God with Skin On
from Our Daily Bread
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. [a] Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:9–18 NIV
Footnotes:
[a] Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.—Romans 12:13
My husband left for a month-long trip, and almost immediately I was overwhelmed by the needs of my job, our house, and our children. A writing deadline loomed. The lawn mower broke. My children were on school break and bored. How would I take care of all of these things on my own?
I soon realized I wasn’t on my own. Friends from church showed up to help. Josh came over to fix my lawn mower. John brought me lunch. Cassidy helped with the laundry. Abi invited my kids over to play with hers so I could get my work done. God worked through each of these friends to provide for me. They were a living picture of the kind of community Paul describes in Romans 12. They loved sincerely (v. 9), considered the needs of others rather than just their own (v. 10), shared with me when I was in need, and showed hospitality (v. 13).
Because of the love my friends showed to me, I remained “joyful in hope” and “patient in affliction” (v. 12), even the mild affliction of solo parenting for a month. My brothers and sisters in Christ became what one friend calls “God with skin on” for me. They showed me the kind of sincere love we ought to show to everyone, especially those in our community of faith (Galatians 6:10). I hope to be more like them. —Amy Peterson
God, thank You for placing us in communities. Help me to look out for others’ needs and to show hospitality.
To whom do I need to be “God with skin on” today?
Today's Devotional Sponsor:
from Friday Church News Notes
- The following is from John Phillips commentary on the Gospel of John:
“‘For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ’ (John 1:17).
The law was given; grace and truth came. The law was impersonal, pealed out from Mount Sinai amid scenes of terrifying grandeur, engraved on cold tablets of stone, mediated by angels, given to Moses.
Grace and truth were wrapped up in warm, vibrant human flesh and brought into this world by Jesus (the man) Christ (the Messiah). ‘He went about doing good’ was Peter's summary--as grand a statement as any to emphasize our Lord’s grace.
‘Never man spake like this man’ said those sent once to arrest him--as great a statement as any to emphasize our Lord’s truth.
Not grace at the expense of truth, not truth at the expense of grace, but grace and truth in perfect proportion--demonstrated in the character, conduct, and conversation of the most balanced person who ever lived on earth.
Out of hundreds of possible illustrations John selects a few and weaves his gospel around them: the night with Nicodemus, for example; the conversation with the woman at the well; his dealings with the woman taken in adultery and with her accusers.
Thus, the law of Moses contained truth--sharp, demanding, penetrating--embodied in the Decalogue, expanded into some 613 edicts of the law.
The law of Moses embodied grace. Human failure to keep the moral law necessitated the giving of the ceremonial law so that guilt could be covered until it could be cancelled at Calvary.
But it was not until Jesus came that the truth and grace inherent in the law could be fully implemented in a peerless human life and thus be translated into a language all can understand.”
Chicken Fried Steak
The Steak
• 1 pound top round steak
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus more
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup organic canola oil
The Gravy
• 3 tablespoons pan drippings
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk (or replace 2/3 cup with beef broth)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
How to make it:
1 Cut the round steak into 4 pieces. With the textured side of a meat tenderizer (OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer), pound each piece (on a meat-only dishwasher-safe cutting board) until almost double in size and about 1/4 inch thick.
2 In shallow dish combine the flour with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, coarsely ground black pepper and cayenne. In another shallow dish beat together the egg and milk.
3 Working with one piece at a time, season both sides with salt and pepper, dip into the egg mixture, dip into the flour mixture, dip into the egg mixture again, dip into the flour mixture again. Really press the flour in. This really goops up the hands, so just use one hand and keep one hand clean; you’ll need it.
4 When all meat is coated, heat oil to a depth of not more than 1/16 to 1/8 inch. You just need enough oil to cover the pan generously. In my All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan, that’s 1/2 cup. When the oil is hot, put in two pieces at a time; don’t crowd the pan. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, or until well browned and crunchy. With tongs, turn steaks and cook second side for about 3 or 4 minutes. Turn carefully so as not to lose the crust; chicken fried steak is all about the crust.
5 Drain on a paper towel-lined plate (wad up the paper towels; don’t just lay them flat on the plate). Repeat. Then proceed to the most important part of chicken fried steak–the cream gravy! Pour off the fat in the skillet, then measure back into the skillet 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Use the ingredient list above, but go to my Cream Gravy post for the directions (and a little story about a real pioneer woman, my great grandmother).
6 Plate up the steaks with a generous serving of Mashed Potatoes on the side. Pour the gravy over both. Biscuits and a bowl of collard greens on the side round out this classic Southern meal.
DAILY SMILE:
Get The Job Done
Business Jokes
Submitted by wadejagz
"This little computer," said the sales clerk, "will do half of your job for you."
Studying the machine, the senior VP said, "Fine. I'll take two."
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