If you popped by after reading my devotion today, welcome! I am so glad you took an extra few minutes to visit me 
If this is your first visit to She Cooks, I hope you will stop by and visit often. I love preparing food for those I love and for those He loves. That means I love to feed everyone!
This past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and my Pastor shared a wonderful message about the Gifts of the Spirit. He challenged us to pray about the gifts we have been given, to recognize them, and to accept them. So many times we are unable to accept the good God has given to us because we don’t think we are worthy of the gift. But God does not gift us because we are worthy. He gifts us because He loves us and because He wants us to glorify Him through our gifts.
God has given me the gift of hospitality. I love to love on others by preparing something special from my kitchen, wrapping a pretty package, or leaving a little gift from Jesus for them to find. It truly makes my heart smile to see what a little something extra means to the recipient.
Friends, we usually don’t know what’s going on in the lives of co-workers, friends, neighbors and others that God places in our lives and around us. They may be lonely, hurt, or sad. They may be going through a family crisis or they may have had everyone turn their backs on them. God gives us opportunities to share His love and His grace by making them feel special in His Name. A cheesy casserole, gooey cookies, and a warm smile can bring joy into another persons life. Don’t miss the opportunity.
Now before I share my recipe for Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars, I have a really cool giveaway!
This year I received an awesome Immersion Blender after writing about having to make a creamy soup without one. I was so excited and I have used it often. It is so handy when making soups and smoothies and other creamy delights! I love it soooo much that I think everyone should have one. It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools!
So… I’m giving one away!
All you need to do for a chance to win is post a comment letting me know what gift God has bestowed upon you. If you have the time, I would love for you to elaborate a little and share an example of how you have used your gift for His glory.
You have until midnight EST on Saturday to post your comment. The winner will be announced on Monday. And… if you don’t win, please check back next Wednesday when I will be celebrating the one year anniversary of She Cooks by giving away an awesome celebration package!
OK – now for a yummy recipe. These bars are a combination of a few different recipes that I pulled out of magazines over the years. I combined my favorite elements of each recipe and then added my own twist. The result was sooooo delicious. Of course, I only tested a small piece The rest was given away to two different people that I especially love to love on. They work hard, giving so much of their time to do the Lords work and I love to thank them with a little something from my kitchen.
Make these for someone that deserves it. Or, better yet, make them for someone who doesn’t. Grace is a beautiful thing.
Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
- 3/4 cup good quality or homemade raspberry preserves
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar and the salt. Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter into small cubes and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, two knives, or use a hand mixer to combine. You want the mixture to look like course sand.
Measure out 1 1/3 cups of the flour mixture into another bowl and set aside.
Transfer the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and pat to evenly coat the bottom of the pan to form a crust.
Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
While the crust is baking, add oats, 1/4 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup of the pecans to the reserved flour mixture. Stir to combine. Using your fingers, work in the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter until you have a crumbly, moist streussel. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the raspberry preserves, raspberries and lemon juice. (Do not skip the lemon juice. It really brightens the flavor of the raspberries.) Use a fork to mash it all together but do not overmash. You want to have large pieces of raspberries in the mixture.
When the crust is lightly browned, remove from the oven and gently spread the raspberry mixture over the crust in an even layer. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and then the streussel topping. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans over the top.
Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the streussel is golden brown and the raspberry filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into squares.
Store in an airtight container.
Pin ItSweetest Blessings,
LeAnn
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Hi LeAnn!
I am a missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ, and I work with college students and have a lot of them over for meals. God showed me that I have the gift of hospitality throughout my years of feeding hungry college students. I love to have them over to my house. Recently a young man who was in my husband’s bible study told me, “jen, if it wasn’t for your chocolate chip cookies that you made for bible study, I wouldn’t have stuck it out in the group and grown so much in my walk with the Lord!” It was then that the Lord really showed me the power of the gift of hospitality! Thanks for your blog. I love it!
