell with us wherever we go and whatever we do.  God is still saying those words to us today:  “Make me a sanctuary.” 

How are we responding? 

Do we long for God’s Presence to be ever with us, or are we doing things and going places we would not want God to know about?      

Do you understand the true definition of the word sanctuary?  In the Old Testament the word used is translated “miqdas.”  This means “tabernacle;” which is defined as “the holy dwelling place of God.”    

Do you get the idea that God was leaving heaven and coming to dwell among men? 

The making of the wilderness tabernacle was the beginning of such an astounding miracle.  It was the first step toward the salvation of mankind.

God kept instructing Moses about the making of this tabernacle.  He gave Moses specific details for all of its furnishings.  God was very detailed in his instructions for everything and God expressed that Moses was to make it all exactly like the patterns that God showed him while he was on the Mountain.  Nothing was to be changed or altered from God’s original design.

So let’s think about what is happening here.  When God asked for the offering from the people it was pretty specific in how it was to be given.  Moses was to ask for specific offerings then receive them from those whose hearts prompted them to give. 

Notice that God didn’t want anything that wasn’t from the heart!  If you were going to give grudgingly and hold back; God wasn’t really interested in your offering.  He only wanted what was given from cheerful givers. 

When you bring an offering to God today; is it with your whole heart? 

Do you give cheerfully or are you just following the rules or going along with the crowd in order not to be embarrassed and appear to be greedy? 

Do you give to be giving back to God, or do you give thinking that God will reward you in some way?  Just what are your intentions and motivations?

Are you GIVING or are you trying to barter?  There is a difference you know.  A giver expects nothing in return.  A giver’s offering is his GIFT.  He isn’t selling or loaning; he is giving away from what possessions he actually owns. 

And what do we really own anyway?  What are the possessions that we to bring to God now that Jesus has saved us and there is no need for an animal sacrifice? 

We can bring money for the operation of God’s work on earth, and sometimes that money actually gets put where it needs to go.  Sometimes, some things are done with monetary offerings that actually are good and they are for things that build and grow the Kingdom of God!  Yet; there is no guarantee that your money will go forth and do what you intend it to do when you offered it up as an offering; still, you can try.  There is nothing wrong with offering money for God’s work to be carried out; after all it is God's money anyway, He has just left it in our care for awhile.  None of it REALLY belongs to us; but God allows us to be blessed.  We can give back a portion for God's work on earth; it is very necessary and needed; but the MAIN thing that you have to offer to God and the one thing that you have more control over than anything else is your own body. 

You have this temporary dwelling (a living, walking, breathing tabernacle) that God can come and lodge within.  You have a place that is temporary that you can offer for God to stay as He  desires to be with and live among His people on this earth. 

Offer God your body first; for that is your sanctuary. 

That is the very thing that God is asking of you; He is saying to you just as He said to Moses; “Make me a Sanctuary!” 

Once your whole body belongs to God as a sanctuary; the other offerings come as natural as He directs from within.  Just do what He is prompting you to do whenever He prompts you to do it. 

Listen to HIM; not mankind. 

Do what HE says; not what your neighbor tells you to do. 

Like the people of Israel followed the Cloud of Glory to the next place, let that voice from within your body speak to you of where God wants you to go and what God wants you to do. 

Moses led Israel to build a literal tabernacle; but now we are led by Jesus Christ to build a spiritual tabernacle; or in other words; a sanctuary that is not made with hands.  It is through the offering of our bodies as living sacrifices that God becomes visible and manifests Himself into the world.  Jesus had the only perfect sacrifice; but it was the offering of his body that made our bodies acceptable as tabernacles; and/or living sacrifices.  It is through what we do with our bodies that others begin to see God living through us. 

The apostle Paul said it well:  “Do you not know that your body is the Temple of God and you have been bought with a price and you are not your own?  (1 Cor. 6:19)  Paul directs us to “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice acceptable unto him which is your spiritual worship.”  (Romans 12:1`).  It is through the bodies of God’s people that He expresses Himself to the world. 

