Hello dear friends! Today I traveled downstate to see the grandbabies for Christmas, so today's post will be short and sweet. I'm tuckered out! Why is it that sitting six hours in a car is more tiring than a hard day's work? You ever hear something so often that it becomes white noise? I'm afraid that's me with the Nativity narrative in Luke. I've heard it at least once a week during every Advent since I can remember. After a while, I'm ashamed to say, it just went in one ear and out the other. Then one December I was listening to The Today Show or Good Morning America and I heard Orson Welles read from the Bible and it was like I was hearing it for the first time. I searched for a recording for ages, and although this is an earlier recording than what I heard, I think you might enjoy this.
Tomorrow I will have a better post, I promise! Have a blessed December 19th!
Showing posts with label Sunday sermon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday sermon. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Saturday, December 17, 2016
DECEMBER 18TH: THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
The fourth week of Advent focuses on peace.
Peace I leave you with, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
~John 14:27 ~
He is my peace.
~Ephesians 2:14~
Saturday, December 10, 2016
DECEMBER 11TH: THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
JOY
The third week of Advent focuses on joy, for our Lord has come. And Heaven and nature sing!
“Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.”
~Martin Luther~
The third week of Advent focuses on joy, for our Lord has come. And Heaven and nature sing!
“Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.”
~Martin Luther~
First Peter 1:8-9 “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
DECEMBER 8TH: CHRISTMAS CHARITY WHEN YOUR POCKETS ARE EMPTY
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill~
This time of year my mail box is overflowing with request to give money to so many wonderful charities. The only thing that truly bothers me about being poor is not being able to just write a check to each one. But December is not a month that finds our coffers very full, what with taxes, heating and this year extra health cost, we are probably the ones in need of charity. Ha! But I still like to do something. So here's some ways to give charity when your pockets are empty:
Invite a lonely person to dinner.
Babysit for that harried mom, free of charge, of course.
Get a group together and sing Christmas carols at your local senior housing.
Shovel your elderly neighbor's driveway.
Knit or crochet for a charity. (The Girl Scouts have a Mitten Tree around here)
Volunteer to work in a soup kitchen.
Volunteer to take the holiday shift at work so others can be home.
Offer to drive someone that cannot to church or to the store.
Donate your used things to charities such as the Salvation Army.
If you have a special skill, offer to teach it for free.
In other words, just being aware of others' needs and trying to find a way to help. Even small things like being cheerful and smiling instead of scowling go a long way toward spreading goodwill.
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
~Hamilton Wright Mabie~
~Winston Churchill~
This time of year my mail box is overflowing with request to give money to so many wonderful charities. The only thing that truly bothers me about being poor is not being able to just write a check to each one. But December is not a month that finds our coffers very full, what with taxes, heating and this year extra health cost, we are probably the ones in need of charity. Ha! But I still like to do something. So here's some ways to give charity when your pockets are empty:
Invite a lonely person to dinner.
Babysit for that harried mom, free of charge, of course.
Get a group together and sing Christmas carols at your local senior housing.
Shovel your elderly neighbor's driveway.
Knit or crochet for a charity. (The Girl Scouts have a Mitten Tree around here)
Volunteer to work in a soup kitchen.
Volunteer to take the holiday shift at work so others can be home.
Offer to drive someone that cannot to church or to the store.
Donate your used things to charities such as the Salvation Army.
If you have a special skill, offer to teach it for free.
In other words, just being aware of others' needs and trying to find a way to help. Even small things like being cheerful and smiling instead of scowling go a long way toward spreading goodwill.
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
~Hamilton Wright Mabie~
Saturday, December 3, 2016
DECEMBER 4th: THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:1-11
O Holy Night! The night of our dear Savior's birth. Through Him we shall have eternal life. This Christmastide I wish you all hope, peace and love born from faith that our Messiah lives and we wait joyfully for His return.
