Down Memory Lane...

"Hold tight to the sound of the music of living...
Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment
TODAY."

 

The other Saturday I took a trip down memory lane as I sorted through

all my scraps of fabrics,

leftovers from all the dresses and craft projects I have done

over the past 17 years.

 

I thought of the years gone before us

as I saw each scrap and remembered...

 

little girls giggling under the vine-covered arbor,

blonde ponytails blowing in the breeze,

sunny yellow dresses matching the smiles on their faces

 

I remembered...

butterfly dresses and summer fun

 

I remembered...

the mother/daughter look-alikes,

first with one daughter,

then with two...

 

I remembered...

a little girl happily digging through scraps,

having the time of her life making

skirts for her doll friends,

giggling with her cousin who always brought

her doll family along when they came for a visit.

 

And then I thought of how that chapter of my life is closed.

No more little girls giggling and playing doll.

No more school girls with their front teeth missing,

going off to school in their blue and white checked apple dresses.

 

No more baby dresses and
no more maternity clothes to sew.
 

All chapters of my life that appear to be over.
 

Now,

I have 'big girl' dresses to make,

finding modest patterns that work for these
girls-turned-women.

 

Now I have girls who choose their own fabrics,

and sew some of their own clothes.

 

I am enjoying the now.

But I am so happy to have memories of yesterday,

to reflect over the rough ways and wide that we have traveled,

ever so grateful that

 

 

"Jesus led (us) all the way".

 

I will put these fabrics into scrappy quilts,
stories of our laughter, lessons, love and tears
woven into each patch.

and give my girls the memories to take with them

into homes of their own.

 One day these quilts will provide warmth on fridgid winter nights,

or be honored guests at impromptu picnics on the green ,

or snuggle tired children who have run and played the day away.

And their mamas will trace the fabrics,

remembering the days in their father's house

where happiness and peace were the norm,

where safety was theirs,

and their parents taught them of Jesus

and to serve others because of Him.

Reflecting on life as
 I was sorting these scraps
really had me thinking of how short a life really is.
When my life's work is ended,
will it be work that my Father can say to me,
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
Enter into My joy"?

I also was thinking that for all the years that these
scraps have been piling up in my totes,
they were lived one day at a time.
Some days (many of them) filled with heartache
and questions, ponderings, and choices to make
of where my next step was going to be taken...
choices of whether I was going to believe the God of
my fathers or to walk a way where He is not...
choices of whether to let myself be continually
sanctified and perfected in the image of Christ,
of if I would stalemate and be content with mediocrity
and complacency.

And I could not see ahead very far at all.
None of us can.
But walking by faith will get us to those mountain tops
where we can turn and look behind us and say
of the view,
"That is incredible! Only a Master could paint such
a picture!"


Then I found this quote that seemed to just tie up
these thoughts pretty good. I hope you enjoy it, too:

Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern--
it will come out a rose by and by.
Life is like that...
one stitch at a time, taken patiently."

--Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

Broken Things

Broken Things-

My father's father worked this land,
For many years I took my stand
But the plow is so heavy
And I can't hold on
To the legacy of the farmer's song

I'll remember the days when the sun on the land
Wiping sweat from my brow with a rough calloused hand
And the smell of the ground, freshly broken and clean
Made by One who still gives broken hearts new dreams

[Chorus]
Oh, Lord who uses broken things
With your broekn clouds gives us sweet, sweet rain
Who gives us bread from broken grain
Oh, Lord make me stronger through broken things!

Give me what I need, not what I demand.
Send me Heaven-filled hopes, not earth-made plans.
But the plow is so heavy and I can't hold on
Oh, Father who cares, fill my heart with this song!

[Chorus]
Oh, Lord who uses broken things
With your broken clouds gives us sweet, sweet rain
Who gives us bread from broken grain
Oh, Lord make me stronger through broken things

Oh, Lord make me stronger
Through broken things!

 

(I am not sure who to give credit to for writing this song. Do you know?)

 

May we fall on the Rock and be completely broken so that Christ can

build us up in His kingdom, vessels for the Master's use.

 

 

PS

I cannot to be made stronger through broken things

unless I am dead unto self and alive unto Him in HIS strength

through brokenness.

 

The Pure Word...



What's For Supper?

 

Nutrition...

something many Americans lack,

thus many of us are actually

starving...

while morbidly obese.

