Chicken Tikka Masala

This one's easy! If you haven't checked it out on my YouTube Channel, Home Cooking with Connie Keenan, find it below. You can tweak the vegetables, maybe make it vegetarian-style with tofu, or increase it for a larger family.

Enjoy! If you haven't already, don't forget to comment, like & subscribe!

Easy Marinara Sauce

Welcome again to my blog!

Chances are, you were directed here from my YouTube channel, Home Cooking with Connie Keenan. Interestingly, this is one of those pinch-of-this, pinch-of-that recipes.

This started waaaaaay back in the day when I was a young bride. My mother had always used Ragu spaghetti sauce and my husband had used Aunt Millie's (is that still around? Good sauce!).

Anyhoo, my brother-in-law, Anthony, showed me how to put together marinara (red) sauce for everything from pasta to pizza. And more, of course. It's made from regular tomato sauce and tomato paste--which, incidentally, I have sometimes omitted, and depending on how long you cook it, it's still thick and rich. The paste sort of helps things along and shortens cooking time.

In this time of Covid-19, with the stores sometimes out of stock on certain items, it's nice to be able to fix a spaghetti sauce, especially if you're partial to your favorite store-bought brand. To be honest, this is my go-to sauce, though I do keep Classico (or my mom's old standby, Ragu) on hand for those let's-whip-up-some-eggplant-parm nights!

I'll also add that this sauce freezes beautifully, so you can take it down and defrost it at room temperature or in the microwave. You can also pare down the recipe, though I like to make a big batch (like the one I make in the video below) to be able to use it in more than one dish.

Also, please note: If you add ANY raw meat to the recipe, be it ground beef, ground turkey, sausages, etc., you'll need to add to the cooking time. I usually will cook sausage in the sauce for no less than 4 hours, but check times to be sure for safety.

Feel free to put your own spin on this recipe! Add diced tomatoes, onions, and other seasonings. This recipe has evolved over the years. I didn't have rosemary the day I did the video, but you can add that in either fresh herb form or ground rosemary.

One more note: Wear an apron or something protective over clothing, because the sauce can splatter while you're cooking or handling it.

EASY MARINARA SAUCE

Ingredients

1 large can of tomato sauce, plain
1 can of tomato paste
Basil
1 tablespoon olive oil (I forgot to add while making my video--still comes out yummy)
Oregano
Parsley
Garlic (fresh, minced or powder)
Rosemary
Bay leaf, 1
Granulated sugar
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar (thanks, Emeril Lagasse!!)

Directions:

1. Start with emptying large can of tomato sauce and paste into a large saucepan.
2. Add each ingredient at a time, stirring it is before proceeding.
3. I used about 2 tablespoons of the sugar, considering how big the batch was.
4. The spices were added rather liberally, but they will be to taste. You can also add more later while it cooks, if you'd like it more seasoned. We love ours seasoned!
5. About 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar went in, but if you make a smaller batch, you'll want to use less.
6. Salt & pepper to taste.
7. Cook on low heat for about 40 minutes to an hour, until sauce thickens. Stir occasionally, being careful, because the sauce is HOT and bubbly.
8. Remove bay leaf.
9. You'll want to let it cool unless you're using the sauce right away. Allow it to fully cool before storing.

My video may come in handy, so watch it first, if you haven't already. You'll find it below.

And if you gave this recipe a try, do let me know how it turned out.

Be blessed!

Connie

From Leftover Rice to Fried Rice

Hey, there!

Here is my *very* easygoing recipe for turning leftover rice into rice with some pizazz...i.e. fried rice!

You'll find the link for the recipe's video below, but here are the ingredients you'll need:

About half an onion, chopped
A bell pepper (I used red, about 3/4 of it)
1 can of corn, drained
About a tablespoon of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
Sprinkle of ground ginger (or fresh)
A cup of cooked/leftover white rice
Soy sauce (I used low sodium and enough to turn rice caramel color)

Directions:

1. Begin by sauteeing vegetables in olive oil until bell pepper is tender.
2. Add garlic and cook about half a minute.
3. Add cooked/leftover white rice.
4. Add toasted sesame oil (and more olive oil, if necessary).
5. Sprinkle on ginger.
6. Add soy sauce a little at a time, until desired color/taste, but not too much so that more can be added afterwards.
7. Enjoy!

