A Spicy Summer Salad + Christian Roadblocks

             Romans 14:13 (NIV)
             Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

The Bible instructs us NOT to judge others, no matter what! If we ridicule someone because they sin, we aren't being very Christ-like. After all, aren't we all sinners? If we do judge, and do so openly, aren't we causing others in the world to be further away from Christ? Absolutely. We should be doing everything we can to love and accept others. It is not our responsibility to hold the Word of God against others. If we do, we become a road block in their journey to or with Christ. It is our Christian duty to live according to His Word and, through our words and actions, inspire others to do the same. 

Alright, guys. You are going to LOVE today's recipe. This is the perfect accompaniment to any grilled dish. Have I ever mentioned what an awesome cook my dad is? Grilling, baking, boiling, steaming...you name it, he can cook it. This is his recipe for a refreshingly delicious summer salad.

 Pop's Spicy Summer Corn and Bean Salad

1 can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed)
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 red onion chopped
1 lime(for juicing)
1/4 cup cilantro(chopped)
1/2 jalapeno (cored and seeded*, then chopped)
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper

 This is so easy. The directions are practically in the ingredient list. Prepare and stir to combine all of the ingredients.

*leave the jalapeno seeds in ONLY if you want this salad REALLY spicy!!

My dad likes to let this salad sit in the fridge to develop the flavors. Tonight, I served it right after I made it. It's great both ways! This is definitely a hit if you need a side dish to bring to a cookout!

YUMMY!


 


 

Coffee Filter Wreath + How to Live Forever

        John 3:16 NIV
        "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I think it's amazing that once this life is through, just because I believe in Jesus Christ, I get to live FOREVER. And, in the words of Prince, "Eternity means forever..." Sorry, I had to, the song is stuck in my head. Also, my husband, Hank, is not just a Prince fan, but he's always telling me how amazed he is at the amount of people that go through the motions of life without even thinking about how they will spend eternity. Have you thought about it? Did you know that your belief is how you get there? John 3:16 says it all!

This craft project we've been working on is what reminded me of this scripture. It's a coffee filter wreath. The circle has no end, and neither does eternity.

 

We've seen these ALL over Pinterest, but lets be honest, what haven't we seen on Pinterest? We didn't have much to spend on our next craft, so this is definitely budget-friendly. Here's how we did it:

      

 

 

 

 

Supplies: One foam wreath form, hot glue gun and sticks, and coffee filters

First, heat up your glue gun. Then, grab a coffee filter and pinch the bottom.

Put hot glue on the pinched portion(bottom) of the filters and glue them around the form. We glued them pretty close together, but you could space them out a bit, depending on the look you're going for.

Your wreath starts to take shape.

This is a time consuming process, so have a little fun with it!

Attach ribbon of any color and hang wherever you like!

This project took about one hour and thirty minutes. We really loved it hanging over our dining room mirror. We've also seen these wreaths dip dyed in tea, or even spray painted. You can really customize it to work with any room and color palette!