The Unstoppable Mustard Seed

“Then said he , Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took , and cast into his garden; and it grew , and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said , Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened . ”
- Luke 13:18-21

I suddenly got this image in my head of a field of weeds.  How ugly it was, how hard it would be to make it fertile soil.  How painful it is to walk through the stickers (or prickers, depending on what part of the country you are from ;P).  And the Kingdom of God is like planting a mustard seed, the smallest of all known seeds, in the middle of that field.  And how that mustard seed overcomes the weeds to sprout, undeterred.  And then it grows up, bears fruit, and makes more seeds, which sprout and grow undeterred, and so on until that one mustard seed has completely overcome the entire field.

And leavening.  How you put some yeast in the bread and it grows.  It multiplies.  Like those friendship bread recipes that continue to grow and grow and grow until you have so much you don’t have enough friends to give it to, it’s running out your ears, and you throw it all away.  ahha!  Again, this is what the kingdom of God is like.  Slow, steady, undeterred, always triumphant, victorious, unceasing, undefeated, unquestionably, undoubtingly.

So the field is my life and the weeds my problems.  And no matter how much I batter myself against them, they always come back and retake all the ground I’ve gained.  But, when Christ came into my life, the Mustard Seed was planted.  All I need to do is let it grow.  Sometimes I try to tear up the weeds for It, but all that does is cause me unnecessary hardship and pain.  The Mustard Seed won’t grow any faster than it wants no matter how much ground I tell it to take and when.  Plus the weeds always come back.  I can’t get rid of them like the Mustard Seed can.  Sometimes, it doesn’t seem the Mustard Seed takes over certain areas at all while I’m sitting there begging It to hurry up and take care of this certain weed right here that’s super painful!!!  And suddenly, It pops up and that weed is vanquished.  And I wonder why I fretted over it at all.

Don’t fear the weeds.  They’re already defeated, they just don’t know it yet.  If the Seed has been planted in your life, then He is growing, undeterred, unstoppable, unceasingly.  You have been given the grace to deal with the weeds until the Mustard Seed overtakes them.  Hang in there.

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The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.  ~ Psalm 92:12 ~

43/52 Light is Sweet

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:~ Ecclesiastes 11:7 ~

42/52

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."
~ Psalms 27:4 ~

41/52

Went on a Fall Photowalk with some friends.  

Loved it.

40/52

This week's image is an image I took for a photo challenge.  Always thought pictures of drops and splashes were dramatic.  Loved 'em.  Always sorta shied away from taking one myself though because it's "been done before."  I'm glad I finally did it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding , that I may learn thy commandments.  They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.  Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.  Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight. Let the proud be ashamed ; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.  Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.  Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

37/52

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 ~

36/52

Let the heavens be glad , and let the earth rejoice : and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth . Let the sea roar , and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice , and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.  ~ 1 Chronicles 16:31-34 ~

Every Knee, Every Tongue

I never could relate to people who looked forward to being in heaven. They never made sense to me.  We were going to have eternity in heaven, and there was so much work to be done down here, heaven can wait.  It seemed sorta selfish to me, that they wanted heaven to come now, simply because they wanted to be there enjoying it's peace, and were willing to leave so much undone...

As I've go on in life and have gained painful experiences, I began to get an insight.  The labor down here is intense, overwhelming, defeating, impossible.  The rest promised in heaven began to look very inviting.  There's a lot of sin going around down here and it's baggage is intense.  In case you haven't noticed, relationships are complicated, and they don't seem to get easier.  I get frustrated that people don't want to know God, and their life is messed up and painful because of it.  People don't want to do what's right, even though the way they do things now is pretty miserable.  I can't cram Him or His ways down their throat.

