HOMEMADE NUTTY CRUNCH COOKES

The recipe calls for only six ingredients: brown sugar, salt, flour, butter, vanilla extract, and nuts—either a combination of almonds and hazelnuts, or any kind of nut that happens to be hanging out in your pantry! Walnuts? Sure! Pecans? Why not? Peanuts? Yep! In a food processor, grind the sugar, salt, and some of the nuts to a fine powder, add the flour, throw in the butter, and you’ve just made the fastest cookie dough ever. Before baking, sprinkle each cookie with a few chopped nuts to add crunch and texture. Fifteen minutes later, you’ve got yourself a plate of warm cookies and kitchen that smells like heaven.

Ingredients:

•  cup blanched hazelnuts
• ½ cup unsalted, roasted almonds
• ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.

Combine almonds, brown sugar, salt, and ½ cup hazelnuts in a food processor. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; reserve pod for another use. Pulse until finely ground, then pulse in flour just to combine. Add butter; process until dough just comes together.

Roll dough into 1” balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2” apart. Flatten cookies to a little less than ½” thick. Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup hazelnuts and press gently into cookies.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, 15–18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool completely.

Source: yahoo.com

GOD REMEMBERS THEM NO MORE

He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

Have you ever done anything that you are ashamed of? Have you ever done things you wished you had not done? If you have repented of those sins and have turned your back on them, the Bible clearly teaches that you are forgiven.

There is something in us that wants to keep dredging up our sins. Maybe we feel that by doing so, we are somehow making amends for the wrong that we have done.

Maybe by punishing ourselves, we think we are somehow appeasing God. But this is wrong and thoroughly unscriptural.

Speaking of our sins, God said, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Hebrews 8:12).

And Micah 7:18-19 says, "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea!"

Have you ever lost anything in a lake or in the ocean? It is pretty much a lost cause. Once it goes down, it goes way down.

God has taken your sin and has thrown it into the deepest part of the ocean. Simply put, it is gone. Therefore, don't allow your best sins to cripple you. Don't choose to remember what God has chosen to forget.

Prayer: I bless You, Father, for You have forgiven and forgotten all my sins.

Scriptural Reading: Micah 7:16-20

It's about TIME!

Lately, my mum adjusted her diet 'cos of medical reasons. Now, if you visit my mum and she offers you a plate of rice, be certain that you're being served local rice (the type we famously call 'Ofada rice'- although there are many variations). According to her, from the medical point of view, local rice is far better than polished rice (the popular 'Aroso' and co).

So, last Sunday, I was with her and another family friend, and while munching local rice, we reminisced the good old days when local rice was the poor/average man's kinda rice and polished rice was the rich man's choice----and how all of a sudden, local rice has become quite expensive and not so affordable for the poor/average man while polished rice has become quite easily affordable. These days, even the rich are gunning for local rice 'cos apart from the tasty appeal, it seems medically advantageous than polished rice. In short, what used to be the poor man's food has become the rich man's food - now, that's what I call a massive change of level!

"Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." Ecclesiastes 3:1(CEV)

Friends, it's all about time and season. God is the God of moments, times, seasons, and I can assure you that He will not allow you remain on the same spot, you will experience and enjoy a change of level in due time and season.

What are you going through?
What unpleasant position are you in? 
What situation assails you?
What challenge are you facing?
I have news for you! Time will change in your favour and a new season will set in for you.

2Kings 7 tells the story of a timely change in Samaria. This moment, there was a serious famine, which was just about to result into identity crisis - they were on the verge of turning into a community of cannibals, eating one another for breakfast - but the next moment, in a twinkle of an eye, there was a tremendous change of level. The previous day, they were boiling humans for food 'cos there was nothing else to eat, but the next day, they had more than enough to eat! God is the same God of yesteryears and He is about to turn the tide in your favour. It's about TIME He did that for you!

Confess Psalm 102:13 (HCSB-emphasis mine): "You will rise up and have compassion on Zion(Ayotunde), for it is TIME to show favor to her- the APPOINTED TIME HAS COME." Amen.

BY sis ayotunde

Facing The Right Way.

TEXT: MATTHEW 9:14-26

Key verse: “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” (Matthew 9:14).

Christianity does not equate with legalistic rituals. Instead, it reasonably allows for much simplicity, varieties, flexibility and faith in such a degree that grace provides all things for believers in Christ Jesus. Like other teachings in the scriptures, the doctrine of fasting and its appropriateness in our day-to-day living must be well understood lest we fall into the extremities and fanaticism of man’s religion.

The disciples of John the Baptist came asking Jesus “why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” In answer to their question, the Lord gave a number of illustrations to show the superiority of “grace” over the “law”.

Like the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees, many religious people today subject their followers to the rigorous practice of abstinence from food and water as a mark of piety, choosing particular dates, seasons, or times, irrespective of the people’s physical, spiritual and emotional disposition. But in Christ, there is no basis for such observances. Instead, fasting accompanied always with prayer, is part of a Christian’s normal spiritual exercise. It should then be conducted in such a manner that reflects sobriety, seriousness and sanctity.

When we fast, our souls are afflicted in expression of our helplessness, so that we are able to pray earnestly to God. Great problems and difficulties are solved through fasting and prayer. Such are some of the benefits of fasting that we take delight in, while engaging in it as the need arises.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Man shall not live by bread alone.

