At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

Life, Lemons and a Pie

(this is a post from the past from my former blog Gourmet Meals for Less.  Thought it was worth sharing again…cause we all have lemon filled days!)


So what do you do when you feel like life handed you a bowl of these….
Lemons
Do you have those weeks?  This week I felt like I was handed a big ole’ bag of them.  And I had a few choices to make. I could let it ruin my days and steal my joy.  But my favorite book in the world
Bible
tells me this…

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure (lemons) and affliction (lemons) and hardship (lemons) produce patient and unswerving endurance.Romans 5:3

and this…

…For this day is holy… to our Lord. And be not grieved (lemons) and depressed (lemons), for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Nehemiah 8:10

See, the joy in my life is not defined by my level of happiness, or contentment, or my circumstances.  Nor, is it defined by the things or people around me.  It is not defined by who I am but WHOSE I am (I borrowed that from a friend..smile)!  Joy is not a feeling!  Joy is a part of me “being in Christ”. I can be unhappy with my circumstances and still be filled with Joy! 
It is so good to remember that during lemon filled days, weeks and maybe in your case months and years.  God wants you to take those “lemons” and …no not make lemonade (you thought I was going to say that didn’t you?? grin) but He wants you to lay them at the cross and leave the “lemons” with Him!  But I think he’d understand if you want to take a few back to make oh say a


Lemon Blackberry Pie
Lemon blackberry pie
which is what I did.  And you know what spending a little time with my Savior and a little time doing something I love, baking for my family, made those “lemons” seem not quite so sour.  In fact, they tasted pretty darn good when mixed with a little sugar, blackberries and some…joy.


Lemon Blackberry Pie–adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated pie shell
3 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup zested lemon peel
3/4 cup fresh lemon juicE
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup fresh blackberries

Directions:



Pre-heat oven to 400°.  Follow package directions for pie shell, which should include allowing package to set on counter for approximately 20 minutes.  Place pie shell in pie plate, crimping edges. Prick bottom of pie shell several times with fork and dust lightly with flour.  Line pastry with double thickness of tinfoil.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until pastry is golden.  Cool on wire rack and reduce oven to 350°.


In a large bowl combine eggs, egg whites, sugar and lemon juice.  Beat with electric mixer on medium to high speed until think and lemon colored.  Stir in the melted butter and the zested lemon peel.  Place blackberries on bottom of baked pie shell.  Pour lemon mixture over blackberries.  Bake approximately 30 minutes or until lemon mixture is set.  Cool on wire rack.


Enjoy! 


P.S. If you are struggling to find Joy in your life I want to recommend a great book by John Piper: When I Don’t Desire God:How to Fight for Joy 

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Comments

  3. oh sweet girls. so needed this. we have a little issue going on in our house and i’m spending a lot of time on my knees.

    Maybe..there’s a way to put a prayer linky on the right or something like that that we could throw our name in for prayer requests so we could all pray the list – no need for details – just a name to lift up or blog name?

    Regardless, i’m so enjoying this blog so far ladies. 🙂

    Reply

  7. He wants us to lay them at the cross and leave the “lemons” with Him!Amen, I’m leavin’ it with ’em, but I’m going to try this pie recipe and use blueberries(I have bags of blueberries in the freezer),I pray it turns out ok, I’ll let you know!
    Love the blog!…and the recipe.
    Nice chatin’ at the fence.
    TTYL
    ~JO
    LazyonLoblolly

    Reply

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