Why You Should Always Look For God’s Blessings In Unexpected Places

Spoiler alert…Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

I love Thanksgiving! More importantly, I believe GOD loves Thanksgiving. After all, His Word says to, “enter his gates with Thanksgiving and go into His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).The Bible emphasizes the act of acknowledging God as the giver of all good gifts, and expressing our thanks through praise, prayer, and worship.

I know that we’ve all had things in the past year that we can be thankful for, but even when we suffer through the really hard parts of life, we can still find plenty of “thank yous“ when we look hard enough. 

For instance, my dad passed earlier this year, and even in that I have so much to be thankful for. Foremost in that is that my dad, who ran from God for most of his life, came to know Jesus in the last several years of his life. I remember him telling my mother, decades ago, that the church was full of hypocrites and he didn’t want anything to do with it. In the past several years, he and my mom rarely missed church. I ask him before he passed, what did he like about church now? 

His answer was…the people!

I’m so glad that God never gave up on my dad, especially after decades of my dad ignoring God‘s call. God, you are so merciful!

Even now, in my mom‘s grief and loneliness, God is once again coming through and keeping his promise that he will never leave my mom nor forsake her. He’s proving once again to be a faithful companion to the lonely and the brokenhearted.

I am so thankful.

And so, as you search your heart for the people and the things that you are thankful for this year, I’d like to share a recipe for your Thanksgiving table! It’s something new that my wife Tammy, and I just discovered in the past month, and something that will be on our table for the holiday.

It’s called, Apple Butter Pie, and it is indeed made with apple butter! I know… If you’ve never tried it, it may sound weird, but it is SO good. Best with homemade apple butter, but bought from the store in a jar will be just fine. It tastes like fresh apple pie, but with the texture of a pumpkin pie – the best of two worlds! By the way, don’t skip the cinnamon whipped cream, it’s worth the extra effort!

We hope you enjoy this dish, we sure do!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and remember, one of the things I am so thankful for, this Thanksgiving is… YOU. 

God bless you.

Kevin Brooks
Evening Show Host, STAR 101.5 | Listen Now

Kevin’s Apple Butter Pie

A cozy, spiced pie made with apple butter and a cinnamon whipped cream topping — perfect for fall gatherings.

⏱️ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Bake: 45 min
🥧 Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 ½ cups apple butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare pie dough and dish, trim and crimp edges. Prebake 15–20 minutes if desired.
  2. Lower oven to 325°F (160°C). Position rack in the middle or lower third of oven.
  3. Whisk together apple butter, eggs, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until combined.
  5. Pour filling into the crust and bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Move pie to the lower third of the oven; bake an additional 10–15 minutes until the center is set (slight jiggle is fine).
  7. Cool completely before serving.
  8. For whipped cream: Beat cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Serve on top of cooled pie.

Tip: For extra flavor, warm the apple butter slightly before mixing. Pie keeps well refrigerated up to 3 days.

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