Because God lives and resides within the bodies of His people, they have access to “the secret place.”  “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High God shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.” (Psalm 91)  

God’s tabernacle, His Holy Temple, His Dwelling Place today is within the hearts of His people.  They carry God with them where ever they go, whether it is in congregational worship or out to one of the lost corners of the earth.  God will be there; in His Sanctuary!  We can count on that; just as the Israelites could count on Him leading them from the wilderness tabernacle.

PEN ART - REMEMBERING THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 Can't you just imagine lovely Ruth gleaning in the fields at the end of the barley harvest?  It is hot, tiring work, but she toils on, not allowing herself to become discouraged in her pitiful circumstances.  She, a widowed, destitute, lady who once reigned as a Moabite Princess, is out trying to find food to sustain her Mother-In-Law and herself.  She doesn't beg, she doesn't resort to breaking the law; she works!  She knows the work she can do will not bring her extra or money for her future security, but she goes out anyway, accepting what is sufficient to get them through a day, and working very hard for this little amount.  There is a sense that she is grateful for everything that The Lord provides.  How refreshing to see someone rising above mediocrity in the midst of troubles.   She has followed her Mother-In-Law to this strange new land with very different ways and customs.  She is a stranger and very much alone.   She meets Boaz, who has instructed his workers to let her gather barley from the leftovers of his field. 

It was the season of harvesting, when Ruth arrived in Bethlehem.  The long wait for the grain to grow was over, and it had grown into a field of plenty.  Boaz's crops were flourishing, much to his delight.  Growing barley, or any crop is never certain.  You never know the results of your farming until the harvest comes.   It is hard to see the growth of a harvest when the seeds are first put into the ground and the roots are just forming beneath the soil.  The whole growing process is unnoticed and unseen, but much is going on all the time; it just isn't visible.  Sometimes you just have to wait.  During this process the fields look empty and barren, even though there is life just waiting to spring forth, unknown and undetected. There are plants wanting to stretch through to the light, but they are unable to do so until the proper time has come.  So it was with the fields and so it was with the life of Ruth. 

It certainly seemed her life had become empty and barren.  She could not see the blessings that lay waiting in her future.  She had forsaken all she knew (the life of a royal princess) for a husband that she loved from another land.  She had left her home and customs and former religious beliefs to go with him, to  be a part of his home and his family, and had made the huge decision to worship his God, whom she previously had not known.   Even though she met Naomi's son in her own land, Ruth would have still been required to convert to the religion of her husband, who was Jewish.  It is this little fact that gives us our first glimpse into Ruth's strong character.   She did not just go through the process of conversion for the sake of the marriage certificate.  Ruth's sister-in-law seemed to be a lot less concerned about the sincerity of her vows, and she quickly left them behind after the death of her husband, but not Ruth.  Ruth was different.  Ruth believed in truth and honesty and loyalty.  Ruth truly converted deep in her heart.  Her love for The God of Israel was sincere and genuine.  She knew she had found something real.  When the hard times came she did not look back, and she never regretted her decision, even when life became very difficult.   She looked faithfully at the example that her Mother-In-Law, Naomi, lived out before her, and she became completely Jewish too. 

Though Ruth had given all, her husband died, leaving her with nothing.    She found herself widowed, childless, poor and destitute.  She left Moab and followed her Mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem.  This was the land of Naomi’s birth.  In Bethlehem Ruth met the family Kinsman Redeemer; Boaz. In those days it was the duty of the Kinsman Redeemer to look after the whole family, especially the ones left behind when someone in the family died.  Three men in the family had died, Naomi's husband, Ruth's husband and Naomi's other son.  It was natural for Boaz to show his concern and look after Naomi and Ruth, but in this case, the feelings went deeper than concern.  While Ruth was in the process of gathering in the fields of Boaz, he saw her and fell in love with her.  He tells his workers to be sure to leave plenty of barley for her to gather.  He looked after her needs and protected her from harm.  He had her best interest in mind always, even to the point of considering that she might not even be interested in him as a husband.  Many think he was much older than Ruth.  When Ruth showed her interest in him; he took every action to make sure that her best interests were served, and not his own.

