Proverbs 27:1-2 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Psalm 113:1-3 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.
Photos taken in Central Texas.
Another yummy recipe from Mary's Nest traditional foods kitchen.
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John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.
The Christ of Calvary
Christ does not save men by His life,
Though that was holy, sinless, pure;
Nor even by His tender love,
Though that forever shall endure.
He does not save them by His throne,
Though it shall never pass away;
Nor by His vast creative power
That holds the elements in sway.
He does not save them by His works,
Though He was ever doing good;---
The awful need was greater still,
It took His death, His cross, His blood.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Men preach today a crossless Christ,
A strengthless Saviour, vague and dim;
They will not see their sinful state,
They will not own their need of Him.
They will accept the man made God,
Since for themselves this right they claim,
But not the God sent forth as man
To suffer agony and shame.
They will not know the Lamb of God,
Despised, rejected, crucified,---
That were to humble into dust
Their boasted intellect, their pride.
Yet no man cometh unto God
Save by the Son alone, He saith;
The deathless life for which we long
Can only - ever - come through death.
Not Bethlehem or Nazareth
Stern Justice's lifted hand could stay;
To Calvary the soul must go
And follow Jesus all the way.
Annie Johnson Flint
[altered]
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Here are some helpful pointers on how to deal with areas that need help even when you feel emotionally exhausted. Life has been "too much" on so many levels the last couple years that it can make us freeze up on things we see as non-essential. But, over time that can mean that cluttered or problem areas can get out of control and just add to our stress. These tips can help us at least make progress without making emotional decisions.
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Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
1 Corinthians 5:11-13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Well, the time has come to address this subject yet again. Aside from the post about not blaming wives for their husband's sin, I have frankly been avoiding it for some time because it is simply so unsavory. But, since I had written about it before and warned readers not to defend the Duggars or put them on a pedestal, it seems like it is time to bring it up again in light of Josh's conviction for possessing and downloading CSAM (child sexual abuse material).
My emotions are mixed. I am sad and disgusted. Sad for the family members who had to learn in a court setting about what Josh had actually done all those years ago to his sisters, and what he has been doing recently. Disgusted with Jim Bob for lying under oath in court during the pre-trial evidential hearing - lying about what happened to his daughters in order to cover for his son, thus showing the world how much he truly values his girls. Disgusted for the way some of the family behaved. Disgusted especially for how Josh's defense team was given reign to pull all kinds of tricks to try to get him off on a mistrial or exonerated without ever addressing the fact that the material was on his hard drive in a place where he had the skills and knowledge to access it.
I was also revolted and sickened at the enormity of his crime, the horror beyond words of what had happened to those children, and that Josh was to all appearances finding enjoyment in this. Also sickened that his parents, in their statement, disassociated him from these crimes and gave only distanced sorrow to "all children" who are victims of CSAM. The children he was watching are real, mostly living people, not a generalized nebulous group.
I'm also a little hopeful. I hope that more of the Duggar kids will break loose through this and that all would learn to follow the Lord Himself and to be doers of the word of God instead of following Jim Bob and doing and believing Jim Bob's word. Again, I'm sad they had to learn all these horrible things in this public way, and that they had to learn that their dad/father-in-law is a liar in such a public manner, but maybe the Lord knows that is the only way some of them would have ever learned it and (hopefully) separated from the ungodliness. And also, I deeply hope that more of them will have the guts and determination to keep Josh away from their own children always and in every way.
So much for my feelings on the subject - for whatever they are worth.
To begin with, it seemed like a good idea to revisit the issue of whether the reality show was ever a good idea for a Christian family in the first place. I have made additions and rewritten parts of this article.
Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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All praise to You, my God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath the shelter of Your wings.
Forgive me, Lord, for this I pray,
The wrong that I have done this day.
May peace with God and neighbor be,
Before I sleep restored to me.
Lord, may I be at rest in You
And sweetly sleep the whole night thro'.