One of the promises God made was that every knee would bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  One day, all those people who won't acknowledge God will bow their knee to Him.  All those people who don't care what was right or wrong will say with their tongue that Jesus Christ is Ruler of their life, defining what is right and wrong.   And suddenly, I yearn for heaven.  For Christ's Kingdom to come!  When all the sin and crookedness in this world is done away with and only righteousness remains!  When every knee will bow, and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord.  No more of this fighting, when people say "you can't judge me" or "you can't tell me what's right and wrong" or "believing is God is alright for you, but that's not for me" and refuse to hear the truth of what is being said.  Every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Oh what a glorious day that will be.

Well, I know this life is filled with sorrow
And there are days when the pain just lasts and lasts
But I know there will come a day
When all our tears are washed away with a break in the clouds
His glory coming down and in that moment

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all
Every heart set free, every one will see
That God is love and love has come for us all

International Brownie Day!

Today has been deemed International Brownie Day.  :)  And so, in celebration of friends both near and far, to bring us all together in the glorious making of brownies, I have made brownies! :D  May their fabulous gooeyness bring us together always.  With a glass of milk.


Rocky Road Brownies

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2c butter
2c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1c flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Topping:3 Tbl butter
1c semisweet chocolate chips
4c miniature marshmallows
1 1/2c coarsely chopped walnuts (opt.)

For brownies:

1) Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly.

2) Remove from heat; stir in sugar (oh my goodness that's a lot of sugar!!)

3) Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Blend in vanilla. (The best kind is Mexican vanilla from Mexico. Mmmm!!)

4) Combine flour and salt. Add to mixture. Blend well but do not over blend!

5) Spread batter in greased 9x13" pan. 

6) Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

7) Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

8) Meanwhile, for topping, in a saucepan melt butter and chocolate chips.

9) Sprinkle brownies evenly with marshmallows and walnuts (I oppted out of the walnuts. :P).  Return to oven and bake for another 3 minutes to melt marshmallows. (I didn't have miniature marshmallows so I just chopped up some larger ones I had.)

10) Drizzle with melted chocolate chips, spread around if needed.

11) Cool in pan, cut into squares or rectangles.  Serve. :)

Enjoy their gooey goodness, and know I am thinking of you, Sah and Leezy. ;)

35/52

You are the Light of the world

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life

You are the Light of the world

Lead us out of darkness

And into Your Marvelous Light

3 Purposes of Law

A knowledge of God's Law serves three purposes.

  First, the Law sets before us the righteous standards of God.  We see what it is to live righteously  in a way that pleases God. [...]  (Romans 7:12)  The Law shows us what God expects from us.
  The problem is not the Law. We are the problem! We are unholy, unrighteous, ungodly sinners.  So even when we try to live according to the Law, we sill always break it in one way or another.

  Thus, we come to the second purpose of the Law: By the Law is the knowledge of sin.  When we know what God expects and don't live up to it, we see our sin.  As you teach your children the commandments of God, they will see that they fall short of God's standard.  This understanding brings the knowledge of sin.  It is the sinners who need a Savior.  Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
  John Newton's knowledge of the commandments of God and the consequences of his sin brought him to the grace of God.

  The Law also serves a third purpose, if it is heeded.  Is serves as a tutor, a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.  If John Newton had listened to his mother and honored all that she stood for and taught him, it would have saved him much grief and remorse.  He failed to allow the Law to be his schoolmaster.
  As you bring up your children under the Law of God, you are putting them under a schoomlmaster that will show them their need for the grace of God.  If they heed the Law, it will serve as a guard against a life of blatant sin and the bitter consequences that come from transgressing God's holy commandments.  [...]
  Teach your children the difference between right and wrong -- the Law -- but keep telling them of the grace of God that can be theirs through Jesus Christ and the New Covenant. 

~  "Lord, I need Grace to Make it Today" by Kay Arthur, pg. 48-49

Silence of God

~Andrew Peterson

34/52

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
~Psalms 63:1

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart , and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence , I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
~Philippians 1:23-25

With Authority

And they were astonished at [Christ's] doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.Mark 1:22

These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.Titus 2:15

Answer: Do

If you have a question, go to God and seek it out. God's Word holds the answer to any question for any situation.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

 Matthew 7:7

But there comes a point where it's time to set aside the studying and find the answer in the doing.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only...

