From the Life Study of Romans - Why is God Triune?

     Most people acknowledge that God is the Creator, but that leaves Him in a remote spot and us down here.  It helped me when I heard that God never intended it to stay that way.  He wants to have a relationship with us, and how God accomplished this is the story of the gospels. 

Winter day on the boardwalk on the bay

 In order to get into man, God the Creator had to become a man, live a human life, die on the cross for man's sins, and then resurrect. I memorized this in catechism. 

     But I never knew that in His resurrection an amazing thing happened--the Lord became the life-giving Spirit.  You can look this up 1 Corinthians 15:45b.   At first this verse may puzzle you.  In fact I never understood it until I heard Witness Lee share on it.

    This is it in a nutshell: The Lord became the Spirit just so He could  become a form that could enter into man's human spirit. Here you can see the Triune God--the Father, Son, and Spirit are all working with the goal to enter into man and regenerate him!  

  I finished reading the Life-Studies of Romans this past week, and in message 60 of the Life Study of Romans  on pages 625-626 Witness Lee shares that God is triune so that He can dispense His divine life into us:  

In order for God to dispense Himself into us, He must be triune...The word dispense means to distribute. Suppose we have a large container of juice. In order for people to drink the juice, we must find a way to dispense the juice from the container into them.  The best way is to pour the juice into cups and then distribute it among the people present.  The juice used to be in the container, but now it is in the people in whom it has been dispensed.  When we speak of the dispensation of the Triune God, we mean that God distributes Himself to us and then dispenses Himself into our being just as the juice is dispensed from the container into those who drink it.  In His dispensation, God actually enters into our being, fills our vessel, and becomes one with us.  This is the dispensation of the Triune God for the fulfillment of His purpose (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Romans. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry,  1975 Print) .  

This is one of Witness Lee's classic illustrations that has helped me understand what he means when  he talks about  God's dispensing.  It helps to see that the Lord's life is like juice so easy for us to enjoy and take in.

You can listen to live portions of Witness Lee's sharing on the Life Study of Romans with helpful commentary on the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Romans:

 Why is Romans Called the Gospel of God?
What's the Connection Between Romans 4 and God's Calling of Abraham?
What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?
Have You seen the Gospel in Romans 8:3?
Seeing God's Sovereignty in Romans 8:28
What Was Man Created For in Romans 9:21?
What is the Focus of Romans 12?
What Does Romans 14 Say About Receiving Believers & Why Does It Matter?
Have You Seen the Practical Church Life in Romans 16?
What are the Three Laws in Romans 7 & 8 All About?
What Does Being Saved in Life Mean in Romans 5:10?
How Do Carnations Illustrate a Believer's Glorification in Romans 8:30?
Why is God's Righteousness the Power of the Gospel in Romans 1:16-17?
From the Life Study of Roman - Why is God Triune?

Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

   Some of the Chinese students who come for dinner on Fridays wanted Judi, who by the way is an expert baker, to show them how to make a cake.  She's so good, she's even sold cookies at her work.  

   So tonight Judi brought over the ingredients to make a gluten free chocolate mayonnaise cake so I could eat it, too. I had fun watching the girls make the cake and took pictures. 

    After we ate dinner and read out of a Holy Word for Morning Revival book published by Living Stream Ministry called Topics for New Believers (which is a good devotional for young Christians), we then brought out the cake.  Judi likes to serve this cake with ice cream and a hot coconut fudge topping.  It was beyond decadent--so good!  Most of the students and the adults had two servings!

JUDI'S SUPER MOIST GLUTEN FREE 
CHOCOLATE MAYONNAISE CAKE

1.  In a mixing bowl put:

(1)  1 2/3 cup sugar

(2)  3 eggs

(3)  1 tsp. vanilla; Judi likes to use 1 T vanilla

(4)  Add 1 cup of whole mayonnaise (Best Foods is what Judi uses)

(5) Then add 1 1/3 cups of water

(6)  Mix together a few minutes until combined.