As I mention in my video, you can get creative with the ingredients! Some suggestions are:

Shrimp
Broccoli
Water chestnuts
Shitake/regular mushrooms
Leftover chicken or pork
Cooked or canned green beans
Cooked or canned carrots

Note: I also scrambled one egg, made room in the pan, added and cooked the egg thoroughly, then stirred it right into the rice.

Till next time!

How to Make Laundry Detergent

Hello, there!

If you came from my YouTube channel, I'm slightly late in putting this up. Anyways, here it is for easy reference--my (or rather, my friend Mary's) recipe for dry laundry detergent:


LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Ingredients:

1 Full bar of Fels-Naphtha (or any laundry-style soap, or a regular bar of bath soap)
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda

Directions:

1. Add Borax and washing soda to container that you'll use EXCLUSIVELY for detergent.

2. Grate soap with grater that you'll use EXCLUSIVELY for this task into the powder mixture.

3. Mix well using a scoop.

Notes:

Let's see...what else can I add to this? It's pretty easy, keeps well, and does a great job! All ingredients, of course, are shelf-stable.

I use a child's shovel from a little sand pail for kids that I picked up in the dollar store. Hey, it works! :D

Last but not least, as I mention in my video, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the Rinse cycle so that you'll have a nice lemon/lavender/frankincense/whatever-you-add scent to your clothes and/or linens.

And if you need it for reference, here's a link to my video below:



https://youtu.be/9EPTfhqHtJg

See you next time!

Connie

Quick & Easy Beef Enchiladas

Here is my recipe for beef enchiladas! "Quick and easy" in that it's easy to prepare and you're using a canned enchilada sauce. You're perfectly welcomed to make your own, of course--and I've done that in the past and was pleased with the results. But if you're looking for something that's not very fussy, that you can whip up for the family in an hour or so, then that's a little short cut that can be taken.

Also, in light of all that is going on with the Corona Virus, I'd like to begin presenting some recipes on my YouTube cooking channel that may not be particularly fancy but that imaginatively use items (like canned goods) in your pantry. Recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, filling and nutritious. In addition to the pre-made sauce, I used ground spices and store-bought (Mission brand) tortillas.

If you've got a small family, or like us, it's just you and your spouse, you can always freeze the leftovers for a future dinner, or maybe a hot lunch that's a welcome change from a sandwich or soup.

Soooo here goes:

QUICK & EASY BEEF ENCHILADAS

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 sweet bell pepper (I used yellow), diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 large jalapeno, diced

salt, pepper, onion powder (or minced onion), chili powder, cumin (no measurements, sorry; I used the dash-of-this, dash-of-that method)

6-inch (small) flour tortillas (I used 10 of them, but depends on how much you fill them; can also use large tortillas or corn tortillas for gluten-free version)

2 cans of Old El Paso enchilada sauce (add one more for extra sauce)

3 cups of shredded cheese (I used Mexican blend, both thin and thick cuts)

2 tablespoons of olive oil, more later to cook vegetables in meat

DIRECTIONS:

1. Over medium heat, drizzle the olive oil and add the meat, cutting it up with your utensil and browning it. Drain meat and return to pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Add bell pepper and onion to the pan of meat, adding a little more olive oil, as needed, to cook until tender.

3. Sprinkle over salt, pepper, onion powder, chili power and cumin to taste, stirring meat well. 

4. Add about a cup of shredded cheese and half a can of the sauce, stirring into meat mixture. Remove pan from heat.

4. Begin assembling enchiladas, spooning desired amount of meat onto each and then folding into enchilada shape. Place each enchilada into a casserole dish (or dishes).

5. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, then liberally add last two cups (or less, if you wish).

6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until sauce heats and the cheese melts.

7. Serve & enjoy!

Serving ideas?

