Christmas Day 2011

Emmanuel - God with us!

GOD with us.

God WITH us.

God with US!

No matter how you look at it, Emmanuel is mind-boggling but soul-blessing truth.

Merry Christmas!

There's a Promise Coming Down That Dusty Road

Here's a song based on the story of Jairus' daughter.

A hand of fear gripped the crowd
That day at Jairus' home
When the doctor shook his head
and said she's gone
You could feel that mother's heart break
You could hear them cry and mourn
Their little girl was only twelve years old

Somewhere in the distance
Outlined against the sun
There came a Man on a mission
From the throne
They said "look somebody's coming"
But what they did not know
It was their Promise coming down
that dusty road

Chorus:
There's a Promise coming down that dusty road
From His holy hand healing virtue flows
He's got the keys to what you need
Death and hell He will defeat
There's a Promise coming down that dusty road

The wonder turned to mocking
When Jesus did speak
'Cause He said your daughter's not dead
She's just asleep
Then He turned to the unbelievers
And He told them all "go home"
They heard Him say
"Leave Me and death alone."

And then He laid His hand upon the child
And He looked death right in the eye
He said, "All power in Heaven
and earth it belongs to me"
And with a voice that sounds like thunder
He hurled death and hell He will defeat
Oh there's a promise coming down your dusty road

Aldi's Convert

I have dabbled with shopping at Aldi's over the years. After doing the bulk of my Thanksgiving shopping at Aldi's, I'm a full-fledged convert! There aren't a zillion choices,which cuts down on decision making. For most items it is take it or leave it!

Here are some of the bargains:

Butterball Turkey - $.99/lb.
Butter - $1.99/lb.
Ocean Spray Cranberries - $.99/bag (it was $2/bag at Wegman's)
Cream Cheese - $.89/8 oz. package
Choceur Truffles - $2.49/bag (treat for the cook! compare to Lindt - yum!)

So far, all the food items we have tried have been a good quality. About the only thing I've ever purchased that I wouldn't bother with again was the dish soap. It was wimpy. I really like the Lacura lip balm, lipstick and face powder.

So, bring a quarter for the shopping cart and put your tote bags in the car and prepare to save some $$$.

Thanksgiving Thought

Here's a great quote from Nancy Leigh DeMoss: "You can worship or whine, but you can't do both at the same time"!

Praise God, from Whom ALL blessings flow!!!

Vegetable Broth

Last night we made vegetable broth using the recipe from Brother Victor-Antoine's book "Twelve Months of Monastery Soups". Yum!

Our Brining Experiment

Last week Little Man's Father and I watched "Romancing the Bird" on Food Network. If you google it, you will come up with several youtube versions. It was an hour long show by Alton Brown that focused on cooking the perfect turkey by brining it first. We decided to do a test run, so I bought a 10 lb. bird Saturday and we brined it Sunday AM and cooked it Sunday afternoon. Our verdict...YUM!!! It was moist and totally delicious!

Here's the link: Romancing the Bird.

Bottom of the Barrel

This is the song that actually inspired my idea to do a series about songs based on Bible stories. This song is based on the story about the Widow of Zarapheth and also makes reference to a passage in Habakkuk. This song also appears on the CD "Wonderful Story" by the Greenes.

Bottom of the Barrel - Mike Sage

A poor little widow, fearful and sick
Was busy gathering a bundle of sticks
She decided the next meal was the last one she'd ever fix
Then along came old Elijah saying don't be afraid
Just go and do what you hear the Lord say
Seeing your faith, surely He will make a way.

So she poured all the oil out of the cruse
And the last ounce of flour from the barrel she scooped
And made a cake for the prophet, herself, and her little son too.
The flour from the barrel never ran short
And the oil from the cruse continued to pour
Beyond the bottom of her barrel
She reached into the top of the Lord's.

Chorus:

At the bottom of the barrel God will provide
Every need He shall supply.
When all that we have ends
That's when all the He has begins
There's nothing but a miracle
At the bottom of the barrel.

