Women of Inspiration

Welcome to my Monday morning Women of Inspiration post. I thought for today I would share with you one of my favourite women from the Bible, Lydia . . . seller of purple, and why she inspires me.

A lot of you may not know or remember who Lydia was. You will find her in the book of Acts, in the New Testament and she is known to have been the first convert to Christianity in Europe.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
~Acts 16:14-15

I used to have a series of books which were all about the inspiring women of the Bible and Lydia was one of my favourites. People think that the scriptures are full of inspiring men, but there are plenty of inspirational women in there as well!

Lydia was a woman far ahead of her time. She was a business woman who lived about 50AD, at a time when men were in charge of everything and women were homemakers, housekeepers, etc. They certainly were not commonly known as business women. In her business she sold purple cloth, which at that time was a colour of cloth only associated with people of a high social ranking and great wealth.



Dyeing cloth at that time was a lot harder to do than it is today. The purple colour of Lydia's cloth was extracted from the shells of an ocean molusk called Murex, and because it was so very difficult to produce, the dye and garments made from cloth of the colour purple were very expensive. As a dealer of this cloth, Lydia was able to make a very lucrative living for her family and herself. As a dealer of purple, she would have been quite wealthy and very much respected in her community.

From the scriptures, we can also see that Lydia was considered to be the "Mistress" of her household. From that we can surmise that this meant she was the head of her household, which would have included both family and slaves. Being considered the head of her household, we can probably also accurately surmise that she was unmarried, but whether this is because she was widowed, divorced or just a spinster . . . we do not know for sure.

Here is her story, as written by Paul, the apostle. (Acts 16:13-15, Acts 16:40)

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.




Lydia believed in God and the Saviour, and worshipped them along with her entire household. She was hospitable and welcomed Paul and Silas into her home with kindness and love, and was judged to be a faithful believer.

I love this story of Lydia, a single woman who, with strength, determination and integrity . . . was publicly open about her faith and beliefs, despite being wealthy and a woman of success in a male dominated society. From the scriptures I can see that she was strong and competent and yet at the same time . . . warm and open hearted, being both a follower of God and a leader of the people she lived amongst.

I think that in these latter days, the world is becoming more and more secular . . . and the world we live in is becoming more and more inhospitable to people of the Christian faith and belief system. It takes strength and determination to be able to stand up for what you believe in . . . in the face of so much opposition and ridicule, and yet to do it with integrity, love and determination. That is why I find Lydia to be a woman of great inspiration. She sets an example which I strive to follow as I walk the path set before me by the Saviour, as I cling to the rod and make my way through this life and home to my Heavenly Father.

Lydia, seller of Purple. my woman of inspiration today.

Here is a delicious recipe from my archives. A wonderful chocolate tart that my friend Eliza made for a get-together we had several years back when she was over visiting from Arizona. It was just wonderful, rich and chocolatey. The Mexican chocolate is not readily available over here in the UK, but you can use any good sweet chocolate. I like to use Green and Blacks myself, as I love the way it tastes. You can't get the chocolate wafers either for the crust, but any dark plain chocolate biscuit will do just fine. I use oreos, with the middle stuff scraped away.



*Mexican Chocolate Tarte*
(With Cinnamon Spiced Pecans)
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

This is to die for, literally. Chocolate, cinnamon, spicy pecan nuts . . . ahhh . . . bliss . . .

PECANS:
non-stick vegetable oil spray
2 TBS sugar
1 TBS soft light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
14 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups pecan halves
CRUST:
1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
(Grind these in the food processor)
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
5 TBS butter, melted
FILLING:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 (3.1 ounce) disc Mexican chocolate, such as Ibarra, chopped (Over here you can’t get that, so just use 3.1 ounces of sweet chocolate
¼ cup butter (2 ounces) cut into 4 pieces, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
Lightly sweetened whipped cream to serve



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Blend the cookie crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and salt for the crust together. Stir in the melted butter and mix well. Press into a 9 inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press up to within 1/8 inch of top. Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

For the pecans spray a rimmed baking sheet with the spray. Mix together all the ingredients except for the pecans. Spray the pecans with some cooking spray and then stir them into the spiced mixture. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and then bake until just browned and dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Set aside. (You can do this up to 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature).

For the filling, bring the cream to a low simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chocolates and stir to melt. Whisk in the butter, onepiece at a time. Whisk in the cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour into the prepared crust and set into the fridge until the filling begins to set, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange the nuts in an attractive pattern on the top. Chill until set, 4 hours or overnight. Serve in slices with a whipped cream garnish.



Cooking in The English Kitchen today, delicious Grandma's Doughnuts!

Women of Inspiration

When I think down through the years of my life, I can clearly see where there have been many women throughout the years that have influenced and inspired me. I thought it would be fun to start a new feature on here, where, once a week, I will write about one such woman. I do hope you will enjoy and that you may want to do this on your own blogs. I tried to figure out a way to get a Mr Linky thing, but I just couldn't figure it out. They wanted money and all sorts and that is not what this is all about. If you do write about a woman who has inspired you, please do leave a link in the comments section so that we can come and read all about her too!

The first woman I want to write about here is a woman named Mary. I won't use her real name because I don't want to embarrass her and I know she wouldn't like that. Mary was a woman that I became acquainted with back in the 1990's. She was a member of my church, but I was not a member myself at the time. I didn't meet her through the church either, but through another good friend of mine, named Leona, who introduced us. They had met through an Alzheimer's Support Group, and Leona thought I would really enjoy meeting Mary.

