Dag Hammarskjold once wrote: “When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles quiver under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish—it is then that you must not hesitate.” He was unwilling to give up; he refused to quit!

The successful life prescribed by Christ requires faithfulness until death: a hand on the plow with no looking back, steadfast perseverance; racing hard for the tape, fighting the good fight of faith. The devil loves it when we simply relax our efforts. He has a good day if we become discouraged.

There are temptations to overcome, disappointments to handle, personal sins that beset us, burdens that depress us. And Satan is standing by urging that we quit trying. But wait; Christ is present. “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3).

Someone once asked James J. Corbett, at that time heavyweight champion of the world, what was the most important thing a man must do to become a champion. He replied, “Fight one more round.” The Duke of Wellington said that the British soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo were not any braver than Napoleon’s soldiers—but they were brave for five minutes longer.

That is about it for the Christian. A secret for success is: “fight just one more round. Be brave for five more minutes.” It is the difference between defeat and victory.
(from A Treasury of Bible Illustrations)

While I know and believe there is “nothing new under the sun” I also know we can all become discouraged at times, especially when we follow the news. I have threatened many times to quit watching the news and have done so for periods of time, then I find myself wanting to know what’s going on and start watching it again. That is when I get discouraged, so when I came across this I thought it worth sharing.

I don’t want to give the devil a good day with my discouragement.

Sunday after “church” Larry, Karla and I went to lunch in Owasso at Napoli’s Italian Restaurant. We had a great visit and a great meal. We then drove on to Tulsa to visit a friend who is in the hospital.

Later in the afternoon as we were coming back into our small rural town we witnessed what could have very easily been a “Last Chance”.

Traffic was moderate to heavy in a 25 mile speed zone. Three teens, I’m guessing 14-16 years old decided to cross the street, walking South. (They did not have the right of way) The East and West traffic each had green lights so everyone was in motion. We were three cars back from the crosswalk/intersection as they defiantly walked in front of traffic. I was driving in the right hand lane and as I observed them I immediately checked my rearview mirror. In the left lane, an SUV was approaching the intersection speeding at about 35-40 mph. The teens had not seen the SUV nor had the driver of the SUV seen the teens.

It was way too close for my comfort. I was gripping the steering wheel and holding my breath as he slammed on his brakes and the teens scattered, running across the street, looking back over their shoulders in disbelief. I can assure you everyone was shook up. As a witness to the near tragedy I know the teens and the driver were scared, yet after the initial shock their attitudes were just as defiant as before. The teens acted as though they had done nothing wrong and that the driver was a nut case and the driver behaved as though he had not been careless and continued to speed on; obviously upset that the teens “inconvenienced” him.

I must admit, I don’t get it! I don’t understand the carelessness of the teens or of the driver. Do people REALLY think they are invincible? Is there such an attitude of entitlement that common sense, caution and respect aren’t even in the arena anymore?

Ten seconds of bad attitudes all around could have changed many lives that afternoon. The teens likely would have suffered permanent injuries or died, leaving behind grieving families and friends. The driver may have died as well or been charged with involuntary manslaughter and spent years in prison. I would have to wonder about the “involuntary” part though, he was deliberately speeding. Other vehicles likely would have been involved as well and regardless of that, can you imagine the images we would have been left with to witness a tragedy of that magnitude?

Poor choices and poor attitudes could have all resulted in a last chance for those teens and the driver. It certainly was a reality check for me.

What would you change today if you knew it was your “Last Chance?”

This recipe came to me several years ago from my sister-in-law Glenda Tharp. This ham is lip-smacking, mouth watering delicious. If you are not thrilled about the raisins in the sauce, just leave them out, it is still a winner. Great for a special occasion meal!

Baked Ham with Spicy Sauce

1-cup orange or pineapple juice
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. Dry mustard
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. rum extract
1 rolled boneless fully cooked ham (about 6 pounds) or 1 canned ham (about 5 pounds)
Whole cloves
½ cup raisins, plumped in boiling water
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. Cornstarch
1 tbs. water

Mix first 6 ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add 2 teaspoons rum extract. Pierce ham several times with fork and cover with marinade. Let stand 4 hours, basting occasionally with marinade. Remove ham, put on rack in roasting pan and bake in preheated slow oven (325º F.) for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and score with knife. Stud with cloves. Increase heat to 425º and bake for 30 minutes longer, basting frequently with marinade. Remove ham.

Add drained raisins and lemon juice to pan drippings. Blend cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and stir into mixture. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Add remaining 1-teaspoon rum extract. Serve sauce with ham. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Make sure oven is pre-heated or increase baking time to 1-1/2 hours.

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. Proverbs 1:32

Complacency (1. Webster’s Dictionary 2. Dictionairy.com)

1: self satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.