I also have the gift of hospitality, as well as a heart for teens. My husband and I have moved 13 times in our 24 years of marriage and we love to invite people into our home to enjoy a meal & hospitality! We have people over once a week or every two weeks. I especially love inviting people from the neighbourhood, work and church to mix and mingle and find what they have in common. I also love that when you feed teenagers & love them with your whole heart, they open up to you!
I have been blessed with the gift of listening. No matter where I am or what I am doing, a friendly “hey” turns into a long conversation and the sharing of lifes ups and downs. My husband always asks..did you know that person?….and I usually don’t. I am amazed what people will share with me. I never judge, never question, I just listen with an open heart and patience. I have always been the peacemaker in our family, trying to solve issues without anyone’s feelings getting hurt. Only God knew later in life how helpful to others that gift would be.
I remember when my Nana was alive and seemed upset but uncertain who to talk to about her messy fruit cellar. So I asked what was wrong and she told me but she didn’t want her daughters (my mom and aunt) to know she was upset. So, I decided to organize it blaming my Virgoness! To this day they still don’t know
I would say my gift from God is patience. I have been able to mediate many difficult situations, both in my work, and at home with my 4 children. God gave me this ability and I am thankful!
P.S. I love your website!
I love your website. I
just ran across it. My gift is the gift of helps. And I have recently won a battle with Breast Cancer and now am trying to help others by lending my experience of what you go through to others who are now fighting this battle. I prayed the whole time and continue to, that the Lord will use that time in my life to help someone else. I feel that I went through that so that the Lord can use me for others. Thanks!!
LeAnn- This is the first time I have visited your site. I have to tell you that it was such a blessing to my heart to read your devotional from the Proverbs 31 Ministry that was delivered to my email. I have known for awhile that I have the gift of hospitality, but have not had a great example to look to, to see how to put my gift into action. I am looking forward to reading your website and gaining some insight for how I can be creative in sharing my gift. Thanks for your honesty and willingness to share.
Thanks for the challenge to think of our gifts and for sharing with us. I haven’t really thought of it in a while. Life is crazy homeschooling, starting a home based business for my husband & trying to help, etc.
Administration, helping/serving and teaching were mine on the last gift test I took. They do change. It would be interesting to take the test & see what they are now and to make sure I am using what He has gifted me in.
I am teaching my daughters – which is not what I had thought I would be doing – but it is an incredible adventure.
I did all 3 while being the Director for Upward Soccer.
Hi LeAnn,
I am extremely fortunate to have the gifts of service and mercy. It is particularly fitting for me since I am in the medical field where I work with children (and their families) with disabilities daily, on a very close and personal level. My heart and passion for these children is very strong and I know that the Lord gave this gift to me to me. I get to share with others how amazing and wonderful each one of these children are. I am fortunate to be reminded on a daily basis of the miracles that God does in the lives of these children.
Thanks for your website and recipes. I will try to adjust some of them to gluten free flour, as I have Celiac disease. I too love to cook and share my cooking with my friends and family. I can cook and also listen to their problems and just give them a chance to vent, or if they ask, will try to help them. I always try to fit in their faith in Jesus is number one, and only when they are right with God, will their lives be right. Thanks again.
God has given me the gift of hospitality and I use that by letting others in to my home as often as possible for a dinner or just coffee. I also host parties for others and have hosted community groups from our church at our home. I love to bake and entertain and make the place comfortable for anyone who enters! God has richly blessed me with a husband who has the same gift, so there are no battles into opening up our home to share with others!
Hi, My name is Jan and I am a retired teacher. Now that I am reitred, I have tried to figure out what I could do with the talents God has given me… I think my gift is one of service so I started making aprons and selling them to raise money. I was not a very accomplished seamstress but I decided to try my hand at sewing anyway… God has blessed my efforts and I have been able to send over $5,000 + to Children’s HopeChest, a great organization that helps to feed and educated African orphans. My plan is to continue to make and sell the aprons as long as God continues bless my efforts.