Well, you can top with a dollop--or two!--of sour cream, hot sauce or your favorite salsa. We served with a fresh garden salad that included some avocado, but yellow rice and refried beans would work great, too. Kids--and adults, for that matter--would enjoy tortilla chips with melted, spicy cheese as a side, too. And, oh...

If you'd like to actually see the recipe being done, below is the link for it on my YouTube channel, Home Cooking with Connie Keenan.

See you next time!

COMING SOON: MY NEW NOVEL

Dear Readers,

YES, I'M STILL HERE!

I think this makes me officially the worst blogger EVER. Over one year has passed since my last post, during which I was announcing my last book, a nonfiction, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY.

There's no excuse, but I can account for my absence by saying I've been working on two YouTube channels. (Yes, two, lol!) You already know about my ministry channel, Lamp Unto My Feet. I also began a cooking channel, Home Cooking with Connie Keenan, where I share old favorite recipes as well as new ones. Both channels are moving slowly because I'm thinking of taking them both in different directions.

As for writing, I haven't done any in quite some time.

Then a wonderful thing happened: I came to finally acknowledge that I miss writing.

I

Miss

Writing.

I miss the process, the characters, the sharing of stories with my readers. As I told my husband, I believe part of this resurgence in my writing has come from the YouTube channels. It seems that opening up that well of creativity--whether you're writing, sharing in videos or creating content--also opens the creative well that was there before.

So as of the writing of this post, this new book, an untitled and full-length Christian romance novel, is progressing nicely. It's almost halfway done. My goal is to get it finished, edited and polished, before the end of February.

As usual, I will keep you posted along the way.

With my 60th birthday only two months away, I have much more thoughts to share about writing, but will hold off until the next post.

For now, let me say that I'm excited and happy to be working on a new project that I hope you'll enjoy, that you'll look forward to curling up with on a cold night!

More news--and thoughts--to come!

Happy New Year!

Connie

RELEASE DAY: WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY

Yes! It's late in coming, but WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY--A GUIDE TO CHRISTIAN SIMPLE LIVING is now available on Amazon! Very shortly, it will also be available on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Itunes books, Kobo, and so on.

I do apologize for the delay in publishing this book, and give a couple of reasons for that delay: life and life. Well, to be honest, it was more than that, I'm sorry to say; first and foremost, it's been a few years since my last published book. I wanted it to be just right, so I held off on the date, and of course, it's the end of the year, with all that entails.

But all that's behind us now...and this baby's finally PUBLISHED! Click here for the link to buy WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY. As icing on the cake, I'll be uploading a video shortly to my YouTube ministry, Lamp Unto My Feet, with some background on the book.

And holiday season or not, I'll be working on my next book--a longer work of fiction this time--during the next several weeks. My (creative) fountain has been generously refilled!

Cover Reveal for WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY

As promised, here is the cover reveal for WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY--A CHRISTIAN GUIDE TO SIMPLE LIVING.

Also at this time, I'm able to share that this nonfiction book will be available for purchase on Saturday, October 20 of this year.

Thank you for all the kind comments about this book! Maranatha!

Change of Plans--First NONFICTION Book

Yep, a lot HAS happened since my last post--including changing streams when it comes to genre! On top of that, I'm excited to announce that this will be my first NONFICTION book.

That was completely unexpected and yet to be expected. Whatsoever Things Are Lovely--A Guide to Christian Simple Living, you could say, is a book that's been a few years in the making, and yet it practically wrote itself in a matter of weeks. Lots of paradoxes about this project.

Don't expect a very big book, because as my friend Amy said, it is about minimalism, after all! The book is about the length of a novella. Currently, it's in the process of being edited and I will be doing the cover reveal right here on my blog next week.

Part personal testimonial of my own journey, part tips, part exhortation to Christians, Whatsoever Things Are Lovely has a devotional air to it. As a little backstory, the idea for the book came up as a result of my own disappointment of not finding much material in book form on Christian minimalism and simple living. You CAN find blogs and such, but there seemed to be slim pickings when it came to books and even less for devotionals.

