Strengthening Agents

Sharing a thought from my quiet time this morning. This is the second time this week that God has brought this to my attention—that He is sanctifying me, working Christlikeness in me, through the struggles of life. He knows that I've needed the encouragement to look beyond the struggles.

To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.    (2 Thess. 1:11-12)

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.... And I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. (Eph. 1:6, 9-19)

God works even as I struggle. I'm reminded of the transformation of the butterfly as it emerges from its chrysalis. There are good things going on, though I might not even realize it at the time. That thought brings hope and encouragement to continue on and to view the struggles as strengthening agents. They are building my faith and drawing me closer to God himself. The purpose? That the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be magnified through a heart desirous of goodness. He alone will fill with true knowledge and discernment. The work of faith.

As all of us have, I think of the struggles of those assaulted by Hurricane Harvey. We lived in Houston several years ago and have friends there. Our next door neighbor recently moved there. I pray for them, for their safety, for their well-being, for God to supply all their needs. Yet the greatest need is for God to use what they are going through to bring them closer to himself. For only in that will be their well-being, both now and for eternity.

I do hope that your struggles are strengthening you as well, dear one. Let it be so.

Butterfly image ~ by fesoj, Otakárek fenyklový [Papilio machaon]

Riddles In Stone

Settled down this evening with some kettle corn and a good documentary, Riddles In Stone: The Secret Architecture of Washington, D.C.. My sister is headed to DC in a few weeks, so this film caught my attention. It looks at the history of the founding of America through the architecture, sculptures, and layout of its capital. Examined is the co-mingling of Christian symbols with mythological and Masonic symbols, Christian perception with possible occult, and such seemingly antithetical concepts.

The documentary brought up many questions as to the influence of Freemasonry in the early years of American history. Interviewed were high-ranking Masonic authorities and independent researchers, some who were former Masons. On one side of the controversy were Masons who deny any involvement or the occult; on the other side, those who trumpet Masonic entanglement that they believe influenced the founding of America.

I hadn't known much about Freemasonry, and I'm not sure that I understand all that was said, but it was much food for thought, and I recommend its viewing for that purpose. We watched it on Amazon. Click on the image to go there. There are also some brief clips on YouTube.

A book that I had read many years ago, God's Signature Over The Nation's Capital by Catherine Millard (currently out of print, but can be found used) was my first introduction to the various Christian symbols in Washington, D.C.. There are other such books available today.

America's Godly Heritage DVD by David Barton also presents the godly heritage of America's founding. It's available from Wallbuilders, "an organization dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built." They have many resources available for understanding our godly heritage. If you click on the image, it will take you to the Wallbuilders website.

What was intriguing to me in the Riddles in Stone film was the presence of both Christian and possible occult symbols side by side. Satan has always misled, mixing truth with error. Thankful for God's redeeming grace and for those who struggled against the darkness.

The Secret

Warwick Castle, Giovanni Antonio Canal Canaletto 1697-1768

The Christian's peace is not found in a place where there is no trouble—it is something which enters the heart and makes it independent of all outside conditions. 

In the ruins of many old English castles, a well is found down deep among the foundations. Thus water was provided for use in the castle in time of siege. The enemy might cut off the streams which ordinarily supplied the people in the castle with water. They might shut the gates, so that no one could go outside. But the defenders within the walls cared not for any siege while the well in the foundation gave its copious supply of pure, fresh water. 

So it is with the Christian, in whose heart the peace of God dwells. He is not dependent upon outside conditions and circumstances, for he carries in himself the secret of his joy, hope, peace, and strength.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. 

Isaiah 26:3

~ J.R. Miller 1840-1912 
from Gracegems.org

Weekend Daybook

Outside my window... The big event for us this week was the solar eclipse on Monday. We weren't in totality, but it was a grand display of God's marvelous creation and how He has ordered the universe.  

 

Praying for...

Friends in Houston who are going through Hurricane Harvey. 

 

Thankful for...

In-Home Care services. We were able to link my parents up this week for help with meal preparation and freezer meals. So thankful for those with a compassionate heart who reach out to help others.