 In that day, it was the proper behavior of a servant to lay at their master’s feet in order to be ready for any command of the master.   So, when Naomi told Ruth to  lie down at Boaz’s feet as he slept on the threshing floor, she was instructing Ruth to go to Boaz in a totally humble, submissive way.  She was instructing Ruth to have the heart of a servant.  We can't  lose sight of the larger picture here, Ruth came to claim a right, the right of a Kinsman Redeemer. By law Boaz was her goel, her kinsman-redeemer, and she had the right to expect him to marry her and raise up a family to perpetuate the name of Elimelech (her former Father-In-Law, since Naomi was beyond the years of bearing a child).  This was customary for the time.  Wise Naomi counseled Ruth not to go to Boaz as a victim demanding her rights, but as a humble servant, trusting in the goodness of her kinsman-redeemer. Her humble attitude and actions said to Boaz, “I respect you, I trust you, and I put my fate in your hands.”

In those days many farmers lost their harvest to groups of thieves roaming the hills and randomly robbing the land.  There were big parties with dancing and festivals around the harvest, so the time was very public and never a secret.  Everyone knew that your fields were being gathered in.   Boaz was sleeping on the threshing floor that night in order to protect the harvest.  He was guarding it from thieves.  As instructed by Naomi, Ruth came softly in and lay down quietly at his feet, in the role of a servant.  He did not hear her approach, and was surprised to find her there upon awakening at midnight.  The words of Ruth as she spoke to him upon being found there were "take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."  She shows great humility and submission with these words, calling herself a servant.  The words "under your wing" could be interpreted to be a request for Boaz to take her in marriage.  This Hebrew phrase is many times also translated as "spread the corner of your garment over me."   The custom of the spreading of a skirt over a widow as a way of claiming her as a wife is attested many times under the ancient laws.  This practice still exists today in some places of Arabia.  Even in our modern world, when a Jewish man marries a woman, he throws the skirt, or end of his talit, over her and this signifies that he has taken her under his protection.

God used the same phrase in relation to Israel in Ezekiel 16:8:  "I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness.  Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you and you became Mine, says the LORD God." 

 So Ruth's words to Boaz were just a culturally relevant way to say "I am a widow, take me as your wife."  The fact that he was a close relative made this not an inappropriate thing for her to do.  It was bold, but not inappropriate.  Ruth understood this as she identified Boaz as her "close relative." 

This is the frightening moment when we find out that even though Boaz was a recognized goel (kinsman redeemer) towards Ruth, there was another goel closer in relation to her deceased father-in-law Elimelech. So, Boaz could not exercise his right as kinsman-redeemer unless this closer kinsman-redeemer relinquished his rights towards Ruth.  Boaz told her of this, being a man of honor who wanted everything done in order and in a proper way.  He did not send her home empty handed.  He gave her six measures of barley to take home while she waited on him to confirm the answer to her request. 

 Jewish traditions say that the six measures of barley given as a gift to Ruth were a sign of six pious men who would descend from her, endowed with six spiritual gifts: David, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and The Messiah.  I very much see this "gift" of six measures of barley from Boaz to Ruth as being symbolic of Jesus sending the Holy Spirit.  It is a lovely picture, but on with our love story........

Remember in the history of the Jewish people, during the days of Joshua, when Israel came into the Promised Land  the land was divided among all the tribes and then among the families. God always intended that the land stay within those same tribes and those same family groups, so the land could never permanently be sold. Every fifty years, the land had to be returned to the original family group (Leviticus 25:8-17.)  But fifty years is a long time. So God made provision for the land that was “sold,” that it might be redeemed back to the family by the kinsman-redeemer, who had the responsibility to protect the people, property, and posterity of the whole family.  This is why it was important for Boaz to contact the closest Kinsman-Redeemer.   

