Debbie Taylor Williams

One of my favorite things my Mom made when I was growing up was banana bread! It has carried on to my family now and my family just loves it. It is one of those comfort foods that you can make that make the house smell delicious and if you eat the bread warm it just melts in your mouth.

This is a perfect holiday bread recipe for a bread exchange or to take to your office staff or friends for a little Christmas surprise.

BANANA BREAD p. 77

1 cup sugar                                                                          

1/2 cup butter and shortening, mixed

(I just use butter sometimes and it turns out great still)

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

chopped pecans, optional (I have also used walnuts and they’re an excellent substitution)

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into lightly greased loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Note: This recipe freezes well for up to six months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then cover in aluminum foil.

 ENJOY!

“If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31b, 32

TABLE BLESSING

Worthy, Lord, You are worthy,

Worthy of all praise.

We give You all the glory.

We will worship You, O Ancient of Days.

To order your Taste & See Cookbook, click HERE.

 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”

Psalm 139:7-12

I was in high school when these verses first caught my attention. They were so beautiful that I took my guitar in hand and made up a song. “If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” Which of the verses are your favorite? Which provide you the most comfort; knowing God is everywhere and that He is always with you?

Lord God, I praise You that You are EVERYWHERE, and that there is no place I can go and be apart from Your presence. 

Due to something odd and over which I have no control, some people who want to receive this daily praise are being unsubscribed. If you stop receiving this post or know someone who has and they want to receive it, please subscribe again. We are looking into why this is happening. Thank you.

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “In that day the LORD of hosts will be
for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty
to the remnant of His people.”

Isaiah 28:5 NKJV

Throughout time, people have sat on thrones and worn diadems (crowns). Some leaders have worn their crowns well and brought honor to their people. Others have brought shame to their people. The later was the case with the chief tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy. In contrast to the drunken leaders who wore crowns of shame; Isaiah pointed to the Lord of Hosts, who not only wears a crown of glory, but is Himself a diadem of beauty!   

Lord Jesus, DIADEM OF BEAUTY, glorious One, I honor and praise You, my Lord!

Thank you for your patience during our techical difficulties. You can always find the daily blog post at www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. You can also find them on my Facebook Ministry page, along with inspirational quotes, worship songs, and more. Please click HERE to LIKE & share with your friends.

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.”

Luke 2:25

It is likely that you’ve not heard Jesus called the “Consolation of Israel.” But, isn’t it exciting to learn the many ways in which Christ is described? Why would He be addressed in this way? The reason is because the Rabbis referred to the coming Messiah as the “consoler” or “comforter” who would bring comfort to the nation of Israel. However, Jesus is not only the consolation of Israel. He is available to each of us. And, just as we like to console and encourager people, so does the Lord God. Could you use a little consoling today? How about some encouragement? If so, turn your eyes heavenward in praise. Thank Jesus for being a spiritual coach for you. One who can bring forth more consolation than you imagined or dreamed possible. He wears the title because He’s the One and Only who owns it.

 Lord Jesus Christ, CONSOLATION of ISRAEL, and consolation of my spirit, I praise and worship You. There is none other who can bring comfort to my soul as You do. I love and praise You!

*http://goo.gl/v21nLj

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “A voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

Jesus, at age 12, described the temple in Jerusalem as His Father’s house. He laid claim to intimacy with the heavenly Father and a desire to be near Him. At Jesus’s baptism, God the Father affirmed His relationship with Jesus when He called Him “My BELOVED Son.” When we think of God the Father sending His beloved Son to earth to be our Savior, may we be mindful of the Father and Son’s sacrifice. May we be mindful of their great love. 

Heavenly Father and BELOVED SON, I praise You for Your great love. I praise You for selflessly giving Yourself and including me in the family of God! 

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God,”

Hebrews 11:10

Have you ever needed an architect; someone to help you design your home, office, or some other building? In the letter to the Hebrews, we’re told that Abraham had his eyes on a city who whose architect and builder was God. In other words, Abraham’s hope was not in what he would accomplish on earth. He knew his plans would have flaws and what he built would not last. He knew that the heavenly Jerusalem would be perfect, and it was on that Abraham set his eyes. We do well to also remember that our earthly plans are temporal and have flaws. But, like Abraham, we can look forward to the new Jerusalem, whose architect and builder is God.

Lord God, I praise You, Architect of the heavenly Jerusalem that will be perfect and filled with Your glory.

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “For the Lord gives wisdom;
 From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2:6

I think you would agree with me that if there is anything we need, it’s wisdom. Wisdom for how to proceed with our lives, families, finances, business, ministry, relationships, and on and on. Proverbs reminds us that the Lord is the source and provider of wisdom. How blessed we are to be able to read the Bible and pray and receive wisdom from above.  

GOD OF WISDOM, I praise You for being the source and provider of wisdom!

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Philippians 4:7 NIV

Many times we want to understand God. We want to know why He allows certain things or doesn’t intervene in the affairs of man. But we aren’t God. We’ll never be able to comprehend all there is to know about Him; including how we can have His peace when things are chaotic or dismal in our lives. But, His promised peace is available when we choose to not be anxious; when we choose “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Then, we experience the TRANSCENDENT LORD infusing us with His peace that transcends all understanding. 

I praise You, TRANSCENDENT LORD and  thank You for Your peace that transcends all understanding. 

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” 

John 6:38

Amazing words. Jesus, explaining Himself, said that He had not come down from heaven to do His own will, but the will of Him (God, the Father) who sent Him. If we have any hope of comprehending God’s love for us, it will come by meditating on this verse. God the Father gives His most beloved Son to ransom us. God the Son goes further than any of us would do for someone else. Jesus, was sent by God – down from heaven – for us.

God, the Father, and Lord Jesus Christ, SENT by God, thank You for loving me, seeking me, sacrificing all for me, and saving me!

© Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.

 “…Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood–” 

 Revelation 1:5

There are many things from which we might like to be released. We might like to be released from the burden of our taxes. We might like to be released from financial obligations. We might like to be released from the hospital. We might like to be released from jail. We might like to be released from a burdensome job. We might like to be released from a commitment. We might like to be released from a grudge someone holds toward us. We might like to be released from the guilt of our past wrongs. But, ahh, take a deep breath. Take a moment and ponder what it means that Jesus Christ has released you from your sins. Ponder even more deeply that the release came through His crucified body. With a grateful heart, let’s express our genuine thanks to Him. True, we may have other things from which we would love to be released. But today we can be thankful, truly thankful for being released from our sins. 

Lord Jesus Christ, my mind can’t get around the tremendous gift of salvation which You purchased for me with Your blood. I love You, THANK YOU, and praise You for RELEASING ME FROM MY SINS!  You are a great and loving God!

 © Debbie Taylor Williams. Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to forward or share this material provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee for it. Any exception to the above must be approved by Debbie Taylor Williams. Please include on any web posting or printed distribution: © Debbie Taylor Williams, www.debbietaylorwilliams.com. Thank you.