Hugs
Jane
PS: People have asked me why I always sign off with "hugs". Somewhere, a long, long time ago, I read what I thought was a Bible verse to greet your friends and enemies with an embrace. After a long search, I could find no such verse. But it's a good policy, I think. And besides, who doesn't need a hug?
Thursday, December 1, 2016
DECEMBER 2ND: CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST
Here is a beautiful quote that I want to share with you. Pretty much sums it all up doesn't it?
“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft
answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a
promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to
understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else.
Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude.
Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the
beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it
again."
~Howard W. Hunter~
Merry December 2nd!
Hugs,
Jane
~Howard W. Hunter~
Merry December 2nd!
Hugs,
Jane
Sunday, October 2, 2016
RECESSION PROOF YOUR LIFE
Hello dear friends! Happy October! This is my second attempt at writing this post, I was fairly far along in writing it, when my finger slipped and hit a button and the entire thing disappeared! Did anyone else's blog list disappear this week? Oh my computer woes! Anywhoo, we're having a beautiful Autumn day today. It's what I call a Benediction day, you can feel God's face shining down on you and giving you peace.
And peace is what I need, as I read about what is going on in the world economic-wise. As of October 1st, the Chinese Yuan is now a reserve currency. (If you are unaware of the significance of this, you can read my post about the meaning of the petro or reserve currency which explains it pretty easily.) Deutsche Bank is teetering. Just before the elections in November, the Federal Reserve will vote on and probably raise the interest rate and many of you recall that the stock market dropped like a stone the last time they tried to raise it forcing them to rescind the action. And oh yes, we've been riding the biggest bubble of all, the stock market bubble, for far too long, which will make the tech and housing bubbles look like child's play in comparison. All of which makes for a rather gloomy forecast for the near future. Just saying, that it doesn't hurt to have some bags of beans and rice stocked in the pantry and some cash hid under the mattress. You'll have to decide for yourself what to do, but I do know that no one was ever hurt from having some extra food stashed away. You can always eat if nothing happens.
Recently a comment left by Sharon, reminded me that I have lived through a major recession before. It's funny how time has dimmed the memories of those worries and fears. In the late 70s and early 80s when Ran and I were just starting out, unemployment was high, inflation was even higher and if we were going through an oil embargo, that significantly raised the cost of living. If you were fortunate to have a job, it was likely that your wages were frozen and even if you did get a 3% raise it didn't keep up with inflation. So basically each year you were getting poorer, unless you had lots of money in the bank, then you could earn 13% interest on your savings account, unfortunately we and many people didn't have any savings. I remember friends that were lucky enough to have both spouses working, spent their money like it was water, because next year the same money would buy 20% less. It was a fearful and hedonistic time back then, depending upon which side of the ledger your fortunes fell.
Yet through all the gloom, it was one of the happiest times of my life. So much of what I learned about thrift stems from that period. I have to laugh now at some of the measures I took to put food on the table back then. I remember making a soup with one pork chop. I boiled the meat to make the broth, added the vegetables, then took the meat out and reused it to make another batch. Now that is extreme tightwaddery! And I won't mention the many, many meals of potato pancakes. When times are really hard, there are only three main concerns for your money; food, shelter and transportation to work. And I dare say, many times food was given up in favor of gasoline and rent.
So what's to be done about hard times? First give up everything but the essentials. You know, you really don't need a fancy schmancy phone. I still manage to communicate with others with my cheap little pay-as-you-go phone and MagicJack. You can still create happy memories for the children without spending money on vacations and elaborate parties. You don't need cable TV. I live without it, and still manage to know what's going on in the world. When you get down to just the basics, figure out how to cut down on them. Right now, I'd be scouring the thrift stores and estate sales looking for good woolen blankets, so I could cut my heating bill this winter. I'd stock up on beans, rice, potatoes and flour. I'd be searching the internet for recipes for meals made from inexpensive ingredients. Oh! And by the way, when you find those recipes, copy them. Who knows if you'll be able to afford the internet in the future. Back in the day, I made a simple notebook of recipes from the pantry, culled from sources such as the Grit and Cappers (back when they were good magazines), old church cookbooks, and family and friends. I still turn to that booklet when the budget is tight. Many of the recipes that I write in my Recipes From the Pantry posts are pulled from those pages. Use the internet while you have it, to learn how to do things for yourself, such as; haircutting, sewing, food storage, foraging etc. YouTube is a gold mine, there are so many tutorials on it.