Boaz went to the gates of the city where business was always conducted seeking this closest kinsman to determine if he would want to make this redemption of Naomi's property.  Of course the man wanted to redeem the land, but then he found out it was a package deal.  To redeem the property would mean he must also marry Ruth and bear children to honor her deceased husband's and father-in-law's name.  He was not interested in this, probably because he already had children and was already married.  To take Ruth as his wife would complicate things and mean that he would need to distribute any of his current wealth to her children as well as to his present wife's children.  This did not appeal to him.  It would have weakened his fortune, not increased it.  He would have had more people to look after as well.  Boaz, of course, was elated!  It was the answer he had hoped for.  Right there at the gate, in the witness of many, Boaz redeemed the property and claimed Ruth as his wife.  And all the elders and all the people who were at the gate blessed the marriage.  They said:  "We are witnesses.  The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.  May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."  This was saying so much more than you may have read into it!  Rachael and Leah had twelve children between them and basically gave birth to the whole nation of Israel! This was quite a blessing declared over their marriage!

Originally, in the eyes of the world, Ruth seemed to be giving up on her best chance of marriage by leaving her native land of Moab and giving her heart and life to the God of Israel. But as Ruth put God first, He brought her to a relationship greater than she could have ever imagined. 

To Boaz and Ruth was born Obed.  To Obed was born Jesse.  To Jesse was born David.

David grew up to be the great King of Israel.  King David has a descendant by the name of Jesus!

How could they have known at the time that Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem, that their journey would have been the act that set in motion the future reason for Joseph and Mary having to go to Bethlehem to register in the census at the birth of Christ.  It was the city of their ancestor, David.   From Ruth and Boaz's story comes the reason why Jesus was born in Bethlehem.   From Jesus being born in Bethlehem, comes the redemption of the Church and The Bride of Christ! 

This beautiful love story tells us in a million different ways  how  God’s plan is perfect and filled with love.  It speaks to us during those times when we can’t figure out what He is doing and everything seems to be so desperate.  The story tells us clearly that He still knows what He is doing. We are once again reminded of that famous scripture passage:  "all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28.) 

How clearly the story paints the picture of Jesus as our kinsman-redeemer.  We can see this is why He became a man and came to live among us on this earth. God might have sent an angel to save us, but the angel would not have been our kinsman. Jesus, in His eternal glory, without the addition of humanity to His divine nature might have saved us, but He would not have been our kinsman. A great prophet or priest might have been our kinsman, but his own sin would have disqualified him as our redeemer. Only Jesus, the eternal God who added humanity to His eternal deity, can be both the kinsman and the redeemer for mankind! 
 

We clearly see this picture of the nature of our Savior when we look at Boaz.  We can also see a picture of the church when we look at Ruth and Naomi's other daughter-in-law.  Ruth symbolizes the truly converted in the church, the True Bride of Christ.  Think of the fact that she found herself in a foreign country.  We know and are constantly reminded in the church by true men of God that we are all just pilgrims here on earth, just passing through.  This land is not our true home.  But while in a foreign country, Ruth found Boaz.  Just as we, even on this earth have found Jesus Christ, our own faithful Kinsman Redeemer.  He came to us when we were broken, tired, destitute, and He called us to become his followers.  

We, the true Church of Jesus Christ have humbly submitted our lives to Jesus, just as Ruth lay down in the form of a servant at the feet of Boaz.  We have not demanded our rights, but His mercy and goodness have come to us as a free gift.  He has kept our best interest at all times, even to the point of death on a cross.  The true Bride of Christ comes fully converted, out of love and devotion and in submission to the Groom, not just for the marriage certificate that brings its own set of rewards, but for the love of the Groom and nothing else. 

Sadly, the church has been robbed of its own by Satan and his helpers.  They have robbed and plundered the things of God for years, just as those thieves that roamed the land and robbed the threshing floors in Bethlehem.  They have no true ownership, but they come as thieves to kill, rob, steal and destroy.  Jesus, The Good Shepherd is constantly guarding His sheep, protecting his church, and in essence; sleeping on the threshing floor of the harvest. 

If only we would go to him with that same submissive attitude of a servant's heart just as Ruth did, what wonders might we encounter?  Has the church forgotten this lesson?  Do we not realize what a Kinsman Redeemer does for us?  Are we not aware that The Groom is coming in an hour that we do not expect, perhaps the midnight hour, just as the time when Boaz awoke to find Ruth laying at his feet?  Perhaps this is symbolic of Christ returning to rapture the church.  In that time, we will be covered by His cloak and protected from harm, just as Boaz spread his garment over Ruth on the threshing floor.  