James 1:22

32/52

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud , and bring forth boughs like a plant. [...]  If a man die, shall he live again? 

~ Job 14:7-14 ~

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

~ John 10:27, 28 ~

Jesus answered , Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

~ John 3:5 ~

The cure for anything is 

salt water:  

Tears, Sweat, or the Sea.

~ Isak Dinesen ~

Grace

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.Ephesians 4:7

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:2 Corinthians 9:8

GRACE :~ Divine influence upon the heart. GIFT OF CHRIST :~ Christ's death on the Cross, restoring our relationship with God when we accept it.EVERY GOOD WORK :~ Righteousness, obedience of the law, preaching the Gospel to all men. We have been given as much grace as Christ gave us forgiveness of sins.  What is grace for?  It is the power of the Holy Ghost working in our hearts to achieve every good work.  We are incapable of being righteous, of doing good works, of making the right decisions, of having any wisdom at all to know what those right decisions are.  This is our sin nature.  God gives is His grace to us when we accept Christ's gift of salvation.  He divinely influences our hearts to give us all that we lack so that we may achieve all of this.  This is the gift of the Holy Ghost, of being able to abide with Christ.

How to Function in a Community

First , I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world ... if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  Now I would not have you ignorant , brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto ,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written , The just shall live by faith.
~ Romans 1:8-17

...And as ye go , preach , saying , The kingdom of heaven is at hand . Heal the sick , cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received , freely give [...]  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter , enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence . And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
~ Matthew 10:7-15

There is a line where things are wrong and we need to be discontent with them, striving to change the way they are.  But on the other side of this line is where things are what they are and we should accept them, even to delight in them though they don't look like what we think they ought to look.

Don't cross the lines.  Know when to fight and know when to accept.  Don't let it ruin your happiness.

29/52

Every home should have a garden with flowers. Said flowers should be picked and dispersed liberally all over said home.  Oh, and windows should be open at all possible times, too.

28/52

Click play:

Then enjoy:

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Gracious and Almighty Father,

I am in awe with thankfulness for the healing you work in my heart. Not only to heal me of the past but to strengthen me above what I was for the coming future.  You are molding me into a person I never dreamed I could be.  I will stay my heart on You.  I will have faith to press on as You lead me regardless of what it looks like or how hard it is.  It's worth it.  Your glory is worth it.  I pour all my trust in You and know that You will not fail me, but will work above and beyond what I could accomplish or dream.

Amém

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

~ John 16:20-22

26/52

~ Delight ~

"Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight."
~ Psalm 119:77 ~

25/52

The right kind of love  

l a s t s.

24/52

To be an artist is to be individual, expressing what you want to express and not bending to the pressure of performance. When you begin to express what other people want you to express, are you really being a true artist?

23/52

Life is intertwined.
Life reflects in everything.
Moods show forth in the oddest of places.
No one takes thought to notice.

Often people don't realize how much of their life comes out in the small things they do.
Like what book they read.
Like what clothes they chose to wear that day.
Like what music they listen to.
How they see the world is expressed in how they talk
How they write.
How they work.
How they create.
And especially in what they create.

Do you realize how much you can know what a person is going through just by observing them?

I was taking thought for all of this, thinking on how little inspiration I've had in my photography over the past few weeks.  I took some time this afternoon to try and capture the hazy heat we had this afternoon.  I don't think I succeeded but taking thought and effort for it did me good.

I wish more people took more thought.

Once upon a time...

There once lived two young children who always stayed in the warmth of their home.  Content with what was within, they never sought to go without.  Without, there was a dark forest just beyond the boundaries of their land.  Every day they played not a few feet from it, but their happiness was not overshadowed by it.

As the years went by the children began to grow, as children always do, and with their growth they began to see the world in a different light.  The land within began to not feel so secure, and the Forest without began to not look so scary in comparison.

