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Life Lessons from Three Pilots

The Captain’s Corner

Do you ever stop to think of people who have made a difference in your life—perhaps spiritually or professionally? Were they an example of what you wished to become? I have several individuals who “piloted” me in this way. In this post, I’d like to share lessons from three of those with you.

Even when I was a little boy, Captain Glenn Shoop of Braniff Airways was my hero. (He eventually flew the Concorde!) We would talk during my visits to my grandmother’s home in Dallas, especially over Christmas break. Captain Shoop listened to me and encouraged me in my desire to fly for the airlines.

Captain J. J. Hamilton was the director of the flying school I attended, American Flyers. He cared about me, a fifteen-year-old kid who wanted to learn to fly. He gave me advice and helped me in my training. When he could no longer fly because of vision problems, he exemplified a powerful Christian outlook that overcame discouragement.

Captain Gene Price was a captain with Delta. When I needed guidance on how to apply for a job with the airlines, Captain Price prayed with me and talked with me. He touched my life spiritually with his consistent and gracious example.

All three of these men impacted my life by their walk with God and their godly lives. I wanted to be like them, and I am grateful to God for them. Like Barnabas was to the apostles, these men were “sons of encouragement” to me (see Acts 4:36, ESV). Like Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, they were examples I could follow.

As I told you about these three pilots who left their imprints on my life, who came to mind as someone who has done the same in your life? Whose life will you impact today?

By Petals from the Basket | May 27, 2020 | Bible Reading, The Captain's Corner |

Come on Over for Chicken Salad – Hold the Mayo!

Just in time for Memorial Day…and summer!

I’m not a fan of mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, salad dressing, or whatever else they may try to title that white creamy stuff that makes me cringe just writing about it. I’ve tried. Really I have. I’ve even had my “no-thank-you portion” to appease my mother, and I still don’t like it. That means I rarely like chicken salad, potato salad, or pasta salads made with the white creamy stuff. And I know I’m not the only one!

So…I researched my options, tweaked a few recipes, and came up with this “Come on Over” recipe that we (Joe likes it too) now consider a favorite! Enough chit-chat. Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Brenda’s “Come on Over” Chicken Salad

Prep time: 30 minutes-ish
Serves: 4-6
From the kitchen of Brenda Henderson

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced chicken breast (cooked, diced into small cubes)
  • 3/4 cup diced onion (2 slices diced into small cubes)
  • 3/4 cup diced celery (3 stalks diced into small cubes)
  • 3/4 cup diced petite dill pickles (approximately 12 petite dills)
  • 1 cup Fage (or similar) yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp lemon pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

Directions:

  1. On stovetop or grill, cook one chicken breast; season with 1/2 of the lemon pepper while cooking.
  2. While chicken is cooking, dice onion, celery, and dill pickles.
  3. Once the chicken is fully cooked (but still tender), let cool for about 5 minutes, then dice into small cubes.
  4. Place all ingredients in large bowl. Add remaining lemon pepper and other spices (including Italian seasoning, if desired).
  5. Mix well. Chill, covered, in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serving Ideas:

  • Serve with crackers as a “walking” casual entree or side dish.
  • Serve a scoop-sized portion on a bed of lettuce and serve with a side dish of sliced peaches, a bowl of berries, or tortilla chips and salsa.
  • Serve as a sandwich on a croissant. Include a leaf of fresh lettuce for added color and “crunch.”

By Petals from the Basket | May 24, 2020 | "Come on Over" Recipes, Entertaining, Events, Ideas |

Friday Favorites – 1st Edition

Today is the first edition of “Friday Favorites” and what we hope will be only the first of many such posts to come! We’ve got a great “favorite” to share today that we think truly will be an excellent tool and resource to assist you in your everyday Christian life!

Please note the following:

  • We are ranking these winners out of five possible stars. Few things created for everyday use are perfect, but if we really like it, it will receive five stars!
  • We will only post things we have tried and that we feel are worth sharing.
  • Some of these favorites are listed with “affiliate links,” meaning that if you click on that link to purchase the item(s), we receive, at no additional cost to you, a commission from that/those sales. We use some of those payments to help fund the work of Petals from the Basket.
  • Questions or need additional information? Feel free to leave a comment.

Bible Gateway Bible Audio App – 5 stars out of 5!

In exchange for an honest review of this app, I received a free download of the app. HOWEVER, it’s FREE for EVERYONE! Yay!