There are times here in this life
When everything's wrong and nothing seems right
But we walk by faith, we don't walk by sight
And when there are no cattle out in the stall
And the grapes from the vine fall
Remember God will take care of it all.

Chorus:

At the bottom of the barrel God will provide
Every need He shall supply.
When all that we have ends
That's when all the He has begins
There's nothing but a miracle
At the bottom of the barrel.

Habakkuk 3:17 - 19 - Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places.

The Unexpected Cross

I love songs that take a Bible story and then make a personal application with it. Southern Gospel music has a lot of great examples. Today's song, based on the story of Simon of Cyrene, is from a CD called "Wonderful Story" by the Greenes, copyright 1999.

The Unexpected Cross - Marcia Henry

Traveling through Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene
Came upon the Crucifixion of the innocent Nazarene
The Soldiers shouted orders, gave Simon’s heart a chill
Then he took the cross for Jesus, carried it up the hill

[Chorus:]
The unexpected Cross, is always hard to bear
But there’s glory in the suffering, Triumph in despair
For Christ is our example, and the crown is worth the cost
Lord, help me to bear faithfully, the unexpected cross

Along the road to heaven, crosses lie unseen
A crisis for the moment, to keep the spirit keen
As Jesus gives the orders help to sacrifice the will
Take up the cross and follow, the victory on the hill

Brick Path

Hooray! Another project completed! Here are some before and after pictures:

Tomato Pie (Original and Low Carb Versions)

Tomato Pie has been a family favorite since my sister brought the recipe back from her summer working at an Adirondack Camp. Today I tried an almond crust with it to make it low carb. I did not cook the crust all the way before adding the tomatoes and next time I will, but overall, it worked. In the past I have also used a low-carb baking mix with some success.

Tomato Pie

Use a 10” pie pan – lightly greased

2 cups bisquick (or comparable substitute – see biscuit recipe below)
2/3 cups milk
Mix together and pat into the bottom of the pie pan.

Cover with sliced, unpeeled tomatoes. Sprinkle with chives and basil.

Mix together:

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise

Spread on top.

Bake at 400o until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

Note: 9 x 12 pan made by doubling recipe.

Biscuit recipe:

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup milk

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Stir in milk.

Almond Parmesan Crust (from 500 More Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender)

1 1/3 cups almonds
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp water (optional - I forgot to add it and the crust was fine.)

Grind almonds in a food processor until they are the texture of cornmeal. Add the cheese & pulse to combine. Add the butter & water and process until it forms a ball.

Pat into a greased 10" pie pan. Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.

It's a Hard Knock Life

Turkeys!

A while back I was fetching the newspaper and I heard a funny sound. I looked across the street and there were two ENORMOUS turkeys looking back at me! They are our neighbor's newest pets and they love to chat. He lets them run loose, so one morning when they were in the field right across from our house I took their picture.

Then last week, I looked out the kitchen window to see SIX wild turkeys heading up the driveway! We think maybe they were attracted to our area by the gobbling of the domestic turkeys.

Have Faith, Be Faithful

Someday (don't hold your breath) I am going to write about J. I. Packer's chapter on Wisdom in "Knowing God". I can't tell you how many times I've read it and each time it speaks truth to my soul. Meanwhile, I'll just leave you with the conclusion:

HAVE FAITH; BE FAITHFUL

Sums up dozens of sermons and books on Christian living, doesn't it?

The Quiet Hour

These were all taken today. For some reason, they look a lot like ones taken before!

Of Weary Ways or Golden Days

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

But "I know Whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that day."

Amen!

God's Good Gifts - Honey

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Proverbs 24:13 (ESV)

Honey or honeycomb occurs in the Bible 61 times! The majority of these verses are descriptions of the promised land, flowing with milk & honey, indicating God's abundant provision.

Like coffee & tea, I wonder who was the first person to decide to brave stinging insects and taste the gooey stuff in their nest and discover that it tasted good? Somewhere back in the dawn of time, God guided our ancestors to discover honey and all it's beneficial properties - culinary, medicinal and cosmetic. Google honey and be amazed at its history and properties!