Refresh my strength, for Your own sake,
So I may serve You when I wake.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Thomas Ken
Psalm 55:16-17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
The story goes something like this: A man believed on the Lord Jesus Christ while he was on his death bed. He had no opportunity to pass on the gospel to even one more soul and he said these words, "Must I go, and empty handed?" His heart's desire was to be able to take someone with him. He did not have that chance, but someone heard those words, whether it was Charles Luther himself or someone else, I cannot remember at the moment. But from them Charles Luther wrote this song.
I can't help wondering if that man won't get a reward in heaven for all the people whose hearts have been touched to reach others with the gospel message because of his dying wish. We don't always get to lead some soul to Christ that we might wish to, but perhaps we can inspire others to greater effort, or pray for someone who does have opportunity, or give a word of encouragement to that missionary or pastor who is struggling with their load and give them new courage for the great harvest work. Even if perhaps we can't do the work we would like to do, let's be aware of that thing that we can do, the words we can speak, and the prayers we can pray to help someone else.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matthew 10:39-42 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
My family got ahold of some loquats when we lived in Arizona years back and we made some jam with them. I remember them smelling something like Fruit Stripe gum when they were fresh, but the jam had a different taste to it. Most boxes of pectin in the U.S. will probably not include instruction for loquat jam, so here is a recipe to help you make it if you happen to have a source for them. Follow the canning instruction that comes with your pectin. I do not remember where this recipe came from.
5 cups loquats
1 box fruit pectin
7 cups sugar
Wash fruit well. Cut off both ends and remove seeds if desired. Place fruit in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Cook slowly and mash with a potato masher occasionally until well done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add the pectin to the fruit and stir well. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add sugar and boil to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
At this point you will be putting it into jars or containers for storage. If you are canning be sure to have your hot, sterilized jars and lids ready before the jam reaches this stage and then can it according to the usual procedure.
Psalm 90:10-17 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
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Here is another tutorial from Mary's Nest. This one is for cake mixed you can store in your pantry or freezer. I would personally put mine in the freezer since we don't make cakes all that often and I can't tolerate foods that have gone even a little rancid. Also, I recommend using the usual canning lids and rings if you store yours in canning jars. I have not found the white plastic lids designed for use on canning jars to be a good, air tight seal.
Here is the link to recipes on her page. This is where she gives the instructions on how to make the cakes later, so you will need this to print out the instructions to go with the mixes. I recommend keeping them with the mixes, as she does. Mixes Recipes and Instructions.
I am curious to see if her recipes can be used with gluten-free 1-for-1 flours. I may try a couple of them out in single cake proportions. But, then again, I may not. My life is full of good intentions that never quite make it to real life. blah. :-)
Also, as she mentions, these mixes could make nice gifts for people who bake desserts. This could be in keeping with the post from November 14th on changing your gift giving this holiday season - and, hey, why not all of next year?
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May God's grace and goodness satisfy the hearts of all those who worship Him in spirit and in truth as we give thanks to Him today. It has been a hard year for many, but His faithfulness and love have not faltered,, even when we sometimes did.
A Thanksgiving
For all Thy blessings given there are many to thank Thee, Lord,
But for the gifts withholden I fain would add my word.
For good things I desired that barred me from the best,
The peace at the price of honour, the sloth of a shameful rest;
The poisonous sweets I longed for to my hungering heart denied,
The staff that broke and failed me when I walked in the way of pride;
The tinsel joys withheld that so content might still be mine,
The help refused that might have made me loose my hand from Thine;
The light withdrawn that I might not see the dangers of my way;
For what Thou hast not given, I thank Thee, Lord today.
Annie Johnson Flint
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give
grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk
uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
There
are loved ones who are missing
From the fireside and the feast;
There
are faces that have vanished,
There are voices that have ceased;
But we
know they passed forever
From our mortal grief and pain,
And we thank
Thee, O our Father,
For the blessings that remain.
