As Easy As Chocolate Ganache

By Vanessa Shepherd

Have you ever heard the saying "as easy as pie"... well I beg to differ! Have you ever made a pie? It is not "easy".  It includes a mixer, rolling out the dough, then chilling the dough, then using pie weights (seriously pie, I don't even use weights), then making a filling, and topping it with another pie crust to bake for the perfect amount of time. Too long and it's burned, too short and it's raw.  Good luck walking down "easy" street or using the "easy" button, because it's all just as "easy" as pie. 

People who use this saying are exactly why I have baking trust issues.

BUT... I know something that is easy in every sense of the word!!!! And with it being Valentine's Day this weekend I thought it would be a perfect time to pull out the recipe that is sure to put a smile on your mom, dads, siblings, or friends faces- because this is the day to show everyone how much you love them- so do it with CHOCOLATE GANACHE! 

And if that makes you go- huh- then just think chocolate icing or chocolate dip but fancy! All you need is a few things!

And now for the truly easy part! Add the sugar and butter to the whipping cream and heat until boiling in a microwave for 1 to 2 minutes (mine starts to boil at 1:30).

Pour the boiled cream into the bowl of chocolate chips and let sit for a few minutes.  Then, just stir it a few times.  With a fork.  Not a special kitchen appliance.  Until well combined.

And there you have it! It's as easy as Chocolate Ganache! 

Ingredients:

1-12 oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

Add sugar and butter to the whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl 

and heat until boiling in a microwave for 1 to 2 minutes (mine starts to boil at 1:30). 

Pour the chocolate chips into the bowl of boiled cream and let sit for a few minutes.  

Stir with a fork and serve!

You can have ganache with fruit, marshmallows, unfrosted sugar cookies, cake, or anything you think a pile of chocolate would be good on... which in my book is pretty much everything! And as far as Valentine's Day or as some people refer to it "Single Awareness Day" is concerned, how about a little history...

"Valentinus was the name of a young man who lived in Rome during the reign of Claudius II when Christians were being persecuted. Although he was not a Christian, he helped them, but he was caught and put into prison. In prison he became a believer in Jesus. Because of this, Valentinus was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs, stoned and finally beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. After his death, this gate was known as Porta Valentini. While he was in prison he sent messages to his friends saying, "Remember your Valentine!" and "I love you."

Yep it is morbid (and yes I did just go there) but you want to know what else it is- it is not a story about true love (unless you count Jesus' true love for us) but rather a day to remember all of those you care for! So hug your friends a little tighter, let your family see your face a little more, and mix up a bowl of ganache to enjoy together with those you love!

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.

The Comparison Game

By Haley Waters

We all play it. Oh, we try not to, we really do. We say we aren’t going to play. We tell ourselves we’re “unique” and “one-of-a-kind”; we may even write the words “fearfully and wonderfully made” on our mirrors as a reminder. We never intend to play the game, but inevitably, we all do.

The first rule in this game is: WHO? Who are you comparing yourself to? A famous person? A friend? A mentor, a leader? Some picture of Audrina Partridge you found on Pinterest that you took to your hairdresser because you wanted your hair to look EXACTLY like hers? (Ok maybe that one was just me) 

The next thing you need to know about about this comparison game is that there are two versions. One version plays the card of “I’m not that bad.” 

Often we excuse our own behavior by comparing ourselves to others. “At least my music isn’t that bad,” “What I do definitely isn’t as bad as what they do,” “Have you heard what comes out of her mouth? At least what I say isn’t that bad.” 

Making these excuses is like setting a trap for yourself. Imagine: you’re out shopping with a friend. She tries a dress on that is less than figure-flattering. She comes out of the dressing room and asks, “Does this make me look fat?” You reply with, “Well you don’t look that fat.” 

What?! No one wants to hear that! That is the worst response in the history of ever! (And really, who wants that question to be answered honestly? It’s a trap! A good friend will just suggest something else that will look better on you!) 

This scenario is very similar to what we do when we make excuses: we don’t really want the truth so we compare ourselves to others so that we will be overlooked. 

Galatians 6:3-5 says “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” 

What you do or do not do should not be based on what someone else does. You are unique, you are one-of-a- kind, you ARE fearfully and wonderfully made, so you don’t have to pretend like you’re someone else or pretend like you’re better than someone else. 