 

Our bodies were designed to receive nutrition

through whole, raw foods

while receiving extra fuel from simple foods

like whole grains, beans, cooked vegetables,

and some clean meats in moderation.

 

Our country is the scene of horrible addictions

to processed foods in the forms of

sugar, fat and processed animal products.

 

Eating high amounts of low

nutrient, processed junk

 creates addiction and greedy, mindless eating.

I know.

I was an addict.

Started as a child,

escalating to epic proportions in my youth and

early adult life.

Addictions are results of habits formed

from choices the addict has made.

My body responded to those choices

by screaming for nutrition and by being

toxically hungry.

This resulted in many health issues that

had me pretty low and unable to live

a productive life as a wife,

mother, sister, friend.

 

As I started learning about nutrition,

thanks to Hallelujah Acres

Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Dr. Neil Barnard

Dr. Esselstyn

 Dr. John McDougall, 

T. Colin Campbell,

Rip Esselstyn,

and others,

I was appalled at what I had done

to my body.

With that knowledge, came responsibility.

I was committed to feeding my body

God's food no matter if He chose

to heal me of my diseases.

 

One thing that I learned to do was

to eat for health instead of

swallowing handfuls of pills.

 

It is amazing to me that after 6 years of

changing my bad habits and choosing

responsibly, I do not need to

spend arbitrary sums of money on

food supplements and/or meds.
I am getting stronger every day,
and the addictions are not nearly as strong
as they used to be
(removing addiction-forming foods and replacing with
wholesome foods helps this alot!).
I have more energy than I had in my 20's
(I am nearly to the 40's!)
and have few to no issues with the many problems
that loomed large at one time.

 

I have learned that it is important to make

as many wise choices as I can
(still working on this one but every year I find it easier).

For me,

this includes a green smoothie almost every morning,

and sometimes one in the afternoon.

 

Green smoothies are an easy way to increase

nutrition each day, thus feeding our bodies

the good food needed to replace dead cells

with healthy, undiseased cells.

 

I am told that most of the diseases in our country

are the diseases of kings and queens,

because we eat like kings and queens.

We are living the 'high life' and have an inordinate

affection for junk foods that have little or no

nutritional value.

I am told that this generation will be the first one to

not outlive its parents, at the high rate of diseases

that are running rampant through our children,

totally preventable diseases like juvenile diabetes,

cancer, and heart disease.

 

It's horrible and I am so sad about it!

(ok that was a rabbit trail; back to the smoothie subject)

 

Here is my favorite green smoothie recipe. Try it.

It's delicious!

 

Heather & Holly's Green Smoothie

Into a blender or Vitamix, place:

1 rounded T orange/pineapple or orange juice concentrate

3 c water

3 large handfuls kale (I buy it already chopped)

1 or 2 frozen bananas

Blend until smooth.

Add 1 c frozen strawberries and 1 c frozen mangoes

Blend til smooth.

 

I enjoy a 2 cup serving now and refrigerate the rest in pint jars

for up to 3 days.

When I drink a green smoothie, I like to add

1 T ground flax and 1 T ground chia seeds.

Flax is good for heart health and chia seeds (they swell)

help to keep me full and use the green smoothie for a meal.

They are also good for colon 'scrubbing', if you know what I mean. 

 

Here's to good health, God's way and for His glory.

~Marcia

 

 



We've a Story to Tell...

I have long appreciated the writings of Leonard Ravenhill, a prophetic voice calling the sleeping, weak and sickly church to arise and go forth in the full power and transformation that Jesus came to bring.

Here is an excerpt from his book, "Sodom Had No Bible" that really hit me the first time I read it 3 years ago, and again this morning when I read it again. I ask myself and all of us:

Is the story your life tells one that brings hope to those that are dead in trespasses and sins, shouting out that He is risen and has the answers to everthing?

Read this brother's challenge and let it grip your heart:

"'We've a story to tell to the nations that shall turn our hearts to the right'

'Is your story true?' asks a critical world as it gazes on the stultified

Church of this day.

'Is it transforming? Is it the answer to our modern dilemma?'

From the throats of burning martyrs comes back the answer:
 

'We gave our lives because Christ's blood
 is able to save

and transform to the uttermost.'

 

Karl Marx once wrote:

'Philosophers have only interpreted the world

differently; the point is, however, to change it.'
 