Thanksgiving, oh, Thanksgiving,
That their love once blessed us here,
That so long they walked beside us,
Sharing every smile and tear;
For the joy the past has brought us,
But can never take away,
For the sweet and gracious memories
Growing dearer every day,
For the faith that keeps us patient
Looking at the things unseen,
Knowing Spring shall follow Winter
And the earth again be green,
For the hope of that glad meeting
Far from mortal grief and pain -
We thank Thee, Oh our Father,
For the blessings that remain.
For the love that still is left us,
For the friends who hold us dear,
For the lives that yet may need us
For their guidance and their cheer,
For the work that waits our doing,
For the help we can bestow,
For the care that watches o'er us
Wheresoe'er our steps may go.
For the simple joys of living,
For the sunshine and the breeze,
For the beauty of the flowers
And the laden orchard trees,
For the night and for the starlight,
For the rainbow and the rain -
Thanksgiving, O our Father,
For the blessings that remain.
- by Annie Johnson Flint
Here is a thought from my dad, Stephen Van Nattan, about listening for God's leading. Often times we have to be moving before we hear His voice telling us which way to go.
-----------
THAT VOICE
Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Scott McNealy — a co-founder of Sun Microsystems said this about decision making: "It’s important to make good decisions. But I spend much less time and energy worrying about 'making the right decision' and much more time and energy ensuring that any decision I make turns out right."
In Isaiah above, we see that there are times we "turn" to the right or left. So, how do we make sure that, when we "turn," we end up making a decision that, as McNealy said, "turns out right?"
1. Do not stop your progress in life by standing still..... take a turn and keep in motion. The captain of a ship cannot steer a ship that is not in motion. You will not hear the voice behind you if you are dead in the water.
2. But, be very alert to hear if a voice tells you to go another way. That is how to make sure your decisions turn out right. Scott McNealy seems to be alone in the task of making sure his decisions are the right ones. You are never alone with Jesus Christ.
So, in terms of knowledge, do not hide in a corner and shut out everything around you. That will get you no knowledge upon which to act in wisdom. Keep looking for knowledge, BUT, listen for the voice behind you that says, "Click out of there my son, that knowledge is rubbish and will only destroy your peace and fellowship with me."
We had to leave our work with Sudan Interior Mission in Ethiopia in 1974 because of a Marxist coup. Christian Ethiopians were being accused of being the friends of Imperialists, and the mission decided to quickly downsize from 300 missionaries to 12. National Christians should not have to suffer persecution for being the friends of Americans. Only for being the friends of Jesus Christ.
We were among the first to leave. We did everything to get ready, sold most of our possessions, and moved to the mission headquarters to wait for a flight back to the USA. But, we could also move on to join another mission somewhere else in the world and continue being missionaries. We were in motion but also wondering if we might hear the voice of God behind us.
The word got to George Machamer of Gospel Furthering Fellowship in Kenya, the next nation south of Ethiopia. My wife and I had grown up in Kenya as kids when our parents were missionaries in the region. George Machamer took it upon himself to send us a letter inviting us to join the GFF at once and move to Kenya to help in the work.
There was that voice, and it came in the mail like a voice out of the blue. We then moved to Kenya and became part of the work of the GFF.
------------
My comment:
As many of us focus on giving thanks to God this week, consider some ways that He has led you in directions that were a surprise - maybe they even seemed scary or disappointing at the time. Can you look back, as my dad does, and thank Him for taking you away from something and to something else? We don't always know the reasons this side of Heaven, but we can often know that it was definitely the Lord who led us.
Maybe you are stuck in your life at the moment and don't know where to go next. How can you start to move forward? By doing even the most basic right things commanded to Christians in scripture. This will open up the way for God to direct your steps to where He wants you to go, or perhaps to something He wants you to do right where you are.