Now remember, there are two versions to this comparison game. The second version plays the card of “I’m not that good.” While excusing our own behavior by comparing it to someone else is a trap we can fall into, disguising insecurity as humility is also a dangerous trap. We can get discouraged very easily when we constantly compare our looks, our talents, our abilities to other people. 

“I can never be as good as they are, so I’m not even going to try.” 

Sound familiar? I’m raising my hand because I’ve been there! Comparison often robs us of even trying. 

I Peter 2:9 tells us that we are “A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called us out darkness into His wonderful light.”

When I find myself playing this version of the comparison game, I just repeat: I am chosen, I am royal, I am His. I am chosen, I am royal, I am His. Try it! Say it out loud! Write it on your mirror if you have to—just remember: you are chosen, you are royal, you are His. 

You win the comparison game (yes, it’s possible) by comparing yourself to Christ; after all, you were “Made in His image” (Genesis 1:27). When you compare yourself to Him, because He’s perfect, He will point out the areas in your life that need a little work. With His help, through prayer, reading His Words, and daily practice, you CAN get out of the trap of excuses and move forward into the amazing things God has for you. 

You are chosen, you are royal, you are His. 

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

By Vanessa Shepherd

We're adopting.  Yep.  Any day now. Any. Day.  Seriously Lord, any day now.  

It's kind of a long process and I may or may not be taking the whole "any day now" phase with great enthusiasm. (Can't you tell, doesn't this post just ooze with patient enthusiasm?)  Of course what I really mean to say- or write- is that my house is now full of new DIY projects to help keep my mind off of the fact it has been over six months that we have been "approved" and on stand by for God to bring us our little Shepherd girl.  

That being said, we at LHOH decided it would be fun to start a "Friday Fun Post" for crafting, baking, cooking, or weird lists of random things.  This of course makes me feel a little better about the stack of new material I have with all of my erotic power tool usage and chalk paint paintings! So here it is, a great Friday Fun post just for you... and this one is great for any weekend!

SLEEPOVERS!!!!  I mean come on, it's the weekend there are bound to be a few sleepovers happening!  And with all that time spent at someone's house there are bound to be a few "mi casa es su casa" moments.  You know the ones where your friends ask where the towels are but they are morning people so their asking is mid dream and to be a good host you have to pull your uncaffeinated self out of your ever so comfortable sleeping position to show them for the umpteenth time where the hall closet is, because that is in fact where everyone keeps their towels.  Or the toothpaste... that is in one of the few drawers in the bathroom.  Or your blow dryer because they have forgotten theirs.  Or some other thing that is in some other place that they cannot find without waking you from your peaceful rest and all the while you just want to say, my house is your house, feel free to look in every drawer and in every room if it will mean five more minutes of sleep.

Maybe that's just me because I am most definitely NOT a morning person and should not speak without my morning worship songs and giant cup of coffee first.  But alas I have found an answer to our problem!  The "Be Our Guest" Basket fully stocked with extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, an old blow dryer, a straightener, a comb, a brush, hairspray, shampoo, conditioner, washcloths, and a fresh towel!

It is genius!  No need to fumble around with one eye open, dodging all things with reflective surfaces that might catch your troll-like hair, to find the unmentionables for the even more unmentionable week (which all can be found now in a zippered pouch in your new basket) for your embarrassed guest.  

And to make them feel extra special without having to skip a great date with the Sandman (the fictitious man who helps you sleep, yep not sure who thought up that nightmare), take your dry erase markers and write a welcome note on your bathroom mirror!  We do it every time someone comes to stay with us and without fail it is a big hit!  Plus it wipes right off.

(Never mind the awesome camera work, clearly I am a photographer 

now that I own a smart phone with editing options and all.)

My favorite thing is to write a new scripture on my own mirror each day to help me remember something God has been trying to remind me of.  There's just something about seeing how I am "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) as I do my makeup that puts me in a great mood the rest of the day!  Or about how I am "more than a conqueror through Christ" (Romans 8:37) as I go through a hard season.  So even if there are no immediate plans for someone to come stay because you may or may not be in trouble for something you possibly did, then encourage yourself with a line or two from the greatest love note ever written- the Bible- and smile as you tackle your day!