I Then Shall Live

I Then Shall Live
Lyrics
Words by Gloria Gaither
Music by Jean Sibelius
FINLANDIA

I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven;
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive my brother,
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion;
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I’ll dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationship demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.

Your kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me;
Your Hallowed name, O may I bear with honor,
And may You living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

Text © 1981 Gaither Music Company. Music © Breitkopf & Hartel (Outside U.S.
only). All rights reserved.

God's Good Gifts - Coffee

Every day starts with coffee! Usually I have about 1 1/2 cups, then switch to tea. if I know there's no tea in the offing, then I have a little more. When I first started drinking coffee back in college I put in 3 (!) teaspoons of sugar. I finally decided I had to learn to either learn to drink it black or give it up, so after a few months of making a face every time I took a sip, I finally learned to love it straight out of the pot. Coffee is another one of those daily gifts from God that I am thankful for.

Quite a while ago, the homemaker's club I belonged to had a guest speaker. This man had been downsized from a very good job, so he took early retirement and followed his dream and opened a coffee roasting shop. This was back when fancy coffee shops were just beginning to pop up. His talk took us from planting to brewing and every step in between and gave me a whole new appreciation of what goes into a cup of coffee. There's such a fine line between light, medium, dark or ruined!

For a while, we would buy our beans whole and grind them daily. The novelty of that has long since worn off, so now I buy ground coffee, which tastes just fine to me. We especially like Gevalia but since it is so pricey, tend to only fix it on weekends or when we have company over. Dunkin Donuts has great coffee but even it has become quite expensive lately. Good old Sam's Club has their own brand that quite nice.

God's Good Gifts - Tea

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV)

The other day as I was driving around (and around and around!) on the lawnmower, I started thinking about some of God's gifts, so I thought I'd write about some of them, in no particular order.

Today, I'm thinking of tea. Who thought of taking a leaf, curing it, and then putting it in hot water to make a drink? And which leaf? And how long to dry it, ferment it, or whatever? I just googled tea, and the wikipedia article alone is huge, not to mention all the various tea sellers and their sites. Anyhow, I think that a naturally occuring plant that can be made into such an enjoyable and healthy drink qualifies as a gift from God, one for which I am very thankful.

Tea is THE most popular drink in the world, and is definitely high on my list, right after water. Almost every day, I fix myself a small pot of tea early and enjoy it all morning, at work or at home. Twining's Prince of Wales variety is my absolute favorite, but I also enjoy trying others. Another one that is lovely is Orange Blossom oolong from Tealightful Treasures. I indulge in loose tea sometimes (but have learned to use the paper tea sacs, which make clean up much easier - sorry, I'm not a purist!) but really appreciate the convenience of tea bags. Most afternoons I have a large mug of herbal tea and during the cold months, another cup of chamomile tea is a treat in the evening.

This past Christmas I received some mint tea. I always avoided mint tea in the past, but this was really good, so I've been on a mint kick lately.

I've loved tea for years, but am happy to see it growing in popularity. Hot, iced, caffeinated, herbal - thank you Lord for this blessing!

Christ Be In My Waking

Christ Be In My Waking

As the sun is rising,

In my day of working,
With me every hour.
Christ be in my resting,
As the day is ending,
Calming and refreshing,
Watching through the night.

Christ be in my thinking,
And my understanding,
Guarding me from evil,
Walking in the light.
Christ be in my speaking,
Every word a blessing,
Pure and not deceiving,
Grace to all who hear.

Jesus, this is my devotion,
All my life to know You,
Every day to walk with You.
Saviour, You’re my deepest longing,
You’re the One I live for,
Teach me, Lord, to walk with You.

Christ be in my gladness
For the joy of living,
Thankful for the goodness
Of the Father's hand.
Christ be in my sorrow,
In my day of darkness,
Knowing that I follow
In the steps He trod.

Christ when hope has faded,
Nothing left to cling to,
Every pleasure jaded,
Every well is dry.
Christ the loving Shepherd
Draws me with His kindness,
Leads me from the desert
To the streams of life.

