Weekend Words

 From Be Still and Know...

This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)

How often at the close of the day, have you said, "What a day this has been!  I should have never gotten up this morning"?  Probably most of us have had this experience.

Our attitude at the beginning of the day can set the pace for that day.  If we begin with a spirit of complaining, dreading our day's schedule, wondering how we will have the strength and wisdom to meet its demands, soon we become filled with self-pity and discouragement.

What a difference it makes if we first look into the face of God as we waken.  We can prepare ourselves for the day by committing it to Him, by asking Him to guard our conversation, actions, and thoughts, that they will be pleasing to Him; by taking time to tell Him we love Him.  Remembering that "THIS IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES."  We must ask God to fit it into His plan for us.

Each day offers new opportunities.  There will be new choices to make, new decisions, new avenues of service for the Lord.  It may even be a day filled with heartache and pain, a day filled with unsolved problems.  How different our day will be if we begin with a rejoicing spirit, knowing it has been entrusted to us by the Lord!

God has given us His promises to encourage us through the day.

"And as thy DAYS, so shall thy strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25).  "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the DAY of trouble" (Nahum 1:7).

Yesterday, with its successes and failures, is past.  We are not to look back.  We can rest in the knowledge that tomorrow is still in God's hand.  Only today is ours to live for Him.  So it is important how we use it, for "Today is part of my life work."  Our joy is not in the day, but in "the Lord" who made the day.

The Psalmist said, "Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever" (Psalm 145:2).  "Every day" includes today.  "A DAY TO USE OR LOSE."

I Met God - Ralph Cushman

I met God in the morning, when my day was at its best.

And His Presence came like glory, a sunrise in my breast.

All day long His Presence lingered, all day long He stayed with me...

And we sailed a perfect calmness, O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered; other ships were sore distressed.

But the winds that seemed to drive them, brought to us such peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings, with a keen remorse of mind.

When I too had loosed the moorings, with the Savior left behind.

So I think I know the secret, learned from many a troubled way...

You must seek God in the morning, if you want Him in the day.

From A Year's Journey with God...

How Kind He is!

"How kind the Lord is!  How good He is!  So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith." - Psalm 116:5-6 NLT

My mother loved the word 'kind'.  She had a little saying which became a recurring family joke: 'Be kind to each other,' and if she wanted to pay someone the highest possible compliment, she would say they were 'so kind'.

She was brought up on the old King James Version of the Bible, but one Christmas I gave her a present of the Living Bible, which was first published in 1971.  She loved it and used it daily for the rest of her life.  Just after she died I was flipping through it one day, fascinated by all her markings and the little notes she had written in the margins.  Every time she had come across the word 'kind' she must have underlined it, and one of the last things she ever said to me was, 'How kind the Lord is.'

When I looked up 'kind' in my thesaurus, and saw how many shades of meaning the word has, I realised the list gives a wonderfully rich picture of the Lord's character:

Affectionate; altruistic; compassionate; congenial; considerate; courteous; friendly; generous; gentle; good; good-natured; gracious; helpful; indulgent; kind-hearted; kindly; lenient; loving; mild; philanthropic; sympathetic; tender-hearted; thoughtful; understanding.

Lord, today, please help me to 'clothe myself with kindness'. (Colossians 3:12)

Weekend Words

 From Beside the Still Waters...

For God So Loved... Read John 3:1-21

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Many of us have heard John 3:16 quoted ever since childhood.  Let us stop and take a closer look at this familiar verse.  It mentions several things that need to be understood.

For God.  The previous verse mentions perishing in our sinful condition.  Then God intervened, "for" this reason.  We must believe that God exists and is supreme over all.

So loved the world.  God loves us as His crowning creation.  He loves all mankind like no other part of His creation.  He wants the whole of humanity to be His children.  The word "so" shows just how much He loved.