Isaiah 61:3

"...bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

Two Wrongs Because I’m Right

By Vanessa Shepherd

Retaliation. Revenge. Go ahead and do whatever you need to do, because after all you are… justified. 

Oh, someone was rude to your sister? Just scream at them like a lunatic. That’ll teach them.

Oh, someone called you an inappropriate name? Get out the dictionary, there’s bound to be something worse in there. And if a longer more sophisticated word doesn’t work, then just pull out every four letter word you know. Or better yet, call them fat. Girls hate that one.

Oh, someone formed a group that gathers just to gossip about you and literally call themselves your “hater club”? Well, my friend, gossip away! After all, you didn’t start it. You weren’t the first to walk down the shallow road, and you definitely won’t be the last! If they are starting clubs, might as well start your own!

Wait… what? That’s not how it works? I beg to differ. That is exactly how it works. What I think you mean to say is that this is not how it is supposed to work. That is not how God wants us to work. But unfortunately we do time and time again.

"But you didn’t see what they did! You didn’t hear what they said!” I know. I know. I have been there too. It hurts, it’s unfair, you did nothing wrong. I know.

I have two boys and I cannot count the times that I have heard the phrase, “he hit me first” as if to absolve any responsibility for what happened after the first punch. Surely in the mind of a six year old it is just self defense when your 2 (at the time) year old brother throws a toy at your leg and you therefore decide that pushing him into the absurdly solid wood bed frame is in fact the correct response. And without hesitation when the 2 year old starts crying I will hear those four little words, “he hit me first” followed immediately by, “I didn’t mean to hurt him”. Really Michael? What was your intention then? I think he hurt you so hurting him back was exactly your intention, but when you retaliated you realized something very profound- you are now just as at fault, you are now also in need of forgiveness, and hurting someone how they’ve hurt you brings little to no satisfaction. Your pain is still there whether they are in pain also or not.

I can guarantee you with every mom bone in me that both boys have had their fair share of electronics taken, groundings, conversations of right and wrong, and even a few spankings. The more interesting thing is not that I have had to discipline them for their actions, but how EVERY TIME I have to punish them BOTH. Because there is always retaliation. There is always payback. Their little minds haven’t fully grasped the concept of “an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind” yet. But us? We are much older. We can learn this valuable lesson. We can change our responses. I believe in my heart that we can.

So someone was rude to your sister? Pray for them.

So someone called you an inappropriate name? Pray for them.

So someone formed a group that gathers just to gossip about you and literally call themselves your “hater club”? Smack them and then pray for them. Ok, maybe just pray for them.

A person does not have the ability to make you feel small without your permission… so stop giving it! Stop allowing yourself to be hurt and belittled and victimized. You are not weak. You are not unimportant. You are not the words spoken over you. You’re not. 

Hurting people hurt people, it is just a part of life. And while it feels so very personal, I promise you sweet girl that unless you did something to provoke the situation, it is not. You are just the “face” that they can take it out on since the emotions they are carrying around with them cannot be found in our physical world. The bible says it this way in Ephesians 6:12, “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world”. We are fighting against jealousy, against anger, against offense, and against assumption. We are fighting things that are not tied to any one person, despite how they may feel. 

So let’s stop fighting back with words or actions. Our feelings toward people change (and depending on the week quite often I might add!). And when you see that person and you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach again because of what they did (or said or might have done), just replace their name with the emotion you are facing and if you are to fight anything, fight that! Because no matter how "justified" you are, two wrongs will never make us right!

Matthew 5:43-45

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons [and daughters!] of your Father in heaven…”

Car Jamming. An Essential Part of Life.

I was recently rocking out to some songs on the radio. Not really thinking, just shaking my bass and what not. It can be such a good time letting loose, and dancing mindlessly in the car. The best is getting crazy with friends, but let’s be honest, when your mom starts dancing, and I KNOW you can all relate to this… You were a teenager once… It’s all over. Just turn the music off and awkwardly ride in the silent car. But when your favorite artist and the new song comes on the radio, there’s nothing you can do, but car jam! 