Noticing the sound of...

Military helicopters earlier in the week flying overhead. They sounded so very close to the house that I would not have been surprised if whatever I heard was about to hit the house. I stepped out onto the back porch and saw them flying by. Thankful for those who serve and protect.

Looking forward to...

Picking up a friend and attending a baby shower tomorrow. What a privilege God has given women to participate in His ongoing procreation of humankind! Miraculous and Awesome!

Learning...

To be grateful for opportunities to serve, whether there be joyous reception and appreciation or irritability, grumbling, and complaining from the one being served. I truly want to serve as though as I am serving Christ himself, to offer a cup of cool water as if to Him. For in that, there is eternal reward. 

Pondering...

"You can live with joy even when things make you sad. Christian joy is not about avoiding life while dreaming about heaven. It is about taking an utterly honest look at all earthly life through heaven's lens. There we find real hope. " ~ Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp in Heart of the Matter

Around the house...

A very busy week with doctors' appointments for most of us and shopping for a refrigerator with my parents, but today I did get the house freshened a bit for Sunday. 

Brought a smile...

My 91-year-old dad breaking out in song after he purchased a new refrigerator with lots of freezer space that Mom fell in love with. :-)

In the kitchen...

After looking at new refrigerators, mine sure looks like it needs a good cleaning!

The fruit of my hands...
Gifting a baby quilt that I made to a new mommy. Fun colors for tummy time.

Reading...

An article in World Magazine entitled "Anti-Bullying Bait and Switch". If your child's public school has become a "Welcoming School," you might want to check into what that's all about. You can read the article here, or see other articles in World by clicking on the image.

Thinking... 
That perversion has become a larger snowball than I ever would have thought possible this side of Gomorrah. Developing into a menacing avalanche.

Image of woman writing ~ Valerie...Charles Dana Gibson 1911

Worship the Habit?

I had read this statement by Oswald Chambers in his book My Utmost for His Highest many, many years ago, and it changed the way I thought about and attended to my quiet time in the scriptures. I came across it again recently and want to share it with you. Perhaps it may impact you as it did me.

Your god may be your little Christian habit―the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, 'I can't do that right now; this is my time alone with God.' No, this is your time alone with your habit.

I know that prayer and Bible reading are essential to faith building, and I don't think Chambers is downplaying a regular, routine time for it, but rather asking us to consider why we're doing it. I had a tendency to being tied to my routine instead of being tied to the Savior. I was easily annoyed and out of sorts when my schedule was upset or my attention was required someplace else, like caring for my children or answering the phone when someone needed to talk. I had God boxed in on my schedule, and when I missed "my quiet time with God," I felt undone. Not meaning to be irreverent, but I didn't get my fix that day.

God used Chambers' words to cause me to consider my ways and my thinking. I realized that my quiet time had been more about me than about God. My worship wasn't to be tied to my little quiet time corner. God is bigger than that, and my communion with him needed to enlarge as well, wherever and whenever that might be.

Painting ~ Reading in An Interior, Carl Holsoe 1863-1935

Thankful Thursday ~ For In-Home Care

So thankful for those with compassion who offer in-home care. This is a growing service, not readily available many years ago. I often wondered what my growing-older years would be like. Some things change for the better, and being able to remain at home or getting help for any reason is one of the good changes. As my parents put it, they're in a different stage of life and need to do things a bit differently. So thankful they realize that.

We were able to link up this week with First Light, an In-Home Care service in our area recommended by friends who are thrilled with the caregiver they have. They offer many in-home services, not just for the elderly, but for new moms or anyone who needs some assistance. First Light came for a consultation this week, and they seem to be truly caring and capable. My mother is excited to get help with meal preparation, particularly with getting meals into the freezer. So that's their first start with First Light.

We shopped this week for a new refrigerator for Mom with plenty of freezer space. They found the one she loves yesterday, and it's being delivered tomorrow. And it was on sale. Yay! Thankful for God's provision in that as well!

People with compassion, using their abilities and giftedness to bring encouragement and care to others in this journey of life. May God return the blessing to them, poured into their lap in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38).

So thankful!