But most importantly, strengthen your faith. To quote Abraham Lincoln, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day." The best lesson I learned from that time period was, as a Christian, I was to live in this world and not be of it. I'm sure the other major faiths have a similar outlook. That is why I can be content and joyful, in adversity. Things such as a big house, fashion, the latest gadget, a new car, etc. are only ephemeral things, my treasure is not in this life. This is going to sound very strange, but from a very young age, I felt that when it comes to thriftiness, God has whispered in my ear and told me to pay attention. That is why, since my first memories, I have been studying how people lived through hard times. When older family members spoke of the Great Depression, I listened. I read novels such as The Grapes of Wrath and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn like textbooks, studying how the characters survived. I've read and still prefer to read biographies and autobiographies of people that suffered through wars and famines. And pioneer tales also. Anything to squeeze one more bit of knowledge out of the pages. And I can tell you the two main concerns were always food and shelter. So if the economy takes a tumble that would be my main focus. Just always remember others have lived through times of trouble and you are just as strong as they are, you'll get through them also.
SO
Even in the hardest of times, there is joy. Hard times can either bring people closer or pull them apart. One of the ways to draw family closer is by creating your own traditions. We have a few Autumn traditions here, one is that we get out our Fall decorated mugs. They are just cheap mugs that we bought at the dollar store, but every year we look forward to the first cool day, to bring out the Fall mugs. The other tradition is that we hold our own Oktoberfest on the first Sunday in October. I always serve Alsatian pork roast made form our homemade sauerkraut and dress the table in our finest. Pork is always cheap this time of year. I bought a lovely sirloin roast from Aldi's for $1.99 a pound. Never having bought meat from them before, I was impressed. It was one of the most tender roasts I've ever had.
The carrots, onions, herbs and potatoes all come from our garden, so it is also a true harvest and thrifty meal.
GARDENING
As a side dish we had one of our Australian Butter squashes. This is a new variety to us this year and we'll definitely be growing them next year. They are a squash-haters squash, very mildly flavored. Except for leeks and some flowers, our vegetable garden is now put to bed for the winter. While out cleaning and tilling, Ran discovered a cluster of grapes that I had missed when I was harvesting them for juice. It was just enough to make three little grape tarts, which we had for dessert. I wrote the recipe in a reply to Vickie, but thought you might like to have it also:
Concord Grape Pie
Unbaked pie shell
4 1/2 C. Concord grapes
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
streusal (recipe follows)
Wash grapes and remove skins by pinching at end opposite stem. Reserve skins
Place pulp in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook a few minutes until pulp is soft. Push pulp through a strainer to remove the seeds.
Combine the pulp and skins. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Pour into the crust. Top with streusel and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit begins to bubble.
Streusel:
combine 1/2 C. oatmeal,, 1/2 C. brown sugar, 1/4 C. flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 C. butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pie.
THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK
Made vegetarian chili from the last of the tomatoes and peppers before we pulled them. This made a huge pot, enough for three days of meals. And it cost us nothing as everything came from the garden.
Ran cut Jamie's hair.
Our friend Mary brought us a bunch of fruit. Has anyone heard of cotton candy grapes? They were wonderfully sweet.
A thrift store in the area had a sale on all their clothing for 99 cents. I found several skirts and a few tops to put away for next Summer, which I really needed. My Summer clothes are deplorable.
Bought a 10 pound head of cabbage for $1.49. The price was the same no matter what size of head you picked, so I picked the biggest. Will make sauerkraut from it this week.
