- 2 min read
Hi Friends!
I don't know about your weather, but here in Florida it's in the 90's and we have a rain storm almost every afternoon! It's like living in a sauna! Definitely too hot to turn on the stove or the oven in the kitchen and Rick says it's too hot to grill! So, what's a girl to do??? I'm making Gazpacho! Now some might say that cold soup isn't good but I hope you try it! It's really delicious! Think of it as a very finely chopped salad!
It's a very easy recipe to do. Just find your veggies rinse and chop them up, add the seasonings and let it marinade for a few hours or overnight. It's good for several days in the fridge and makes a healthy snack for those mid-afternoon cravings! I hope you enjoy it. Remember that you can adjust amounts and type of veggies depending on what your favorites are!
Gazpacho
10-12 large servings
Ingredients: 1 orange bell pepper remove seeds and pith from center 1 yellow bell pepper remove seeds and pith from center ½ cup chopped chives 3 cloves minced garlic 3 chopped cucumbers 1 chopped red onion 6 large chopped tomatoes seeded Hot sauce to taste ¾ tsp. black pepper 2-3 tsp salt ½ cup olive oil ¾ cup red wine vinegar 4-6 cups tomato juice
Chop all veggies finely, add the rest of the ingredients, seasoning to taste. You can leave it like this, or use a stick blender to mince it up more but not too smooth. Refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight to meld the flavors. Precooked baby shrimp is delicious mixed in if you want some protein! Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro to make it pretty
Hey Friends! June 2024 was FUN Month!
My book was published! My website was launched! And despite Rick’s looming back surgery we were able to take our family on an Alaskan Cruise!
Incomparable and Uniquely Worthy is a fresh and freeing look at the Proverbs 31 Woman. It was a labor of love, obedience and faith that God just wouldn’t let me quit on. It took over two years to finish this story of my journey with Jesus. But I’m praying that God uses it to bless lives and bring glory to His Kingdom. It’s available on Amazon. Let me know what you think. I always appreciate any feedback and a shoutout on Amazon!
My website, cherivarner.com is a work in progress but my friend Mandie is amazing at what she does! I am the one holding her back! She has been a Godsend for me getting it all up and running is a short time frame. If you need a web site or someone to help you manage it, send me an email at cheri@cherivarner.com! I’ll be happy to forward it to Mandie!
The biggest and most fun thing in June was our family cruise to Alaska. It was amazing! Beautiful, untouched wilderness with amazing views of snowcapped mountains meeting the sea! Waterfalls, rivers, glaciers and animals that we never see in Florida! Moose, bears, orcas, beluga whales! And that is just the edge of the land! There are millions of acres of totally untouched wilderness! The people there are resilient! They make the most of the four months between May and September when the sun shines all the time! In this short productive season, they creatively and industriously stock up for the months of darkness and bitter cold. Lots of people are only there for the sweet spring and summer months but some of them live there all year. It was amazing to talk with them about how and why they choose this particular life. Some know nothing else and love the dark months as much as the summer! Young adults told me of how much fun it is during the Holidays.
They stick together, help each other and live in community where the light of love and friendship shines brighter in the darkness.
The family time we had with our kids was something we will cherish. It was the first time in years that we all were together for any length of time. Sure, there was some drama when communication was dropped. The hurt feelings are something we have to work on. But overall, I call it a success! We laughed together, shared meals and drinks together! We saw beautiful country and made some wonderful memories. Was it perfect? No, flights were late or rescheduled, cabins were smaller than expected and some of the plans just didn’t work. But, will we try to do it again? I hope so!
What did I learn about myself?
I need to let things go and not try to control everything. Most of the drama that happened was me trying to create the perfect moment! I don’t need to “mother” my adult children. I need to appreciate that they took time from their busy lives and used their vacation time to come on this vacation. They do very well without me telling them what to do! When I let that go, I was able to see what great people they are and what wonderful people they have chosen to do life with!
That is the best blessing. We spent time together and were able to make those memories! God was so Good to us! HE is Good! All the time!
Love you all!
- 3 min read
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope you are settling into your week after a great Independence Day Weekend!
I attend The Church of Eleven 22 in Jacksonville, Florida. We have been studying the Book of Galatians for the last few months and it has been a roller coaster of thinking through and challenging myself to live it out every day. Galatians was written by Paul to a church of new gentile believers who were being taught things that weren’t true. They were being told that it wasn’t enough to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Savior who lived sinlessly, died and rose again providing the payment for our sins. All Jesus said we needed was to believe that and we would be saved and free. But some of the teachers in Galatia were telling people that they needed to believe but also follow the Jewish law, to the point of circumcision! Anything we add to the Gospel in essence cheapens what Christ did. We are free because Jesus did it all! Completely, finished for everyone forever! So, I didn’t have a problem with that until I started to look at how I sometimes think and walk through my life without considering the magnitude of it. The Lord has had me thinking more deeply about lots of things:
Do I act and pray and worship Him daily as if He is the only reason I’m here? Sadly, no. I sometimes just jump up and into my day with my plan in the forefront and maybe send up a few “Thanks Lord!” prayers when I get a parking spot close to the store! But He has slowed me down a little with a summer cold, and allowed family junk to creep in that reminds me that my plans, words, and concerns aren’t working! I owe God my first and best and all my heart because HE IS LORD! I can’t be free without Him. But most importantly, I am free already because I believe what He did. I only need to walk close to Him and do what He tells us to do; Study His Word, love one another, obey what He tells me to do… I am not tied to the old law or the new rules that people add to the Gospel. I am already free! Why is it that I don’t remember that?
Who gave you your internal rule book? Parents, teachers, bosses, friends, people who don’t even know you?
If Jesus is your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. The Bible is the rule book!
There is plenty to legitimately work on in there! Don’t add extra to your plate by trying to live by man’s rulebook. That one changes over the decades and depending on who is popular or in power. The Bible doesn’t change but has the power to change the World because it is filled with God’s words and thoughts. Study His Word. It is always going to lead you to true freedom. Do what God tells you to do. That work is easy if you let Him help you.
Praying for each of us this week as we meet the challenges and tasks God sets before us. Do it with Jesus. It’s so much harder and less satisfying to do it by yourself! BE FREE!
I’d love to chat with you! Send me an email! If you are local to Jacksonville, maybe we can meet for a cup of coffee?