“Lead me in a straight path.”
(Psalm 27:11)

Many people want to direct God instead of surrendering themselves to be directed by Him. They want to show Him the way instead of submissively following where He leads.
Madame Guyon

I said,”Let me walk in the field”;
God said,”No, walk in the town”;
I said,”There are no flowers there”;
He said,”No flowers, but a crown.”

I said,”But the sky is black,
There is nothing but noise and din”;
But He wept as He sent me back,
“There is more,” He said, “there is sin.”

I said,”But the air is thick,
And smog is veiling the sun”;
He answered,”Yet souls are sick,
And your work is yet undone.”

I said,”I will miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say”;
He answered me,”Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they.”

I pleaded for time to be given;
He said,”Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in Heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide.”

I cast one look at the field,
Then set my face to the town;
He said,”My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?”

Then into His hand went mine,
And into my heart came He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The path I had feared to see.

George MacDonald

*Streams in the Desert Devotional*

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Ingredients:
1 32oz bag of Gluten-free Rolled Oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

However much you want of the following:
- Raisins
- Cranberries
- Shredded Coconut (however you prefer it – I use the finely shredded kind)
- Chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans)
- Shredded almonds
- Rice Crispies (save for the end and only add after you’ve finished baking the mixture)
(You don’t have to use all the nuts, just whatever you have on hand.)

On the stove I melt around about…
-1 cup of Coconut Oil (you can use a stick of butter instead, I use coconut oil for a dairy free version)
-1/2 cup of raw honey (to taste) (you can also substitute with organic maple syrup)
-2 tsp of salt (I always use Celtic sea salt, but any will do)
-2 tsp vanilla extract
(You can also mix in some peanut butter for a different spin on it.)

Melt on low and mix until it begins to bubble and then take off the heat.

For the flour option (the flour binds the wet ingredients to the oats mixture)…
I mix it up every time I make it. (Sorry)

- I have used rice flour, carob powder (kind of like cocoa powder), almond meal and of course if you’re not going for the gluten- free thing, regular flour is fine.
I mix about 1/2 – 3/4 cup (I think). Enough to coat the oat mixture and give it a slight white look. (Not too much tho).

Then pour the melted coconut oil mixture over the oats and stir it all up.

Put the mixture on a baking tray and in the oven and turn it down to 350.
Bake for about 50 – 60 min.
After 20 min I take it out and turn it. Put it back in the oven and then turn it in 10-15 min intervals… Until nice and brown.

The raisins will look a little burned, but they really taste great.

Add the Rice Crispies for a little extra crunch.

Hope this wasn’t too confusing! Haha

“Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear,
and do not dread it.
The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
He is the one you are to fear,
He is the one you are to dread,
And He will be a sanctuary…”

Is 8:12-14a

I’m so thankful that Jesus is where I find my peace and He truly is my safe haven and my defense.

Have a lovely day!

The heart God revives
by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Proud people focus on the failures of others.
Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.

Proud people have a critical, fault-finding spirit; they look at everyone else’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope.
Broken people are compassionate; they can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven.

Proud people are self-righteous; they look down on others.
Broken people esteem all others better than themselves.

Proud people have an independent, self-sufficient spirit.
Broken people have a dependent spirit; they recognize their need for others.

Proud people have to prove that they are right.
Broken people are willing to yield the right to be right.

Proud people claim rights; they have a demanding spirit.
Broken people yield their rights; they have a meek spirit.

Proud people are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.
Broken people are self-denying.

Proud people desire to be served.
Broken people are motivated to serve others.

Proud people desire to be a success.
Broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.

Proud people desire self-advancement.
Broken people desire to promote others.

Proud people have a drive to be recognized and appreciated.
Broken people have a sense of their own unworthiness; they are thrilled that God would use them at all.

Proud people are wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked.
Broken people are eager for others to get the credit; they rejoice when others are lifted up.

Proud people have a subconscious feeling, “This ministry/church is privileged to have me and my gifts”; they think of what they can do for God.
Broken people’s heart attitude is, “I don’t deserve to have a part in any ministry”; they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives.

Proud people feel confident in how much they know.
Broken people are humbled by how very much they have to learn.

Proud people are self-conscious.
Broken people are not concerned with self at all.

Proud people keep others at arms’ length.
Broken people are willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately.

Proud people are quick to blame others.
Broken people accept personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation.

Proud people are unapproachable or defensive when criticized.
Broken people receive criticism with a humble, open spirit.

Proud people are concerned with being respectable, with what others think; they work to protect their own image and reputation.
Broken people are concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows; they are willing to die to their own reputation.

Proud people find it difficult to share their spiritual need with others.
Broken people are willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs.

Proud people want to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up.
Broken people, once broken, don’t care who knows or who finds out; they are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose.

Proud people have a hard time saying, “I was wrong; will you please forgive me?”
Broken people are quick to admit failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary.

Proud people tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin.
Broken people are able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin.

Proud people are concerned about the consequences of their sin.
Broken people are grieved over the cause, the root of their sin.

Proud people are remorseful over their sin, sorry that they got found out or caught.
Broken people are truly, genuinely repentant over their sin, evidenced in the fact that they forsake that sin.

Proud people wait for the other to come and ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding or conflict in a relationship.
Broken people take the initiative to be reconciled when there is misunderstanding or conflict in relationships; they race to the cross; they see if they can get there first, no matter how wrong the other may have been.

Proud people compare themselves with others and feel worthy of honor.
Broken people compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for His mercy.

Proud people are blind to their true heart condition.
Broken people walk in the light.

Proud people don’t think they have anything to repent of.
Broken people realize they have need of a continual heart attitude of repentance.

Proud people don’t think they need revival, but they are sure that everyone else does.
Broken people continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with God and for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit.

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. “Brokenness Bookmarks” available at our store. www.ReviveOurHearts.com

4 TBSPN flour 
2 TBSPN sugar 
2 TBSPN cocoa 
1 egg 
3 TBSPN milk 
3 TBSPN oil 
2 TBSPN chocolate chips 
A small splash of vanilla extract 
1 large coffee mug (Microwavable)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again. 
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. ENJOY!