2. a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

All of the examples I find in the bible seem to show that prosperity is the reason for complacency. The more we have the more arrogant, prideful, indifferent, greedy and forgetful we become. The scriptures below show several examples of complacency.

We should all take some inventory and we should all have concern for each other and for the church world wide. Sometimes we focus so much on God’s love and mercy that we forget to remember his wrath and anger. Can we be in danger of loving ourselves/others into hell? Can the Word be distorted to the point that we no longer recognize sin, and if we are aware of sin have we become afraid to deal with it for fear people may quit attending? If we ignore sin in our life or in another believer’s life, will it go away and will God ignore it too? I think we all understand the answer to that question is “NO”.

Deut 8:10-15 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Deut 31:20-21 When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.”

Deut 32:15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior.

Jer 5:7-9 “Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife.  Should I not punish them for this?” declares the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Hos 13:6-8 When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.  So I will come upon them like a lion, like a leopard I will lurk by the path.  Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open. Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will tear them apart.

2 Chron 12:1-2 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord.

2 Chron 26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Rom 6:1

Wisdom asks in Proverbs 1:22 “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

First, to the simple ones, those who are lacking in judgment, who are naïve, immature and inexperienced. They tend to believe anything and examine nothing.
Proverbs 14:15 A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.

Second, wisdom speaks to scoffers, and mockers, those who “know it all” they think themselves greater than others. They are full of insults, hatred and opposition. Proverbs 21:24 The proud and arrogant man — “Mocker” is his name; he behaves with overweening pride. (Overweening is defined as being arrogant, conceited and pompous)

Third, wisdom speaks to fools, those who are ignorant of truth and full of stubbornness. They lack spiritual hunger; they love the world and the things of the world. A fool hates knowledge.
Ps 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. A fool does not lack normal intelligence, their problem is willful ignorance. In Romans 1:18 we read they suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Much is said about the fool, as noted above the fool hates knowledge, they are quick to quarrel, Proverbs 20:3, and they give full vent to their anger. Proverbs 29:11, they are complacent Proverbs 1:32, they trust in themselves instead of God Proverbs 28:26 and they despise wisdom and discipline, Psalms 14:1.

Wisdom has spoken to the simple, the mocker and the fool over and over, and they continually refuse to listen. As wisdom speaks again it is revealed what is rejected in their refusal to listen. Proverbs 1:23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

Since the simple and fools rejected wisdom, their outcome is not good. Proverbs 1:28-32 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord,  since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

The penalty for mockers seems to be the strongest warning. Isa 29:20 The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down — Proverbs 24:9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

 Wisdom says in Proverbs 1:33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Our small group looked at some of these verses Sunday evening. Proverbs teaches us so much for attaining wisdom and discipline and how we should live. I have so many “favorites” in the bible and Proverbs is definitely near the top of the list.

Fall and winter weather arouses our appetites for hot satisfying food. This is a hearty, delicious bowl of beans with a wonderful flavor different from Pinto Beans or Chili. Serve with warm crusty French bread or warm Flour Tortillas and your favorite beverage.

Chuck Wagon Beans

½ lb. bacon slices
3 lb. ground chuck
2- 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 beef bouillon cubes
2/3 cup boiling water
1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups catsup
3 tbsp. Prepared mustard
1-1/2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cans (29 oz. Each) molasses-style baked beans

Heat oven to 375°. In Dutch oven, fry bacon until crisp; set aside. Drain fat from pan.

In same pan, cook and stir ground beef, onion, and celery until meat is brown and onion is tender. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; stir bouillon and remaining ingredients into meat mixture.

Cover; bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Crumble bacon; sprinkle over beans.

Note: Drain ground chuck after browning if needed. You may also cook this on the stovetop over low heat for the same amount of time if your oven is being used for something else.

12 servings (1 cup each).

Do you ever Google your name just to see what’s out there?

 I typed my name in this morning and came up with the following-Results 101 – 110 of about 5,090,000

I clicked on several of the results and found them to be somewhat amusing and some entries not so amusing.

I found my blog of course and I found another Janice Garrison who is a Cardiologist, another one who is a Doctor of Internal Medicine. Then there is one who claims to be a web cam princess on Twitter. I clicked on that one and this message appeared-“Sorry, the account you were headed to has been suspended due to strange activity. Mosey along now, nothing to see here”. Umm…again, not me.

Another who has my same name has a bookkeeping business in Athens Georgia, another with a FCC Registered Amateur Radio License. That might be fun.