Psalm 85:13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Even though we sometimes feel like we have no idea what we should be doing or where we should be going, with His voice behind us and His righteousness setting us in His steps, we have a great deal of guidance. As it has been said, if you don't know what God's will is for you, do the things that you can clearly see from scripture are God's will - pray, study His word, testify of the gospel, be part of a local church fellowship, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, do good to all men, etc. And keep moving forward, even if it's "only" in these most basic things. The voice of the Lord will lead you in the bigger matters as you go.
As we have some big decisions looming ourselves at the moment, I'm saying this to myself as much as anyone.
And just in case we forget how powerful God's voice is:
Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Revelation 4:9-11 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.
Revelation 5:11-14 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Although this is not a traditional "Thanksgiving" hymn, it seemed appropriate to me going into this next week. As we think about giving thanks for many things, let's remember that without the salvation we have through our Lord Jesus Christ, none of these blessings of this life would have the same meaning for us. It is only through relationship to Him that life is filled with the beauty and loveliness that only He can give - simply by His presence with and in us. Though He adds many blessings to our lives and much hope and grace, the loveliness of Himself is beyond our comprehension. This sweet meditation in song is a good reminder to focus on Him, and not just the physical things He gives us.
Colossians 1:25-27 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
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Our asparagus plants do not always look this beautiful in the fall, but in 2016 they put on a spectacular display. Some years our growing season is longer and kinder to the plants than other years.
Enjoy!
Here's a nice winter recipe for the northern hemisphere from Mary's Nest. However, this can also work well in summer because it doesn't take very long to cook it all up, meaning less heat in the kitchen.
Enjoy!
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Well, the talking heads have been threatening Americans with less availability of gifts this year for the holiday season. I'm not sure if this is a legitimate thing or just another way to fan the flames of fear, capitalism, and compulsive buying. I guess some areas are being affected more than others.
Those who have been reading my blog for awhile may remember that a few years back I did a "Holiday Challenge" to Christians that observe Christmas encouraging them to make the holiday more about the birth of Jesus Christ and glorifying Him since that is the claimed reason for it. In short, to act upon the claims and celebrate in a way that makes Him the center and object entirely instead of bowing to the idol of consumption and worldly pleasure.
Colossians 3:5-7 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
This seemed like a good opportunity to repost a couple of the challenges specifically and the series in general.
The 6 part series can be found here: Running In Vain? A Holiday Challenge
The two parts that I want to especially emphasize, though are these:
This one is to help you think about simplifying your gift giving - ideas for homemade gifts, ways to cut back, etc. Spending and giving less in order to take the focus off of getting and stuff. This would be a great year to begin this if you haven't already.
This could help reduce spending and also, as you reduce the spending and giving, this could give you the time to focus on some more intentional together times and ministry.
As I was writing this I also thought about all the people who have lost loved ones in 2020 and 2021 and it seemed like I should encourage you to think about them as well, so here is the challenge that deals with that.
Quote: "Making your celebration quieter and less intense, less cluttered with the myriad of holiday junk that China has put at our disposal, will give more opportunity to notice people and to focus on their real needs. If this is done with the mind of Christ it will result in compassion and conscious acts of kindness and love. In short, Christ-like behavior will follow."
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
How about if you stop hoping the ships get unloaded and that the stuff gets delivered in time and think about ways that you can do more with less - more that will glorify the Lord Jesus and show people what His love looks like with shoes on. :-)
Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
This beautiful old song is so encouraging and uplifting. I hope you are blessed as I was. Sing along if you can. It will do you good. :-)
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People sometimes speak of "late bloomers" as if they were slow and missed many a great opportunity. But consider the chrysanthemum: It is one of the most spectacular flowers in the garden or the florist shop, which by nature blooms at the end of the season. Don't be afraid to do your best work after others have already finished theirs, when the day or the year or the life is drawing to its close, or on a later schedule than what others expected. Many beautiful things happen and are done and bloom at the last. Don't quit and don't give up.
Luke 13:28-30 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
Chrysanthemums
It's been about 100 years - give or take a few - since I did one of these, so I thought it was time...
