Senior Saints — June 2022
This Month
Chicago Botanic Garden
Thursday, June 16 / $15.00
Join us for a day of enjoying God’s creation, fellowship, and friends! Your ticket includes The Tram Tour, The Butterfly Garden and more!
- 10:00 am Brunch at church
- 11:15 am Leave for gardens
- 4:00 pm Return to church
Each month in the Senior Saints Salute we will feature one of our own. This month Jim Miller has shared a short devotional and testimony. Please let me know if you would like to be featured or I may just get to you first!
Senior Saints Salute
Jim Miller
At Harvest Niles and later at CityLine, I have been involved with many serving opportunities. I started attending Easter 2007 and join Jim Shmielinski’s small group. The small group multiplied in 2008 and I have led a senior men’s small group since then.
Jim Chmielinski recounted me to help work in the kitchen soon after I joined his small group. We serve breakfast for Men’s Prayer breakfast on one Saturday each month. On another Saturday we served the Women’s Prayer breakfast. Jim S. varied the breakfast menu, but we usually cooked 15 pounds of bacon for the prayer breakfast.
In 2010, food pantry started twice a month on 2 Saturdays that we had no men’s or women’s prayer breakfasts. The next year when my wife was sick, I was helping cook for 4 Saturdays a month. I cut Food Pantry to have more time to take care of my wife.
I became an usher soon after I joined the church and during months at Culvert Primary school. My later years as an usher I was head usher for a couple of years. After we moved back to our enlarged church, I started greeting people for early Sunday Service. I served as greeter until the pandemic closed the church.
Before the pandemic, I helped cook food for High Five volunteers in the summer. At other summer events I cooked hamburgers & hot dogs. One time I helped Jim S. cook 150 pizzas for a church event.
Since 2016, I helped with food pantry. First in the kitchen, but then also registering attendees. I continue helping with food pantry during the pandemic continuing to the present.
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to His own glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1.
We were born in sin. When we accept Christ as our Lord & Savior, God enables us to live a life of godliness. God give us the Bible – the Word of God. He gives us eternal life with Him.
“Whoever obeys His Word,” God’s love is perfected in him.” 1 John 2:5 In God’s Word we behold the Lord’s glory so that we “are changed into” His image. That’s how other people see Christ in us.
“His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:2 When cattle feasts on grass, in the afternoon they lie down & chew their cud. Meditation is thinking about God’s Word all the time.
I was born to parents that were missionaries. They led me to the Lord when I was 8 years old. My parents continuously taught Bible studies and led people to Christ as their only hope of salvation. They taught me to love the Lord and the Word of God. I love teaching God’s Word.
Recipe from Kathy Combs with Love & Blessings
Homemade Meatloaf
Due to popular demand, we are including the meatloaf recipe of Kathy Combs! Last month Kathy provided the main course and we all raved about the food! Thanks, Kathy, for stepping up! If you would like to sign up to provide a main course, please let me know!
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs. ground beef ( I used both 80/20% and 90/10%)
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1 small onion diced small
- 1/3 green (or green and red) bell peppers, diced small
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 T. tomato paste
- ½ c. ketchup
- 3 T. Worcestershire sauce
- ½-2/3 cups fine bread crumbs (I made my own)
- ¼ c. milk (or enough to moisten the bread crumbs)
- Salt/pepper to taste
- 2 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. thyme leaves
- 1 t. Italian seasoning
- ¼ c. chicken broth
Sauce for top:
- 1 t. parsley
- 5 T. light brown sugar
- 1 t. dry mustard
- ¾ c. ketchup
Mix ingredients for sauce – either use the microwave or cook on the stove just to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Meatloaf:
Combine all of the ingredients and mix well but not too much. We like a moist, tender meatloaf, not one that is mixed so much it becomes tough and too solid to enjoy the flavors. 😊
I always like to make a small meatloaf to bake and sample to make sure the flavors are what I want. You could also fry a small patty to make sure you have the seasonings to your liking. Or, just bake! 😊 It’ll be delicious! Adjust if necessary.
I put mixture into a loaf pan and inverted it on to a foil lined pan sprayed with a non-stick spray. Because fat is flavor, the meatloaf will release some of the fat in the raw meat but leave the flavor. If you can bake it in a loaf pan – just allow for room for the fat – then pour off the fat before resting. If using the cooking pan then move to a serving platter when done, use the foil to make a “trough” around the meat loaf to hold the grease in for easier clean up.
Preheat the oven to 360 deg F. Place the pan in the hot oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Open oven and test for a temperature of about 160 deg F. for medium. I put the sauce on top of the meatloaf and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. It is NOT necessary the meatloaf be done totally when putting the sauce on top because it is baking a few more minutes. And it will continue cooking as it rests after removing from the oven.
Test again for doneness. I do not prefer medium rare meat so I always cook/bake meat to about 165 deg F.
Remove from oven. Rest for 20 minutes before moving the meatloaf to the serving dish.
My meatloaves at the luncheon also rested another 90 minutes as I drove from home to the church. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Please ENJOY! 😊
Next Month
July Luncheon
Thursday, July 14 / 12:00 pm
Our July Luncheon will be early due to VBS and Jim’s Schedule! Our main course will be Chinese food. Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.