P.S. You can click on the image to go to their website. 

Using It Wisely

 24 hours clock, Paolo Uccello 1443

Our daughter is homeschooling our grandchildren, and we were talking recently about the benefits of using a timer for routine and rhythm. Homeschooling lends itself well to developing self-discipline for children and parents alike, if we're diligent about it. It can lead to a rewarding life, here and the hereafter.

So we talked about good approaches to using a timer to set the pace—like when the children need to transition from their favorite subject to something less exciting, getting back on task after a brief break, or being relieved of a bland or difficult task. It's a good thing for children to learn to manage their own time and activities, and a timer helps to set good habits.

It's a good thing for us parents and grandparents to learn as well. Time is a valuable resource that we all have. The caveat, though, is that it's limited in quantity. It slips through our fingers like sand, but we cannot gather it up once again. We use it even by doing nothing at all with it.

And, then, there are the robbers of time that steal it away from us. Most of us probably recognize the thief after we've lost the time. Strange, isn't it, that we are often our own accomplices to being embezzled.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

The days we live in certainly seem to be more and more filled with evil, and we know who's behind that. So, a reminder today to be a good steward of the time we have here on earth. It's discipline for the purpose of godliness and preparation for eternity. We're discussing that thought in our Sunday School class this week. The book we're using: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney. Looking forward to the discussion. I always learn something from fellow believers.

I do hope you have a church family to discuss such important matters with, dear one.

Painting ~ 24 hours clock painted by Paolo Uccello located at Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore of Florence, Italy

Totally Awesome!

Thinking of the eclipse today and how so much more awesome it would be to know when Jesus is returning on a cloud so we could watch for him. Talk about totally awesome!  And it will be, even though we know not the day nor the hour.

O Lord, our Lord,
    How majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. 

    Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

You have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

What is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor. 

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet, 

all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 

Image ~  A late afternoon hike from the Dewdrop to Red Plateau - colourful clouds at sunset
Murray Foubister, Creative Commons

The Hardship of Relationships

Sharing something I read from my quiet time today. I needed this. Thinking maybe you might as well?

The hardship of relationships includes what God calls us to be and do in the middle of their difficulty. God calls us to be humble, patient, kind, persevering, and forgiving. God calls us to speak with grace and to act with love, even when the relationship lacks grace and we have not been treated with love. Because of this, your relationships will take you beyond the boundaries of your normal strength. They will take you beyond the range of your natural abilities and beyond the borders of your natural and acquired wisdom. Relationships will push you beyond the limits of your ability to love, serve, and forgive. At times they will beat at the borders of your faith. At times they will exhaust you. In certain situations, your relationships will leave you disappointed and discouraged. They will require what you do not seem to have, but that is exactly as God intended it. That is precisely why he placed these demanding relationships in the middle of the process of sanctification, where God progressively molds us into the likeness of Jesus. When you give up on yourself, you begin to rely on him. When you are willing to abandon your own little dreams, you begin to get excited about his plan. When your way has blown up in your face again, you are ready to see the wisdom of God's way.

Timothy S. Land and Paul David Tripp

in Heart of the Matter: Daily Reflections

Image ~ The Meeting 1888, Daniel Ridgway Knight 1839-1924

Thankful Thursday

Thankful today for God's blessing and His intervention. We were blessed last weekend with time at a cabin in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky with our daughters and their families. We live so far apart that getting us all together doesn't happen very often, but neither do milestone birthdays. We celebrated My Beloved's over the weekend and then celebrated our Elijah's eighth with a birthday breakfast of happy-face pancakes before we parted ways on Sunday. If you have grandchildren or grandparents living nearby, do be thankful for the blessings of being easily accessible to one another. There are blessings all the way around.

We're also thankful for God's intervention and sparing harm to our daughter and her husband as they were coming to meet us. Pouring rain, interstate driving over Tennessee's mountain curves, hydroplaning, slamming into the guardrail, spinning, slamming into the concrete barrier, coming to a stop in the middle of the highway. Scary stuff, but God intervened by delaying traffic (especially big trucks on the curvy downhill side of the mountain) while a guardian angel helped them get the car out of the driving lanes and directed traffic while they waited for the police. They were accident #8 in a 10-mile stretch within the hour. Shaken up and a broken rib, but they were able to join us the next day.

