Angela Breidenbach is a multi-award-winning inspirational speaker, popular conference presenter, and author of the Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life and the new Kindle release of Creative Cooking for Colitis. Other works by Angela include compilation books and devotionals from Guideposts, Group, and articles in magazines, ezines, and newspapers. She connects missions to her work with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries and the Jadyn Fred Foundation. Angela serves as an assisting minister for her congregation in Missoula, Montana. Angela Breidenbach on the web: http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com, http://www.GodUsesBrokenVessels.com, and http://TheFaithGirls.com on Wednesdays each week. 

Visit her Christian Speakers Service page for speaker bookings.

Would it bother you to stand before Christ at the end of your life and explain why you didn’t achieve the dream He gave you?

Bills pile up. The car blows a flat on the highway. Two kids get sick, but there’s no more personal leave left after the last go-around with the chicken pox. Then someone at work shifts the blame on you for a project’s missed deadline and your job is threatened. Not enough drama yet? You walk in the door and find the refrigerator has stopped running, all the meat is spoiled, and the dog ate the hamster. (Well, you don’t know for sure, but the fluff sticking to his whiskers tends to provide sufficient evidence.) Still not enough drama? The four-year-old is hysterical because the six-year-old told her about the hamster, Mom calls to say she volunteered you for the church garage sale because you did such a great job on it the last time. Dinner? It was . . . Wait! Where’s the nine-year-old?

A day in the life of any dreamer has the same stress level even if the exact circumstances look a little different. Anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. You’ve heard that one before, haven’t you? It would help if that do-anything mind had a moment to think.

Then the big kaboom! You lose your job, another family member is diagnosed with a debilitating disease, and now there’s another reason you don’t have time to go after that elusive dream.

Yes, this is a little fictional family representing all of us. No, my dog never ate the hamster, but he did eat five pounds of freshly made beef jerky! I’m sure someone’s dog ate a hamster or a bunny or a frog and sent the children into a tizzy. And yes, I was the mom who forgot one of her six kids during various after-school runs.

The thrum and whirl of life’s emergencies don’t stop. People need us. Bills have to be paid. Animals do zany things. It’s more a pattern than we realize when we’re caught up in the rush. But God knew all this when He knit the dream into your DNA. Not just any dream. The dream. The one made especially for you to achieve during the lifetime He planned for you. He knew you’d be at this moment, this day, and feeling this hopeless. He’s waiting for you to hand it all over to Him. He’s waiting for you to need Him. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Prov. 16:9 NIV).

How do you hand over your dreams?

What if you really are overwhelmed and every minute is gone from every day?

Find out first if that’s a true assessment by writing down your daily activity every half hour for at least one week. If it’s accurate, you may be in a season of wait—a spectacular opportunity for the growth you may need for the coming adventure. The skills and experiences I’ve gained during seasons of wait are the same tools God gave me for the next step in my journey. But I often don’t understand that crucial point until I pass into the next season. For instance, the book my agent just sold has an independent character forced to rely on others to help her, including unexpected time in a wheelchair. I wouldn’t have known or understood her feelings if I hadn’t had a season sitting in her place. Trust me, I didn’t understand God’s plan in middle of that experience.

If your season of wait seems never to end, but circumstances are different, talk it out with someone you trust. Quite often we replace behaviors with other “emergent” behaviors and activities because we are so used to the bustle of busy. Finding a trustworthy person to discuss your daily activity will help you be objective about what season you’re really in versus simple perception. Try a friend, a pastor, or a life coach. Change is hard. Sometimes we need help recognizing how to change.

Ask yourself if the dream really matters. If it does, then would it bother you to stand before Christ at the end of your life and explain why you didn’t do it? It might be your season to explore new patterns and habits so that chat with the Lord has a different outcome.

Caramel Apple Crunchy †I

Recipe compliments of Creative Cooking for Colitis now available on Kindle. This is one recipe that’s hard to mess up. Somehow it always turns out. My family laughs that I don’t really know the measurements that go into it. But I worked hard to figure them out for you! The baking makes the peel and the food soft and easy to digest with a fun buttery crisp topping. It also works well for super busy people. Serves 8.

Filling:
6 large apples, cored and cut into chunks
(The type of apple is personal preference, but more tart apples are tastier, in my opinion.)
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Spray butter pan coating in a glass 13 X 9 baking dish.
Coat it completely. Spread apple chunks in the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.

In a bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients. Blend well. Spread across the apples evenly. Bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes. Excellent warm or cooled.

Topping:
½ Cup real butter, softened (don’t try margarines or substitutes here, it affects the flavor.)
1-cup brown sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ Cup white flour (whole wheat is great too.)
½ Cup quick cook oats
½ tsp. salt (optional)

Insider Tips: Two packets of a quick cook microwave oat style cereal can substitute for quick oats if you’ve run out. (I’ve used Kashi Creamy Vanilla and it was fantastic in a pinch.) Another time saver: I chop up apple and add flour, sugar, spice the same as a regular apple pie recipe. Then I freeze the mixture in gallon freezer bags to pull out on nights I’m in a rush. Excellent healthy dessert done in less than five minutes can be tossed in the oven to bake while the rest of dinner cooks.