Then one day, a sad day, for when fears grow so does sadness, they decided to explore the Forest.  It no longer looked scary to them.  They had grown much and in fact, they began to find the Forest curious.  Their courage and curiosity had grown larger than the Forest and children must always explore what they find  curious.

They found the Forest to be magical in the evening light.  What once had seemed scary and threatened to swallow them up became welcoming and inviting.  Long, thick vines hung down all around, young trees bent low as if to make living rooms.

Here in the Bramble Forest, they could be whatever they wanted to be:

Secret heroes sequestered away, trying to wait patiently for their time to burst into the world and conquer all evil.

Nymphs playing mischievously, peeking at you first from this tree, then that branch!  Flitting around happily, the cares of life forgotten.

 

It was their little haven.  Their little place to rest from worries and fears.

It was a place they could always escape to this magical, Bramble Forest...

How to Conquer Generational Consequences

When we read in Deuteronomy 5:10, "punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me," we could conclude that this is not just by our sense of justice.  However, in the whole eighteenth chapter of Ezekiel we see that children are not held responsible for the sins of their fathers.  Then what is the [Ezekiel] commandment saying?  It is saying that sin flows downhill, and the sinful influence of our ancestors affects us, overlapping and passing through several generations.  This is generational bad news.  The sentence, however, does not end with verse 9; it continues with "but showing love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments."  This word "thousands" is really "thousands of generations," in contrast to three or four generations.  How do we know it is "thousands or generations"?  For two reason.  First, it is the only way the sentence makes sense, and second, two chapters later we have an explicit statement to that effect.
 
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands"  Deuteronomy 7:9

Sin and hatred of God cause the downward movement to three or four generations and obedience and love of God cause the upward movement to the thousands generations.

I have heard the following many times.  "I had decided I was not going to be the kind of father (or mother) who raised me.  I would become a Christian, marry a Christian, and do it right. "

 ...

 "I am in the second bad news generation; do I have to wait for two more bad news generations before there is a possibility of turning this descent around?"  No, you do not have to wait, but unless you change your relationship with your parents and grandparents you will have to wait two more generations.  Becoming a Christian and preaching the gospel to your parents does not change the relationship   Home, with parents, is one of the places where a Christian thinks that they are allowed to lose their temper.  The relationship then gets worse. 

About 400 years before Christ, the prophet Malachi gave a negative conditional prophecy.  It is found in the last two verses in the Old Testament. 

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse"  Mal 4:5-6 

The angel Gabriel alludes to a portion of this prophecy in Luke 1:17: 

"And he [John] will go on before the Lord, in the spirit of power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

Notice, that to stop the curse from happening, hearts must be turned both ways.  Although most of my illustrations are speaking to and about children, I am really speaking to parents about their relationship with their own parents.  If you are a Christian parent, turn your heart toward your parents, and turn your heart toward your children.
Now we will look at the second instance in the Ten Commandments where we read of generations. 

"Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you" Duet 5:9 

Application is next: 

1) Love God (Duet 5:9);  

2) Obey God (Duet 5:9); 

3) Honor your father and mother (Duet 5:16); and 

4) Turn your hearts to your fathers (Mal 4:5-6) 

Because we have not obeyed the two passages in the Ten Commandments, we may be in the third- and fourth- generation promise, and we will not live long on the earth (Eph 6:1).  The land is in danger of being smitten with a curse.  The Malachi text is a call to repentance, a turnaround of the heart.

 ...

In turning your heart to your father, four elements are necessary.  Preaching the Gospel to him is not one of them; do not do so, for this subverts his authority over you.  Instead, you need to convey to him each of these four elements:

1. If you have confessed to God your previous rebellion to your father or mother, than also confess it to your earthly father with no excuses or accusations.