First, though, I want to thank all those who have prayed for my health lately. As those who read the posts of Facebook may know, I've been having some health struggles. It has been an ongoing thing, which is a story for another day, and it is still being worked through at present. But, I just wanted to say thank you to those who have prayed for me. The Lord is helping us through this and giving light for the way, but on His time schedule. There is still a ways to go before we're hopefully through it, so please do continue to pray if you feel so led. It's appreciated muchly. :-)
Making: A mess. We are in the process of moving out of our master suite to the guest room at the opposite end of house so that my husband can work on mold clean up and possibly remodeling of the bathroom in the master suite. Also my dad needs us closer to his house at present so that we can get the signal from the call button receiver in case he needs us in the night. (It doesn't reach our present bedroom.) Do you know how much mess it takes to change rooms after you've lived in one for 13 years. Stuff here. Stuff there. Where should this go? Do we really need this? Etc. ad nauseum.
Cooking: Yes. I have been cooking. We have to eat, after all. :-) (Oh, the sarcasm. It will come out at times.) <grin> Sigh. Mostly, I've been trying to cook quick and easy things that don't take too much time and energy. I've also been trying to eat three meals a day instead of just two and snacks. I think it's better for me. My husband has been working from home most of the time, and the flexibility has been maybe just a little too easy to take advantage of.
Reading: Less intense things because I'm a little fragile right now. It's the time of year for seasonal affected disorder, and I have to be careful what I read, listen to, watch, and even what I talk about and who I interact with.
Wanting: To feel better and have more energy. There has been improvement - thank the Lord! But, there are still things that need work.
Looking: For stuff we need to buy - a new air purifier, a cleaner small space air conditioner, a new automatic blood pressure monitor, etc. I do not enjoy trying to make decisions about things like that.
Playing: That game of trying to relocate a bunch of possessions out of one room (two rooms, really) into the rest of the house and figuring out where to put it all and what can be gotten rid of and what is really needful and has to be easy to access. And...then too, what is there in the rest of the house that isn't needed and can go away in order to make room for the needed displaced stuff. Does that sound like a cheerful, restful game? It isn't. Just so you know. ;-)
Deciding: So many things. It's exhausting. Making decisions is one of the great challenges of my life in many ways because indecision is one of my besetting faults. Ack! Some of the decisions are quite important and potentially life changing, and others are not that important, but I sometimes treat them all with the same level of intensity. Ho hum. Do we every outgrow these things, I wonder?
Wishing: So many things. But most of all that I would just trust the Lord to get us through this time and stop thinking that something terrible is happening every time a new obstacle pops up. Because they often are turning out to be the thing that leads us to the next important piece of the puzzle we're working on.
Enjoying: Gorgeous autumn weather. And over the last few days - that the allergens are finally going down some. We have opened windows a couple days this week already.
Waiting: For my batteries to recharge so that I can get the next thing done. And not always waiting like I should and sometimes getting myself into a bit of a snarl. And I need to use my waiting time better too without adding to my tiredness, if that makes sense.
Liking: Having my husband's help with things that need doing - especially the kitchen chores and the moving rooms project. Having him working on the clean up in our yard from last February's big freeze (we had a number of dead things that need/needed to be cut down and removed and it was recommended to wait till fall so we could know how much was truly dead.)
Wondering: If we should be repairing this house or trying to make other living arrangements - like a small house we can put additions on later, or a portable small house that we could move later if we needed to. Also, wondering if the new highway that is supposed to go through this area is going to go through our property. It looks like it may go through across the street. By how close? And how bothersome? And should we move or stay or what? With all the stuff going on in our situation it's obvious that the Lord is doing something here, but the steps are still only clearing one at a time. How our flesh dislikes that sometimes.
Also wondering how it got dark so soon.
Loving: Our quiet life here with just the three of us and the cats. Our property is like a park. We have so much to enjoy and be thankful for and our fellowship and friendship among ourselves has been good this year.