And none but Jesus Christ

can change the world.

None but those who have experienced salvation

can carry a contagious message of life.

It is the saved who are to herald

the good news to the lost.

 

Thronging our streets or hiding from reality are,

as Russel Mast says,

'beared eccentrics, lost and lonely,'

plus millions of unsaved church members.

To reach these souls is not the work of hired preachers

who have a flair for the sensational.
 

To reach them is the work of

every born-again soul who knows the

forgiveness of sins and the
 mighty moral and spiritual

transformation by

the Holy Ghost.

 

Dr. Tozer's barbed words, written years ago

have been my traveling companions around the world:

'Since the fall of man, the earth has been a disaster area;

and everyone lives with a critical emergency.'

Yet many believers live as if this world were

a playground

instead of a

battleground.'"

(bold type mine)

Thanksgiving on Thursday

My God And I

My God and I go in the field together;
We walk and talk as good friends should and do;
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;
My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter;
My God and I walk through the meadow's hue.

He tells me of the years that went before me
When heavenly plans were made for me to be;
When all was but a dream of dim reflection;
To come to life, earth's verdant glory see.
When all was but a dream of dim reflection;
To come to life, earth's verdant glory see.

My God and I will go for aye together,
We'll walk and talk just as good friends do;
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,
But God and I will go unendingly.
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,
But God and I will go unendingly.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

I thought of this song on Sunday as my family and I walked

out 'to the back forty' and the woods that surrounds the

back part of our property.

 

 

 

 

As I breathed in the invigorating spring air,

 

 

and heard the birdsong of my feathered friends

flitting from tree to tree,

my heart filled with deep, reverent thankfulness

to the One who pulled me out of the horrible pit of sin

and set my feet upon the Rock.

 

 

 

I am so very thankful for good health to be able to

walk with my family and enjoy their company on

outings such as these.

 

I felt (and am) so very, very blessed.

 

Earlier that day, as we drove up the road,

coming home from church,

I glimpsed our big old farmhouse in the distance,

a silent witness to two centuries of

memories...

some of them happy,

some of them sad,

all of them known to Him who created those of us

who have lived here.

 

A deep thankfulness washes over me~to be blessed to be part

of the history of this beautiful old farmhouse.

 

(Come by to visit us if you like. We will drink tea together...)

 

 

 

Just that very morning, a huge mountain surrounding someone

over whom I have wept and prayed for 12 years

moved in a mighty way and it happened so

'effortlessly' on God's part that I am in much awe.

 

My God is real.

My God is able.

My God works miracles even today
on a timeless table that reflects eternity,
 not constrained by Time as we know it on Earth.

 

I am both humbled and honored to call Him my Father.

 



Definition of a Disciple...

Dear sisters...

On Sunday my husband brought a sermon to the church family that was like a continuation of the past two weeks of discussion we had in our congregation. Two weeks ago, the brother's heart cry was "what is governing our priorities/are we living the things God wants us to live or are we cramming into life the stuff of greed and selfish living?" while last week the brother's heart cry was to define the kingdom of God and what that means for those who declare themselves to be loyal subjects to the King. This Sunday, my husband pulled the two together by defining a disciple, saying that if we declare ourselves to be in the kingdom of Christ, and if we desire to live our lives on purpose for God, then we must follow the King (be a disciple).

Here is a sketch of what he shared. Maybe it will bless you as you go through the Scriptures and reflect on what is a disciple, and how this applies to your life today.

What a wonderful Savior we serve!

God bless you.
~Marcia

Discipleship

The defining characteristic of any disciple is that they truly follow the one to whom
they profess allegiance. This subject is closely linked to the one ------ brought to us last week on the Kingdom of God. It also is the answer to -------’s sermon from the Sunday before on where priorities are and what governs our choices. If we have crossed over the Great Divide from allegiance to the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of marvelous light, then it is understood and made very clear by King Jesus that we will have His identity in our following of Him.