That he gave his only begotten Son.  We must understand the need for a sacrifice to deal with the sin of mankind.  In the Old Testament era, millions of lambs and rams were slain as an 'atonement' (covering) for sin.  Then Jesus gave Himself as the perfect Lamb of God, not just to cover sin but to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

That whosoever believeth in him.  The gift is for all who believe with complete commitment.

Should not perish.  We are doomed, for all have sinned.  And a righteous God cannot tolerate sin.  Something had to be done.  Thank God for his gift.

But have everlasting life.  What a contrast!  We may live forever with Jesus in Heaven someday, if we repent, forsake our sins, and follow him.  Christ made a way for us to be freed from the bondage of sin and experience life everlasting.

- John Ropp - Riverside, IA

From Be Still and Know...

"The steps of a [good] man are directed and established of the Lord, when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]" (Psalm 37:23, Amplified)

Walking is made up of steps.  In our walk of faith with God, He doesn't lead us a year, a month, or even a day at a time, but just step by step.  "He busies Himself with his (our) every step."

When the children of Israel were on their way through the wilderness, God directed their steps with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  When it moved, they moved.  When it stopped, they did, too.  It is important for us, also, to move at His pace, never running ahead of Him, nor lagging behind.

God may have unusual ways of directing our steps, and it is important to follow His guidance.

One evening I was returning to Denver by plane.  I usually sat in the back of the plane.  However, that night, to my surprise, my feet would not go in that direction.  I found myself going to the front of the plane.  Just before we took off, a woman hurried on board.  She came to the front, taking a seat beside me.  I could see she was distraught.  She told me that she and her husband had received a long distance call from Denver, telling them their teen-age son was being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.  Because he was having some emotional problems, she was unusually concerned.

Suddenly I found myself saying, "The Lord can take care of your need."  As she looked at me, she said, "You're a Christian, aren't you?"  "Yes, I am," I replied.  Then she said, "I was so upset, that on the way to the airport I prayed, asking the Lord to put a Christian beside me."  In flight, at the very time her son was undergoing surgery, we prayed for him.  When we landed someone met her to tell her the operation had been successful.

God had directed my steps to His choice of seat that night, not mine.  Where do our steps lead us?  Do we let Him direct them?  Where do our steps lead others?

"We should make no footprints of our own."

"One of the hardest things in our secret prayer life is to accept with joy and not with grief the answers to our deepest prayers.  It was a long time before I discovered that whatever came was the answer.  I had expected something so different that I did not recognize it when it came.  He doesn't explain; He trusts us not to be offended, that's all."

- Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

On the home front (plus the bread recipe)...

 Finally getting here after a week of hot sunny weather and headaches most days (roll on Autumn!). Seems there are a few wanting the bread recipe.  I've been making it on and off for years, and have posted it on my blog a couple of times previously.  Not sure where I got the recipe from, but think it may have been an internet friend in the UK.  This is the original recipe, with my comments/changes at the bottom...

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour (I prefer whole wheat but white is great too) 

1 cup rolled oats (like Quaker Oats) 

1 cup dried non-fat milk 

1 teaspoon sugar (honey) 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking/bi-carb soda 

1 3/4 cup water 

2 teaspoons of lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 350F/175C, Grease a large cookie sheet with sides (jellyroll pan).

Mix dry ingredients well, add water and lemon juice, stir until just mixed, don't over stir, if needed add extra water 2 tablespoons at a time (some flours are really thirsty and soak up the water)...you will now have a batter that may be very "firm" like yeasted bread or it may be a little thinner than you are used to with making bread...not to worry, it cooks up very well..."dump" the batter in the middle of the cookie sheet...slightly shape with dampened hands and cut an X in the top to let the gasses escape. 

Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot...it is very good...it is not a traditional loaf of bread but it is great with meals...it is also nice for breakfast the next day with either cheese or peanut butter. 