I used to worry about what would be said about me when I passed away. I did not think that I had any spiritual gifts and that my life would not have meant anything. I used to joke and say that my family would put on my grave marker,” She was a good cook”.
I recently fould out that hospitality is a spiritual gift. I realize more and more that my love of entertaining, cooking, making things look beautiful is a gift from God and that it does matter. I am one of 3 Hostesses at my church and love to serve our parrish.
Today is my first visit to your website and I’m quite sure I’ll be returning! I believe one of the gifts God has given me is the gift of mercy. During my Christian life, people with needs of all kinds, particularly emotional needs, have been drawn to me. I have an honest compassion for their problems. Recently a lady that I have known for several years has been going through a divorce. She has had thoughts of suicide on more than one occasion; God gives me Scriptures to share with her and comfort her. I’ve gone to the nearby town to be sure her children’s needs were met while their mother was in the hospital. I truly believe this is God’s gift to me….to be able to help others in their times of distress.
Oh my, the gift of HOSPITALITY! I used to agrue with God about this because I DID NOT want the gift of hospitality, but that’s want I have…as my friends call, the gift that keeps on giving. I had never thought of it that way, but my friends say that my giving of my time to be hospitable and to encourage others has encouraged them to be the same way. I never realized how much it means to the receiver of the hospitality…
I know the Lord has put the gift of hospitality within me. We have an extra room in our home and have welcomed many guests (or offered our home to others who have no room for guests in thier own home)! I also take that gift out into the community……and can sit or stand by a stranger and strike up a conversation. MANY times those conversations turn into spiritual matters. It is all for the glory of God! He has made me a “friendly/hospitality girl …..so that HE can touch others lives!
God gave me the gift of love for two-year-olds. I knew it must be from Him because who in their right mind would love those “terrible two’s” years? He showed me an opportunity to start a Puggles club at our church, which is the two-year-old club for AWANA. We had been doing our own club for two-year-olds which we affectionately called “Awanabees” but were thrilled when AWANA came out with a curriculum specifically for two-year-olds! It is amazing to watch a toddler memorize Bible verses and use sign language too. Jesus loves two-year-olds and so do I! I would also love to have that little blender thingy!!!!!
Thank you for the wonderful encouragement. I have “squelched” my gift of hospitality over the last few years due to discouragement from my husband that we were always the ones “giving.” This has given me renewed energy and enthusiasm and am ready to jump back in with both feet to encourage others and use my gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I think I always knew I had the gift of hospitality. My mom had people over often and always shared her bounty from the kitchen and from the garden. I watched her and learned how to give. She made it look so easy. But now at the age of 49, I know that if you are doing what God has called you to do, it is easier! Mom has been in heaven for eleven years now and I’m a grown woman. I still have the bulbs she planted in my yard and every year I always give a bouquet away or some bulbs away. I think hospitality extends to the garden. I would like to have the gift of wisdom sometimes to share with others from the Bible, but I can hardly remember what I have read. What I usually do is make soups, bread, and deserts and share them with families who have sick members. As I am cooking, I can pray for that family and their specific needs. Our church is good about providing meals to families with sick moms. They have sign up sheet for each week. Right now we are cooking for a mom with an agressive form of cancer. She had several months of chemo, before surgery, then six weeks of IV treatment every day afterwards. Can you imagine? For those individuals with the gift of hospitality, they know that once a week isn’t enough. So I usually double my soup recipes and take a jar with a loaf or two of homemade bread once a week to church. Then they get the sign-up meal and one more. Just because you are not on the list doesn’t mean you can’t take them something. Trust me they will be very appreciative!
