A trip to Sheffield...

 Last week Marnie and I took a trip to Sheffield for my birthday...

at the foot of Mount Roland

We browsed in the shops and took a walk along the main street...

Past a free book library in a fridge...

And this cute little house...

And had lunch in this cafe...

Some days it's been too hot to go for a walk, but one day I did walk down to the river...

Another day I did some baking...

because I had an over ripe banana

banana choc chip muffins

I also made up a big batch of muesli...

And ate lunch...

The garden is still producing well...

although the beans are just about finished, I did get to freeze some as well as eating them fresh

And some good reading material arrived in the last couple of weeks...

it's been quite a while since I had an Above Rubies magazine arrive, then I realized I hadn't received the previous issue :(

I enjoy reading while I eat my lunch...

I got behind with my Bible reading plan when the family were visiting in January...

but I should be caught up this weekend

I hope to rewatch this favorite DVD over the weekend too...

and get in a little crocheting time

I hope you get to enjoy some quiet time amongst the busyness of life...

xx

(Artwork by Anna Neima)

Weekend Words

 From Oasis of Hope...

No Room for Grudges

"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." - Colossians 3:13 ESV

Anytime people deal with others there are bound to be disagreements and complaints.  Have you had conflicts with another person?  In the workplace, in families, while driving, at school, or even within the church, people can easily become offended by the actions of others.  When feelings are hurt and emotions rise a wedge can drive between even the most devout Christians if not dealt with in grace.

Colossians 3:13 calls us to forgive, even when someone fails or acts contrary to what is expected of them.  The word forgiving is based on the root word for grace.  Grace is what occurs when we are forgiven even though we don't deserve it.

Today's verse is referring to the person who was hurt, instructing them to forgive the one who offended them as the Lord forgave.  The person who is upset should make the first move in bearing with one another and forgiving, not waiting for the wrongdoer to apologize.

It is possible the person who caused the complaint may not be aware of what they have done.  When the upset person forgives, they are set free from lingering resentments and can act in Christlike love towards the one who offended.  This is how the Lord forgave us and serves as the model for how He wants us to treat others.

Grudges have no room in the life of a Christian.  Part of being a Christ-follower is the continuing desire to become more Christlike and, by doing so, to lead others to faith in Jesus.  If we choose not to forgive others as Christ forgave us, we are not reflecting the image of God to those around us.

At the first hint of offense or resentment, remember how the Lord forgave you and do the same towards others.  Ask God to help you in the area of forgiving freely.

- Jodine Zeitler

(Artwork by Marija Stefanovic - Illustration artist)

From A Lamp Unto My Feet...

Where There Is Injury

Have you ever found the taste of revenge sweet?  When you are hurt, does there lurk in your heart, as in mine at times, a desire for at least the milder forms of revenge - a desire to see the person apologize, an urge to remind him that he was nasty to you, or even the temptation to pay him back somehow?  It was not God's plan that man should take revenge.  That He has reserved for Himself, and when we seize that power we are taking a huge risk.  It is, in another form, the risk Adam and Eve took when they ate the forbidden fruit - arrogating to themselves powers, lethal burdens, for which they were never designed.

What if God paid us for our sins?  What if He were not love?  His mercy is everlasting and has brought us salvation and forgiveness.  Remembering that, and how we ourselves have offended Him times without number, shall we dare to retaliate when someone sins against us?  Think of the measure of forgiveness God has offered us.  Think of the price.  Think what the Cross means.  Then pray the prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace - 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon ...

For it is in forgiving that we are forgiven,

It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

Weekend Words

 From Water My Soul...

Working for the Lord - Colossians 3:22-25

This morning I filled all the laundry lines with freshly washed dresses, shirts, towels, and socks, then drained the dirty grey water from the washing machine.

I boiled three dozen eggs and peeled them.  I put some of them into pickled red beet juice to make red beet eggs.  I also baked two small pans of brownies.

I swept a few floors and was, as always, amazed at the amount of dirt and dust and dried mud I collected.

I helped Matthan with his coat, and we walked to the barn to peer at a bird's nest that was perched on a beam high over our heads.

Much as I love being a mother and homemaker, there are days when the repetitious work seems trifling and unimportant.  After all, most of those clean clothes will be dirty again before the end of the week.  The food will disappear within a day or two.  The floors will need to be swept again before the sun sets tonight.

Yet whenever I read Colossians 3, I find that the purpose of my work is clear.  I am laboring for my family, that's true, but in a way I am also working for the Lord.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (verse 23).