2. Tell your father how much you respect him.  If you do not respect him then of course you cannot write it without being hypocritical.  But you must tell him.  How?  First confess to God this disrespect for your father.  "Why should I?" you ask, "for he has not earned it!"  The Scripture says, "Honor your father and mother."  It does not say "only if they deserve it."  Your father is to be honored because he is your father.  You are commanded to honor him.  This is not optional.  If you do not honor him, than you have sinned.  The same is true with your mother.  Sin is forgivable and repentance is required.

After you have confessed your disrespect of the lack of honor for your father and you are sure you are forgiven, then choose to respect him.  You may ask,  "How? He is not respectable?"  Respect has nothing to do with the respectableness of the person to be respected.  It has to do with the respecter and the respecter's close fellowship with and obedience to God.  Now with freedom and sincerity, tell to your father how much you respect him.

3. Tell him how much you love him.  If you do not love him then that has to be corrected first.  Your reply may be, “He did not love me so I do not love him.”  If this is the case, it is true that as a father he should have loved you so that your response would have been a loving response.  But we cannot go back to childhood and start over.  Even if we could, that does not mean that your father would do it any different the second time.  We address the problem from where we are, not from where we should be.  You are now an adult, and as a Christian you have an unlimited access to love and forgiveness.  If you do not have this access there is a very real possibility that you are not a Christian.  As a Christian you may have to confess this lack of love for your father to God.  Is it sin?  Yes, it is sin.  It is disobedience to the command of God.  We have been commanded to love our neighbors, love the brothers, and lover our enemies.  If you do not think your father fits in one of these categories then perhaps you should study the unconditional quality of love and the biblical relationship of obedience and love.

After you have confessed and have been forgiven then choose to love your father.  This love requires expression, so tell him.

4) Express your gratefulness to him.  If you are not grateful, then as with respect and love, it is your problem, not his.  The procedure is the same.  You confess your unthankfulness to God.  When you are forgiven, express your thankfulness to your father.

...

Also express something similar to your mother, but with one change.  First express your love to her and second communicate your respect for her.  Both sexes of the human race need love and respect from both sexes.  Of the two, women need love more than they need respect and men need respect more than they need love.  However, each needs both and they should not have to earn it in order to receive it.

Experts from the article
"Relationships with Parents"
by Jim Wilson

Spring has Sprung (20/52)

I've spent the last few weeks tackling projects in the great out doors.  Summer has finally arrived, I think.  :)  Yeahness!  This week is Tulip Time and all the tulips are in bloom. These are the flowers on our property that have shown their smiling faces this week (listen to Seven Daffodils while reading!) :

Our Tulips

Daffodils. 

I love the softer peach color of these as opposed to the harsh yellow of the traditional Daffodils.

And, while doing some work I checked under our deck for any intruders (last year we found a cantaloupe sized wasps nest under there! >.<) and found a Robin's nest instead! :D  Three, perfect, beautiful, blue Robin's eggs. <3

I am glad Spring has sprung.  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  

Oil Press

"Each of [Christ's last words on the cross] is an ocean of truth compressed into a drop of speech."

~ "The Incomparable Christ" ~

~ Oswald Sanders ~

Lord, may my words be as such, too.

I've been listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss's podcasts while I run.  I'm behind and still listening to the series she did during Lenton season when she went through Oswald Sanders' book "The Incomparable Christ".  I'm loving it so much I can't wait until next year so I can get the book and go through it myself during Lent. 

In one of her podcasts Nancy spoke on the soul-anguish of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Apparently "Gethsemane" means "oil press".  The garden was at the base of the Mount of Olives... How apropos was it that it was in that garden where Christ was pressed like an olive until He sweat drops of blood?

I have pondered in the past about the pain I have had to go through.  Always what saw me through was knowing that God had my back.  Even when I felt utterly abandoned by all and in a mess I had no idea what to do about and everything only seemed to be getting worse, God showed me how much He was still working for me.  How I was so distracted by one thing I lost track of another and, really, it should have been disastrous but God handled the situation I had lost track of and kept it, miraculously so, from ruining my life.  I knew God would always be there for me and I could always count on Him.  He would not abandon me. If I stuck with Him, He would see me though.

