Friday, February 22, 2013

February 22 – Truthful Like George

Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete.  2 Corinthians 13:7-9

The story of George Washington chopping down his father’s cherry tree—and then admitting, “I cannot tell a lie, Pa...” was taught to children as a lesson in morality from American History. Ironically this tale may have been fabricated by Washington’s biographer Parson Weems. How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove? Job 6:25 This scripture from Job illustrates that we need to be careful what we hear, as well as what we speak. 

Training Tip – Play the game of “gossip” with your family. While everyone is seated in a circle one person reads a message and whispers it to the person next to him. Then around the circle everyone whisper what they heard to the person next to them. The last person says what they heard aloud and it is compared with the original message. This game illustrates that words spoken may not always be what is hear. Although each person is trying to honestly repeat what they heard, it may not be what was true. Honesty is truth in action. We can’t get caught up in gossip and still be honest. A double lesson.  

Lord God, help us to do no wrong, to speak no wrong against others. May Your love and truth shine through us. 

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table
What could be more appropriate for the dinner table tonight than Cherry Pie. This time of year there won’t be any fresh cherries available, so you’ll have to use frozen or canned cherries. So did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree?

Frozen Cherry Pie with Tapioca
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen unsweetened cherries (thawed and very well drained)
3/4 cup sugar (or ½ cup honey)
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon half-and half cream
2 -3 teaspoons sugar
Two-crust pastry pie shell (use coconut oil instead of shortening for a healthy pie crust) 

Directions:
Set oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a glass 8-inch pie plate.  Roll out one pastry into about a 9-1/2-inch circle. Gently fit into bottom of the pie plate. 

In a bowl combine the well-drained cherries, 3/4 cup sugar (or honey), cornstarch, tapioca, and almond extract; toss gently to combine. Spoon the cherry mixture into the pie crust. Top with remaining pastry. Press edges of bottom and top pastry together, then trim and flute. Cut a couple of steam vents in the top pastry. Brush the top of the crust with half and half cream, then sprinkle with 2-3 teaspoons sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch spills. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, continue to bake for about 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden and the pie is bubbly (cover edges with foil if necessary to prevent browning). 

Cool pie on a rack, before slicing. Enjoy! 

Happy Birthday – George Washington!

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

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