Made up some spaghetti sauce from the last culled tomatoes. Froze it as there wasn't enough to bother canning.
Saved the seeds from the Australian Butter Squash.
Started knitting a hat from my never ending yarn stash. I'm hoping it will be enough, otherwise I'm going to have to get creative!
Made grape tarts from the last of the Concords.
Ran made some spoons from the free black walnut wood our neighbor gave us.
So that's it for another week at the old Zempel boarding house! I hope that you all have a wonderful golden Fall week!
Hugs
Jane
And peace is what I need, as I read about what is going on in the world economic-wise. As of October 1st, the Chinese Yuan is now a reserve currency. (If you are unaware of the significance of this, you can read my post about the meaning of the petro or reserve currency which explains it pretty easily.) Deutsche Bank is teetering. Just before the elections in November, the Federal Reserve will vote on and probably raise the interest rate and many of you recall that the stock market dropped like a stone the last time they tried to raise it forcing them to rescind the action. And oh yes, we've been riding the biggest bubble of all, the stock market bubble, for far too long, which will make the tech and housing bubbles look like child's play in comparison. All of which makes for a rather gloomy forecast for the near future. Just saying, that it doesn't hurt to have some bags of beans and rice stocked in the pantry and some cash hid under the mattress. You'll have to decide for yourself what to do, but I do know that no one was ever hurt from having some extra food stashed away. You can always eat if nothing happens.
Yet through all the gloom, it was one of the happiest times of my life. So much of what I learned about thrift stems from that period. I have to laugh now at some of the measures I took to put food on the table back then. I remember making a soup with one pork chop. I boiled the meat to make the broth, added the vegetables, then took the meat out and reused it to make another batch. Now that is extreme tightwaddery! And I won't mention the many, many meals of potato pancakes. When times are really hard, there are only three main concerns for your money; food, shelter and transportation to work. And I dare say, many times food was given up in favor of gasoline and rent.
So what's to be done about hard times? First give up everything but the essentials. You know, you really don't need a fancy schmancy phone. I still manage to communicate with others with my cheap little pay-as-you-go phone and MagicJack. You can still create happy memories for the children without spending money on vacations and elaborate parties. You don't need cable TV. I live without it, and still manage to know what's going on in the world. When you get down to just the basics, figure out how to cut down on them. Right now, I'd be scouring the thrift stores and estate sales looking for good woolen blankets, so I could cut my heating bill this winter. I'd stock up on beans, rice, potatoes and flour. I'd be searching the internet for recipes for meals made from inexpensive ingredients. Oh! And by the way, when you find those recipes, copy them. Who knows if you'll be able to afford the internet in the future. Back in the day, I made a simple notebook of recipes from the pantry, culled from sources such as the Grit and Cappers (back when they were good magazines), old church cookbooks, and family and friends. I still turn to that booklet when the budget is tight. Many of the recipes that I write in my Recipes From the Pantry posts are pulled from those pages. Use the internet while you have it, to learn how to do things for yourself, such as; haircutting, sewing, food storage, foraging etc. YouTube is a gold mine, there are so many tutorials on it.
But most importantly, strengthen your faith. To quote Abraham Lincoln, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day." The best lesson I learned from that time period was, as a Christian, I was to live in this world and not be of it. I'm sure the other major faiths have a similar outlook. That is why I can be content and joyful, in adversity. Things such as a big house, fashion, the latest gadget, a new car, etc. are only ephemeral things, my treasure is not in this life. This is going to sound very strange, but from a very young age, I felt that when it comes to thriftiness, God has whispered in my ear and told me to pay attention. That is why, since my first memories, I have been studying how people lived through hard times. When older family members spoke of the Great Depression, I listened. I read novels such as The Grapes of Wrath and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn like textbooks, studying how the characters survived. I've read and still prefer to read biographies and autobiographies of people that suffered through wars and famines. And pioneer tales also. Anything to squeeze one more bit of knowledge out of the pages. And I can tell you the two main concerns were always food and shelter. So if the economy takes a tumble that would be my main focus. Just always remember others have lived through times of trouble and you are just as strong as they are, you'll get through them also.