Mary's mother had recently died after having suffered with Alzheimer's and Mary had taken care of her in her own home right through the whole process. Mary also had a husband, George, and three children. These children were not her own, but adopted. They each had learning disabilities and challenges of one kind or another, ranging from mild to quite severe. Mary and George were devoted to these children and you couldn't find any three more loved children if you tried.



I was so pleased when I met Mary. She was a lovely woman and I always really enjoyed her company. We became great friends, and we often got together for lunch or even just for a couple of hours of friendly companionship. We talked about the gospel from time to time and she knew just how sad and heart broken I was that I was not allowed to join the church at that time. She was my friend no matter what. I was always so impressed with her cheerful attitude about things, despite what might have seemed to others to have been some really serious and discouraging challenges in her life. Her daughter had real behavioural problems and was always getting into one scrape or another. One of her sons was severely mentally retarded and could not even speak. He needed a great deal of care in every way, yet Mary always cared for him with love and compassion and with joy. Her eldest son was the most normal of the three, but I believe even he had some problems.

George was a salesman and was on the road a lot of the time, travelling here and there throughout the province. It was on one such of these travels back in the mid 90's that he ran into a severe snow storm. Driving was horrendous and quite dangerous. He came upon a bad accident which had involved a number of vehicles and he stopped to see what he could do to help out. NO accident vehicles had been called for at the time. He went to every vehicle to see if anyone in them needed help and to assist where he could. When he came to the last one he happened upon a woman who clearly needed an ambulance and after talking to her for a time, he told her he was going back to his vehicle to call for assistance. The woman didn't want him to leave, but he told her he must. He went back to his car, where he had a car phone. (Quite something in those days and most unusual) He was able to call for help and it was afterwards when he was on his way back to the car that the worst thing you could imagine happened. He was hit by a transport truck and flung over into a field, where the fast falling snow began to cover him.



The ambulances and emergency people came, but nobody could account for the person who should have been in George's car. The woman he had spoken to clearly remembered a man coming to speak to her and going for help, but he could not be found. The search was on, and after spending a full 2 days in the field at the side of the highway, and covered in snow, George was finally found. He was alive, but paralyzed completely from the neck down. If not for the cold temperatures of the snow, he would have died. He lost some of his toes and fingers to frost bite and was in the hospital for a very long time, and never did regain any of his mobility.

This couple were amazing. Mary never faltered in her faith, nor did George. There are some people who might have turned against God had something as devastating as this happened to them, but not them. They were an inspiration to everyone who knew them or had the opportunity to work with them . . . hospital personnel, friends, acquaintances, etc. George went through the many, many months of recuperation in hospital with Mary at his side and eventually was able to return to his home, where Mary cared for him with devotion and love until his eventual death some years later. I know that she cherished every moment she was given with him, and he with her, despite the difficulties and challenges they faced.



One might wonder why some people are seemingly given more challenges than it seems humanly possible to bear . . . and there is no real answer to that question . . . this life we are given here on earth is a time of trial and testing for each of us. Some of us face deeper trials than others, whilst some of us seemingly live charmed lives where very little seems to go wrong. All of us will face problems from time to time. It is inevitable. The difference lies in how we cope with them. You can lie down and let them beat you of course . . . but what will have been accomplished, what is the purpose of that. Or you can gird up your loins and cling to the Saviour and His example . . . He who suffered more than any of us can imagine and who knows first hand all of our suffering and pain, and who can carry us through anything life can throw at us, His strength helping us to endure to the end.

This was the inspiration and example Mary set for me. There have been many times in the ensuing years, when faced with difficulties of my own, I have thought of Mary and her fine example of faith, and it has helped me to go on, and to cling to the Saviour when many times I may have wanted to let go. So, today I want to thank Mary for her gift to me. Her inspiration and influence have helped me greatly in my life. She is a true woman of inspiration and courage.

Does your burden seem too heavy for your back to bear?
Do you ever think that life is cruel and unfair?
Do not yield to bitterness for that way lies defeat.
Things will take a turn someday and life be good and sweet . . .
You will find that all the trials that put you to the test,
Spurred you on and made you stronger, bringing out the best.
The troubles of the present you will view with different eyes,
and someday you will see that they were blessings in disguise.
~Patience Strong


Here's a quick and easy supper dish that is also tasty and quite delicious. You can just use ordinary sliced sandwich ham, or leftover ham from a roast dinner. I have even used bologna which is also very good.




*Cheese and Ham Baked Eggs*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A speedy lunch or light supper. Serve with some salad on the side.

4 sliced baked ham
Dijon mustard to taste
4 large free range eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 1/2 ounces of cheddar or Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter 4 glass ramekins. Line each with a slice of ham. It doesn't matter if it overlaps a bit as this only adds to the attractiveness of the dish. Dot each with some mustard. Break an egg over top of the mustard in each dish. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Divide the grated cheese eveny amongst the 4 dishes, sprinkling it on top of the seasoned eggs.

Place the ramekins into a deep baking tin large enough to hold all the ramekins. Add boiling water to the tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the eggs are lightly set. Serve hot.

Variation: You can add a slice of tomato to the bottom of each dish or a few spinach leaves, or both. Delicious!



This is a picture of the Trifle I made at Christmas using my new Pampered Chef Trifle Bowl. There's no recipe today on The English Kitchen, but there is the chance to participate in my online Pampered Chef Party! I'm really excited about it. There's also a giveaway, so hop on over to The English Kitchen to find out all about it!