After much prayer and scribbling, I gave the project over to the Lord, and let Him guide me through it. Hoping it will be a blessing to all who read it.

In the coming weeks I'll have more insights into the book to share with you, but expect an October 2018 release date for it. I hope you'll put Whatsoever Things Are Lovely--A Guide to Christian Simple Living on your TBR List!

A Little More Update...

...Yes, a little more update, a little more tease.

This new book is coming along now. It's been a busy, crazy summer so far, and June and July are months stacked with birthdays--our youngest son Brandon, plus grandsons Matthew and Billy, all have birthdays within weeks of each other. Friends, that is a LOT of cake we're talking about!

In between all those parties, I've been working on this new book, which is much different than anything I've done in the past.

That's not so strange, considering I'm writing from a different place than I did years ago, when I wrote my earlier books. Surely, that can't be unique to me. My work has evolved from when I was a brand-new published author (and young wife and mother). I believe that's the way it should be, though, you know? We should have something new to say, as authors, some new story to tell.

And my life has changed since then. In those earlier years I lived in New Jersey and worked across the river, in Manhattan, first as a secretary and then as a magazine author. My life as a working wife and mother had me writing until the wee hours of the morning, and I had much different stories to tell.

Now, having lived here in the South for almost twelve years, the life I share with my husband is active but pleasantly, somewhat slower. Yes--I still work, though I'm only a few years from retirement now. I'm not the night owl I once was, but I'm an early bird, squeezing in as much writing as I can.

My readers have evolved, too. I loved the conversation I had with a friend, a sister from church, while we sat on the beach with our sunglasses and sipping water with other gals at a retreat. When I shared with her what I had been working on, and the fact that that book had older characters, she remarked, "Well, Connie, I would think your readers will appreciate that, too. You're speaking to them right where they are, with characters they can really relate to."

After that encouraging conversation, I can't wait to share that book with you, too! But this one that may be done first is my first (maybe my only?) coming-of-age story, with a protagonist who is only 13 years old at the onset.

And that's all I can share for now.

Remember, this is just a little update.

Just a little tease.

More of an update coming soon!

Yep, Still Here!

Hello, out there! I can't believe it's taken me so long to check in, with my last entry being over 6 months ago. That's pretty shameful! So here I am again, checking in ever so briefly to say that I have TWO projects in the works, and maybe a third. Hoping to be able to get them finished shortly.

Even that was almost derailed by a computer mishap. My husband, Bill, and I have it figured out now: It seems that every two years or so, I find myself getting a new computer because SOMETHING terrible, dreadful, unfortunate (enough adjectives for you? Just breaking the writing rules on a cool summer evening) happens.

Except this time the dog really did eat my computer. Well, Piper didn't eat it, per se. She's a little skittish, besides being gorgeous, as you can tell from the picture below. You see, I have this tiny Lenovo laptop that I've had for 2 years, which has been my favorite computer. I have a morning ritual where I journal in the mornings while I have my coffee and breakfast, before I go to work. My computer was still on the kitchen table, juicing up, when Piper got nervous about something, burst out from under the table, caught the power cord in her paw, and dragged the computer off the table...along with Bill's pitcher of iced tea.

You get the picture. My poor laptop took a bath in iced tea. Praise God for the external mouse and keyboard I just happened to have kept over the years!

Anyway, I have no excuses now. I can keep working on my new projects and hope to have one ready before summer's end. There's a lot to be said about these two particular project, neither of which is like anything I've worked on in the past, though I do hope you'll enjoy them once they're in your hands.

I WILL be checking in later to share the story behind the first project, so stay tuned!

Older picture of our "big girl", Piper

End-of-Year Redecorating

Happy November!

So I've been away and falling behind on both producing videos and books...not to mention my blog.

This is not really a full post, more like a little check-in, because readers have been asking if I'm still writing. In truth, I haven't written in quite some time--but that's been changing. I'll keep you posted on that!

In the meantime, I'm redecorating this blog for the winter months and will be posting more often, so make sure to bookmark it. Keep in mind, major holidays are right around the corner, so I'll still be sporadic, but I haven't gone anywhere. I'm still here!