2.  Mix dry ingredients - In a bowl stir:

(1)  2 cups of gluten free flour mix

(2)  1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa. (I used 2/3 cup for Trader's Joe's brand of cocoa or if you like a richer flavor)

(3)  1  1/4 tsp soda, 1/4 tsp. baking powder

3.  Combine ingredients:  Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and put it on the dial for cake and mix the ingredients together for 3 minutes. This batter will be a bit runny and Judi says don't be bothered by that.

4.  Baking the cake:  Grease a 9 x 13 pan and then pour the batter into the pan.  Bake at 350  for 30-35 minutes.  Check doneness with a toothpick.



  

Judi's Hot Coconut Fudge Topping

 Put a can of regular coconut milk in a saucepan on the stove and warm up.  Then add 3 cups of chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Continue cooking until it is just the right temperature!  Pour over ice cream on top of the cake.  

Or you can make your own special icing for this yummy cake!

Blog Update 4/22/14:  Today I made this recipe for a birthday and it made 24 cupcakes. I also reduced the sugar to 1 1/3 cups, and it still came out great. 

Other Gluten Free Baking & Desserts on This Blog:

Breads & Coffee Cakes: 
Gluten free & Low-fat Banana Bread    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Celebrate Fall With Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread  (A friend's recipe)
Delicious Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Favorite Gluten Free Cranberry Nut Bread  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From a former neighbor)
Here's a Zucchini Bread with a Hawaiian Twist! Gluten Free Pineapple Zucchini Bread (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Dot's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Bread   (From my father's friend)


Cakes:
Gluten Free German Apple Cake   (From my grandmother)
You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free Carrot Cake (From my daughter's husband's grandma--whew)
Judi's Super Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake    (From a church friend)
Judi's Gluten Free Orange Chiffon Cake    (From a church friend)
Marilyn's Spectacular Gluten Free Oatmeal Cake   (My mother-in-law's specialty!)
The Best Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Delicious Gluten Free Rhubarb Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Grandma's Gluten Free Applesauce Cake   (Modified from an Internet search--tastes like my grandma's!)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Cake   (From my grandmother)
Rosie's Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Overwhelmed By Your Bumper Crop of Zucchini? Try Claudia's Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake!   (From my former neighbor Claudia of 12 years)
Scrumptious Gluten Free Blackberry Cake   
Decadent & Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake  (From my Come & Dine church cookbook)
Debbie's Delicious Hot Water GF Chocolate Cake   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Debbie's Less Oil Carrot Cake (Made Gluten Free!)   (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Jud's Crazy Cake (You Can Easily Make It Gluten Free!)  (From a church friend)

Cookies:
The Ultimate Gluten Free Cowboy Oatmeal Cookies   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Mom's Go To For Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Recipe for Snickerdoodles    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Rocky Road Brownies    (From a church friend)
Mark's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies - Made Gluten Free!   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Judi's Gluten Free Oatmeal Craisin & Coconut Cookies (From a church friend)
Marie's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies (Also Great Gluten Free!)   (My friend Marie's recipe)
Bebe's Gluten Free Whoopie Pies  (From my friend Debbie)
Gluten Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons  - (Recipe on Baker's bag of coconut)
Dale's Gingersnaps Made Gluten Free  (From my Come & Dine cookbook)
Chewy Gluten Free Molasses Cookies (From my daughter-in-law's Family Reunion Cookbook)
Those Famous Neiman Marcus Cookies Made Gluten Free   (From my daughter-in-law)
Janah's Oatmeal Cookies with a GF Spin  (My daughter's recipe)
Homemade Gluten Free Butter Cookies   (From My Heritage School Cookbook)
An Old Fashioned Favorite Made GF - Hermit Cookies- Hermit Cookies  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A New Twist on Holiday Peppermint Cookies (You can make them Gluten Free) - (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Who Wouldn't Love a Cookie that Tastes Like a Brownie? GF Cocoa White Chocolate Chip Cookies - (From my daughter-in-laws family reunion cookbook)

Cornbread & Rolls:
Beth's Amazing Gluten Free Cornbread   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Judi's Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits   (My friend Judi's sister's recipe)

