Follow Thou Me - by Annie Johnson Flint

This is one of my favorite poems by Annie Johnson Flint, although I admit it is sometimes hard for me to choose favorites. But, this particular poem is so well written and clear, and it speaks so well what I need to hear and remember.

John 21:20-22  Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

It is easy to be distracted with where other people's lives are taking them in the first place, but with all the access to the thoughts, journeys, and lives of others that we have through social media, blogging, and the internet in general, we can get very distracted from the precise path in which we are supposed to be following Christ. While we may be encouraged, strengthened, challenged, or saddened in reading or hearing other's experiences, we must not let this keep us from following the path where the Lord is leading each of us personally. It is so easy to get all caught up in watching what is happening to others instead of keeping our eyes on the Lord!

We are called, as Peter was, to follow Jesus, not to be looking around wondering what will happen to everyone else. Let's make a conscious effort to stay focused on where He is taking us - each in our own journey with Him. Yes, we need to minister to others, we need to be good friends and fellow saints, but we each need to follow Christ's steps in the place He is leading us. We need to follow HIM.

1 Peter 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
[Looks like he remembered that lesson, doesn't it?]

Follow Thou Me

Follow - not go ahead at thine own pleasure,
Nor turn aside at thine own wayward will,
Nor stray afar in search of other treasure,
But close at hand, where I can aid thee still...

Continue Reading.

Evening Song - Holy, Holy, Holy

Revelation 4:8-11  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

A Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving

Psalms 100:1-5

A Psalm of praise.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us,
and not we ourselves; we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.

Evening Song - O, Worship the King

For the best listening experience, you may need to turn up the volume on this one.

Psalms 29:2  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Sew Happy Friday - A Remix of the 9-Patch Block (Tutorial Link)

Photo property of Nicole Neblett at Mama Love Quilts.

Here is a tutorial for a nine patch block that lets us use up those little bits of fabric that are so hard to throw away, but sometimes harder still to use!  :-)  Thanks to Nicole at Mama Love Quilts, we can now make good use of them.

Tutorial: Remixed 9-Patch Block

The Thousand Word Project - Chrysanthemums

Psalms 104:24  O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Sweet with a freshening fragrance, all their own,
    In which a faint, dim breath of bitter lies,
    Like wholesome breath mid honeyed flatteries;
When other blooms are dead, and birds have flown,
      You stand alone.

Fronting the winter with a fearless grace,
    Flavoring the odorless gray autumn chill,
    Nipped by the furtive frosts, but cheery still,
Lifting to heaven from the bare garden place
      A smiling face.

- Susan Coolidge
Excerpt from "My White Chrysanthemum"

Hominy Ham Dish

I first published this recipe in May of 2010.  I invented it for a recipe contest which my Aussie sister-in-law was then having on her blog (since discontinued). It was in her top three but it didn’t win (probably because they couldn't make it since hominy is not readily available there), but my husband and I enjoyed it, so I thought I would post it here. :-)  I hope it’s a winner at someone’s house!

Personally, I love the color combination in this dish!  It is a very cheerful dish for dark autumn and winter days.  Sadly, I am no longer able to eat ham.  Made with fully-cooked, chicken it would lack a little color, but still probably taste quite good. :-)

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2 Tbl. olive oil
4 med. garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 C. yellow hominy (or white), drained
1/2 C. sliced carrots
1/2 C. frozen peas
1 C. ham chunks (fully cooked)
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 C. sour cream
Black pepper
Ground red pepper (capsicum) (mild, med. or hot according to your taste)

Heat a medium sized, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Cook garlic just till done but not browned. 

Add hominy and cook, covered, till heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with onion powder. Add carrots and continue to cook over medium-high heat till hominy begins to "dry" but not brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. (Note: You may need to add a bit more oil or a tablespoon of water at some point during this process to keep the hominy from sticking. I used water when I added the carrots.)