Hoping to fill you in real soon with some news. Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you in His perfect peace!

Connie

Introducing: My YouTube Ministry!

Hello, again!

Yes, I know--it's been a LONG time since I blogged, and I apologize for that. That said, I'm back and bringing news that I'm very excited to share with you.

First, a little background. For a long time, I knew the Lord had been calling me to start a ministry on YouTube, to share the gospel as well as encourage and share with believers from His Word. Those who know me are aware that I was briefly involved with a prison ministry and I have worked with a local Crisis Pregnancy Center for over a year. I was shy and unsure about undertaking this venture, but the Holy Spirit--ever gentle--continued to encourage me.

So this week, I finally stepped out on faith, and "Lamp Unto My Feet," my YouTube channel, was born! It's still in its baby stages and I am only beginning to record videos, but find my very first video below, "Rejoice in the Lord, He is Near."

More books are to come, but please do drop by my channel, and may you be blessed!

Summer Book Sale!

Can you believe it's almost August? This summer--well, actually, the whole year--is going by so fast!

Considering you still have some beach or pool time left, or maybe you need a little summer in your life on your way to work or on your life hour, my GOODNIGHT MY LOVE is on sale at Smashwords for 99 cents! It will remain on sale and should be hitting the other outlets, Kobo & Itunes & the others, very soon.

Oh, and that's not all...for now until the end of August, my novel about the Rapture, ONE SWEET DAY, normally also priced at $2.99, will ALSO be available for 99 cents.

Enjoy & may what's left of July be happy, fun & blessed for you!

Season of Quiet

Hello, readers!

Checking in because it's been a while. Just wanted to let you know I'm still breathing, lol!

And...to apologize for the lack of new works this year. It's been some time since my last book, which was GOODNIGHT, MY LOVE was published. The other day, my husband Bill and I were chatting about it, and he told me, "Babe, I know you go through times when you have this big splurge of writing, and then times when you don't write at all, but you always come back to writing."

That's really true. At first, it bothered me (because all writers are like that--we "miss" writing, telling our stories). Then I came to understand that this was one of those seasons of non-writing. A season of quiet, during which the creative well gets replenished.

For any newer writers who may find that scary, because of the fact that writer's block is a monster that always looms over us, and we work in a business which pretty much dictates you have to be writing and producing constantly. It's a competitive business, for sure, where she who doesn't endlessly have a book in the works isn't going anywhere in publishing.

It's interesting, because you do come to an age where you realize you need those seasons of quiet. That's where life takes place, where the experiences come, the fodder for our stories, where the well gets refilled, because you can't pour from an empty teapot. I'm sure I got that old saying wrong, but you get the idea. You also come to a point where you don't feel the need to compete with anyone but yourself, when "I have to keep writing or I won't look like a serious author" turns into, "Do I have something new that I can share with my readers? Or do I need to stay in this season of quiet?" Not surprisingly, I love this stage, and for any writers out there, I hope you do (or will come to love it), too.

I believe that, for me, it's coming to an end, that season. It's still early in the writing process, but do bookmark this page, because I hope to have news soon.

Until then, I hope you're having a happy, fun & blessed summer!

Connie

Special Offer & Updates

Happy March!

Forgive me. I know it's been a while. As usual, I have to prove myself as the Internet's worst blogger, LOL! Since it's a lazy Sunday (during which most of the morning's snow here in North Carolina had melted) and I'm procrastinating in between working on my new WIP, I thought I'd post, say hi, and add some updates.

First, a special offer for you! This being the week of my birthday, I've decided to give GOODNIGHT, MY LOVE for free. If you haven't read this, my previous release, you can pick it up right now from Smashwords. Later, it'll be available on Kobo, iBooks, etc. Enjoy & Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now for updates...

On a personal note, I'm back to my yoga practice again. I had left it for several months, but I've missed it, so I'm again fitting it into my schedule. We have to make time for the things we enjoy and that relax us, no?