I would like to discuss the characteristics of a disciple as defined in the New Testament. I would rather let the Holy Spirit speak through Scripture this morning, so I am going to read Scripture with little commenting. I encourage us all to let Him speak to us this morning and to examine our hearts, answering this one question: Am I a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

 

1.      A disciple of Jesus Christ makes Him the focus of their lives, the pivotal aspect of every decision, every word, every deed because of the power of Christ that changes him. Col. 1:12-18 (esp vs 18); 1 Cor. 10:31; Mt. 6:33; Rom. 6:8-16; Gal. 2:20-21; Gal. 5:22-25 (a true disciple reflects the one whom he is following);

2.      A disciple follows the One He professes allegiance to. This he can do because of point 1.

*Mt. 16:24 (it requires total denial of anything fleshly; all must be for Christ, with Christ and because of Christ)

*Mk. 10:21 (nothing must be left for ourselves; all things must be given to Christ to be used for His glory in His Way and in His time)

*John 10:27 (a true disciple knows the voice of the Savior; he doesn’t allow other things to distract him or lure him away from following the true Shepherd; this requires alertness, Holy Spirit discernment and freedom from fleshly lusts)

*1 Pet. 2:21-25

3.      The true disciple joins himself to other true followers wherever he can, being an example of Christ to encourage, convict and bless the household of faith.

            *2 Tim. 2:22 (joining to other believers who are pure in heart)
            *1 Tim. 4:12-16 (an example of the believers)
            * 1 Cor. 13:16-18 (ministering to the saints)
            *Eph. 2:14-22 (Christ is the Cornerstone of the church by which we all can be unified in                           the Spirit)
            *Eph. 6:18 (prayer for the saints)
            *1 Pet. 4:7-11 (using our Spirit given gifts to bless the Body of believers)
            *2 Cor. 6:17-18 (true disciples keep themselves separate from the world and fellowship                          with those who are also true sons and daughters of the Lord)

4.      We don’t like to think of negative things, but the opposite of this is also something Jesus and His apostles taught. Look at a few of the Scriptures that bring this out:

Lk. 14:26-33 (hate here means to love less than Christ); 
Rom. 8:5-9 (it is clear that either we are walking in the Spirit of Christ or we are not; sometimes we get too involved in trying to make everyone fit and feel accepted when we really should be simply walking after Jesus and the natural division will more than likely create what separation from the wolves and tares needs to happen without us being unkind to them; however, we should not make apologies for steering clear of those whom God brings caution to us about)

 

Here are a few questions to take with us this week:

Am I a reflection of Jesus wherever I go, to whomever I speak?
Am I willing to bear the cross even if it means I must give up friendships and family to do so?
Am I willing to truly follow Christ in all things, including following all His teachings? Am I following them?
Is Jesus Christ glorified by my life?
Have I completely yielded my whole life to God? My thoughts, my words, my deeds, my desires, my identity, my dreams, my goals, my hopes?



In Praise of the One Who Is Truly Perfect...

Recently, one of my heart sisters shared with me that after a long, dark valley, she was inspired anew by the comforting attributes of Jesus...

He is:

a Lover

a Friend who sticks closer than a brother

a Healer

a Warrior

the Daystar that shines in our hearts

 

He will never leave us or forsake us. With that kind of assurance, we can be assured that our lives truly are in the palms of His hands and that we will never be left or forsaken by the One who never changes.

 

Today I heard this song as I was doing dishes, and I thought of my very dear friend (who I wish lived across the fields from me instead of 240 miles away!) and was blessed all over again as I reflected on the many, many ways my Savior is trustworthy and unchanging. He has always been and forever shall be...

 

The Great I AM

 

 

 

Mighty God

 

You have the heart of a lover,
Closer even than a brother
Oh and the arms of a warrior,
Who will never flee the fight
And You have the hands of a healer,
Where my pain is, where my need is
Oh and the eyes of a righteous judge
Where the darkness is always light.

This is the mighty God that I adore
An ever faithful, never changing friend
Whose love is mine to know for evermore
Whose promises will never be forsaken.

I feel Your arms warm and comforting
When the child in me is hurting
And I see Your hand, gently guiding,
In the midst of every storm
I feel Your breath breathe within me,
With a power and a strength to fill me
Your presence so close, all around me,
Protecting me from harm.

 

~Robin Mark



All...

"All the paths of the Lord are loving and faithful"

Psalm 25:10.

 I have pondered this verse lately, and have found that it feeds my spirit. All does not mean "all - except the paths I am walking in now," or "nearly all - except this especially difficult and painful path." All must mean all. So, your path with its unexplained sorrow or turmoil, and mine with its sharp flints and briers - and both our paths, with their unexplained perplexity, their sheer mystery - they are His paths, on which he will show himself loving and faithful.