I wonder how much of Christ's struggle in Gethsemane was just that: He knew God was going to abandon Him.  He was surrendering Himself to being abandoned by God, to that moment on the cross when God would turn His back.  The one Lifeline I cling to and know will never let me down when everything else does, Christ had to let go of.  Have you ever had to let go of a life line?  No wonder He sweat drops of blood.

God Keeps His Promises

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

~ Joshua 1:7 ~

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

~ Psalm 1:1-3 ~

19/52

Had a week of rainy weather. Frankly, I'm ready for sun, but there was a beautiful evening rainfall that was set of with the sun setting below the clouds. I wish the raindrops had shown up better.

Judgmental Compassion

True love does not exist in the absence of judgment.  It only exists in the presence of it.

"Compassion" means, not just that you care about something deeply, but that you make a moral judgment about something and it moves you to the depth of you being to do something about it.

You have compassion in the face of poverty when you make a moral judgment and say, "That is wrong!" but you're not just happy to sit there and judge it, otherwise all you have is moralizing.  It moves you to the depth of your being, and you are motivated, and you reach out to do something about it.  That is compassion.

We worship a great and compassionate God.  He looks into every human heart and He makes a moral judgment. "That is wrong!"  And then He is moved to the depth of His being to do something about it.  That is why the cross is at the center of the Christian faith.

So much of our so called compassion ministries today are simply present in our lives to make us feel better about our Christian faith.  "Look, I know I'm a Christian, tough luck, I tell you you're wrong.  But hey, I'm a nice guy too, I also help the poor."  If that is the basis of why we reach out to our society and cities, it means that the main reason we're doing it is because we want to feel better about ourselves.  That would be a sad indictment on our church.  The reason we reach out in compassion is because we believe so totally and completely on God's justice.  We live in an incredibly compassionless society because we're not prepared to make moral judgments anymore.  But we have to.  We have to look and see what has gone wrong in our society, and call it for what is it, and say, "This! Is! Wrong!" And then be willing to be moved by the Spirit of God to do something about it.  What drives us to reach out is not any sense of a great need in our life, but an understanding that we are living out of the consequences of what we ourselves have received through the cross.

 Expert from "God of Love, God of Judgment"
by Michael Ramsden from the "Just Thinking" podcast 
by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

Grandma's Strawberry Sponge Cake

Strawberry Shortcake.  It's practically a signature to American farmers, almost like the South is know for fried chicken.  Made from my Grandma's recipe, this is certainly one of my favorite, nostalgic desserts.  Just had to share.  :)


Sponge Cake

4 eggs
1 1/2c Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2tsp. Vanilla (or lemon flavoring)
2 TBL butter (melted in 1 c boiling milk)
2 c. Sifted Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder

Beat eggs till light and lemon colored.  Mix in sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add milk and butter mixture. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to liquid mixture and mix just till blended.    Pour into a greased and floured 9x13" pan and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Take fresh, sliced strawberries (or frozen, thawed strawberries), sweeten if needed to taste, and spoon over top a square of cake.  Pour milk over the top for Grandma's version, or top with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 TBL powdered sugar (heaping)
1 tsp. vanilla pudding mix

Whip whipping cream and sugar together until just before stiff peaks are formed.  Add pudding and whip until peaks are stiff.  Serve.  (Pudding will keep it from wilting too badly.)

14/52

"Talking it all out seems to have done away with [it’s dreadfulness], somehow. It’s very strange - and I thought it so real and bitter. It’s like opening the door of a dark room to show some hideous creature you’ve believed to be there - and when the light streams in your monster turns out to have been just a shadow, vanishing when the light comes."

~L. M. Montgomery~

Anne's House Of Dreams

13/52

 

I'm afraid I've become rather obsessed with this window and the sunlight pouring in now that spring is so near.  (Though I always seem to relish this window, regardless of the season, don't I?)  I was able to open it for the first time this year and the fresh air is always so refreshing. 