Variations: Instead of using non-fat dried milk in the mix you can substitute sweet milk with the lemon juice for the water or you can use buttermilk without the lemon juice. I had non-fat dried milk in the kitchen so I used what I had. You can add caraway seeds, raisins or ground flax seed to add variety. If you are using white flour and want to add fiber you can stir in bran or wheat germ. Soy flour or powder increases the protein content. Lightly toasted sunflower seeds are a nice addition. This loaf is very flexible -- variations are endless...one day for a dessert loaf of bread I added chopped dried fruit that had been soaked in orange juice. I also added some Pumpkin Pie spice and a little extra sugar...about a half a cup. This was very tasty.

Lynda comments: I double the recipe and cook in 2 bread tins.  I use a variety of flours: wholewheat, white, rye, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa, ground almonds/hazelnuts.  And add sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame seeds, ground linseed/flaxseed, kelp.  And molasses instead of sugar/honey. I also add some caraway seeds as I like the flavour.

I find it takes a bit longer to cook, perhaps because it's so heavy, but I test it with a skewer to make sure it's cooked through before turning out.

If you have any questions...just ask :)

On to other news...

Because it's been so hot this last week, not a lot has been getting done in the garden, although I do like to have my coffee break on the back undercover deck...

The blueberries are loving the hot weather and are starting to produce more than I can keep up with.  I pick some each morning to have with my breakfast, but I think I will start freezing some soon too.

And today I dug my first potatoes...

I had a trip up to Marnie on Wednesday and we did a local walk...

It's been a bit hot for knitting, but I got another couple of beanies/hats done for charity...

And I recently picked a up a bag of bright/light odds and ends of yarn at the op shop, which I'd been running low on...

So I'll be able to get back to my scrappy granny squares ...

And I've put the Maeve Binchy book aside for now as this one that I had reserved from the library came in.  I'm finding it very interesting.  It's almost like 3 or 4 books in one with the multi layered stories, which are woven together so well...

And I'm still getting an early morning walk in around the river...

"O gift of God! a perfect day,

Whereon shall no man work but play,

Whereon it is enough for me

Not to be doing but to be."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Weekend Words

Three readings from my devotionals this week, because I couldn't choose :)

FYI: the Beside Still Waters devotional (second reading) is by Charles Spurgeon, and the Beside the Still Waters (third reading) is an Amish/ Mennonite publication.... 

From Be Still and Know...

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. - Isaiah 30:21

Early one morning I was invited to go for a walk in the woods.  It was a beautiful morning.  The birds were singing, and the sun was shining through the trees along the trail, reflecting its rays on a lake close by.

The family dog went with us.  However, he was not satisfied to stay on the path, but ran from one side to the other.  As we returned, the dog was exhausted, panting as hard as he could.  I said, "Do you know why your dog is worn out?  It is from all the detours he took.  He was off the trail more than he was on it."

We may become exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually at times because of the detours we take from God's path.  We run this way and that on paths of our own making.

The Lord has promised to be our personal guide through life.  His part is to open the way before us; our part is to walk in it.  Whether the way be rough or smooth, dark or bright, easy or hard, we have Someone who knows each step of it.  However, we must seek guidance from His Word and from prayer.  He promised, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which though shalt go.  I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm 32:8)

Many voices urge us to turn this way and that.  Many things may distract from His way, but we must close our ears to them.  We must stay close enough to hear His voice directing us.  If the way is not clear before us, we must wait until it is.

Today are you uncertain which way to go?  Perhaps the "traffic light" of your life is red, indicating you are to stop.  Or it may be the yellow of caution.  As you wait, in God's perfect timing, it will turn green; indicating that you can go ahead.  You will hear the Lord say, "This is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left."

From Beside Still Waters...

The Lord's Presence

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." - Genesis 28:16

The Puritans believed in an ever-present God.  Oh to be able to feel God everywhere, in the little as well as the great, in our rising up and our sitting down, in our going out and our coming in.  I cannot imagine a life more blessed or a spirit more related to the spirit of the glorified than the mind and heart of the person who lives in God, who knows and feels that God is ever present.

