Chocolate-covered Cherry Cake from Stephanie Hebert (from BetterRecipes.com)

1 pkg white cake mix
1 bottle Maraschino cherries (reserve juice)
2 bars Ghirardelli chocolate
1 – 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mix cake as directed on package, substituting cherry juice for water (if not enough juice then supplement with water. Fold in cherries. Bake in a 9×13 pan as directed on package. Cool thoroughly.
 

Frosting: Melt chocolate in double boiler (or microwave.) Cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, mixing well. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until well blended. Add melted chocolate, mixing well. Spread onto cooled cake immediately after preparing. Serves 8.

For the past two years I have loved being involved in “Women in Ministry” at Reformed Theological Seminary, where my husband is a student.  I also love the community of women at UPC, and so I wanted to let you know of a great opportunity to learn and grow together this coming weekend. 

We are having a spring seminar at RTS in Oviedo this Saturday, April 26th, from 9am-1pm.  Our time will be full of great teaching by well-loved Professor Mike Glodo and two female students on the topic of “God’s Big Picture: The Bible’s One Story from Genesis to Revelation”. 

The whole cost of the seminar is only $10, which includes yummy Panera breakfast and lunch!  So, if you’re available, come alone or with a friend, and be blessed with teaching and fellowship this Saturday morning.  You can email me at hanaryman@gmail.com for more information or if you’re interested in attending!  All women are welcome!

I am a social studies teacher at a public middle school, and I love it.  My seventh graders truly bring joy to my life.  Don’t get me wrong, I do have those days, and more honestly, those students, but on the whole, I love my job. 

As you may imagine, God has taught me a lot about patience and self-control in working with 12-13 year olds, but something that He has impressed upon me even more is that in all things, He is in control. 

I struggled with my students a lot last year, and I was in a morning prayer group with some other teachers, when God reminded me that He was in control of even my class roles.  This was such basic truth that I had overlooked.  I became in awe of God’s presence over all things, and was humbled to know that I had the students I did for a reason.  The students who I struggled with, those that seemingly despised me, those that didn’t care about my class at all, and those that loved and respected me.  This changed the way I thought about each child and the way that I interacted with them.  Knowing that every last one of them was in my room for a reason made me suddenly aware of the great opportunity and responsibility I had to serve them well.  

Let this be an encouragement to you that wherever you spend your days, not only is God with you through it all, but He intentionally has you where you are.

Lumpia (egg roll) Shanghai – from Lei Copenhaver

½ lb ground pork, ½ lb shrimp, chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
1 egg
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 – 8 oz can water chestnuts
1 Tbsp corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
1 pack Lumpia wrappers (available in an Oriental store)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly except wrappers, oil and cornstarch. In a separate container, dissolve the cornstarch in water. Fill wrapper with 2 Tbsp mixture and roll tightly (3/4” in diameter.) Use dissolved cornstarch to seal the edge. Freeze. Deep fry in oil. Cut into serving pieces. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

This week we’re writing about different ways that our work is leading us and others to Christ. Like each of you reading this blog, I have a number of different jobs/roles in my life (wife, mom, Nurse Practitioner, family accountant, house cleaner, cook, etc.), but I’ll just focus on a couple today.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much being a wife and mother has taught me about the Lord, my sin, my relationship with God, my need for His help. My love for my husband and children (and their love for me) continues to teach me so much about God’s love for me as His bride and his daughter. My children’s uninhibited love for the Lord and His reality in their lives is such an example to me.

The last 5 months I’ve been working as a Nurse Practitioner in a clinic located in Walgreens. It has been a privilege to be able to treat some of our church members, as well as encourage other believers who have come to see me. I have also been struck by how lost and hurting people are without the Lord, and have been really challenged to let Christ’s love shine through me. But how does that look - does it mean inviting those who are receptive to church activities, does it mean treating my patients with dignity and care, does it mean genuinely caring about my co-workers and speaking freely but not in a pushy way about my relationship with the Lord and fellow believers? These are some of the questions I’ve been thinking of as I try to figure out what it really means to live as salt and light.

I’m really thankful for the privilege of serving in these 2 roles, and have definatly been challenged as I really try to figure out what it looks like to live as a genuine Christian in my personal and work life.