To me, that means doing my work here at home willingly and with joy, delighting in the long lines of clean clothes dancing in the breeze, inhaling the scent of chocolate, watching the ruby juice settle around the milky-white eggs, smiling with Matthan as he points out the bird's nest.  Serving the Lord doesn't always mean great deeds in distant places so much as it means doing the daily, at home duties faithfully and well.

Verse 24 adds, "For ye serve the Lord Christ."  It is the Lord Christ who has given us our place where we serve, and he asks that we work "heartily," doing what he has requested of us.

If I work for God, doing faithfully even the small, repetitious chores, "Ye shall receive the reward" (verse 24).  But if I decide to ignore his commands and the place where he's asked that I serve him, the outcome is also clear.

"But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons" (verse 25).

There's no partiality.  No excuse.  Either I work for him or I don't.  Either way, I'll be rewarded for my work.

From In Green Pastures...

Serving Christ at Home

Many people think that work for Christ must be something outside, something great or public.  They imagine that to minister to Christ they must teach a Sunday school class or join a missionary society, or go out to visit the sick, or go into hospitals or prisons on missions of mercy.  These are all beautiful and important ministries, and Christ wants some of you to do just these things too; but the very first place you are to serve him is in your own home.  Let the blessed light of your life first be shed abroad in that most sacred of all spots.  Brightening that little place, you will be the more ready to be a blessing outside.  Those who are the best Christians at home are the best everywhere else.

(All artwork by Rachel Yumi Chung)

Weekend Words

 From Beside the Still Waters...

Anxiety and Praise - Read: Psalm 145

"Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever:" - Psalm 145:2

Our local newspaper has a daily column written by a doctor, and one day he had an article about anxiety disorders.  This doctor said that 40 million Americans contend with chronic feelings of dread, or with irritability, insomnia, upset stomach, and a host of other issues.  About the only remedy he offered was medication.

As Christians we know that worrying is based on a lack of trusting and thanking God in our everyday walk.  Forms of the words trust and praise appear hundreds of times in the Bible, with many of these occurring in the Psalms.  We have countless blessings to thank God for.  We can have salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ, and we can trust God for all our needs today, tomorrow, and forever.  "Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).

Praising God is the antidote for every trouble.  It relieves tension and drives away depression.  When discouraged, praise God (Psalm 42:5).  Praise Him with an upright heart (Psalm 32:11).  We can lift up our hands in praise (Psalm 63:4).  We can use our tongues to praise His righteousness (Psalm 35:28).  Jesus gave a very simple antidote for anxiety and despair.  "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

There are cases of depression that have physical reasons.  In these cases or in times of extreme stress, medication may be needed to help a person calm down and sleep, and to promote mental healing.  But even with medication it will always help us to get our minds off our troubles and remember today's key verse.  Let's bless God "every day" and praise His name "for ever and ever."

Sylvan Lapp - Atglen, PA

From Oasis of Hope...                                                                            

Finding Peace and Comfort in His Hold

[Jesus Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 ESV

The puzzles of our lives sometimes seem jumbled.  Pieces mix and shift on the puzzle mat.  We lose patience, trying to force pieces to match.  "Why is this puzzle so impossibly huge?" we might ask.  Overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and even angry, we want to sweep it off the table and quit.  We can't understand how pieces fit because we can't see the intricacies of the big picture.

Our lives are types of puzzles.  We have difficulty understanding how every detail can come together.  The puzzles of our lives fit perfectly, from infinity past to future with no dimensions or boundaries of time or space.  In all details of everything within any experience, today's suffering pieces somehow fit into the grand puzzle created before time began.

And Who is holding this puzzle together?  Jesus Christ, our Savior.  His hands hold the puzzle and embrace each piece of our life.  His sovereign, wise, loving, powerful, and good hands hold our future.  He's accomplishing His redemptive work as He brings together each detail.  Our souls can find peace and comfort, not in knowing how the puzzle will look, but in the beauty of His finished plan when we dwell forever with Jesus in the new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).

We can trust Him with our today to be okay because we're in His hold.  And one day, we'll see the whole puzzle worked out for His glory, vibrant in beautiful perfection. 

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV)

We'll sing, "To the great One in Three, eternal praises be, hence evermore.  His sovereign majesty may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore" ("Come, Thou Almighty King," author unknown).

We don't see the completed picture yet, but today, let's praise Jesus, finding peace and comfort as He holds all things together.

- Lauri Hogle

(All artwork by Rachel Yumi Chung)

Garden talk...

Working in the garden, moving the rhubarb that was crowding out the little lemon tree.  It had been in a pot at Marnie's place and she brought it over and planted it in the garden.  It was quite a shock for it as it had been in the pot for a couple of years...

