Man treats

Heya lovelies. Over the weekend, the hubster went to a men’s retreat sponsored by our church. I thought I’d score some major brownie points by making him some “man treats” to take along to the event.

My definition of “man treats” includes anything resembling meat (cooked in its own grease, of course) smothered in spicy and ridiculously fattening ingredients. Extra points are scored if the treats can induce heartburn and/or belching.

Exhibit A:Phyllo Sausage Cups

Prep. Time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

5 boxes of mini Phyllo (or “Fillo”) shells – usually found in your grocer’s freezer section

2 lbs. ground sausage, browned and drained (I mixed regular and hot versions.)

1 ½ cups ranch dressing

1 ¼ cups Monterey jack cheese

1 ¼ cups sharp cheddar cheese

3 oz. chopped black olives (optional)

(I also added a few chopped jalapeno peppers, from a jar, not fresh.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into Phyllo cups.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Voila. By the way, the hubs reported back that these little boogers went fast at the retreat.

Soul improvement

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – 1 John 10:10

Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ used to tell the story of a man with meager means who carefully saved his money so he could travel on a luxurious cruise ship. This man would sneak out at night and observe the people serving themselves at the lavishly prepared buffet tables. Sometimes he’d eat a few scraps of food left behind on abandoned plates. After several days, he became exhausted and ill. In his weakened condition, he was escorted to the captain’s quarters by one of the ship’s officers. The haggard man shared that he had scrimped and saved to take this cruise and had been unable to afford the extra cost of food. His crackers and peanut butter had run out after a few days and he hadn’t eaten anything but the scraps he found. The captain explained, “Mr. Wilkins, you are a paid passenger on this ship. As a paying passenger, you receive all your meals at no extra charge. The entire resources of this ship and the services of the crew are available for you to enjoy without paying an extra dime.”

How similar are we as Christians? We accept God’s free gift of salvation and then struggle and “starve” throughout our lives, sneaking only a few crackers off the spiritual table He has set for us.

God’s love, power and the fruit of His Spirit – His riches – are available to us daily. They come with His all-inclusive package deal. Let’s begin to really live, believing that the riches of Christ are available to us right now. They are!