Crisps & Pies:
Lena's Rhubarb Crunch (A crisp with a gluten free top and bottom crust!) (My daughter-in-law's mother. She's an amazing cook, which I think most of us moms become after a few years!)
Delicious Gluten Free Apple Crisp    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Ginger's Outrageous Apple Pie    (From a church friend)
The BEST Lemon Meringue Pie with Mrs. Lauralicious Gluten Free Pie Crust  (Internet)
My Grandmother's Favorite Banana Cream Pie  (A recipe from my grandmother)
Granny's Lemon Cheesecake Squares   (From my friend Judi's granny)
Simple & Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie   (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Judi's No Fail Gluten Free Pie Crust    (From my friend Judi)

Desserts with Fruit:
Sensational Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake   (From the back of Costco's organic sugar)

Terrific Gluten Free Strawberry & Peach Trifle  (Modified from an Internet search)
My Favorite Gluten Free Strawberry Cheesecake (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Just Like Grandma's (But Only Gluten Free) Berry Cobbler (My husband's grandma's recipe)
Gluten Free Lemony Rhubarb Bars (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Old Fashioned Strawberry Buckle (Made Gluten Free)   (A recipe I picked up from a berry farm)
From New Zealand - Triple Berry Pavlova  (A friend's recipe - Heritage School Cookbook)

Holiday Cookies & Baking:

Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies  (Modified from back of the Libby's pumpkin can)
My Family's Favorite Gingerbread Cookies (Now Made Gluten Free!)  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
My Grandkids Favorite Gluten Free Peppermint Sugar Cookies  (From Syre School Cookbook)
Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie   (With extra spice-- from back of Libby's pumpkin can)
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake   (From back of cream cheese box)
Gluten Free Polish Fruitcake  ( Modified from Internet search)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Nordy Bars  ( From my Syre School Cookbook)
Grandma Pitcher's Old Fashioned Sandies (Made Gluten Free)  (My husband's grandma)
Make a Family Tradition & Make Your Own Fruitcake    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Homemade Gluten Free Butter Cookies  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Muffins:

My Favorite Banana Nut Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins   (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Toni's Outrageous Gluten Free Corn Muffins    (From back of a Bob's Red Mill package)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Puddings & Ice Cream: 

Dairy Free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (And other ice cream favorites!) (From searches)

Baked Coconut Pudding   (Something I worked out from my Aunt Sue's rice pudding recipe)

Tangy Lemon Pudding   (From my daughter-in-laws family reunion cookbook)

Jan's Sausage & Vegetable Frittata

   This recipe comes from a friend who worked for years as a home ec teacher.  We stayed at her home during a recent conference, and she made this recipe for  breakfast. This frittata has lots of vegetables and that's also why I liked it so much!

    Last week I made this recipe and used the kind of peppers I had on hand, and I also wanted to add some onion and mushrooms. Frittatas are a great way to clean out the crisper in your refrigerator!  I served this recipe last week with tremendous pumpkin muffins (which are on the  list of breakfast recipes below).

Jan's Sausage & Vegetable Frittata -  for 6

1.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Dice 1 orange/yellow/green bell pepper.
(2)  Dice 1/2 of an onion. (I added this)
(3)  Chop 1/2 cup of spinach.
(4)  Chop 1 yellow squash.
(5)  Optional:  Add some sliced mushrooms

2.  Saute vegetables & turkey sausage:  Put 2 T of coconut oil into a skillet and cook the sliced sausages  for a few minutes and then add the vegetables  and cook until they're tender about 5 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile mix the eggs and spices together -  In a medium size bowl:
(1)  Whisk 8  eggs
(2)  Add 1/3 cup of water
(3)  Spices:  1/4 t onion powder, 1/8 t basil, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper
(4)  Stir in 1 cup of cheddar or a cheddar and colby jack mix.