I first have to say that I love your website! And all of the recipes sound delicious! I am anxious to try them out… I think my spiritual gift is being a people person. I genuinely love people.. all people.. all kinds..no matter what they do or what they’ve done in their past. I really have a love for people. I work at a high school as a media specialist in the library and I mostly love my job because of the interaction I have with the kids. I feel I’m using my gift at work to reach out to kids that may need someone to listen or talk to. I also enjoy working at Church on Sunday mornings. I check kids in to their classes before Sunday school and Church and this is such a great way to interact with the kids and the parents. I am thankful for the gift I was given …
I am so blessed in so many ways. Currently, I am assisting in the special needs of my mother-in-law who has a terminal illness. It has been very humbling and I can not define the honor in words. I am truely grateful that I am the one chosen to be there in the middle of the night, at the beginning of her day and at the close of her evening. The opportunity to unite with her in prayer is a blessing that I am so very, very grateful. What a gift to be a daughter-in-law.
God has given me the gift of life. When I was 19 I had a malignant brain tumor. The doctors did surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. They gave me a 45% chance of survival in the next 5 years. It has now been 11 years since they found it. Every year I celebrate in many ways with my family and friends and I know that God gave me the gift of life.
I feel I have the gift of service. I also love to pray for others.
Hi LeAnn,
How I so desperately needed to read your post today on the gifts. God has blessed me not only the gift of service but also the tremendous gift of faith. Something most don’t understand nor have I been able to explain. Service is easy and comes very natural to me however the burning desire to share and use my strongest gift that is of faith has been somewhat of a dilemma. After all what does faith look like in action? It is not as tangible as teaching a bible study, organizing an event or preaching a sermon. It is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” So how do I share something that cannot be seen? After reading your post words spoken to me came flooding back and I suddenly realized that over my lifetime I have in fact been using this precious gift through my words of encouragement, love and support that I extend to others without ever realizing the impact or effect my simple words of faith may have upon theirs lives. Thank you for helping me see that this gift of faith I have been blessed with has not been wasted on me. Faith in action is an attitude that radiates God’s love for me from the inside out.
What a blessing all these comments have been to read. My gift would be hospitality also. I love making good things for people to enjoy and making them feel at home. I love to make people feel welcome at our church and in our home. Thank you to my sister’s in Christ for sharing how God’s blessing their lives. Isn’t our God great?!
I have a gift to be able to play and share my music. Right now, I have not been using that gift but I hope to be able to play my flute more since I quit my full time job. It brings so much joy to my heart to be able to use that gift. I also love children (and taught the past 6 years in a private school). I felt led to be a stay at home mommy to spend more precious time with my own children. I hope to find some great ideas for recipes on this site that Wendy Pope is raving about.
Hi LeAnn-
I am so excited to find your website. What a challenge to think about my spiritual gifts. I truly believe my gift is service. I am the most content when I am serving others whether it is at-risk teens, the homeless population, the elderly, or my own sweet family. I am so blessed and sometimes carry the burdens of the world on my shoulders. When I am using my gift to take action, I feel like I am truly doing what God has called me to do and feel as if I’m living with a higher purpose.
It is such an honor to stop and think about God’s investment in us in the form of a “gift.” I definitely think he has blessed me with the gift of organzation. From kitchen cabinets to school events, I enjoy organizing anything that comes my way! I have been able to use this gift to help others find order and balance in their own lives. I am so thankful to God for placing a knack for organizing inside of me!
I am a preschool teacher and I love using my teaching gifts to point my sweet students to Jesus!
Wow…I am not alone…I had felt the same way as you when I found out the my gift was hospitality!
Through the years God has BLESSED me, my family, and others with this ministry. Not only has God used our home as the place for hospitality…but He has taken us into the community to minister. For 4 years our family (me, hubby, and 4 children) would go the Teen Challenge once a month. We would bake birthday cakes and take them to the facility to celebrate birthdays of the men who were in the program! What a blessing this was for our family as well as Teen Challenge.
I would like to encourage other who share in the “hospitality gift” to pray and let God lead you outside the box so to speak when you use your gifting!