Then I discovered this one, a fictional character in a who-dunnit novel, The Haunted Lady begins with a description of Hilda Adams, registered nurse for fifteen years, and a well-known confederate of one Inspector Harlan Fuller. She’s conscripted to nurse an old lady who is haunted by finding bats, rats, and other unpleasant things in her bedroom – all when the door and windows are shut and locked tight. The old lady is Mrs. Eliza Fairbanks, wealthy and respected, with a rather dysfunctional family. The only one who seems to really care about her is her granddaughter, Janice Garrison. Janice is in love with the poor doctor across the street, Dr. Courtney Brooke, and has seen to it that he is caring for Mrs. Fairbanks (now his only regular patient).

I found my name on someone’s family tree too, and then there is a Realtor, even in the Obituaries.

Interesting, quirky and a bit fun. If you ever get stumped for something to write about, just Google your name.

Will the real Janice Garrison please stand up? Oh, that’s me! I’m standing.

I hope you all have a super weekend. We have our first sunshine in days and it is BEAUTIFUL!!

Have you thought about what the blood of Christ has done for you lately?

It really is amazing, humbling and something to keep in the forefront of our minds each day.

We have been studying from the book of Hebrews on Wednesday evenings and it is a great book to study. I was so intrigued by part of last night’s discussion that I wanted to write about it today, as a reminder of the love of our Savior.

References to the blood of Christ remind us of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Rom 3:25-26

Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? 1 Cor 10:16

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Eph 1:7-8

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Eph 2:13

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Col 1:19-20

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Heb 9:14

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Heb 9:22

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-20

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7  

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Rev 1:5-6

I am overwhelmed by the deep love of Jesus.

Do you ever find yourself wondering about things that you would rather not consider? That has been happening to me lately and it has wormed itself to the forefront of my mind; so as customary for me I shall put it in writing and hope for some resolve.

I have mentioned before we rarely go to the movies or even rent one, simply because it is more than difficult to find one without language or sex as the main theme. Saturday we watched “Marley and Me” on TV. It was just about two and a half stars in my opinion. The ending is what really got to me. I cried like a baby when Marley died. This is where my first pondering comes in.

I have always been a sentimental, tender-hearted person, one who cries easily. Then it hit me, I haven’t cried in a very long time, I mean really cried. This revelation about myself disturbs me. Is it because over the years I have been conditioned by example that ‘perhaps’ I should keep my tears inside? If someone dies am I not to be broken-hearted, because if they were faithful, they will be in a better place. If they were not faithful my heart should be all the more broken.

 Or has my heart become calloused? Have I become indifferent to the situations of senseless killings and violence that we are bombarded with day after day, whether by newspaper or television? Am I now desensitized by all the tragic, sinful things that I hear about everyday, things so against God’s way, yet lawmakers want to make laws allowing them to become legal.

I guess I am being very “politically incorrect” for writing this, much less thinking about it. I shall not apologize for it.  I am sick to death of pretending everything is acceptable when it’s not. I’m tired of watching our country and our freedom go to hell in a hand-basket. I’m tired of seeing our hard earned dollars losing their value everyday because our leaders are corrupt, greedy, and dishonest about everything that comes out of their mouths. I am tired of being told I shouldn’t express my opinions because I might offend someone. Who am I offending; the one who thinks anything and everything is acceptable? Why is their opinion more important than mine? I fear too many of us have fallen victim of keeping silent too long. For me…it is time to break the silence.

I love my freedom and just as sure as I write this I see it being taken away. Will I awaken tomorrow to wish for the freedom I had today, only to find it is no more?

Yes, I’m really tired!! I’m told history always repeats itself. Is this what I’m seeing?

I am reminded of Jeremiah, he initially sought to bring his people to a condition of genuine repentance, he characterized the Israelites as “backsliding” people.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  ”Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message: “‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord.  This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Jer 7:1-8

Yesterday has come and gone and I didn’t get to my blog. It is raining today, a bit cold, a bit blustery. A great day for soup. This soup will not disappoint and you will find it difficult to stop at one bowl.

Tortilla Soup
2 teaspoons corn oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
3/4 cup green bell pepper chopped (optional)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
8 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup canned tomatoes w/ green chilies — (Rotelle)
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups cooked chicken (Rotisserie Chicken is great for this)
1/2 medium avocado cubed (optional)
1 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded 

Cilantro – chopped
Lime wedges
Crushed tortilla chips

Place large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat 30 seconds.  Add oil; heat 30 seconds more.  Add cumin and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add onion, celery and bell pepper; stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add chicken and beef broths, beans, tomatoes with chilies, corn and cooked chicken.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

To serve, divide the crushed tortilla chips into bowls, add soup and top with avocado and cheese.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges. I also sprinkle some crushed chips on top of the soup. (I usually double this recipe.) Delicious!!!!!

My friend and excellent cook Patty Allan shared this recipe with me .