Thankful for what we receive and what we miss. Both were blessings.

Refreshment

Sometimes when we are tired we spend an hour with the poets' thought-music; word music holds a charm like the music of moving waters, to soothe and heal. Sometimes rest comes otherwise. The mystery of mighty spaces, the splendour of great forces, or the magic of colour, the marvel of the loveliness about us seems to open suddenly as if another finer sense than sight perceived it, and one's very being thrills with an incommunicable joy. Sometimes a different thing happens. One can hardly tell what. Only one knows that, through and through, one is strong and glad and well again. One has seen part of the Ways of God.    
                                                                                 ~ Amy Carmichael

 from Overweights of Joy (1906) in Learning of God ~ Readings from Amy Carmichael 

Compiled by Stuart & Brenda Blanch 

Painting ~ A Young Girl Reading, Mose Bianci 1840-1904

Weekend Daybook

Outside My Window...

Our neighbors are moving, so we thought now is a good time to put up a few sections of privacy fence. We've been here a year and a half and have great neighbors at present, but our backyard is adjacent to both neighbors' front yards and driveways. We hope to do a planting on the other side soon for a little more natural look. Looking forward to some quiet time on the back porch.

Thankful...

For great neighbors. We've had wonderful neighbors all through the years. You never know when you move into a neighborhood how the neighbors might be, or when someone new moves in. 

Noticing the sound of...

My Beloved working on the front doorbell. Been hearing about intruders forcing their way in when the front door is opened, so we're installing a doorbell camera.

Pondering...
Remembering when people were more honest and moral when Christianity was taught in the schools and was part of America's culture and way of thinking. Today's millenials have no idea what a nation's life is like when lived in a Christian context. Sad to say, coming generations probably won't either.

Brought a smile...
Overheard a grandmother talking with her two young granddaughters at lunch today. They were planning to go to the Botanical Gardens. Such a sweet conversation.

Looking forward to...
Meeting our daughters and their families soon at a cabin in the Kentucky mountains.

Thinking...
That reading is a good thing in that it broadens our horizons and gives us new thoughts to ponder. But I listened to a podcast this week on using the library with children and was reminded that it's so very important to be discerning in what we allow them to read. I know it's just as important for us adults to be discerning in what we read as well. My Beloved and I went to our city library's huge book sale today, and seeing the boxes of books that people were carrying out made me wonder how discerning they were being in what they had chosen. Fiction, especially, is reflective of pop culture. It shapes our thinking and normalizes the author's philosophy of life. There's much in our culture today that is anti-God, immoral, and demoralizing. I think we would do well to be more discerning in what we allow to shape our thinking.

Around the house...

Just a simple touch, but I added a small bouquet that I got on clearance for next to nothing to the bathroom vanity. Our little Anna calls this the "fancy bathroom." That's the one she always wants to go to and take a bath in our big garden tub. She's a fancy sort of little girl. :-)  Elijah prefers the bathroom with the cabin wall quilt. Good memories.







In the kitchen...
My mother asked for a bean recipe that I had served not long ago when they were over for supper. Sharing it with you today as well.

Apple Bean Pot  from Fix It and Forget It
Slow Cooker Recipe (Makes 12 servings)

Mix the following together in slow cooker.
Low 3-4 hours, then High 30 minutes

53-oz. can baked beans, well drained
1 large onion, chopped
3 tart apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup ketchup or barbeque sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed brown suger
1 pkg. ham chunks

Learning...
To make 18-inch doll clothes with flat seam construction. So much easier!

The fruit of my hands...

I had some extra fabric from one of the little dresses I had made, so I made an 18-inch doll dress to match. Going to make one for my little Anna to match the dress I had made her recently.














Reading...

I found this book for $1.00 on the clearance table at our local bookstore. I've just begun to read it, and it is delightful.