4.  Bake frittata at 350 for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Other breakfast recipes on this blog:

Pancakes
Fantastic Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Gluten Free Banana Split Pancakes  (Another recipe from my daughter-in-law's family!)
Outstanding Gluten Free Oatmeal Pancakes  (From my Heritage School Cookbook, where I worked 3 1/2 years)
Family Favorite Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes (From my daughter's home ec teacher)
Yummy Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes (From About Gluten Free Cooking)
Crunchy & Delicious Potato Latkes  (From a flier in my sweet potato bag)
Tasty Gluten Free Swedish Pancakes    (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Protein Packed Gluten Free Ricotta Cheese Pancakes  (From my daughter-in-law's family)


Waffles, Crepes,  Fritters & Dutch Babies 
Rachel Ray's Pumpkin Spice Waffles Made Gluten Free & Dairy Free   (This is one I adapted from Rachel Ray)
Easy to Make Gluten Free Waffles  (From my Syre School Cookbook)
Incredible Gluten Free Crepes  (Mix of 2 recipes)
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Banana Fritters   (My grandmother's recipe!)
Amazing Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby  (From an Internet search)

Egg Dishes
Sweet Potato Hash With Poached Eggs  (From my daughter's Internet search)
Hash Brown Egg Casserole  (From my friend Lisa)
Mexican Migas Breakfast Casserole  (Modified from a recipe from an airport cookbook)
Baked Zucchini Frittata  (I picked this up from a Whidbey Island farmer's market)
Jan's Sausage & Vegetable Frittata  (From a friend who was a home ec teacher)
Huevos Rancheros - A Fantastic South of the Border Breakfast  (I learned this years ago!)
Beautiful Eggs Florentine (Adapted from an Internet search)
Gluten Free Crustless Zucchini & Spinach Quiche  (From my Syre School Cookbook) 

Cereals
 Honey Almond Granola   (From the Heritage School Cookbook)
 Gluten Free Baked Oatmeal   (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Breakfast Muffins
Banana Nutty Muffins   (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Bursting with Blueberries Gluten Free Muffins  (From the Heritage School Cookbook)
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Scrumptious Gluten Free Blueberry Scones  (From Heritage School Cookbook)
Thanksgiving Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones  (From an Internet search)
Sassy Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Claudia's Blueberry Coffee Cake (Made Gluten Free!) (From a neighbor)

Best Recipe For Boston Baked Beans

    I grew up liking beans, especially baked beans.  A few years ago I started searching for a recipe for making it from scratch.  This is it. 

   This recipe for Boston Baked Beans comes from All Recipes.  I could tell it was a good one when I saw that it had 4 1/2 stars, but I knew it would work for me when I also read that she had been making these beans for 29 years!!

 I 'm always looking for family favorites. After making this recipe twice this winter,  I've had my own family saying those are good beans!  

BOSTON BAKED BEANS  - for 6-8

1.  Prepare beans:
(1)  Soak 2 cups of navy beans in cold eater overnight.
(2)  In the morning drain the beans (the recipe tells you to cook the beans in the water, but I prefer to start with clean water) and add water to go 1-2" above the beans.
(3)  Cook the beans for 1-2 hours  or until they are  tender.
(4)  Drain the liquid but reserve it for adding to the beans while baking.
(5)  Arrange the beans in a 2 quart pan by  
layering the beans with 1 onion finely diced (you can tell that I just chopped mine) with 1/2 pound of fried up turkey bacon.

2.  Prepare sauce - in a saucepan put:
(1) 1 cup ketchup  or 1 cup of tomato sauce
(2)  1/4 cup molasses, 1/4 cup of brown sugar (when I used ketchup I didn't add this additional sugar--you decide!)
(3)  1-2 t salt (depending on if you use ketchup or not), 1/2 t pepper, 1/4 t mustard, 1-2 T Worcestershire sauce (Do a taste test first--On January 20, 2014 I put it in 1 T and it all tasted great!), and 1/4 t ginger.
(4)  Dice up 1 small onion
(4)  Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.

3.  Bake the beans:
(1)  Pour the sauce over the beans.
(2)  Add enough of the reserved bean liquid to cover the beans and mix it in.
(3)  Cover the beans with foil.
(4)  Bake for 1 1/2 hours  at 300; then remove the foil and bake for 1 1/2 more hours.  (The recipe says to bake at 325, but I found that was too high for my oven.)
(5)  Add any liquid to the beans while they're cooking so they don't dry out.