So during one of my car jams, I had a moment that I thought, “I wonder what they’re actually saying.” Hmm… So I just listened. I turned the music to a normal level, parked the car in the Goodwill parking lot, where I frequent, and my eyes, or rather ears were opened. I couldn’t believe what I was listening to, and not just listening to, but mindlessly singing. The Holy Spirit began convicting me, and showing me even more songs that I had been allowing enter my spirit and I immediately asked for forgiveness. 

Don’t get me wrong; I love music and the positive songs that are on the radio right now. It does some incredible things listening to songs telling us how brave and happy we should be. But my heart breaks at the lyrics of songs that tell us to play around, bribe a man to stay, or telling us that it’s ok to be a stripper if we go home with him at the end of the night... These songs that I’ve been “jamming” to goes against everything that I believe in, and I have to be honest, if you’re a believer in Jesus, it should go against what you believe in too.

As women of God, we are commanded in Proverbs 4:23 that ABOVE ALL ELSE we should be guarding our hearts. And one of the best ways to guard our hearts is to guard what's entering our minds. Not making a bad guy good for a weekend! That’s the polar opposite of guarding our heart. I don’t want to be young and reckless. I want to be YOUNG AND FREE full of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2). I don’t want my little sisters in Christ to have a long list of “ex-lovers”. I want them to know what it’s like to wait for the man God designed for them. To not have to wonder in their marriage bed who else they had crazy weekends with.

Time to get personal: I didn't always keep my space blank.. I filled it with names hoping I'd find love, but instead lost hope. I’m so thankful I decided to give my BLANK SPACE to Jesus, finally, so that He could decide whose name would be written on it. And I’m so grateful for my husband Johnny. He is the man of my dreams. The only time I’ve ever experienced, “Screaming, Crying, Perfect Storms,” was on a few occasions. We were playing a crazy game of PIT yelling across the table, laughing so hard I cried and peed my pants, and we went on a run in the rain in the perfect storm. Johnny is a man of God, who listens to the Holy Spirit. I never have to wonder if he’ll leave me breathless or with a nasty scar.

I urge you dear sisters in Christ, give your BLANK SPACE to Jesus, allow Him to write the perfect man’s name on your heart. It’s worth the wait. Wouldn’t it be amazing to not have to be heart broken again? (Psalm 147:3) Because I guarantee, even if your BLANK SPACE has been written on and erased multiple times, God is good to make us new and redeem us. 

"ABOVE ALL ELSE, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."

--Proverbs 4:23--

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

--Psalm 147:3--

One Foot in Front of the Other

By Alison Vidal

Have you ever seen the super old (and by old I mean 1970, because to me 20 years before I was born is super old) animated version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town?” You know the one where every character has these weird rosy cheeks and huge, eternally smiling eyes? Well that was always one of my favorites growing up and today I was reminded of one of the songs in that movie. The song is called “Put One Foot In Front Of The Other” and it goes like this:

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor

You put one foot in front of the other

And soon you'll be walking out the door

You never will get where you're going

If ya never get up on your feet.

Come on, there's a good tail wind blowin'

A fast walking man is hard to beat

If you want to change your direction,

If your time of life is at hand,

Well, don't be the rule, be the exception

A good way to start is to stand

So right about now you might be thinking, “Why is this lady talking about a song from a Santa Claus movie from 1970? It’s not even Christmas anymore.” This week I found out that my grandpa has a tumor in his back and despite having one surgery already to remove it, he will need another to get the rest of it. Last week I had an already fractured relationship with my mom blow up even more, which means a lot of other family relationships are affected too. The past few days I keep asking myself if it’s enough yet. I find myself asking God how I’m supposed to keep going if I keep getting kicked back down every time I manage to get up. After I heard about my grandpa's tumor the first thing that popped into my head for some reason was that song. I know it was God’s way of telling me to brush myself off, that I wasn’t going to feel any peace if I just sat around counting everything that was going wrong at the moment.

It’s easy to get caught up in the situations we find ourselves in and let our circumstances over take us, but we CAN’T do that. To trust in God means to trust in Him at all times, the good, the bad, the painful, and even the confusing.

Psalm 62:8 says “Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). [pause, and calmly think of that]!”