Stuart Townend & Simon Brading
Copyright © 2011 Thankyou Music

Rivers of Living Water

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39. (ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-25 (ESV)

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 (ESV)

Summer Saturday Morning

Callie

Well, it's been a month since we started feeding this little darling. Since then, she has been to the vet twice and has firmly entrenched herself into the household. Huber has adopted her completely. Clovis has touched noses but still isn't really friends. Not surprisingly, Raquel remains aloof. Binky is the real surprise - he and Callie can't stand one another at the moment. He comes in and eats, but goes back out as quickly as possible. Callie doesn't help since she hisses the minute she sees him. Hopefully they will settle down before bad weather sets in.

At her first vet visit, she weighed in at 5 lbs., 3 oz. When I weighed her today, she was 6 lbs. the vet says she is 6 months old. She had a respiratory infection and ear mites, but is ok now and will go in for spaying on the 27th of this month.

I Understand Now

A beautiful song - musically & lyrically - from Mary Kathryn.


I Understand Now

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now

How You brought me through the darkness
Holding me close
We walked together
Untouched and yet so changed
I emerged to see the Light that was my guide
You saved my life

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now

You protected me from harm
With Your great a mighty arm
A loving Father
So gallant and so brave
Like a soldier out to save the land he loves
Sent from above

Sweet Comforter
Holy One of God
Look at me
In Your eyes I see
Safe in Your love
Following the path
You made for me
Now I see . . . I see

Remembering the former things
And thinking of today
I understand now
Looking back I see
How Your mercy covered me
I understand now
I understand now

Words & Music by Mary Kathryn, © 1998 Elements of Praise, BMI

You can read and listen at her website: www.mary-kathryn.com

Someone's getting chubby....

I wonder why?

Hot off the press.....The Adventures of Huber!

Click here to view this photo book larger

A New Face

We are starting to wonder if the new cat mailbox is giving people the message that our house is a good place to drop off cats! About a week ago I noticed a new calico cat out by the red shed. She ran away from me at first, but this past Monday she finally came close and let me pet her and pick her up. Poor little thing, she's young and very thin. She has on a flea collar but no identifying information. We are trying to find her family. Meanwhile, we've stocked up on cat food!

Antidote to Idiocy

If you are as tired and disgusted and sad as I am to hear about the stupid and lewd behavior of our supposed leaders, here are some suggestions:

1. Go to joniandfriends.org and read any (or all) of the articles. Joni's story is unfailingly inspirational (and usually convicting!) and the various outreach ministries are busy doing wonderful things.

2. Google Robin Mark and listen to any of his songs on youtube. They all glorify God.

3. Go to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church's main website (www.opc.org) and read about our missionaries in Sendai, Japan, who have survived the earthquake and tsunami and are now working tirelessly in the relief efforts.

4. For something completely different, check out the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee and get a big dose of cuteness. (The link is on the sidebar.)

5. Turn off the TV and the computer and go eat a BIG piece of chocolate!

God is at work in our sad old world, but most of the time, His workers are under the radar screen of celebrity and publicity. Of course, we are all sinners and all need grace and mercy and forgiveness. I'm certainly thankful that no one is following me around and plastering all the dumb things I do & say all over the news.

Just for a while, let's focus on something other than bad news.

Memorial Day 2011

Note: Binky looks like he has an aura because I had to use the "backlight" filter in order to have his features show up at all. The OOTC (out of the camera) picture looks like silhouette. For once, Raquel's eyes actually showed up without having to edit the picture at all. Black cats are VERY hard to photograph! Huber & Clovis, on the other hand, are easy (and usually irresistable!).

Abbey of the Genesee

This past week we did a road trip to the Abbey of the Genesee, location of a Trappist monastery, and also the place where Monk's Bread is made. You can find out all about them at www.geneseeabbey.org. I took some pictures of the grounds and the outside of the chapel. Cameras were not allowed inside, but it was very rustic and peaceful. Of course, I couldn't resist messing around with the pictures in Photoscape. The weather might be gloomy, but grey skies work great with the water brush filter and some backlighting.