If you are in personal danger, or in the midst of a storm, or facing illness, and if you hear a voice saying, "Surely the Lord is in this place," you will be perfectly at rest.  The anxious air grows pure if He is there.  Lightning cannot strike you, or if it does it will be joy.  The storm cannot devour you, nor can the hungry ocean engulf you, or if one does, it is happiness if God is there.  There is no need to fear.  Nervousness is wickedness when "the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you" (Deuteronomy 33:27)

You may be in great poverty.  Your walls may be bare and your furnishings scant.  And still you may say, "Surely the Lord is in this place."  Remember the old Christian's exclamation, "What, all this and my God present with me?"  Better to have poverty and feel His presence than to own the world's riches and not know that He is here.

Some of you are in deep affliction.  Your difficulties are so great that you do not know where things will end, and you are deeply depressed.  But remember, "Surely the Lord is in this place."

Some of you are called to some extraordinary duty and do not feel strong enough.  Follow that call, for surely the Lord is in that place.  He will help you.

From Beside the Still Waters...

Casting Our Care - Read: Psalm 115

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

The word care, as used in today's key verse, can mean distraction, anxiety, concern, fearfulness, protectiveness, apprehension, or meticulous attention.  To cast is to throw upon, fling or toss, deposit or disperse.  It seems that care is natural to us, and we feel that we must manage all the details of our affairs.

Since we are limited in our perspective, we build up a huge load of care that distracts from trust in God.  But God sees the whole picture and can manage all our concerns for good according to His purposes in Christ.  Sometimes we worry and fuss and try to pressure others to do and be what we think is best, making life miserable for ourselves and our loved ones.  We protectively try to manage every detail in a spirit of frustrated anxiety and unrest.

Does Jesus care about this?  In Philippians 4:5-6 we find the instructions, "Let your moderation be known to all men" and "Be careful for nothing."  Moderation speaks of mildness or gentleness.  This applies especially to those who are close to us.  To be careful for nothing doesn't mean being careless, but rather putting full trust in our sovereign God and casting our burdens on Him with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

It takes humility to realize that we don't have the resources for managing all our affairs as God does.  We need to let go and cast our care on Him, believing that He is truly a "help" and a "shield" for all who trust in Him (Psalm 115:11).  If we are unwilling to let go, God will still care, but instead of receiving the blessing of relief, we will be left with frustration, worry, and an out-of-control feeling.  We need to let go and let God!

If we do the casting, God will do the caring!

- Daniel Stauffer - Ephrata, PA

On the home front... And further afield...

 Had a lovely day out this week with Marnie and Denver at the Tasmanian Arboretum.  Marnie had been there before but neither Denver nor I had.  We enjoyed a walk, and a picnic.  Only got to see half, so we will definitely go back again...

And after our walk...

we found this table under the trees to have our picnic

On the way home, we took a little scenic detour and came across this roadside stall selling jams and preserves...

And a surprising find, on a country side road... 

 A book library...

two old 'art worked' refrigerators 

I picked out this Maeve Binchy book.  Haven't read any of her books for awhile and don't think I've ever read this one...

572 pages!  Will probably take me all year to read, but I am enjoying it so far

These were given as gifts to family and friends this Christmas...

And I managed to get 4 beanies/hats knitted for Knit 4 Charities last month...

They have been mailed off to the collection point for this particular charity, each with a little tag attached...

Not getting much time at the moment for any crafting, as the garden is keeping me busy...

apples are growing

as are the tomato plants

Raspberries and potatoes coming along

blueberries ripening

picking some raspberries (although they are just about finished now) and blueberries to add to my breakfast each morning

Cooked a chicken and vegetable stir fry recently...

I throw in some cashew nuts just before serving

And there is always bread to bake...

every couple of weeks

And made a macaroni/vegetable/tuna frittata yesterday...

left overs for lunch today

All this food talk has made me hungry, so I'm off to have my lunch!

But never forget...

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

xx