 

Nothing else; nothing less.

 

Amy Carmichael



The Pure Word...



What's for Supper?



Recently, after years of pondering the subject of how much sugar we Americans ingest in various forms, I was challenged to go on a sugar fast with my very adventurous sister. The information is out there in better ways than I can explain it. Here is the best collection of info that I have ever read in one place. I have been thoroughly convinced that I have eaten mega doses of processed sugars

for the last time. The fast has left me with a strong dislike for the feeling I get when I eat sugar (aching head, shakiness, irritability, and dislike for foods that are nutritious and delicious when I am not eating well), and also has curbed the cravings for it. I can actually walk past chocolate bars now and not be tempted. (for my friend who thinks Amish donuts will be in heaven, maybe you might get 'cured' if you did this! Ha! I hope you do read this! :-) The hugest blessing for me is that I am losing unwanted weight that I have battled for years.

 

During that sugar fast, I learned how to bake with no added sugar...No maple syrup, no honey, no raw sugar, no sucanat, no coconut sugar, no date sugar, no stevia, no white sugar, and certainly no high fructose corn syrup or agave! I found a secret to 'going back to the garden' and still enjoying a sweet treat on occasion, one that I feel good about feeding to my children, too: dates.

 

Yes, they are more expensive than sugar. But don't let that stop you, ok? First off, we don't need sweet treats every day, do we? That will save both the sugar bill and the grocery bill that includes dates.

 

I will post some recipes that I use that include dates over the next few months. This first recipe includes some ingredients that may be new to you:

 

dates: makes me feel like I'm going back to Abraham's day in the promised land when I use these!

chia seeds: used as an egg replacer/thickener; very good for your health

buckwheat, sorghum and tapioca flour (all gluten free flours that can be found in bulk food stores or on Amazon; I mill my own, so if you are local and want to try this recipe, I'll be happy to mill some flour for you); I have not tried this but I wonder if whole wheat or spelt flour can replace the gluten free flour in this recipe

 

 

Date Sweetened Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

 

Into a blender or VitaMix place wet ingredients:

 

1 c pitted medjool dates

1 c coconut, almond or soy milk

1 c water or more milk

3 T chia seed meal

(I grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet blender)

3 T olive oil

1 c mashed banana (see variations below)

 

Blend well.

 

Mix dry ingredients:

 

1 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c buckwheat or brown rice flour

1/2 c tapioca flour or arrowroot powder

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1 t ground cinnamon

 

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir together.

Add 1/2 - 1 c chocolate chips

(optional; these would make the no added sugar claim of no effect :-)

 

Makes about 12 cupcakes or a 9x13 pan of 'bars'.

Bake muffins at 350* for 20-25 min.

Bake bars at 350* for 45-50 min.

We enjoy the 'bars' with fresh strawberries and almond milk for

an alternative to shortcake.

 



Variations:

1. replace the banana with pumpkin (our favorite in this recipe)

2. replace the chocolate chips with blueberries and add some lemon zest; Lemon juice in place of oil is awesome with blueberries.

3.use applesauce in place of bananas and add shredded carrots and apples and ground walnuts

 

 





Chastening...

He remembers our frame and knows that we are dust. He may sometimes chasten us, it is true, but even this He does with a smile, the proud, tender smile of a Father who is bursting with pleasure over an imperfect but promising son who is coming every day to look more and more like the One whose child he is.

 

 

A W Tozer

 

"My (daughter), despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,

nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

 

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,

and scourgeth every (daughter) whom he receiveth.

 

If ye endure chastening,

God dealeth with you as with (daughters);

for what (daughter) is (she) whom the father chasteneth not?

 

Hebrews 12:5-7

 

 



Thanksgiving on Thursday...

 

The path of joy in noticing the benefits He daily loads me with continues.

My heart chooses to say (at the NO He gave me)

"Blessed be Your Name. I will lift up holy hands and praise you."

It has been a real blessing to simply walk with childlike faith

 in a Father Whose

plan is being revealed one day at a time.

I highly encourage it for all those who desire things that

should be happening but are not right now.

It is amazing just how many things I am finding along the way

that point to a plan bigger than I can see right now.

Hallelujah for a Guide Who knows what He is doing!

 

On to the practical part of joy for this post:

 

What a blessing it was last week to feel that heart lifting joy at

my daughters' happy chatter as they loved the house and family

while giving our home a spring make over.