3 Strategies For Losing Stubborn Fat

If you’ve ever had success losing weight, you’re probably acutely familiar with the other side of this coin: the fat that just holds on no matter what you do. Can’t seem to get rid of that paunch? Read on to learn how to lose stubborn belly fat with these three strategies.

1. Intermittent Fasting

This strategy for losing stubborn belly fat works by tricking the body into developing a more efficient metabolism. Essentially, going longer periods in between meals – roughly 12 to 18 hours – occasionally helps the body to burn more fat by inhibiting a-2 receptors and activating b-2 receptors.

B-2 receptors are the ones that signal to your body that it’s time to burn fat, as opposed to a-2 receptors, which are triggered in order to hold onto fat deposits. Some areas of the body have more of these types of receptors than others. Stubborn belly fat, unsurprisingly, tends to be home to far more a-2 receptors than b-2 receptors – hence the trouble with losing weight in that area.

As you fast, the insulin levels in your body drop, which ultimately activates the b-2 receptors to start burning fat. Thus, when you eat again, the body is prepared to burn the calories that you consume rather than hold onto them. Eating in cycles, in terms of calories and macronutrients, thus primes your body to process at its best when you do consume food.

2. High Intensity Interval Training

When it comes to busting fat with exercise, high intensity interval training is the best way to lose stubborn belly fat. This is because interval training actually burns more calories per unit of time than a steady pace workout. High intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, is also extremely beneficial for increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.

These two factors are known to play a major role in the difficulty associated with losing weight, so managing them with high intensity interval training might just give your body the boost it needs to beat that stubborn belly fat.

Finally, although high intensity interval training involves extremely difficult pushes of 100% effort, these types of workouts tend to be perceived as easier since they’re shorter and come with built-in breaks. So if you find that long, steady time-sinks of workouts aren’t getting rid of the belly fat, try throwing in some high intensity interval training, such as sprints or supersets with weights.

3. Caffeine with Fasting and Exercise

Caffeine is a thermogenic, meaning that it speeds up your metabolism to help you use more calories as a part of both daily function and when you exercise. If fasting and exercise don’t bust through that stubborn belly fat on their own, try adding in 200mg caffeine per day with your workout, up to 600mg per day if you typically consume a lot of caffeine (via coffee, tea, or energy drinks) and already have a tolerance for it.

Source: dailyhealthpost.com

Ways to Divorce-Proof Your Marriage

When church or ministry leaders call it quits on their marriages, the outcome "culturally sanctions" divorce and "cheapens grace," says marriage therapist and author Linda S. Mintle, Ph.D. Writing in Divorce-Proofing Your Marriage (Charisma House), Mintle says Christian couples often split over fixable problems while viewing their marriage as a contract instead of a covenant, or "unbreakable promise."

"What have we done with the transforming power of God?" asks Mintle, who's also a licensed clinical social worker. "We have it for healings and finances but not for marriage? God's power can change difficult situations."

Mintle offers the following advice as a way for Christian leaders to safeguard their marriages and ministries:

Be wise counselors. Clergy need to implement ministry boundaries. Men, in particular, need to be careful "when females, who are vulnerable, are coming in to speak with them," she says. "Be careful not to do counseling when you're not trained to, and make sure that your door is open or that another person is present. Avoid even the appearance of evil."

Resist the power trap. Ministers are not immune to the lure of power that comes with the limelight of ministry. "Everything in the Bible is about humbling yourself and not exalting yourself over God," Mintle says. "But people are seduced by power, control and sexuality—all of which can lead to marriage problems. It's wise to have people around who won't make you vulnerable to these things."

Break down the barriers. The road to divorce begins with emotional distance and leads to roadblocks of discord that get deeper and wider. "A lot of people tend to get critical of their partner and start thinking they can find a better mate. They become defensive and begin to harbor negative feelings." At those times, instead of focusing on what that other person isn't doing, call out to God.

Humbly seek help. When you're the shoulder others cry on, it's hard to look for one of your own. "You have to humble yourself," Mintle says. "People are broken, and it shouldn't matter who you are. There are lots of organizations that offer help." 

Rest to restore. Some leaders mistakenly believe they have special divine privileges. "It's as if they say, 'I can get a divorce, and come back with a new platform,'" she says. "They don't think that [the divorce] should have any ramifications on their ministries."

Ministers who divorce need a mandatory restoration period of at least two years "to figure out what made [the marriage] go south and then to get some help," Mintle says. Afterward, if they return to ministry, she says, it must be decided whether they should be "at the same level of leadership."

By Linda Mintle (http://www.charismamag.com/life/relationships/18439-how-to-divorce-proof-your-marriage)

Prayer For You,Happy New Week....

May God Bless you with Happiness! May God Bless you with Hope to live! May God Bless you with Joy to share! May God Bless you with a Life of peace! May God Bless you with Sweet dreams! May God Bless you with Kindness to care! May God Bless you with Beauty and long-life! May God Bless you with a Spouse to love you! May God Bless you with a cheerful heart to give! May God Bless you with a Shelter to protect you! May God Bless you with every Good things in life!

 May God Bless you with Food and Water to fill you! May God Bless you with a Family to be proud of you! May God Bless you with people to share love and charity! May God Bless you with Smiles to cheer you on days you feel alone! May God Bless you with Sunshine to warm your day when the world seems cold! And May God Bless you with Beautiful Bright Stars in the sky to show you the way when it is dark!  God Bless You!

Happy New Week from us ASB-World