SO
Even in the hardest of times, there is joy. Hard times can either bring people closer or pull them apart. One of the ways to draw family closer is by creating your own traditions. We have a few Autumn traditions here, one is that we get out our Fall decorated mugs. They are just cheap mugs that we bought at the dollar store, but every year we look forward to the first cool day, to bring out the Fall mugs. The other tradition is that we hold our own Oktoberfest on the first Sunday in October. I always serve Alsatian pork roast made form our homemade sauerkraut and dress the table in our finest. Pork is always cheap this time of year. I bought a lovely sirloin roast from Aldi's for $1.99 a pound. Never having bought meat from them before, I was impressed. It was one of the most tender roasts I've ever had.
GARDENING
As a side dish we had one of our Australian Butter squashes. This is a new variety to us this year and we'll definitely be growing them next year. They are a squash-haters squash, very mildly flavored. Except for leeks and some flowers, our vegetable garden is now put to bed for the winter. While out cleaning and tilling, Ran discovered a cluster of grapes that I had missed when I was harvesting them for juice. It was just enough to make three little grape tarts, which we had for dessert. I wrote the recipe in a reply to Vickie, but thought you might like to have it also:
Concord Grape Pie
Unbaked pie shell
4 1/2 C. Concord grapes
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. flour
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
streusal (recipe follows)
Wash grapes and remove skins by pinching at end opposite stem. Reserve skins
Place pulp in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook a few minutes until pulp is soft. Push pulp through a strainer to remove the seeds.
Combine the pulp and skins. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Pour into the crust. Top with streusel and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit begins to bubble.
Streusel:
combine 1/2 C. oatmeal,, 1/2 C. brown sugar, 1/4 C. flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cut in 1/4 C. butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pie.
THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK
Made vegetarian chili from the last of the tomatoes and peppers before we pulled them. This made a huge pot, enough for three days of meals. And it cost us nothing as everything came from the garden.
Ran cut Jamie's hair.
Our friend Mary brought us a bunch of fruit. Has anyone heard of cotton candy grapes? They were wonderfully sweet.
A thrift store in the area had a sale on all their clothing for 99 cents. I found several skirts and a few tops to put away for next Summer, which I really needed. My Summer clothes are deplorable.
Bought a 10 pound head of cabbage for $1.49. The price was the same no matter what size of head you picked, so I picked the biggest. Will make sauerkraut from it this week.
Made up some spaghetti sauce from the last culled tomatoes. Froze it as there wasn't enough to bother canning.
Saved the seeds from the Australian Butter Squash.
Started knitting a hat from my never ending yarn stash. I'm hoping it will be enough, otherwise I'm going to have to get creative!
Made grape tarts from the last of the Concords.
Ran made some spoons from the free black walnut wood our neighbor gave us.
So that's it for another week at the old Zempel boarding house! I hope that you all have a wonderful golden Fall week!
Hugs
Jane
Monday, December 21, 2015
KEEPING CHRISTMAS
Hello dear friends! I wanted to take a moment to wish you all the most joyful and peaceful Christmas. I hope the day will be filled with all the things you desire.
As you may know from reading this blog, and I hope it is no secret, that I am a Christian. For me, Christmas is more a holy-day than a holiday. I try to get all the baking, wrapping, decorating and celebrating out of the way in the beginning of the month, so that as the day approaches I have plenty of time to reflect upon what Christmas means to me.
I ponder about the humble beginnings of our Savior, born in a lowly stable. I think of His mother, Mary. Was she thinking of what He was destined to be as she gazed upon her newborn babe? I think of the great sacrifice of God the Father, who loved us so much that He gave His only begotten son, to die for us. Just think of that. As a parent I can't even imagine such a sacrifice. I remember that the very first to hear the Good News of the birth of the Messiah, were the shepherds in the field, not royalty. My heart is full.
