Hebrews 13:16 Archives - There Goes Connie

The Bible uses the word “share” and the concept of being generous throughout the entire Book.

Hebrews 13:16 – “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Proverbs 22:9 – ” The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

Romans 12:3 – “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Proverbs 11:25 – “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Today I thought it might be time for me to do some sharing of my own. You might not want to check out all of my suggestions, but maybe at least one will strike your fancy.

A MARKET — A & V Seafood Market, to be exact.

I first heard about this “great place to get fresh seafood” during a cooking class held by Chef James Boyce at Cotton Row in Huntsville. Recently, I had a chance to check it out. The name is derived from the couple who own the business, Allen and Vickie Nguyen. The small shop at 2000 Cecil Ashburn Dr. SE is on the right as soon as you turn left from Carl T. Jones Highway onto Cecil Ashburn. Yes, it smells fishy, but all of the products are carefully iced, and the store is immaculate.

Vickie Nguyen, A & V Seafood Market owner

I had a great conversation with Vickie who obviously enjoys her business and her customers. She was quick to make accommodations for customer preferences, and Steve and I appreciated the large selection. We walked out with a dozen oysters, large filets of grouper and salmon, some tuna dip and 4 large scallops. We prepared the salmon and oysters for dinner that very night, after enjoying an appetizer of tuna dip and crackers. I have a recipe all picked out for the grouper and hope to imitate a YouTube video I saw of Chef Boyce preparing scallops. Can’t wait! If you are a seafood lover, I think you’d enjoy visiting this market. It is open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

A KITCHEN GADGET — MiTBA Salad Cutter Bowl.

Do you sometimes avoid making a fresh salad for your lunch or dinner because you dread all of the vegetable chopping involved? If so, this is a gadget you might want to check out. I ordered mine from Amazon after seeing it on Facebook.

Basically, it is a colander with cutting grooves and a base. You put your salad fixings in the colander, wash and drain them. Attach the base, then, using a long sharp knife, cut through the grooves in one direction. Twist the base slightly, then cut through the grooves again. Voila! Your salad is chopped and ready.

The size is perfect for two people. To make salad for more people, you might need to go through the process a couple of times. A sharp knife is essential.

It’s not expensive, and I recommend it. I expect we’ll eat more salads as a result.

4 COOKBOOKS.

Yes, I am one of those people who LOVES cookbooks. That doesn’t stop me from Googling or using Pinterest to find something specific, but I still enjoy reading cookbooks. I especially like the ones written by people I know or cookbooks featuring regional specialties in places I have visited. In the last few months, mostly through my travel/food writing adventures, I have acquired 4 new cookbooks that are beautiful and are filled with amazing recipes I’m eager to try.

Pizzazzerie Entertain in Style – I first learned of this one because my good friend Kay Dekalb Smith shared on Facebook that her daughter Evin Krehbiel was the photographer. Her photos are stunning. The book is filled with gorgeous table settings. I have my eyes on two recipes in particular that I want an excuse to make soon: Bacon and Pecan S’Mores and Hot Chicken Salad. Those of you who know me well, know that I’m a HUGE chicken salad fan, so it’s natural that I spotted the one in this book.
What Can I Bring? by Elizabeth Heiskell. I had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth at an event in Birmingham and watched her make her signature Tomato Pie. She has a very engaging personality, and her Tomato Pie was awesome. Elizabeth appears often on The TODAY Show. You might want to check out some of the episodes and watch her at work.

I baked two Chocolate Chip Bundt Cakes from this book during the holidays, and everyone appeared to enjoy them. This book includes plenty of Elizabeth’s anecdotes and is a lot of fun.

3. Morning in the Mountains. This book has been compiled by members of the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association. Steve and I will be staying in a couple of these B & B’s in a few months. The photos and the recipes have us salivating already. Almond Streusel French Toast is on my must-make list for an occasion soon. It sounds so good. You can order your copy through this link.