 

I loved discussing with them different decorating possibilities,

and seeing their sparkling eyes as they appreciated being handed

the responsibility that until the past two seasons has been mine.

 

What a blessing to have daughters who love home and family.

What a blessing to have a connection with my daughters,

something many daughters in my circle of acquaintance longed for

as we were growing up.

 

 

 Thank You, Lord,

for daughters to love and point unto You.

 May I be a mother who knows and hears her children's hearts.

And may we glorify you in relationships that honor you and

bless each other.

Amen.

God's Way...

Christian Counseling~Is It Biblical?

by Curvin Wenger

 

 



There was a time in my life when I felt I needed to go for counseling to help me with some huge issues I was facing. God always prevented me from doing it, even though I pursued it several times. He provided two very special sisters within the Body of Christ, besides godly preachers, writers, other friends and my husband who all were parts in that special Body He created to disciple and encourage believers. I was mentored (discipled) by two sisters very different from one another but both having the same message: the message of Truth found in the whole counsel of God (through His Holy Word). Looking back, I marvel often at how God provided so well for me. I have never been in need without Him bringing me the answers to those needs. Sometimes I simply needed more time alone with Him, on wilderness trails and desert climbs where I had to pause and hear His teaching me things that no human ever could. Other times, the Spirit sent people to me to teach me and to correct me, to encourage and strengthen my hand in God.

 I have been so blessed and I want to encourage us all to listen to this sermon with an open heart.

I believe that through my experiences, God is telling me to go back and show my friends this lesson I've learned: that His heart is still found in the simplicity which is in Christ, which applies to helping those who need help and counsel. I would love to see the Body go back to its God-designed place of discipling one another instead of doing things the worldly way of handing off 'problems' to professionals. The disciples were 'unlearned and ignorant men' yet by the power of Pentecost they preached sermons that brought people to repentance and new life in Christ. Why should we think that we need different approaches and different methods today? The Bible still stands as a testament to God's heart for His people.

God bless.
~Marcia

PS
By my sharing this, I am in no way discrediting those good-hearted believers who are involved in more 'professional/worldy' type counseling. I am sure they care about people who are hurting, and I am sure they desire to help people and I applaud their efforts to reach out with helping hands. My heart in sharing this is that we would do things God's way, which is a safer way to help people.

If the Lord Will...

Faith

 

produces

 

dependence

 

on God...

 

 

 

 

~inspired by Sunday's sermon

 

Come now, you who say,

"Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,

and spend a year there

and engage in business and make a profit."

 

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

 

Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

 

James 4:13-15

 

 

 

The sermon was about the kingdom of God and how we

either are servants in that kingdom or we are not.

This requires a daily, humble walking with the

King of kings and Lord of lords,

acknowledging Him in all our ways.

 

Quite an inspiring challenge it was to me!

My heart answers,

"Yes"

to my King.

I am deeply grateful for the freedom

I have found in Christ!

 

Hallelujah!



Calvary Love...



If I am afraid to

speak the truth

lest I lose affection,

 or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand",

or because I fear

 to lose my reputation for kindness;

 if I put my own

 good name

before

the other's highest good,

 then I know nothing of

 Calvary love.

 

Amy Carmichael

 

"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me:

and he that loveth son or daughter more than me

is not worthy of me."

Matthew 10:37

The Pure Word...



What's for Supper?

My second daughter enjoyed making these this week after seeing Shoshanna Easling make them on a youtube video clip. I can't post the recipe without the video as Shoshanna is an inspiring person. "-) I hope you enjoy both. One note, however: we cut the honey by half and it is still pretty sweet. These make special afternoon treats after veggies and hummus are consumed by young fry, whose windblown hair and rosy cheeks tell of outdoor exercise in the fresh spring breezes and sunshine.

 

 

 

Raw Energy Bites

 

Makes about 20 energy balls.

 

1 cup finely shredded coconut
1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup dried cranberries

 (we used half golden/half black raisins)
1/2 cup Raw Honey
2 tablespoons Eleuthero Root Pwd. (optional)
1 tablespoon Cinnamon Pwd.
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
1 tablespoon Flax Seeds

 

Instructions:

1. Set aside 1/2 a cup of the coconut in a shallow bowl for coating.

2. Put the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well to blend. I normally use my hands instead of a spoon to really knead the ingredients into a cohesive ball.