Missing: My mom. So very much. Sometimes it feels like it's more than last year this time. October was their anniversary and this year it was just hard to see my dad alone and struggling to be thankful. And this month is Thanksgiving which is our family's main holiday of the year. Grief surprises us sometimes because we think that it's lifting more and then we get to some point and it comes back so strong that we wonder what is wrong with us or "Why now? Why this again?" It's important to remember that it's OK to feel and yearn for connection because that is what God created us for - connection to Him and to each other. And, if our loved ones were God's children also, we have to try to temper our sorrow and missing of them with hope for a future so great we can't even imagine it. Romans 8:17-19 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
(I can't help myself sometimes. I'm a teacher at heart I guess.:-) )
Pondering: How strange the world has become. How truly nasty people can be. (2 Timothy 3:1-7) How important it is not to let the ugliness around us make us hard and unfeeling just because most people don't respond well to life in general and specifically to the truth from God's word. It's so easy to harden our hearts and emotions because feeling hurts when there is so much wrong around us.
Considering: Donating a lot of fabric and yarn to others so that I have less stuff and also so that these things will be put to good use. I just have too much fabric and stuff in my sewing room and I don't sew all that much any more, so a lot of the fabric could go to someone who will use it and I could keep just what I really love and would likely use. And I hardly have use of yarn any more as I haven't crocheted much in years. I have already started this on a small scale, but I need to pursue it more. It's hard because I love fabric. But, truthfully, I think I love painting and making greeting cards and writing more. So...
Watching: This and that. Stuff. I really need to work on watching less, and better short videos (like on Facebook). It's a work in progress. Some of the painting videos have been creatively inspiring. Sermons can be really good too and I was blessed with several over the weekend. Research is more likely to be discouraging or take up a lot of head space. But, watching the cats' antics is always a pleasure, especially when they accompany us on our walks (on our property, not the road). Also, it's been a little weird watching our younger cat, Snickerdoodle, pass up his older brother, Java, in size - just all of the sudden he's a big cat!
Hoping: For improvement and for less migraines. To make progress with inner struggles. To get the move to the other bedroom completed.
Marveling: At God's amazing creation. The beauty of good friendships and how much they improve our lives and make us better. How God brings things to us in groups to underscore a point He's making sometimes - the same basic message from several different directions at one time.
Needing: To get so many things done. To spend less time on Facebook, even when I actually do need to be resting. :-/ To be more diligent at keeping the kitchen cleaned up because I feel better when there isn't a pile of stuff looking at me every time I go in there, and getting in my way when I need to work.
Smelling: Like ginger a lot because I'm using ginger scented grapeseed oil for deodorant. Ok, I know that wasn't what was intended, but it's true, and I like the smell. :-) Unfortunately a bee did today on our walk too - apparently. I ran a little bit for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. I actually can still run a little. haha! I also have enjoyed the smell of autumn lately. One day someone was burning leaves or wood somewhere around here and it smelled so much like I remember from my youth in Michigan - back when so many people burned leaves in the fall. :-)
Wearing: My feelings on my sleeve too much. It's not a good look on me. Ugh. Also wearing things that are more comfortable around the shoulders because tightness and discomfort there can move into my neck and then my head and create a migraine or at least a headache. Also, I've been able to break out some of my warmer clothes! Yay! I love the more snuggly things. :-) At least for a few months. ;-)
Noticing: That there are others recently who are getting weary of the bad attitudes and general nastiness and contention going on. This is hopeful. If enough people get fed up and step away and warn others back maybe things can settle down a bit. Also, noticing how many, many Christians and churches I know of seem to be under attack from the adversary these last two years. It has been over the top, constant, and not always entirely obvious. It also seems to be escalating. What does it mean? I don't think we know the final answer on that, but it is important! And the spiritual battle has been so palpable. It has felt harder to get to where I want to be spiritually and to just keep on keeping on.
