All those in Adam...

A lovely lightbulb moment (with a recipe at the bottom)

Since ten weeks have passed since I last had my regular children's group on a Sunday, and since most of the regulars weren't there, and since I've been feeling unreasonably tired this weekend, I decided to just do a recap timeline of where we're at in the Old Testament.  In Click books 2 & 3 we go through Genesis and Exodus to see God's power, His sovereignty, His grace and love.

After we had completed our scratch timeline, the girl looked at it and commented, "It's like, we all sin because we're all in Adam's family.  He sinned, so we all sin."  It was delightful to take her to Romans and show her that is pretty much exactly what it says in the Bible.  It also enabled me to show that God didn't leave us in Adam's condemned family, but sent another man, whose family we join, with all its benefits, when we put our faith in him.  

Then another delightful lightbulb moment when she followed on: "So, all the people who believe in Jesus, they are like another family we have joined?"  

Lovely.

What was also lovely, in a a culinary sense, was the recipe that I see as a gift from God.  I've said this before on facebook, so I apologise for repeating myself.

One day the Waitrose man arrived with the shopping.  As he left he pulled the magazine and a recipe card out of a folder.  Handing me the recipe, he said, "I don't know why they have sent this."

Because the Lord is kind, that is why.

A true one pot recipe.  A recipe which needs hardly any work, but is FUGE (as younger child says) on flavour.  A meal which everyone loves.  Even elder child devoured it, and she normally only nibbles.  A recipe to fill you with goodness and joy even when you're exhausted.  I put it in the oven before church and it was ready to eat on return.  I did have to dig potatoes to put in in, but when they are as crazy as our spuds, even that couldn't diminish the happiness.  I've done this recipe lots, and I am continually grateful that something so satisfying can be so easily made.

Slow-cooked lamb and bean stew

I double or triple it, and normally just put a whole lamb joint in rather than pieces.  Garlic also goes in whole.  And water is fine, no need for lamb stock.  

And I cook it in the oven on 150C for 2 1/2 - 3 hours rather than the slightly harsher stove top cook.  Spinach goes in after church for a couple of minutes.