There may be wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, earthquakes in diverse places, famines and economic collapses, but I am at peace. Because I know that whatever may befall me, this mortal world is only temporary. That everlasting life is waiting for me on the other side all because of a tiny baby born in a stable over two thousand years ago. So I'll go out into the cold December night, look up into the starry heavens and send up a prayer of thankfulness. Then go to bed and sleep in heavenly peace.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
~John 14:27~
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
~John 16:33~
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful
~Colossians 3:15
GOD REST YOU MERRY GENTLEMEN!
Peace and hugs,
Jane
As you may know from reading this blog, and I hope it is no secret, that I am a Christian. For me, Christmas is more a holy-day than a holiday. I try to get all the baking, wrapping, decorating and celebrating out of the way in the beginning of the month, so that as the day approaches I have plenty of time to reflect upon what Christmas means to me.
I ponder about the humble beginnings of our Savior, born in a lowly stable. I think of His mother, Mary. Was she thinking of what He was destined to be as she gazed upon her newborn babe? I think of the great sacrifice of God the Father, who loved us so much that He gave His only begotten son, to die for us. Just think of that. As a parent I can't even imagine such a sacrifice. I remember that the very first to hear the Good News of the birth of the Messiah, were the shepherds in the field, not royalty. My heart is full.
There may be wars and rumors of wars, pestilences, earthquakes in diverse places, famines and economic collapses, but I am at peace. Because I know that whatever may befall me, this mortal world is only temporary. That everlasting life is waiting for me on the other side all because of a tiny baby born in a stable over two thousand years ago. So I'll go out into the cold December night, look up into the starry heavens and send up a prayer of thankfulness. Then go to bed and sleep in heavenly peace.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
~John 14:27~
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
~John 16:33~
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful
~Colossians 3:15
GOD REST YOU MERRY GENTLEMEN!
Peace and hugs,
Jane
Sunday, September 13, 2015
INDIAN SUMMER
Hello dear friends! I hope you are have a lovely weekend. Cooler weather has arrived and the fields are bathed in an amber and rosy light from the goldenrod and asters. Our Indian Summer has arrived!
It's so nice just to be outside after so many weeks of heat and humidity. Ran and I spent several hours this week weeding. Oh my! Wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow of weeds. We are also pulling the tomatoes and other plants and beginning the process of putting the garden to bed. Harvest time is such a busy and fulfilling time of year.
FORAGING
I wanted some grape jelly, it's my favorite flavor for peanut butter sandwiches, but our grapes didn't produce much this year, as the vines had to be cut back severely due to winter damage. Fortunately, we have lots of wild grapes climbing up the fences in our yard.
In our area, there are bushels full to be had for free, if you care to look. While it takes more work to make than regular Concord grape jelly, the effort is well worth it. I actually prefer them, there is a tartness along with the sweet that's very refreshing.
Wild Grape Jelly
Wash and clean 3-5 lbs. (about a peck) of wild grapes. Place the grapes in a large pot with a 1/2 C. water and boil. Strain the grapes through several layers of cheesecloth overnight. Measure the juice to 3 1/2 C. juice (if you need, to add a little water to equal that amount.) In a large pot boil the juice and 3 tablespoons of powdered pectin. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add 5 1/4 C. sugar all at once. Bring mixture to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the jelly begins to sheet or a dab placed on a cold plate doesn't run. (The more jams and jelly you make, the easier it will be to tell when jelly is set.) Sheeting is when the boiling jam doesn't run off the spoon, but falls off in a slower sheet.) Pour jelly into sterilized jelly jars, Fill to 1/4 inch from top. Place previously simmered lids on. Screw on the caps. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
We went to one of our favorite foraging areas today just too check on how the rose hips were coming.