Knowing: That the Lord is in control. And yet too often doubting that, or doubting myself and thinking that all this is my fault somehow. And yet, the Lord keeps showing Himself strong and wise in spite of my weakness and lack of faith. He has given us the leading or piece of information we needed a number of times in ways that I didn't like when it happened, and yet afterwards or part way through I knew it was Him and it was part of His purpose for us. "O, [me] of little faith!"
Thinking: Sometimes I have to try to just stop. It can become overwhelming and make me so stressed out. And, with the headaches and migraines it can actually make the pain worse. But, I have been thinking about a lot, as I think you can already see from this post. Ha. ;-)
Feeling: Gradually better! Praise the Lord! There are still set backs, and worse days, but my stamina has slowly increased some and my energy is better. Also, I have sometimes felt like writing again and done a little, which is good. :-) Sometimes I feel so discouraged with all the stuff we're dealing with at the present, and other times I feel hopeful and excited to be getting some things done - especially where our house is concerned.
Admiring: Other people's painting. The autumn sun. The flowers my husband bought me for our anniversary! :-)
Buying: Some new art stuff. Yay! Also a lot of necessities. And, on our anniversary, we got to go to Whole Foods (thank the Lord for strength!) and we bought various useful foods we hadn't had for a long time and some treats and we made ourselves a nice meal at home later. We hadn't been to Whole Foods for well over a year because we had reduced our grocery shopping to two stores and online.
Getting: Tired. And getting things done! Yes, despite my slowness, there has been progress. When I stop to consider what has been done instead of looking just at what hasn't yet, I can see that we're making progress, and sometimes it's very encouraging. :-)
Bookmarking: Painting stuff. Card making stuff. Research. Stuff for the blog. Possible housing options.
Opening: The windows! The blinds and drapes! Because the weather is cool enough to do both more now. Thank the Lord! :-)
Giggling: At the cats. With my husband - ok, he doesn't giggle a lot, but I giggle with him. :-) We laugh at the cats a lot. I giggle at myself sometimes too. At random silly thoughts or memories.
Psalm 90:12-17 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Psalm 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
Psalm 68:3-4 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
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Here is a tutorial for homemade tomato soup from Mary's Nest. (Although she lives in the Texas Hill Country also, I do not know this Mary.) :-)
My sister and I have made cream of tomato soup from scratch and it is really good, but this is not what this Mary is specifically making although she tells how to make this soup into cream of tomato soup at the end. Let me say this, it can be hard to get the cream to mix in nicely without curdling. There is a trick to it. So, if you want to make that I suggest looking up some instructions on how to mix in the cream with the least risk of curdling. Or, you could use sour cream or softened cream cheese to make your cream of tomato soup. Because these two products are already soured, they are less likely to give you grief. (Also, if you cream does curdle the soup is still edible, it just doesn't look as nice.)
She also talks about adding basil at the end and making this into a tomato basil soup with parmesan on it. Another yummy option you can try if you like Mexican is to add some cumin and then sprinkle it with grated cheddar and chopped black olives. This would be delicious served along side quesadillas.
Tomato soup is a good lunch or supper staple for cold weather, but it can be good any time. If you don't want to make it and serve it the same day you can make it ahead and store it in the fridge for a few days. I am not sure if it would freeze well, but it would be easy to reheat from the fridge. If you are making cream of tomato soup I recommend waiting till you reheat it to add the cream.
Enjoy!
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Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Romans 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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It Is not Death to Die
It is not death to die,
To leave this weary road,
And, 'midst the brotherhood on high,
To be at home with God.
It is not death to close
The eye long dimm'd by tears,
And wake in glorious repose
To spend eternal years.
It is not death to fling
Aside this sinful dust,
And rise, on strong exulting wing,
To live among the just.
Jesus, Thou Prince of life!
Thy chosen cannot die;
Like Thee, they conquer in the strife,
To reign with Thee on high.
From the French;
George W. Bethune,1847
from Charles Spurgeon's "Our Own Hymnbook"
Psalm 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