Mix in ham. Sprinkle with frozen peas. Cover and cook over medium-low heat till ham and peas are heated through, stirring occasionally. Add black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low. Add the sour cream and mix in thoroughly. Sprinkle very lightly with the red pepper. Cook over low just till the mixture is hot again. For best results, remove from heat and allow the dish to stand for about 5-10 minutes at this point to allow the flavors to blend well. Mix in the red pepper.

Serve with a leafy, green salad and your favorite salad dressing.

About 4 servings.

Thoughts from the Past – Imitation Glory

Photo from Wikimedia Commons by Oxfordian Kissuth

Here is another post from my old blog. It seemed appropriate tonight. I also edited it some.
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March 2, 2006
Imitation Glory


2 Chronicles 12:9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house. 11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber. (Also see 1 Kings 14:25-28)

This passage interested me the first time I really noticed it. (You know how you read something many times and don't really notice it, till one day it just jumps off the page at you?) The thing that struck me about it is how Rehoboam, because of his sin, lost the glory and majesty of his father's kingdom symbolized in the golden shields and so replaced them with brass ones. Of course, he had already lost most of the kingdom by this point, but the shields gave a certain prestige and opulence. They must have been really impressive to see in use. Now they were gone.

Rehoboam, instead of just accepting that from the Lord, had brass shields made to take their place. Brass is much cheaper than gold. It is also more trouble to keep it looking good, which may be one reason they were carefully put away after each use. At any rate, it strikes me as a feeble attempt to retain some dignity and reminder of the past glory which was lost. It was a cheap imitation designed to keep up appearances.

Now, the scripture does not say this was actually wrong. It merely gives the account. It is interesting, though, how many people are doing this today in different ways. Preachers and evangelists preach "convicting" sermons and rant and howl to "fill the altar" hoping to give the impression they have "the power" of the preachers of bygone eras. People buy "pre-manufactured" meals that "taste just like homemade" to cover up the fact that they don't have time or the industry to cook homemade meals. Parents plan "quality time" with their kids to try to cover up the fact that they don't have "quantity time" for them. People make great displays of patriotic fervor to try to counter the fact that their nation has fallen and is not likely to recover.

In Rehoboam's case, he could not get the glory back. Really, he was living in denial. In some cases today, people could get the glory back by simply returning to the Lord's ways. In other areas it is not God's will for the glory to be recovered. It would seem that men today will not have the power God gave some in times past, because we are at the end of this age. (Examples: Jeremiah did not have the power of Elijah. Daniel could not return to the land of Israel.) There are some things we must then be content with, and stop putting up "brass shields" to pretend that "something is happening" when it is not, in fact, in some cases it cannot.

Can you think of other ways this applies today? How could Rehoboam have used the resources that he had more wisely? How could people today?

Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things?...

1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Evening Song - Complete In Thee

Colossians 2:9-10  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

FREE Scripture Graphic - Give Thanks unto the Lord

Another free scripture graphic for you to enjoy.  Right click on the image to save it.  Go to this link to get a higher resolution and click on the download icon in the lower right corner.  The original graphic came from the Graphics Fairy web site.

The Thousand Word Project - Guinea Was Here

Short Thoughts - On Election Day

Galatians 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Dear Christian friend, it does not matter who is elected the new president of the United States today. Your job and my job has not changed.  Our King is still the Lord of glory and we are still under His orders.  We still have the same message to give that He commanded us some 2000 years ago.  Let's be about our Father's business.

Matthew 28:18-20  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Proverbs 29:25  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

I See Jesus - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

I See Jesus

I don't look back: God knows the fruitless efforts,
The wasted hours the sinning, the regrets;
I leave them all with Him Who blots the record,
And mercifully forgives, and then forgets.

I don't look forward, God sees all the future,
The road that, short or long, will lead me home,
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burdens that may come.

I don't look round me: then would fears assail me,
So wild the tumult of earth's restless seas;
So dark the world, so filled with woe and evil,
So vain the hope of comfort or of ease.

