Taste and See

I love lemon meringue pie, especially homemade! That magical balance between sweet and tart is oh, so yummy, especially when the meringue is 2-3 inches tall and peaked to perfection!

When baking a lemon meringue pie, the trickiest part is the meringue. There are a few helpful tips I have learned over the years to avoid meringue fails. Even a tiny bit of fat will keep the meringue from stiffening, so only glass or metal bowls that are scrupulously clean can be used and not even one drop of yoke can drip into the bowl. Add the sugar slowly so that every grain gets dissolved. Add it too fast and the meringue will weep or be grainy. Don't overbeat! There is a point of no return where to continue beating will make the meringue start to break down.

As I thought about the process of whipping up meringue, it reminded me of Christian witnessing. Meringue requires a clean bowl and no yoke. Though none of us are perfect in this life, we are asked to do our best to live a life that pleases Jesus. If we want to bring others to Him, we need to be “prayed up” and right with God ourselves. (Matthew 7:3-5)

When we share God’s plan of salvation with someone, we should take it slow, allowing the Holy Spirit to work and giving the person opportunities to ask questions, to process, to understand what and how and why trusting Jesus is all-important. Like incorporating sugar into meringue, we need to offer God’s truth to them in ways they can grasp. We often talk about the steps of salvation because one truth leads to another. (John 16:13)

And no one likes to be badgered. Just as meringue will break down if we overbeat it, our witness will fail if we push and push for commitment without being sensitive to when the person needs time to consider what we have shared, counting the costs and realizing the benefits. (Luke 14:28-33)

Seeing a beautiful lemon pie with high, peaked meringue makes my mouth water! And that’s our goal when we witness for Jesus—to make the person want to taste and see for themselves what Jesus is offering!

Be encouraged!

©2026 Pamela D. Williams

The Mouse Problem

Last Autumn our church had a mouse problem. These critters took over the church kitchen! The trustees tried to address the problem but to no avail, so an exterminator was called. Their efforts helped but didn’t eliminate the problem. It wasn’t till the entry points that the mice used to get in from the surrounding woods were discovered and closed off that the problem was brought under control.

Sin is a lot like those mice at the church. Evil or wrong actions enter our lives subtly, often unnoticed at first, like one or two mice. It tempts us with small compromises or distractions that grow into larger problems, like the mice overrunning the church kitchen.

In Genesis 4:7 God says to Cain, “Sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it." How do we overcome sin? How do we plug the holes in our spiritual life? How do we keep those pesky sinful thoughts and actions from multiplying like prolific mice? God’s Word tells us how and His Spirit empowers us.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 offers four Biblical steps to overcoming sin. “Flee from all destructive and wicked behaviors and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Flee, pursue, fight, and take hold—four practical steps we can take in overcoming sin.

And we are not alone in our battle with sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us, “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it and so provide you with a way out.”

So when you feel temptation calling and sin multiplying like the mouse problem at church, flee, pursue, fight, take hold, and look for that escape route God promises to provide!

Be encouraged!

©2026 Pamela D. Williams