Also, I have not written in some time. There, it's out there. I don't know why, but I do go through those patches of time during which I don't write. In this post, I'm happy to report that the muse has struck, my well is full again, all that writing jazz, and I'm working on a new romance, a historical! Will post more info, plus a cover reveal, when we get closer to its completion.

My estimated time for publication is tentatively scheduled for May 2017, if all goes well. I have a lot of pans in the fire, so that may be delayed, but I'll absolutely keep you posted.

Until later & may the Lord bless you always!

Connie

TGIM Reflection -- 12/19/16

Hello & Happy Monday!

I know, I know--the weekend goes fast, while it seems like the week just drags on. But what happens when we spend the week wishing for Friday? In essence, we're wishing our lives away.

This happens to be Sunday, since I prepare TGIM Reflections before Monday morning. This one came today, right before the closing prayer after service from our Pastor Jimmy:

"Make it a point to live life to the fullest in Christ this week."

That covers more than just humble, little Monday! That challenge comes to us and includes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...and hopefully beyond that.

Our pastor didn't say, "As soon as things get better, make it a point." Or, "When you clean up whatever you're struggling with, make it a point..." No prerequisite of, "If nobody gives me a hard time this week, Lord, I can make it a point..." Listen, there are no requirements for this challenge, other than asking for the Lord's help to get you through it.

Make it a point to live life to the fullest in Christ this week. That is the key: IN CHRIST.

And let's not wish away the precious days and hours of this week. Instead, let's live our lives to the fullest, remembering that we are not promised tomorrow.

Sometime today, write that challenge down and post it somewhere you can see it, where it can remind and encourage you. If you fall down in meeting that challenge, you can always get back up and keep trying. Remind yourself of the challenge. Also, if you get a chance, listen to listen to the Afters' "Life is Beautiful." It will inspire you.

Ready to take Pastor Jimmy's challenge? I pray we take those words to heart, and that we encourage others to do so, too.

Have a happy, safe and blessed week, brothers & sisters!

TGIM Reflection -- 12/12/16

Hello again, sisters! Take a deep breath, put on the coffee pot, and welcome a totally new Monday. December of 2016 only has four Mondays in total--so, yes, we can do this!

Our TGIM Reflection for today comes from one of my Pinterest boards. (Incidentally, feel free to follow any of my boards that interest you.)


Father, I pray my child thinks about what is true, noble, and right today.

That prayer actually comes from Philippians 4:8, which says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (KJV)

Today, take an extra moment to pray this prayer for your child (or children). It doesn't matter if your son or daughter is 5 or 35; he or she may not want to worry you or has other reasons for not speaking up if they're troubled in some way.

As we all know, the world is a much rougher place than when we were growing up. Say a special prayer for your precious loved ones, that they may focus on all that is right in their lives, all the blessings, and that God will minister to them today and lift them up.

And if you aren't a parent yourself, then a niece, nephew, student, or someone else's child could use your prayer. No prayer is ever wasted! Trust in God's power to move in your special young person's life.

Have a great Monday!

TGIM Reflection -- 12/5/2016

Welcome to a brand-new week!

Our TGIM Reflection for today is brought to us by Jesus, Himself:


"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." -- John 10:10


Interestingly, I had chosen a different reflection for today, but while studying the gospel of John, this was the scripture that stood out to me.

Not so surprisingly, this is the season of "abundance." This is the season of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the other catchy names that stores have to draw us in and pull out the plastic and "plata," as Cubans say, from our wallets. It's the season when the supermarkets are as full as our pantries and fridges. There's lots of abundance out there at this time of year.

But there is plenty of lack, too, as we all know. Besides people who don't have much money for their kids' presents or even a bed to lie in, there are those who are struggling in other ways. Perhaps having lost a loved one or having gone through a painful divorce, or another difficult trial.

Today reflect upon Jesus' promise to us--a promise for the abundant life that only He can give. An abundance that can reach past tears and sadness, that brings peace and comfort. He came specifically to bring us not just life, but a life that if full of hope and promises from the One who never breaks His promises.

