Wonderful Story - A Poem by Martha Snell Nicholson

 

Wonderful Story

Wonderful story of infinite grace!

Story of One crucified in my place,

Hanging forsaken between earth and sky,

Shamed and tormented and left there to die,

His kingly head bowed with the weight of my sin.

(Foul was I, Lord, without and within.)

Angels still carol the story through space,

Wonderful story of infinite grace!

Wonderful story of infinite love,

Wanting me there in heaven above;

Seeing me, blood-washed, as spotless as He,

Building a home for a sinner like me;

Oh, how it eases the pain I must bear,

Only to dream of that home waiting there,

Its windows aglow with the light from His face!

Wonderful story of love and of grace!

Martha Snell Nicholson

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

Evening Song - Count Your Blessings

Psalm 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 

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Texas Memories - Pear Blossoms

Song of Solomon 2:11-12 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 

Cooked Salad Dressing - Gramma Hoover's Recipes

 

Some time back I scanned my Gramma Hoover's recipes from her write-in cook book. I posted them eventually on a photo storage site that I use so that family could access them. I am going to share them with you as well. :-) I have not tried many of these, so just be forewarned that I don't know how some of them will turn out for you. Others have stories or are family favorites and I may mention that when I post them.

Today I'm sharing the first recipe in her book, which happens to be one for cooked salad dressing. The blank recipe book itself was given to her in 1960 according to what she wrote in the front, so these recipes are all at least that old, and most or many are older. As you can see from the picture, this particular recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens, a magazine that has been around for years. 

This recipe came to her from Ginny, and I believe this to be a fellow missionary, Ginny Stier (sp?), who was a good friend of my Gramma's.

I grew up with recipes like these where you were actually expected to know some things from your experiences of cooking. To help out a little bit, I have added a few Editor's Notes in brackets with "EN:" to let you know it's an addition.

Salad Dressing

1/4 C. sugar (or less)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. paprika

2 Tblsp. flour

4 egg yolks (or 2 eggs)

1/2 C. vinegar

1/2 C. water 

3 Tblsp. butter or salad oil

Blend sugar, salt, mustard, paprika and flour.

Add egg and beat until smooth and well-mixed.

Add vinegar and water.

Cook over hot water until thick and smooth. [EN: in a double boiler, stirring often.]

Add butter, remove from fire, and chill before using.

If salad oil is added it may be stirred in while hot or cold.

1 C. sweet or sour cream, plain or whipped may be added. 

[EN: Be sure to mix well after the additions where it isn't specifically mentioned.]

Thoughts for Troubled Times

 

Worth Repeating
First published here Aug. 2014
Edited.

There is so much sorrow and misery and tragedy in the world lately, what with news sources and people posting things on social media one can quickly be overwhelmed by it all. While I strongly encourage prayer for various situations, and especially for the true Christians in places such as Ukraine, West Africa and Iraq, in all honesty, I don’t believe that the Lord would want us to dwell on these things. I have two reasons for saying this.

One is obvious: Philippians 4:6-9  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

The other reason is because throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry we find Him only rarely talking about “current events.” Obviously He cared about people, but He seemed to focus primarily on those who were in front of Him at the moment. “God so loved the world”, but Jesus didn’t come the first time to set all wrongs right, and He didn’t even try. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), and He did that with all His might, so to speak. In essence we were commanded to continue that commission until He comes to finally set this world straight Himself. 

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be moved with compassion and pray for those in tribulation. We should. But it is not our focus nor our job to fix the whole world or save it from itself. Spreading gruesome photos all over the internet and even supporting organizations of doubtful reputation thinking that we’re helping doesn’t seem like a useful fulfillment of “the great commission”, as it’s called, nor of ministering to the saints. (Besides, I can’t help wondering if spreading the horrible photos doesn’t inspire some evil people to even greater wickedness, rather than inhibiting them.  In some instances it seems more like aiding their evil cause than stopping it. It’s something to think about anyway.)

This poem by Annie Johnson Flint has been a real blessing to me on a number of occasions. It is such a timely and helpful reminder of where our thoughts should be focused in the midst of both our personal struggles and the turmoil of this present wicked world. It also tends to remind me that things haven’t gotten worse as much as we might imagine sometimes. She wrote this sometime in the late 1800s, but her description of the world was just as appropriate then as now.

When I Think of Thee

When I think of just myself and my little cares,
Looming large and crowding close, hindering my prayers,
Of my weakness and my sins, I am sore depressed;
Weary, weary grows my thought; I can find no rest.

When I think upon the world and its many woes -
Hunger, misery and crime - how the long list grows!
Greed and hatred and unrest, strifes that never cease,
Weary, weary grows my thought; I can find no peace.

When I meditate on Thee and Thy works, O Lord,
On Thy strength and majesty, on Thy changeless word;
On Thy Steadfast faithfulness, reaching to the sky;
On Thy patient, watchful care over such as I;
On Thine everlasting love, high and strong and deep;
On Thy wisdom and Thy truth and Thy power to keep;
When I think of what Thou art and what Thy power has done;
When I number all the gifts given in Thy Son --
I forget the things that pass in the things that bide,
And my soul can rest in peace, fed and satisfied.

Annie Johnson Flint

This is a wonderful reminder of the blessedness that we can enjoy when we focus our thoughts in the right place. May God help us to do this.

Psalms 63:5-6  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Malachi 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Psalms 37:35-40  I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.  Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

The Thousand Word Project - Sounds Like Spring

 

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Peach blossoms

A Red Sea Place - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

A Red Sea Place

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back,

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene

Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,

When He says to your soul "Go on."

And His hand will lead you through - clear through -

Ere the watery walls roll down,

No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,

No mightiest sea can drown;

The tossing billows may rear their crests,

Their foam at your feet may break,

But over their bed you shall walk dryshod

In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, ‘neath the lifted cloud,

You shall see but the Lord alone,

When He leads you on from the place of the sea,

To a land that you have not known;

And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,

You shall no more be afraid;

You shall sing His praise in a better place,

A place that His hand has made.

Annie Johnson Flint

Psalm 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths,  as through the wilderness. 

Hebrews 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.