There was also this beautiful crab apple tree, just dripping with beautiful fruit. Crabapples make the loveliest jelly and wine.
Our neighbor lets us pick her crabapples, but this just shows you, what can be had for free if you keep you eyes open. Just be careful to know what you are picking, many plant have poisonous look-alikes. Also know the area you are foraging from; you don't want anything that has been sprayed with insecticides. And don't trespass! We have a lot of state land and national forests in our area.
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
With the rising costs of groceries, it's important to keep yours open for deals. This week we drove to the big city and I noticed that a smaller meat market had chicken leg quarters for $2.90 for 10 pounds! Can you imagine buying 20 pounds of meat for under $6? What a deal! Unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it, I didn't need any more chicken, having canned up a bunch earlier this year. But all the things that could have been done with that chicken!. Shredded for tacos and casseroles, the drumsticks oven fried, chicken soups and stews and at the end the bones thrown in a pot to make gallons of broth. It was hard to pass it up!
Also, there were 50 pound bags of potatoes to be had for $7. I've mentioned many a time that potatoes are good fillers for hungry growing children. And they store well in a cool dark place. We store ours from September until April with no problem. The ones that start to develop eyes are set aside for next year's crop. I also can up all the little ones because I cannot tolerate buying potatoes. They see us through until the new crop comes in.
Between the foraged fruits and bargains, you could fill your larder for under $20, if you throw in a bag of sugar for making the jam. All it takes is time and effort.
RECIPE FROM THE PANTRY
The cooler weather brings baking. Today I made Tourtiers or French pork pie for my husband. It's one of his favorites.
He cut a piece before I could get a picture. It's a good way to stretch a half a pound of ground pork. Also baked a mixed orchard fruit pie.
Not the loveliest of pictures. Way-back-when, when we had to buy our fruit, I used to buy it at the reduced-for-quick-sale rack of the grocery store. There was seldom enough of one kind of fruit, so I made a lot of these sort of pies, using a combination apples, peaches, pears and plums. Whatever I could find. No one ever complained!
I was just thinking the other day, how I used to have a batch of refrigerator potato rolls ready for baking whenever needed. Fresh bread is always so good. One way that we saved on groceries was to eat only one serving of meat, but let the kids fill up on all the breads and side dishes they wanted. Anyway, as I said, I used to have a batch of these dough ready in the fridge fairly often. The dough can stay refrigerated for up to five days. One time I kept putting off baking them. I smelled the dough and it certainly smelled yeasty, but thought nothing of it. While they were baking the house smelled like a brewery! Once we tasted them, our eyes began to water, the alcohol content from the yeast an sugar was so high! Everyone had a good laugh about that!
Refrigerator Potato Rolls
1 pkg yeast
2/3 C. warm water
2/3 C. mashed potatoes (reserve 2/3 C. of the potato water)
1 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 C. sugar
2/3 C. shortening
4 1/2- 5 C. flour
In a large bowl, soften the yeast in the warm water.
Stir in potatoes, potato water 1 tbsp. sugar and the salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.
Combine eggs, 2/3 C. sugar, and shortening. Add to yeast mixture. Beat in enough flour to make a moderately soft dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Or for several days until ready to use)
Punch down dough. Turn out dough on a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Divide into 24 rolls (you can use half and refrigerate the other half for another day). Place ona greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes until golden brown.
I usually made these on Monday, Sunday being the day we had a big formal dinner with a roast and mashed potatoes. I always made sure to make extra potatoes and keep the water when draining them.
IS THIS IT?