To make this totally legal, Jesus had to die on a cross, giving his life as a ransom, buying God's people back from where we foolishly sold our souls away to the slavery of sin and the rule of Satan.  Because of the sin of the first man and woman, we have been born into a world claimed by evil, ruled by Satan.  Only the price of a perfect sacrifice could change that fact for us.  Jesus paid the price to redeem us as His people, just as Boaz paid the price to redeem Ruth.  It was not for want of possessions or ownership that he paid the price.  It was a total act of selfless love and kindness. 

While Ruth was waiting on Boaz to confirm ownership and redeem her, she had the gift of the six measures of barley almost like a promise that he would return.  It kept her and sustained her while he was away attending to business, making sure that all things were in order and kept legal.  We have The Holy Spirit, bestowing spiritual gifts from God on us everyday since Pentecost, since after the time that Jesus ascended into the heavens to go and prepare a place for us.  

Jesus stands at the gates now, making intercession for us, pleading our case before The Father, preparing a place for us to live with Him, just like Boaz bought back the property originally deeded to the husband of Naomi, who would have passed it on to his heirs, one of them being Ruth's husband who had died.  Now Ruth would have a wonderful home where she could bring her mother-in-law and they could live happily ever after.  The same is true of us, as The Church, knowing that Jesus is preparing a wonderful home for us in the place where His Father lives, where we will live forever with our loved ones and true family. 

There is an exciting wedding feast being planned at the Father's House.  It is being announced at the gates, even as I write this down.  Blessings are being spoken over this very sacred marriage that will happen one day in the future.  The vows of the engagement have already been witnessed by a great cloud of witnesses.  The elders and the disciples will all  be there when this wedding happens.  They will bless the marriage and it will prosper.  From the marriage of Christ and His Bride will come the greatest Kingdom ever, it will produce the children of God and Kingdom of God that will bless heaven and earth from a New Jerusalem, coming down from Heaven to a New Earth. 

Only Jesus can make the happiest ending to the greatest love story ever told.  Every now and then I love to stop and remember that from the pages of eternity, God planned to bring Ruth and Boaz together, and thus make Bethlehem His entrance point for the coming of Jesus as our true Kinsman-Redeemer, fully God and fully man.

MONDAY WEEK NIGHT MENUS - SHEPHERD'S PIE AND BLACK EYED PEA SUCCOTOSH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Here are a few more very winter dishes to enjoy!

These recipes are designed to make week-night meal choices and planning easier and more delicious.  I call these "use every day" recipes.  They will feed a family of four, so adjust accordingly.  Most of the recipes (except the desserts) are chosen with health and nutrition in mind for week day meals.  If you are trying to watch your weight - leave off the deserts the bread and cut the cheese portions and sugar and butter in half!  Skip the potatoes.   Otherwise, enjoy making these pre-planned, nutritious and healthy menus for Winter:

MENU:  Creamy Cole Slaw, Best Buttermilk Cornbread Ever, Shepherd’s Pie, Black-Eyed Peas Succatash, Follow The Star Cookies

Salad:

CREAMY COLE SLAW

Ingredients:

1 head green cabbage finely shredded

2 large carrots finely shredded

¾ cup best quality mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons grated purple onion

2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons celery salt

Dash of salt and fresh ground pepper

1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

Directions:

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots and grated onions in a large bowl.  Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, then add to the cabbage mixture.  Mix well to combine and do a taste test for the seasoning.  Add or subtract seasonings as desired to your own taste.  When all is mixed and ready to serve, stir in one tablespoon of heavy cream.  This is the secret to making the cole slaw stay creamy.
Bread:

BEST BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD EVER

Ingredients:

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup yellow cornmeal (or white if you prefer)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar

¼ cup melted butter

1 large egg

1 -1/4 cup buttermilk

3 tsp. canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and drop the canola oil into a 12- inch cast iron skillet.  Heat for about 15 minutes until just hot; but not smoking.  Mix dry ingredients well; then mix wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix lightly until blended, but do not over-mix.  Pour cornbread mix into the hot skillet and return to oven for 20 minutes.  When the top is golden brown remove from oven and let cool until cool enough to place a plate over top of skillet and invert to remove cornbread onto the plate.

