Lighting up the Woman within . . .

My business is not to remake myself, but to make the best of what God made!
~Robert Browning

It's not always easy making the best of ourselves. it can be quite an enjoyable pursuit, but it also requires lots of patience, persistence and perserverence! I believe it is the reason we were sent here to earth and born . . . to become the very best selves that we can possibly be. This is a Journey which requires a lot of prayer. It's much easier to learn to live by our own lights when we turn to the Lord and allow him to illuminate our pathway. It's kine of like accessing "Spiritual Electricity" from a Higher Source of Power.



It's easy to ask for help when you are desperately in need . . . for instance, those times when you have no where else to turn, and no one else to turn to . . . when all on earth has let you down, and you have let yourself down.

Most of the time though . . . we try to do things on our own steam, with no extra help at all. It's kind of like living in a large house with electricity, but only turning the lights on when it's so dark that you are stumbling around and falling down over obstacles in your way. No wonder we fall down so often . . . or so frequently bump into things.



Prayer is a very big part of my daily life. I have found that when I am in daily communication with my Heavenly Father, then I can walk in the light . . . with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion. When I am not in daily communication with Him, I am in the dark and on my own.

Where there is light, I can clearly see and with great clarity. Where there is dark, I am lost and fumbling around. The clarity with which we see when we walk in the light, and when we look deep within ourselves, is the soul made visible . . . the woman within, or who we really are.



Our lives are truly wasted if we spend them trying to make ourselves into something or someone we just aren't or cannot be. How much better it is to just try making the best out of what God has made. This starts with nurturing our souls . . . a journey which begins with turning on the light . . .

Don't you just love the salad days of summer? I don't mean endless days of eating nothing but lettuces and tomatoes. I mean by making the most of all the glorious bounty that summer gives us to enjoy. One of my favourite vegetables are green beans and this is a fabulously delicious way to prepare them and show them off! (Not to mention eat!)





*Green Bean, Olive and Pinenut Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I could eat this delicious salad until it comes out my ears and never tire of it!! It combines many of my favourite flavours . . . crisp and summer green beans, sweet and tangy sun dried tomatoes, salty black olives and Parmesan Cheese . . . all topped off with the nutty crunch of freshly toasted pine nuts. What's not to like???

a handful of pitted black olives
(I like the dry cured ones)
2 sun dried tomatoes, marinated in oil, drained well
1/4 cup of good quality Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 pound of green beans, timmed and cut in half
1/4 cup pine nuts
a few whole olives to garnish

Take the olives and sun dried tomatoes and finely chop them. Put them into a bowl along with the grated cheese, olive oil and vinegar. Give it all a whisk and set aside.

Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the green beans. Bring it back to the boil and cook for three to four minutes, or until just tender. Drain well and run some cold water over them for a few minutes to keep them from cooking any further. Drain well again and then add them to the bowl with the dressing.

Heat a small skillet and dry toast the pinenuts in it until they are golden brown. Add to the bean salad and toss all together well. Garnish with the whole olives and serve immediately. Delicious!



There's picnic food over on The English Kitchen this morning . . . Tasty Tuna Baguettes!