List of Vegetarian Recipes on this Blog:

Pasta:
Oh So Good Gluten Free Vegetarian Italian Lasagna
Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese
Making Pad Thai With a Thai Student  (Omit the chicken)

Vegetables:
Cheese & Vegetable Enchiladas
Scalloped Potatoes
Amazing Vegetable Panang Curry
Make Your Own Thai Fresh Rolls

Quinoa:
Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa
Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Tofu & Rice:
Gluten Free Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry
Fabulous Gluten Free Fried Rice

Beans & Legumes:

Best Recipe for Boston Baked Beans

Grandma Pitcher's Family Favorite Baked Beans

Gluten Free Comfort Food - Mom's Scalloped Potatoes

   Scalloped potatoes make me think about my grandmother.  She was born in a small town in southern Missouri, and my love for Southern food comes from her!

    Recently I made these scalloped potatoes with oven fried chicken, home made baked beans, baked squash, and cole slaw for a welcome home dinner for my son.   All I was missing was the biscuits. 

   This wonderful gluten free recipe comes from my mother-in-law whose father was from Missouri People from the South have this thing about scalloped potatoes!  I only added 1/2 T of Costco's No Salt seasoning and a bit more milk and cheese to thin out the sauce.

Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes  - for 8

1.  Prepare potatoes, onion & cheese:  

(1)  Scrub 6 medium russet potatoes.  Then slice them thinly.

(2)  Mince enough onion for 1/4 cup.

(3)  Rinse with cold water and spread them in a 9 x 13 pan.  

(4)  Then grate  1 1/2 -2 cups of cheddar cheese or a mix of cheeses and set aside.

2.  Prepare cheese sauce:  My mother-in-law uses mushroom soup but this is the basic gluten free white sauce recipe that I used instead:

(1)   In a skillet melt 1/4 cup of butter, and add 1/4 cup of minced onion and stir them until they brown.

(2)   Stir in 4 T brown rice flour, 2 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper, 1/2 T Costco No Salt Seasoning, and use a whisk to remove any lumps from the sauce. 

(3)  Then slowly stir in 2 cups of milk, and cook until thickened.  If it needs more flour, mix 1 T in a bit of milk and slowly whisk it in. Then add the cheddar cheese, and stir and cook for 1 minute. Taste and make any adjustments.

(4)  Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes in the pan. 
Note:  If you want to make this a main dish casserole, you can add cubes of ham and mix in.

3. Bake at 350 covered for 50-60 minutes.  If you like, put a bit more cheddar cheese on the top and let the potatoes cook for 10 more minutes uncovered.  

List of Vegetarian Recipes on this Blog:

Pasta:

Oh So Good Vegetarian Lasagna  (From Internet search)

Fantastic Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese  (Modified from Heritage & Internet search)
Making Pad Thai With a Thai Student  (Just omit the chicken)

Other Main Dish Entrees:

Cheese & Vegetable Enchiladas

Scalloped Potatoes  (My Mother-in-law's recipe)

Amazing Vegetable Panang Curry  

Make Your Own Thai Fresh Rolls 

 Recipes with Quinoa:

Baja Salad with Black Beans & Quinoa   (My copycat of a salad I had at a restaurant)

Gluten Free Mexican Quinoa Casserole

Tofu & Rice Main Dishes:

Gluten Free Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry   (Modified from Internet)

Orange "Beef" Tofu Stir Fry   (Modified from Internet)

Vietnamese Saigon Style Tofu Curry  (Idea from Internet search; curry sauce recipe from a friend)

Fabulous Gluten Free Fried Rice

 

Beans:

Best Recipe for Boston Baked Beans

Grandma Pitcher's Family Favorite Baked Beans   (My husband's grandmother gave me this)

My Aunt Janie's Pennsylvania Baked Beans   (From my aunt)

Breakfast for Dinner:

Hash Brown Egg Casserole  (From my friend Lisa)

Mexican Migas Breakfast Casserole  (Modified from a recipe from an airport cookbook)

Baked Zucchini Frittata  (I picked this up from a Whidbey Island farmer's market)