Main Dish:

SHEPHERD’S PIE

Ingredients:
1 Large Onion Quartered and Sliced

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups cooked diced roast beef

2 cups brown or beef gravy (use any beef gravy mix)

½ cup diced carrots

1 cup frozen peas, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg yolk

2 cups mashed potatoes

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; add onions.  Saute onions until tender; add diced beef, gravy, carrots and peas.  Heat through; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a baking dish.  Beat the egg yolk into potatoes and spoon potatoes over the meat and vegetables (press potatoes through a pastry tube if desired).  Bake shepherd’s pie at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until mashed potatoes are browned and gravy is bubbling. 

 Side Dish:

BLACK-EYED PEA SUCCOTOSH

Ingredients:

6 cups water

 1-1/3 cup dried black-eyed peas

1 teaspoon salt

 1 bay leaf

 ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

 1 tablespoon honey

 5 drops hot pepper sauce

 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 16-ounce package frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

½ cup finely diced red onioin

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

1/3  cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup finely diced green bell pepper

Directions:

Combine water, black-eyed peas, salt and bay leaf in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until peas are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.  Drain well; discard bay leaf.  Whisk rice vinegar, honey, and hot pepper sauce in medium bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in oil.  Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix into black-eyed pea mixture. 

 Dessert:

FOLLOW THE STAR SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

1-½ cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 Egg

2-1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 can white pre-mixed icing

Blue food coloring

Directions:

 Make the batter for this recipe the night before and leave the batter in the refrigerator overnight before baking.   Mix all ingredients except icing and food coloring and refrigerate overnight.   Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and grease a cookie sheet.     Divide dough in half.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ¼ inch.  Use 2-1/2 inch star cookie cutters dipped in flour to cut out star shapes.  Place on tray for baking.  Repeat until all dough is used up.   Bake 7 to 8 minutes until edges are slightly brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  After cooled mix blue food coloring into one half of pre-mixed icing of your choice until it is the color you desire.  Alternate colors of white and blue.  Spread on top of cooled cookies.

AN APPLE A DAY – DAY 120 IN 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE - RESOLVE TO GET ORGANIZED THIS YEAR

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

WHY NOT START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT? –  LET'S GET ORGANIZED!

If you start this new year off by being better organized, you will be amazed at the health benefits that might begin to fall into place.

Sometimes life is like this gigantic picture puzzle.  Until you group all the pieces into little piles and begin to put the pieces in the proper order you cannot get the full effect of what it means to be you!  Let's get the pieces of the puzzle of life arranged and organized into a picture that you can work with and be happy about!  It all begins with some simple little organizational tasks that anyone can do.  

Being disorganized affects more than just your immediate living environment – it also has a strong relationship with your level of health and well-being. Clutter and chaos can make us feel overwhelmed and out of control, contributing to increased levels of stress in our bodies, lives, and relationships. 

This happens to all of us from time to time; especially after the holidays just before the year changes.  Our schedules have been skewed.  Some of us have overworked instead of resting during the holidays.  Our houses are a wreck from putting up and taking down holiday decorations.  Our bodies are complaining because we have eaten lots of the wrong foods, and we often go back to the normal work schedule feeling like we need another holiday to get over the holiday!  

While we are so busy tending to important celebrations and valuable relationships; we can let our lives get pretty unorganized.  One morning we wake up and say “Why am I in such a bad mood this week?”  More than likely; it is because of the effects of living in the chaos created from the little holiday break from your normal tasks that help to keep you organized on a daily basis. 

No need to panic; just regroup! 

There are many ways to accomplish this!  We can easily get re-organized.  One place to start is to buy and use a good organizer that contains a daily calendar and a notebook.  There is an art to how to use this tool!  We will discuss this art of calendar keeping and appointment making in another article soon.  Keep reading these Friday posts for new information!  However; using a good calendar is just one of the many little things we can utilize in order to have a more organized life in the fresh new year that we have been given. 