From the back of the book cover...
From her published books, many now out of print, the former Archbishop of York and Lady Blanch present their personal selection of prose and poetry, prefaced by a reminiscence of this remarkable woman who all her life learned of God and shared this with others.

Tutorial ~ Rosettes For A Little Girl's Dress

Finished another little dress this week and added a little rosette to this one. Thought I'd share a simple tutorial with you if you know a little girl who'd like a little rosette to match her favorite dress. Or you can make one to wear in her hair as well. They're so simple you might just not be able to stop making them! If you're familiar with making yoyos, it's pretty much the same thing.

For the 2-inch rosette I made, I began with a little larger than 4-inch square of fabric, and cut out a circle. I used a CD, which was the perfect size for my rosette. If you want to make different sizes, a good rule of thumb is to cut a circle twice the diameter of what you want your rosette to be.

Using a strong thread or doubled thread, turn under about a 1/4 inch and use a large running stitch (about 3/8-inch or so) to sew around the circle. The secret to a tight center in the rosette is the large stitches. The first time I made a rosette, I had to start over because my stitches were too small. Be sure to make a substantial knot so it won't slip through the fabric as you pull up the gathers.

Stitch all around the circle, turning under the edge and gathering as you go.

When you arrive back to where you began, adjust the gathers to your liking and put the needle and in and out through the back a couple of times to secure the stitching and knot or tack off.

I like to use a button with a shank, but you can use any button you like. The shank button fits nicely into the circle of the rosette.

Just sew the button in the center of the rosette, and voila! There's your little rosette.

 

I used a pin to attach the rosette to the dress so it can removed for laundering. To use it in the hair, simply sew a little hair clip to the back of the rosette instead.

I made the black one to match the piping on the neckline of the dress, but they're especially pretty and cute in bright little prints and solids. These were made from the same multi-colored fabric. Add a button or leave them as they are. Add a pin or a little hair clip, and there you go!

You can use yoyos lots of ways. Click here for some yoyo inspiration!

Happy Sewing!

The Greater Endeavor

The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the most powerful radio receiver in the world, is a 27-radio telescope system mounted on railroad tracks in a Y-shaped array near Socorro, New Mexico. It's purpose is to hear from space as the telescope provides high clarity images composed from radio signals. The world is listening and watching.

All ears are tuned toward the heavens. What are they hearing and seeing? The heavens declare the glory of God and his handiwork. Whether they study the heavens or the microbes, scientists study God's glorious creation. To study God himself, though, and what he has already communicated to us in His Word, that, dear one, is the far greater endeavor.

 Image: by Hajor - CC BY-SA 3.0

A Moment's Pause in Domesticity

Domesticity - home duties and pleasures 

Doing a bit of sprucing things up today. Energized by the morning light filtering through the trees out our back windows. Hearing the clear, joyful chirps of birds as they greet one another in happy song. 

Sunlight in the Blue Room 1891, Anna Archer 1859-1935

Being reminded that...

“Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment’s pause to watch the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul-satisfying, while a bird’s song will set the steps to music all day long.” 

— from “As a Farm Woman Thinks,” in the Missouri Ruralist, April 15, 1923

What Are You Hoping For?

We all hope for something. We find satisfaction in hopes fulfilled. Proverbs 13:12 tells us that Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. I've been there. I think maybe you have, too. I've been stuck at the comma, though, with some of my hopes. You, too?

My hopes tend to be wrapped around relationships that don't work out the way I'd hoped and dreamed and planned for them to. Maybe yours are elsewhere. There are lots of hooks to hang our hopes on. I've found over the years, though, that it's where I put my hope that makes all the difference. Unless our hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ, fulfillment will be fleeting.

I want to share a brief video with you today from Paul David Tripp. It's the first session of a series entitled Faith: What Are You Hoping For? Tripp reminds us that we all look somewhere for meaning and purpose. Everything we do is because of faith in someone or something. He points us in the right direction, to the Someone. As Tripp says, "Christians are not different because they live by faith. Christians are different because of the object of their faith." Give a listen here, or click on the image. I'll think you'll be encouraged.

And keep looking Upward and Homeward, dear one, where the object of our faith awaits us.