3. Pinch off pieces of the dough and form into balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Roll each in the reserved coconut to coat.

4. For the best flavor and consistency, allow the balls to set for 24 hours before eating. Store the balls in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and consume within 2-3 weeks. Enjoy!

Waiting for Fire...

Have you been waiting for a baptism of the Fire of the Holy Ghost in your town? Here is an encouraging excerpt from Leonard Ravenhill's book, "Sodom Had No Bible", that I found to very true in my own life...

War always brings disruption...In the holy war against te devil and his works, can we be choosey in our obedience? Can we pray when we like? Can we seek the fullness of the Spirit when we are so disposed? NO! If we are aware that now is the time for God to do a new thing, then precedents will be shattered. This brings us to another hurdle...

The Price of Waiting...

We need this waiting to get it clear in our minds that Holy Ghost visitation

would not have to fit into our preconceived theological orbit.

 

We need the waiting:

 

*for humiliation and for time for a confession of our

too-long-a-time satisfaction with our own works

 

*to get our spiritual eyes refocused on the holiness of God and the lostness of men

 

*to linger until we have a broken and contrite spirit

 

*to prove we can master the claims of this materialistic age in which we live

 

*to hear again the living voice of the living God

 

*to show our utter disregard for our own efforts and our complete dependence

upon the living God for deliverance in this sin-dominated age

 

*to convince our skeptical friends that we love the will of God,

that we long for the favor of God,

and that we seek the power of  God with more zeal than we can put

into our business lives and with greater hunger than we have for food

 

*for a sorrowful confession of sin and pleading of cleansing thru the

blood of Christ.

In the divine presence, vows would be made to right wrongs and to

remain submissive to God's revealed will.

 

I believe then the Spirit would fall.

 

~Leonard Ravenhill



Thanksgiving on Thursday...

"You will keep (her) in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because (she) trusts in you.."

 

 

Life with it's trials will come...

 

>Babies go Home to Jesus before their parents ever get to know them.

>A new mama sits carefully at home with a blood clot in her lung while her baby struggles to adjust to the sudden change from nursing to a bottle and formula.

>Hopes and long time dreams are crushed into powder at our feet and we wonder at the deep darkness that would threaten to suck us into a pool of disappointment.

>A father dies of complications after by-pass surgery, not expecting when he went to the Dr. for a check-up that he would never wake up and would leave his wife and children behind suddenly.

>Longtime friends refuse to go forward in Jesus, hanging on to old hurts and bitterness, leaving their friends standing alone on a windy hill longing for them to come along to new heights along the narrow Way to Glory.

>Children wander, drawn away by their own lusts and love of the things that appeal to human hearts, leaving parents broken hearted and pleading for Jesus to draw their children to Himself.

>A generation 'forgets' God, keeping the outward obedience in many areas of the Word, while losing the Life of Christ, living unchanged lives that leaves their children confused and angry, searching for the meaning in life, an aching void where parental guidance and teaching should have been.

 

Everyone of us has had trials like these. Even Jesus did...

 

>born in poverty, in conditions less than what any mother would choose for the birth of her baby

>rejected even from a young age because He was 'different'

>no earthly home to call His own

>falsely accused, mocked, and scorned on many occasions

>betrayed by one who called Him Lord at one time

>tempted by the devil in the wilderness while fasting 40 days

>killed for reasons completely arbitrary (humanly speaking) and uncalled for

 

He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows. He has been tempted in all points like we are. He knows what all our hardships feel like. He knows the testing that comes when we are bitterly disappointed about something (even something legitimate and righteous) and the temptation to become angry with God or bitter at life, to lose the joy of living. He knows all that.

 

Yet...

He says that He came that His joy might remain in us and that our joy will be full.

 

Joy...

I know what it is like to almost let go of joy. I know that season of mourning that comes to any whose hearts are broken with the things that break God's heart, that, although the joy of His salvation never leaves, finds one tripping over the sadness and the utter devastation that has come.

 

Joy...

Today I reached up through the sun's warming rays and called upon the Lord for new purpose in living life on purpose with joy. I want to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. God has said No to me on something pretty big and I, although far from understanding where He is going with all this, I want to live my life with joy...