I've been growing sprouts this year, too... yes, I dare to try again!  Not having a sunny spot and having all my previous attempts whither due to too much shade, I've decided to try rhubarb, though I've yet to decide where to plant it, and watermelon, which will probably end up a failure but I can't resist! Spring has crept into my being!  We have a marshy area to the West of our house... I'm going to laboriously wheel some dark soil from our forested area out back, sift through it hoping to get rid of all the small plants and seeds that lay dormant in it, and mound it up so the watermelon plants will have plenty of water yet not be drowned, and hopefully get some direct sun.  As I said, it'll probably be a failure but what's a girl to do with no where to grow and an itch in her soul to try?  ;) 

I think I started the sprouts a month too early.... haha!  I just couldn't wait any longer!!

Thoughtfully, Mindfully

People don't do things mindfully anymore.  They're too busy, it seems, with accomplishing as many things as they can at once and don't take time to sit and just do one thing and not do anything else.  Like drinking a cup of tea as mentioned in the quoted post below.  We were meant to take our time and enjoy little moments like these.  I hope you'll take time to be more intentional, mindful, and enjoy your day more.

Ritual isn’t about doing a routine mindlessly. It’s a way of building something good into your life, so that you don’t forget what’s important. Done mindfully, a ritual can remind you to be conscious. Done mindlessly, a ritual is meaningless.
1. Sit in the morning. When you wake up, in the quiet of the morning, perhaps as your coffee is brewing, get a small cushion and sit on the floor. I will often use this opportunity to stretch, as I am very inflexible. I feel every muscle in my body, and it is like I am slowly awakening to the day. I’ll also just sit, and focus on my breathing going in and out. I’m an absolute beginner when it comes to meditation, but this always starts my day right.
2. Brush your teeth. I assume we all brush our teeth, but often we do it while thinking of other things. Try fully concentrating on the action of brushing, on each stroke of each tooth, going from one side of the mouth to the other. You end up doing a better job, and it helps you realize how much we do on autopilot.
3. Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV, put away the computer and mobile devices, even put away the book or newspaper. If you eat with any of these things (most people do), eating without them will seem boring. And yet, unless you do this, you are not truly appreciating your food. I like eating my oats mindfully, paying attention to each bite. It makes the food taste better, and I eat slowly and with gratefulness.
4. Wash your bowl. When you’re done eating, wash your dish immediately. Do it while paying full attention to your washing, to the water and suds.
5. Drink tea. There’s something ancient about the tea ceremony — and when you drink tea as a mindfulness ritual, you’re connecting with millions of others who have done so over the centuries. Make your own tea ceremony — prepare the tea carefully and mindfully, pour it slowly, sip it with thoughtfulness. See if you can set aside one time each day to do this, and it will transform your day.
6. Walk slowly. I like to take breaks from work, and go outside for a little walk. Walk slowly, each step a practice in awareness. Pay attention to your breathing, to everything around you, to the sounds and light and texture of objects.
7. Read in silence. Find a quiet time (mornings or evenings are great for me), and a quiet spot, and read a good novel. Have no television or computers on nearby, and just immerse yourself in the world of the novel. It might seem contradictory to let your mind move from the present into the time of the novel, but it’s a great practice in focus. Also, I love a good novel more than almost anything else.
8. Look at someone gratefully. Each day, find someone you care about. Instead of just seeing what you always see, really look at the person. Try not to do it creepily. See this person for the miracle that she is, and be grateful for her existence. If you’re feeling generous, tell that person how thankful you are for her.
9. Work with focus. Start your workday by choosing one task that will make a big difference in your work, and clearing everything else away. Just do that one task, and don’t switch to other tasks. Single-tasking is a great way to find focus. Increase your Monk Mind.
These rituals aren’t the only time you should be mindful, but they’re great reminders. Today, try a few of them to fully live and fully appreciate this wonderful day.

 ~ iannorris

12/52

Anchor

More Than The World

~ Mindy Gledhill ~