So I moved all the rhubarb to the other side of the garden...

Poor little tree!  

I gave it a trim (hopefully haven't killed it!), and spread some seaweed mulch around it...

I saved the rhubarb I thinned out, and also some of the lemons off the tree...

We picked up the seaweed when we make an unexpected detour to Pardoe Beach on the way home from Devonport, as Marnie wanted to get some photos for her Beanie/Jumper Instagram account...  

If I'd known we were going there I would have taken more empty bags.  But we found 2 in the car that we were able to fill...

Hopefully we can get back there again soon as seaweed makes a great mulch/fertilizer.  And it's free :)

the beans are growing well

I've been picking some each evening to have with my dinner

And a few ripe blackberries to have with my breakfast

The Roma tomatoes are doing well considering they are growing in a pot...

I was surprised to see one hiding in the middle starting to ripen

The apples are only small, but there are a lot of them...

Denver came over this week and chain sawed the top off the pittosporum that was growing up under the power line to the house...

should be easy for me to manage now and keep trimmed

While he was here, I got him to do a few more jobs :) ...

Chopping down these two trees that were growing up against the house...

I like trees, but not against the house.  This photo was taken June last year, so they were much bigger now

Much better ...

I will probably (eventually) plant a low growing cottage garden border along the side of the house

Roses in the garden a few weeks ago...

"If a person does not keep pace with their companions, perhaps it is because they hear a different drummer.  Let them step to the music they hear, however measured and far away." 

- Henry David Thoreau

Artwork: Yen Hoang

Have a great week friends :)

xx

Weekend Words

From Our Daily Bread...

Artwork by Amanda Claire

Fear of the Unknown - Read: John 16:31-33

"In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Fear woke me at 3am on the first day of the new year.  The year ahead weighed heavily on me, overwhelming me with dread.  Illness in the family had long wearied me, and now, thoughts of the future made me afraid.  Will more bad things happen?  I wondered.

Jesus' disciples understood the fear of bad things happening.  Even though their Master had prepared and reassured them the day before He died, they were still afraid.  They fled when he was arrested (Matthew 26:56); Peter denied Him (John 18:15-17, 25-27), and they went into hiding (20:19).  Their fear during the upheaval of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, as well as of persecution, led them to act contrary to his command to "take heart" and His promise, "I have overcome the world" (16:33).

But Christ's death and resurrection proved His authority and power over life and death.  He has the ultimate victory.  Even though the sinful state of our world makes suffering a certainty, we can rest in the truth that all things are subject to the authority of our wise and loving God.  Jesus' presence is with us (16:32-33), just as it was with His disciples, who later confidently went on to share the gospel to the world.  May God's promise that He's in control strengthen our hearts to trust Him in this new year and be courageous even when we don't know what the future will bring.

- Karen Huang

Artwork by Shrawani Bose

From A Lamp Unto My Feet...

Fear God and Fear Nothing Else

The world is shaking with fear. "What will become of us?"  "Where will it all end?"  "What if Russia...?"  "What if cancer...?"  "What if depression...?"

The love of God has wrapped us round from before the foundations of the world.  If we fear Him - that is, if we are brought to our knees before Him, reverence and worship Him in absolute assurance of His sovereignty - we cannot possibly be afraid of anything else.  To love God is to destroy all other fear.  To love the world is to be afraid of everything - what it may think of me, what it may do to me, what may happen today or tomorrow for which I am not prepared.

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1, RSV).

And yet, Lord, the truth is that I am often afraid.  I confess it.  All the weight of Your promises seems sometimes to be only a feather, and the weight of my fears is lead.  Reverse that, Lord, I pray.  Give me the healthy fear that will make light of all the others: "the fear of the Lord is life; he who is full of it will rest untouched by evil" (Proverbs 19:23).

- Elisabeth Elliot

Artwork by Cyndy Szekeres

The quiet life...

 Returning to my usual routine after a busy (but lovely) time with the family here.  I've received a few more photos from family to fill in some gaps so will add them now...

The wedding cake...

that Marnie made

In its bushland setting...

My four...

Jefferson, Natasha, Marnie, Ben

Hazel, Hayley and Ben...

because I didn't have any photos of Hayley in the previous wedding post

I also managed to finish the crocheted blanket I was making for Denver and Sophie as a wedding gift.  Didn't get it finished in time for the wedding, but had it ready to give to them when they returned from their honeymoon yesterday...

Now I can get back to working on Marnie's birthday blanket...

She chose the colors (which don't actually look like 'colors' in this photo), but has left me to decide on how to do the squares

I think 2025 might be the Year of the Granny Square :)

xx