We have to not only TRUST in Him, we need to have confidence in Him always, and I love the few words at the end of the verse, “Pause, and calmly think of that.” The Bible is telling us to just stop for a second and think about the fact that God is a never-ending refuge for us. Something my pastor says a lot is “life isn’t always easy, but God is always good.” I’ve been repeating that to myself a lot the past few days. I don’t know what situation you find yourself in today, and I don’t know what kind of things life is throwing at you, but I do know this: God is here to be your refuge, your fortress, your high tower. You might not think that you’re able to put your feet in front of you and keep moving, but lean on God and trust that He’ll keep you moving. Just put one foot in front of the other. 

Psalm 9:9 

                        “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” 

Stop Asking Me to be a Hypocrite

By: Vanessa Shepherd

Have you ever seen a pin and just said, 

“Yes, this pin gets me”. 

I found one of those lately. 

It described exactly what I was feeling…

Yes. Just yes. To so many things in life, yes. This pin doesn’t just sum up this “winter” season we are having here in the Central Valley (let’s just say we have experienced all four seasons… in one month) but so many other areas of life. Like finances- yes savings, some savings, yes savings, what savings- it’s like the worst Dr. Seuss book ever written. Or even more so, friends- yes friends, best friends, might be friends, frenemeies. Do you see where I am going with this? It is like a giant game of tug of war, one step forward and three steps back. All the while leaving me uncertain of where I stand.

Life is funny that way. We start to doubt “us” when others change their opinions of us. And boy do they change them often. And not just regarding friendships, but something of the utmost importance- our faith. It’s frustrating and often confusing if you aren’t aware of the game but it is just that, a game, orchestrated by the author of confusion himself. 

Don’t get caught up in it all ,sweet girls.  It isn’t you. It’s them. They want nothing more than for you to keep God in a box and pull Him out only when absolutely necessary. But that is not how we are supposed to live. God isn’t only for the “appropriate” times, He is for “all” times. The good, the bad, and the slept so hard your face is covered in drool and your arms are numb ugly. And if I had one thing to say to them, one request for the benefit of us all, it would be this…

Dear Society, please stop asking me to be a hypocrite.

Please stop throwing out words like “hater” or “hypocrite” or “holier than thou”. That is not who I am, that is not who we are. I am truly sorry that you have experienced such things, there are extremists in all walks of life not just those who profess Christianity, and I would ask that you not only stop referring to us as such but, if you can, stop asking us to be one.

You tell us that prayers make you uncomfortable, but then ask us to pray when tragedies arise. 

You tell us it is great to have our own opinions, but then tell us the ones we have are wrong.

You tell us we can disagree with a lifestyle, but then tell us we are ridiculous for not being entertained by it on TV.

You tell us all about your poor choices (dare we call them sins), but then ask us to be happy for you.

And that one… that one hurts the most. I have spent so many of my conversations with non-believers, unbelievers, want-to-believers, who rave about their life and their poor choices and say they just want me to “be happy for them”! 

Society! Do you even know what you are asking? You can’t have it both ways!!! You can’t tolerate that I have religious beliefs and then ask me to deny them to suffice your need to feel some sort of approval from me. (That’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works!)

A part of me shutters inside when I, out of respect for you, allow you to go on and on with your recollection of your “crazy” weekends or inappropriate relationships. Those things that you are speaking so casually of, those things that you are bragging about, those very things separate you from a loving God and there is no way I can possibly say with all sincerity. “I am happy for you”. Because I am not. I can’t be. It is too hard.

I love you, but I can never or will ever be “happy” that someone chooses to live a life apart from Him. The One who gave His only Son to die a brutal death for you. Because He loved you so much. Because He still loves you so much.

Not because I am a “hater”, or a “hypocrite”, or “holier than thou”... but because these beliefs that I cling to are absolute and unchanging despite my wants or desires. 

If you are to know anything about me my dear friend Society, then know this, I still love you. I don’t understand you or agree with you, but I love you. You are filled with the most fascinating of people and while my heart seems to be bombarded daily by our imperfect world I still have one thing that keeps me going- the one thing you so desperately wish to silence- my faith. I have faith that despite your years of spitting in the face of God, that one day you will turn to Him. 

So I will keep going despite your confusing antics. I will keep loving despite your continual attacks. 

Because He loves you.

Because I love you.

And I will never stop. You may not understand me, or agree with me, but please stop asking me to change. Stop asking me to be a hypocrite.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; 

it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Matthew 5:14-16

 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Luke 16:13

No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, 

or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God

and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).