Joe and I already love all things Bible Gateway, but here is why this app (a separate app from the Bible Gateway app we already use) quickly became a favorite:

  1. You can repeat a chapter or a verse! This helps to make memorization and/or meditation sooooo much easier than having to stop and reset the verse or chapter. I particularly like this for chapters I’m working on for my Bible study project, because I can set it on repeat and have it playing while I walk, cook, clean, or do just about any activity!
  2. You can set a timer! Want to prop your feet up for 15 minutes and refresh your spirit while refreshing your body? Choose a passage of Scripture and set the timer!
  3. You can speed up or slow down the playback! In brutal honesty, some chapters (the “who begats”) are just better when sped up! At bedtime, I like a slower pace of reading to calm my spirit and my body in preparation for sleep.
  4. There are optional translations and listening styles available (dramatization, pure voice, etc.)! This may be one minor, minor, minor drawback, because the translation options are pretty narrow at this point, and some passages I enjoy more in different translations, but I’m hoping they’ll add new translation options over time.
  5. It’s free! There is an option to upgrade to a “Gold Subscription” and avoid data limits for a very minimal fee, but I have unlimited data with my phone plan, so I’ll keep the freebie!

Can you see why this is already a favorite tool of ours? You can click here to download the app and learn more about the Bible Gateway Bible Audio app! After you download the app and use it for a few days, let us know what you think!

By Petals from the Basket | May 22, 2020 | Bible Reading, God-and-I-Time, Ideas |

To All the Women of Influence

You need to know this: I have no children in my home. My husband and his late wife had one daughter, and she was a married adult with children of her own when Joe and I married forty-four months ago. That information is critical to this post.

On Mother’s Day each year I honor my own mother, just as I endeavor to do the remainder of the year. It’s a day set aside to honor the tireless work and love that mothers pour out on a daily basis from their seemingly endless supply. Yes, they’re human. Yes, they get it wrong sometimes (just as we all do). Yes, they deserve our honor and respect in spite of it…and because of it. They show us what grace looks like, and for that, we most certainly are grateful.

Though I have no children of my own, I have a family member who annually calls or texts me on Mother’s Day to thank me for being a “woman of influence” in her life. It touches my heart to receive her unnecessary and undeserved (but much appreciated) words of acknowledgment and gratitude.

To think of ourselves as “women of influence” borders, in our minds, on being boastful or on thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (see Romans 12:3). However, Scripture encourages us—no, it commands us—to teach those who are younger than we are (see Titus 2:3-5) and since each of us is older than someone, that applies to all of us. Therefore, we are all, as humbling as the title is, women of influence.

How can you influence other women? The answer is in the passage I first referenced above: Romans 12. The chapter begins with the admonition to present ourselves, through the renewing of our minds by His Word, as sacrifices to God, willing to do whatever He desires for us to do in this moment. We are then reminded in verse 3 (see above) that the faith and abilities we have are from God. The chapter continues as the writer encourages his readers (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) to use their varying gifts and abilities to bless others and to serve God.

There is no greater influence than that. There is no greater joy than that. There is no greater privilege than that. There is no greater responsibility than that.

So to the grandmothers, the mothers, the childless, the women and girls of all ages, may this weekend of celebration serve not as a source of sorrow over unmet expectations or unfulfilled dreams. May you instead be reminded of the glorious blessing that you have in being a woman of influence.

And to the women of influence in my life…I thank you.

By Petals from the Basket | May 9, 2020 | Bible Reading, Events, Family, Friends, Life Changes |

“Since-You’re-Already-Here” Quick and Easy Coffee Cake

Our “Come on Over” recipes are becoming more creative than ever—well, at least the titles are—thanks to the pandemic! So here’s a keeper. The prep time is minimal; the baking time is the perfect fit for getting everyone fed and ready to start their day—in their section of the house! [It’s great for overnight guests too, so try it now and stick it away to use again later.]

Quick and Easy Coffee Cake

Prep time: 5-7 minutes-ish
Serves: 6
From the kitchen of Brenda Henderson (shared with me by my sister)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsifted flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup salad oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar/1 tsp cinnamon (more or less of either, to taste) – combine to sprinkle on top before baking

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350-375, depending on heating level of your oven.
  2. Lightly grease 8×8 pan or pie plate with oil or cooking spray.
  3. Mix dry ingredients in medium-size bowl, either sifting together or stirring well with a fork.
  4. Add egg, milk, and salad oil.
  5. Beat with spoon until smooth.
  6. Pour into greased pan or pie plate.
  7. Sprinkle top with cinnamon/sugar combination.
  8. Bake at 350-375 (see #1) for 12-15 minutes.
  9. Let cool a minute or two before serving so that it doesn’t “crumble.”

We had this on Easter morning with a scrambled egg/sausage/veggie mixture and a half of a Cara Cara orange each. Filling…and, I might add, delicious!

It’s a favorite here. The amount of prep time (with minimal dishes!) is the real plus for me! The coffee brews in the amount of time this cooks, so I can even decide at the last minute to serve this! We keep any leftovers in storage containers in the refrigerator and heat about 10 seconds in the microwave before serving!

Enjoy! We’d love to know how your’s turns out!

By Petals from the Basket | April 13, 2020 | "Come on Over" Recipes, Entertaining, Family, Ideas, Life Changes |