 

>because He is my Daddy God and will never ever let me go through an experience that is not for my good and for His glory

>because I believe that no good thing will He withold from them who walk uprightly

>because I want to stretch my hands to Him, no other help will I know that can so completely shelter me, surround me, strengthen me, and direct me in the Way of the Cross that leads Home

>because I have a family who needs to see my faith in Him put into action for otherwise, it is dead and I am leaving behind no legacy, no shining example to call them to come higher with Him, no purposeful living and no echoes of hope for them to increase their faith

 

I want joy. I want to live purposefully in  joy. So, to help me on in answering the call to live joyfully, I have found a few helps along the way...

 

Today, it was a project from Ann Voskamp's website "A Holy Experience". I have been blessed many times by reading her writing of the thousands of gifts we pass by every day and don't even take the time to notice.

I have that problem. Oh, yes, most assuredly I do. I am a star gazer. I reach for the ultimate experience and often miss the falling leaves along the way, the raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. I care so deeply about the broken places in my people that I often miss the moment with my little boy or the moments of blessing my daughters as I ought.

 

So (sighing deeply and reaching to the Sonshine in my life), I will walk in newness of joy. I love the Lord and long for more of His fullness. This is how He chose to answer that heartcry today.

 

Joy...it comes in the Morning after the long, dark night of the soul where we have wept a thousand times until we are spent and panting for rest, toiling for the sheaves that surely we will bring for the harvest. Until that Morning, however, there are hundreds of thousands of misty mornings we are given where He daily loads us with benefits. Practicing joy and the 'sacrifice of praise' is a daily must for me, telling God in many ways that I see and appreciate Him, and His benefits...and that no matter what happens (or doesn't happen), I believe He has my good in mind.

 

 



I rest on Him, my Shield and my Defender...

I go not on alone against the Foe.

 

I will practice joy, asking Him for the spirit of awareness about me daily, spilling over to those I meet along life's way, beginning in my home...

 

Joyfully I will adore Him.

 

He is worthy of all praise and glory and honor.

 

He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I could ask or think.

 

He is my Abba Father. He knows my needs.

Better than I do.

 

He is my Father.

He is my Lover.

He is the Friend who sticks closer than any human ever could.

 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life:

 in thy presence [is] fulness of joy;

at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore.

 

Psalm 16:11

 

 



Telling What He's Done...

While I don't know enough about Mission to the Amish People to lend any information about them, I was so blessed by the testimony of Andrew and Sarah which is presented on MAP's youtube channel.

Jesus indeed sets all free who come to Him for Life. Hallelujah! He is alive and still working today!

 

 

It is a blessing to me when I hear others 'going home to (their) friends

and tell(ing) them how great things the Lord has done for (them),

and how He has had mercy on (them)', as Jesus told the man

He healed in the tombs to do instead of joining Him on His travels.

(Mark 5:19)

The Hidden Woman

"Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way
one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be
taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping
the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see...
me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of
hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock
to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is
the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?,
What's for dinner?'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes
that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared
into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's
going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she
was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to
compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she
turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you
this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration
for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover
what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could
pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record
of their names.

2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never
see finished.

3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the
eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird
on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,
'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that
will be covered by
the roof. No one will ever see it'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you
make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to
notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see
right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of
the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work
on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went
so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3
hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a
monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there
is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it
there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel,
not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the
world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know.... I just did.

The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect
you.

To all the wonderful mothers out there!! God bless and keep you."

 

I wish I knew who to give the credit to for this piece on invisibility but I do not, so I just say,

God bless the mother who learned to enjoy being a hidden woman for the glory of God, and wrote it for the rest of us to be encouraged!

 

I was going to write something on this subject soon but when I discovered this article, I just

felt it said so perfectly what the Lord has been showing me the past few years regarding motherhood. To be 'behind the scenes' rubs against our flesh and often can seem like such a thankless job, or a task that seems of little value. BUT when I think of the son and daughters I am raising every day...

when I think of pouring into them and investing time, love, and eternal values into them,

when I think of providing a safe place for them to learn to know Jesus,

and what a powerful means for the kingdom of Christ my motherhood can be,

I am quite happy to be the mother of children...

for the glory of the Father!

 

God bless you mothers, (and future mothers, too!)

Let us pray for each other, not faint by the way,

In this sad world of sorrow and care...

For that Home is so bright, and it's almost in sight,

And I trust in my heart we'll meet there.

 

~Marcia