There is nothing we can do to deserve that abundance; it is a gift from His hand. All we have to do is accept it, with a grateful heart. It can't be found in the stores. It is paid for not with earthly money but with the shed blood of a Risen Savior.

True abundance that doesn't depend upon our credit score or our status in life or our circumstances. True abundance that is a gift from the Good Shepherd. Jesus has already won it for us.

Have a blessed Monday, sisters!

Blaze of Glory -- INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our study, Blaze of Glory! I'm very happy to be sharing it with you as something the Lord put upon my heart to demonstrate through His Word. Pull up a chair, grab some coffee, tea (or since our theme for this study, partly, is the American cowboy, and there's one cowgirl in that picture to the left, too!), some sasparilla. Root beer is probably easier to find. Anyway, get comfortable, have your Bible ready, and let's start!

First, let's define the idiom "a blaze of glory." Some years ago there was a song by Bon Jovi with that title, which was the theme song for the movie, Young Guns 2. The term is defined as "a spectacular downfall," or, the definition which applies to our study, "to refuse to surrender to the enemy, to die fighting."

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, puts it much more eloquently with these words:


Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, TO STAND." -- Ephesians 6:13 NIV

That sounds like the same thing as our definition: To put on the whole armor of God without thought of surrendering, but rather to fight until the end.

Before we go on, let's state one Biblical fact, and that is that there is nothing the devil would like more than to see us, as believers, give up. He lives for that, for us to throw down our weapons and stop fighting. The late David Wilkerson of New York's Time Square Church said in his great sermon, A Call to Anguish, "That's all the devil wants to do is get the fight out of you and kill it, so you won't labor in prayer anymore. You won't weep before God anymore."

Further in that same sermon, Pastor Wilkerson spoke about that fight: "It is only what is accomplished by the Holy Spirit when you obey Him and take on His heart. Build the walls around your family. Build the walls around your own heart. Make you strong and impregnable against the Enemy. God, that's what we desire."

What are our weapons? Whether we're well acquainted with this passage from Ephesians 6 or this is new to you, let's review those weapons of warfare...all God-issued to us, as His soldiers.

• Stand therefore, having your loins girl about with TRUTH, and
• Having on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS; and
• Your feet shod with the preparation of the GOSPEL OF PEACE
• Above all, taking the shield of FAITH, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
• And take the helmet of SALVATION,and
• The Sword of the SPIRIT, which is THE WORD OF GOD,

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Ephesians 6:14-18, KJV

Is that not awesome? But, wait--that doesn't totally fit the world's picture of the Church,..does it? The Enemy likes the depiction that the world holds onto. That spirit of the world that says, "It's okay to be a Christian, but just keep it to yourself, okay? Sing, have church dinners, love, love, love! But don't mention Jesus around people because you don't want to be offensive. Be mild and quiet, keep the Bible hidden."

That's a spirit that is contrary to all that we're told in scripture, contrary to what the Lord Jesus Christ taught and died for.

If you listen to the world, Christians aren't supposed to be cowboys. We're surely not supposed to be soldiers. You should hardly hear a peep out of us. We're not to make waves. Ever.

Their depiction of Jesus is about the same. If you buy the world's version of Jesus, He was a hippie of 2,000 years ago who did "cool stuff" like turning water into wine, healing the sick, more love, love, love than the Beatles sing about, and oh, so sorry, He was killed and died young.

Over the course of this study, we'll take a look at the Jesus of the Bible. Satan tried to get Him to surrender, too--and the devil lost that fight miserably.

We'll also take a look at the tough guys--and the tough ladies, because they're in there, too--of both the Old and New Testatments. You would've heard more than a peep out of them. Those people made some noise. And, oh, yeah, they made some waves, too.

All of whom risked something. Faith cost them dearly, often their earthly lives. People who were anything but passive and retiring. None who surrendered, who fought "the good fight" with valor and to God's glory until the end.

Still with me? I hope so! If you are, below is the reading for this part of the study. Read it, study it, meditate on it.

Luke 4:1-13

And we will meet again here for Part I of Blaze of Glory!

To read or review Part I of Blaze of Glory, click here.