In an effort to improve health and eliminate unnecessary stress; I hope to break down some steps for all of us for staying organized and thus eliminating stress and worry as we journey through 2017.   AN APPLE A DAY may become full of future tips on how to make this process easier, more comfortable and even a fun transition into a less stressful and more successful new year.  For right now though;  let’s just tackle the whole overall subject of organization and get a good clear picture of where we need to be headed in order to get our heads above water in this fast-paced shuffle of today’s busy world. Let’s cover the act of getting organized in general.

We truly do solve so many of our health problems when we finally decide to get ourselves in gear and really get organized:

GETTING ORGANIZED REDUCES STRESS:

Stress is widely known as one of the major contributors to chronic disease. The subtle and not-so-subtle ripple effects of stress affect your physical health, relationships, and ability to be productive in the workplace. When you eliminate oppressive clutter, you feel more in control and better able to handle the challenges that life lobs your way. You are able to act more proactively rather than reactively so that you can work more productively and make the most of the time that you are given, thus you experience lower levels of stress.

BEING ORGANIZED BOOSTS ENERGY:

Oppressive and disorganized surroundings that are in constant disarray can make one feel sluggish and unmotivated. You may feel confused, scattered, and unable to prioritize your activities if you are trying to live and work in disorganization. This constant state of psychological disorder is exhausting. When your environment is organized and free from clutter, you feel lighter, not so anxious and moody, and more able to focus on the things that really matter the most.  You gain hope for attaining other goals after you meet your first goal for organization in your day.

JUST BEING ORGANIZED CAN ACT AS A POSITIVE HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS:

Statistics show that people consume 50% more calories, fat and sodium when they eat out than when they cook at home. When you have a clean pantry, an organized kitchen, and free time in your schedule, you are better able to budget time to find healthy recipes, to do the correct grocery shopping that allows for health.  This also gives more room in your finances.  When you prepare a meal plan for the week you are relieved from compulsive eating and last minute trips to the store where you will overbuy out of emotional distress instead of good logic. This can have a direct impact on your waistline as well as your bottom line – it’s typically more affordable to dine at home on wholesome foods if you just take the time for proper planning and organization.

BEING ORGANIZED CAN IMPROVE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS:

Aside from the strain that one partner’s physical clutter can put on a romantic relationship, the lack of time management and inability to schedule necessary routine chores effectively can negatively impact relationships with friends, family, and co-workers too. Chronic lateness and missed appointments fosters frustration and resentment. By being organized, you can be on time for all of your promises and commitments to others.  You will make other people feel cared-for and loved instead of neglected, and this will come back to reward you with the same considerate attention in all of your relationships.  The old proverb holds true here:  If you want something yourself; give it away – that is a good rule for creating better relationships, but it also applies in the areas of time-management and schedule-keeping.

 

BEING ORGANIZED CAN HELP YOU TO GET MORE AND BETTER QUALITY SLEEP:

If you are disorganized, you may feel that the best way to get more out of your day is to cut back on sleep. Bad idea! The number one thing you can do to improve your health is to make sure that you get 7.5-9 hours of sleep per night. The quality and quantity of your sleep directly affects your emotional balance, productivity, and physical vitality. Being organized can help you squeeze more out of your 24 hour day while giving you peace of mind so that you can sleep longer and deeper at night.

So go ahead; take a deep breath and begin to inventory the areas of your life that need to be more organized. Keep reading AN APPLE A DAY in the coming months.  I promise to have some future articles that cover easy ways to overcome and move smoothly through life as you tackle any of the above obstacles that stand in the way of your success to a better and healthier lifestyle in the coming year. 

Today I will give you the first secret.  The first tip in getting organized is to remember to take baby steps until you develop full blown habits.  

Just look at one thing at a time and concentrate on that thing until you have mastered it; then take the next step.  Before you know it you have walked a long way toward having a healthier and happier year.

For now, just take the knowledge you already know about getting organized and put it into effect.  I promise you will be glad you did. You will begin to see immediate results, and we will build on those good results in the days to come.

Here’s wishing each of you a happier, healthier, more organized lifestyle for 2017!