The gift God has blessed me with most is leadership/administration. I live in Juneau and you may remember our power being out (and then on diesel) because of an avalanche a couple years ago. Because of that the cost of our energy bills were sky high; like triple a normal bill. With the elders’ blessing I set up a dinner theatre where the funds collected above and beyond our cost would go to a family who needed help paying off their bill. We pulled it off in about eight weeks memorizing a full two hour play, making a full meal including salad and dessert, and decorating the sanctuary to look like a cruise boat. It was so much fun and such a blessing to everyone involved and four families who needed it! Praise God!
Thank you for what you said in your devotion about questioning the gift of hospitality and then accepting it. The Lord spoke to me through you. Now, if only I had the gift of cleaning.
The gift that God has blessed me with is Encouragement and Faith. I love to encourage others and can often see that with even a mustard see of faith in God any situation can be changed, or at least felt filled with peace. I love to see the best in everyone and every situation, and love to simply encourage others. Often times The Holy Spirit has led me to send someone a text, a card, a phone call, or email to just the right person that needed to be encouraged. I am surprised everytime it happens and feel so blessed to be used in such a way that brings glory, honor and praise to Him. I had always figured that my gift was encouragement, but had took another test just to be sure, sometimes I don’t feel like it is as important of a gift to have, of course until I see the hope that the reciever has afterwards. It often brings me to tears just to know that God is using me in this way. Thank you so much for this devotion and your kind words.
Hi,
My gift is encouragement. God wants me to encourage people to read & study His Word. It all started with a simple purchase of Max McCleans audio Bible. You see I had trouble reading the Bible because all the words I couldn’t pronounce stopped me cold. Then He told to start a Bible reading in my Church, which I did & currently still do. I play the tapes 1 chapter at a time & then we discuss whatever we don’t understand or whatever I think is noteworthy. Then He wanted me to start a columne Food 4 Thought in my Church newsletter, about Revelations people have gotten from God Sometimes He will just bring someone to mind who needs encouragement. I hope this explains my Spiritual gift of encouragement.
Hi LeAnn,
I have the gift of Prophecy. I believe that God allows me to see the big picture and to recognize truth. Recently my husband lost his job, but was able to take a buyout through his company. This allowed us to become debt free and for him to be able to take a job at a non profit mission. God has been blessing us so much. Because of the gift God gave me, I had peace throughout the transition time and knew that it was all going to work out for his Glory. Thanks for everything you are doing and for this awesome give away!
In Christ,
Amy
Hello. I would say my gift is that of a caretaker or helper. When my Grandpa had cancer in 2000-2001 I took time off work to drive him and grandma to doctor appointments. Then in 2007-2010 I did the same for my mom and step-dad (2009-2010). Whatever they needed I was willing to give. Thankfully my boss was a Christian and was very understanding of the situation. My parents passed away in March of 2010 but now I am blessed with a healthy beautiful baby girl (and only child) to take care of at the ripe old age of 42. When I was saying my good-bye to mom I said “Mom, when you get to Heaven, will you please ask God to let my have a baby girl”. I now know she heard me. Where God closed one door he opened another.
I never thought I had any gifts, just thought I liked to bake for people. But after working for an event planner I was able to use what I learned to help others with their events and to make special wedding and baby showers for my girls. Now in my new job I make sure we celebrate each co-worker’s birthday with a favorite dessert and a card signed by all. Everyone needs to know how special they are in the Lord.
Thanks God that I read your comments and also other people’s gifts from God.I believe that the gift that God gave me is the gift of teaching.I was a school teacher for so many years and now I am no longer a teacher,but I am a pastor.I use that gift for my preaching as well as a good leadership.I share the WORDS of God in a very comprehensive way,so that everyone should be able to understand.I believe if everyone understand the bible clearly they will act ,do according to the WORDS of God.
I have been given the gift of teaching. I homeschool our two children and I also teach childbirth education classes.
God has given me the gift of music! I have been blessed to use this gift to share God’s love and creativity with others. I am a music therapist!
I love your recipes! My gift is encouragement! I am a nurse so I try to use this gift daily in my profession. I also share my faith to give God the glory!
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