4. Gumbo Love by Lucy Buffett. I got this beautiful book when I was covering the World Food Championships in Orange Beach back in November. It seems that every visitor to the Alabama Gulf Coast makes their way to LuLu’s Restaurant at least once while they are in the area. This is her latest cookbook, and it tells lots of great stories, and she offers good advice for making gumbo, of course, as well as all kinds of seafood and Gulf specialties. I plan to use her recipe for Grouper with Balsamic Butter Glaze on the big filet I brought back from the A & V Seafood Market. It looks like a winner.

So, here are my recent findings that I wanted to share with all of you today. The kids gave me an Instant Pot for Christmas, and when I shared that info on Facebook, many friends were quick to share recipes and advice for using it with me. Their efforts made me feel good. Hopefully, learning about this seafood market, the salad cutter bowl or these cookbooks will make you feel good, too.

I saw this poignant post on Facebook recently from one of my friends talking about her best friend. It grabbed my heart.

Have you ever thought about what you didn’t say to or do with a dear friend? You thought you’d get around to having her over for coffee on your back porch, sitting on the new furniture she helped you pick out. You thought you’d tell her that you would be honored to help her with her daughter’s wedding when that day comes. You thought you’d get a chance to go eat Mexican food together at a new place in town. And you thought you’d be going to Alaska with her next year. And you also thought she knew how special she was in your life-but did you ever come right out and tell her often enough?
My dearest friend on earth passed away yesterday before we got to live out the rest of our lives together. I won’t get to do any of those things mentioned above, with her as we had planned.
Please tell your dear friends OFTEN how much they mean to you. Eat lunch with them and have coffee with them NOW, don’t put it off another day. Because tomorrow may not come.
I have a hole in my heart that will never go away. I miss her and so many things have been left unsaid and undone. Don’t take your time on this earth for granted, Please!

The friend who died went in for a fairly routine heart surgery — as if ANY heart surgery can be considered routine — but then she had a reaction to the anesthesia, and the doctors couldn’t bring her back.

I, too, had a friend who died leaving me with profound regrets. Patsy Gore Wright was several years older than I was. Her daddy actually baptized me at FBC Athens when I was 8 years old. For a time, she and her husband Jerry lived in Hartselle with their 3 children who were very close in age to my own 3. She could sing “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” with the most passion I have ever heard. She played the organ at FBC, and I played the piano. We LOVED the times when we played duets during the offertory. We both taught private piano lessons. When our son Matt was born prematurely and I had students getting ready for various festivals and competitions, she graciously fit them into her schedule so that they could go right on without missing a beat. She and Steve were also great buddies because she loved her pets so much, and Patsy trusted Steve to take care of them. I’ll never forget one hot day in particular when I went to Patsy’s house, and she served the most delicious strawberry lemonade I’d ever had. “Just a little something I threw together,” I remember her saying. After a few years, Patsy, Jerry and the kids moved away from Hartselle to be houseparents at the Big Oak Boys Ranch near Gadsden. We chatted by phone a few times, but mostly busyness got in the way and we drifted apart. Then, she was at her parents’ house one day and saw mine and Steve’s pictures on the front of The Alabama Baptist when we were appointed as missionaries. She called all excited and pledged to stay in touch and pray for us while we were gone.

She was SO faithful to email and to send materials that we could use in our ministry. Amazingly, she seemed to have a sense about when we needed encouragement. We would open up our email that day and without fail, we’d find Bible verses and positive words from Patsy.

When we returned to the States, I made plans to visit “as soon as I could.” I rushed back into a teaching job, building a house, watching grandbabies join the family, etc. etc. In other words, busyness and LIFE once again got in the way. Finally, the tentative plan was to visit during Spring Break of 2008. However, Patsy suddenly got sick and was gone. I missed my chance. I didn’t make seeing her a priority. And I have felt the regrets for the past 9 years.

Actress Jennifer Aniston has said: “There are no regrets in life, just lessons.” I know my own regrets have produced a lot of lessons. What about you? Is it possible to live a life with NO REGRETS? Probably not, but it’s a worthy goal.

Here are some verses to encourage us and spur us on to action:

1 John 3:18 – “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Hebrews 13:16 – “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Galatians 6:10 – “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Time to Share: A Market, A Kitchen Gadget and 4 Cookbooks

Do It NOW!! Striving to Live Without Regrets.

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