I don't look in; for then am I most wretched;
Myself has naught on which to stay my trust;
Nothing I see save failures and short-comings,
And weak endeavors crumbling into dust.

But I look up -- into the face of Jesus,
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled.
And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled.

by Annie Johnson Flint

Hebrews 12:2-3  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Evening Song - It's Through the Blood

Colossians 1:12-14  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Monthly Challenge - November 2016

Isaiah 35:1-2  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

I am coming to the end of my list of ideas for challenges. Consequently, I am seriously thinking of dropping them next year. I know some readers like them, but I think I need a break or else to morph this into something different. We'll see what happens. In the mean time, let's make the most of the last two. :-)

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Play a game or sing with family or friends.

And/Or

Buy or pick fresh flowers for you house or apartment.

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It is easy to get preoccupied with the things going on in the world, social media, the internet, and life in general and forget to spend time just doing something fun with the people we love. Making time to play a game or sing together is important because it gives us a chance to make good memories and to build our relationships.

Fresh flowers are good for cheering us up, but they do a lot more than that. Researchers have found that fresh flowers actually make some significant differences in a variety of areas of life.

A Rutgers University study found that the link between flowers and your satisfaction with life is far more important than previously thought. Having flowers in your home increased happiness, reduces depression and anxiety and actually can increase emotional contact with friends and family. A separate study by Harvard University found the same results – increased compassion, feeling less negative, and more energy at work. In a trifecta of flower research, Texas A & M University found that flowers and plants in the workplace improve problem solving skills and increase creativity." [Source. Disclaimer on some content.]

You can also pick a few branches with colorful fall leaves on them if you still have them in your area. Just be sure to put them in water as you would flowers if you want them to stay fresh and bright.

Enjoy!

The Thousand Word Project - Autumn Mementos

God takes the sound of the dropping nuts,
And the scent of the wine-sweet air
In the twilight time of the year's long day,
When the spent Earth kneels in prayer,
He takes a thousand varied hues
Aglow in the opal haze,
The joy of the harvest gathered in,
And makes the Autumn days.

- Annie Johnson Flint
excerpt from "The Creator"

Mug Exchange Reveal

Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

This autumn I decided to participate in the tea cup and mug exchange hosted by Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose. Since I don't use tea cups or collect them, I opted for a mug since we do use those regularly. Today was the day Stephanie selected for the big reveal of what we received. A warm "Thanks!" to Stephanie for going to all the work of putting these exchanges together. I *think* she does two a year, but there is at least one. :-)

The lady I was to send a mug to was Cheryl at Homespun Devotions. I don't have a photo of my gift to her because I sent it through Amazon, but here is a link to her post. We have enjoyed getting to know each other. :-)

The lady from whom I received a mug was Anne at Phamily Blog.  She sent me the items pictured here.

There was this neat mug, more in a minute on that, plus the mint tea blend. She also enclosed the tea pot shaped white tea bag holder (or spoon rest if you prefer), some silicone tea holders for steeping loose teas, some honey sticks, a two year planner, a grocery tote bag that fits into a strawberry shaped pocket, and a nice letter. :-) It was nice getting to know her too.

This mug is special because it not only has a lid to keep your drink hot, but there is also a strainer inside which you can use for loose teas and herbs. Once the tea is brewed you remove the strainer with the tea leaves or herbs to leave clear tea. Or, if you are using a tea bag, you can just remove it and use the mug without the strainer. Pretty clever, huh?

Anyway, I appreciate Anne's gift and the thought she put into it. :-)  Thanks, Anne!

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Some of my readers may be wondering where the monthly challenge is for November.  I'll try to post that on Friday if possible.  I am sick right now and I don't know what it is so I'm not sure how long it might take to recover or if I'm coming down with a cold on top of whatever else is going on.  Is that confusing? My brain is muddled tonight so I wouldn't be surprised if it was.