So tomorrow is supposed to be the big Shemitah day, where the stock market is supposed to crash according to Jonathon Cahn. I asked for God to give me some discernment about this, and as soon as I did, I started to notice that Mr. Cahn started backpedaling on what he was saying. I'm sorry, but if someone has truly had a word from God, they don't backpedal. Then I started studying it more intensely and all I can say is that while he is very good at noticing patterns, so are a lot of other people that do not claim to be prophets. I have to say, that I am dubious of the entire Back to Hebrew Roots movement, for among many reasons, but mainly if the Jews are so wise to uncover all these "mysteries", why are they not wise enough to recognize Jesus as their Messiah? Besides, God doesn't work with mysteries and mysticism, He plainly has given us the Playbook in the Scriptures. The other problem I have with it is that it relies on a lot of traditions and not upon scripture. You can read what Jesus says about traditions in Mark 7 and John 8. I'm sorry I mentioned Mr. Cahn (I do not call him Rabbi because Jesus said that he is our only Rabbi) in a previous post. I did not follow the scriptures and be a Berean, testing what is said against the scriptures.
"For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
~Matthew 24:24
But I still believe that the economy is going to falter some day, mainly from what I understand about economics and politics. In October the IMF will decide if China will share reserve status with the US. If they do, it will be devastating to the value of our money.
I also believe that we are in the end of the Church Age. Not because of what some so-called prophets are say but because of the reasons Jesus gave the Disciples in Mark 13 and the Revelation of John. Just what has happened to the Pacific Ocean since the Fukushima disaster has me wondering if perhaps we are not to the point or will soon be, to where one third the oceans will be dead. (the second or third trumpet). Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. Whatever the case, we do not need to fear, because when we see all these signs, we are to look up because our redemption draws nigh! (Luke 21:28). If you do not know the Lord, I would suggest you don't delay in doing so. Buy a Bible and read it, ask a friend, ask a minister.
Anyway, so much for my preaching. Suppose you wondered what I did this week to cut costs?
THRIFTY THING WE DID THIS WEEK
Harvested tomatoes, broccoli (amazing amount of off shoots from a few plants), peppers, eggplants, blackberries and some carrots.
Canned grape jelly and hot sauce.
Foraged for wild grapes.
Dyed some wool for a penny rug from some dye that I bought a garage sale for 10 cents (amazing to find just when I needed it and in the color that I needed)
Cut down the sunflowers and placed them on the garden fence for the birds. Free bird food.
Bought our own internet modem so we don't have to pay $10 a month to rent it.
Purchased a cheaper internet plan.
Ate most of our meals from the garden and pantry.
Finally! It was cool enough to turn off the air conditioner and the fans. This ought to save a lot on the electricity bill!
Well, that's all folks! Hope you have a splendid week!
Jane
It's so nice just to be outside after so many weeks of heat and humidity. Ran and I spent several hours this week weeding. Oh my! Wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow of weeds. We are also pulling the tomatoes and other plants and beginning the process of putting the garden to bed. Harvest time is such a busy and fulfilling time of year.
FORAGING
I wanted some grape jelly, it's my favorite flavor for peanut butter sandwiches, but our grapes didn't produce much this year, as the vines had to be cut back severely due to winter damage. Fortunately, we have lots of wild grapes climbing up the fences in our yard.
Wild Grape Jelly
Wash and clean 3-5 lbs. (about a peck) of wild grapes. Place the grapes in a large pot with a 1/2 C. water and boil. Strain the grapes through several layers of cheesecloth overnight. Measure the juice to 3 1/2 C. juice (if you need, to add a little water to equal that amount.) In a large pot boil the juice and 3 tablespoons of powdered pectin. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add 5 1/4 C. sugar all at once. Bring mixture to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the jelly begins to sheet or a dab placed on a cold plate doesn't run. (The more jams and jelly you make, the easier it will be to tell when jelly is set.) Sheeting is when the boiling jam doesn't run off the spoon, but falls off in a slower sheet.) Pour jelly into sterilized jelly jars, Fill to 1/4 inch from top. Place previously simmered lids on. Screw on the caps. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Our neighbor lets us pick her crabapples, but this just shows you, what can be had for free if you keep you eyes open. Just be careful to know what you are picking, many plant have poisonous look-alikes. Also know the area you are foraging from; you don't want anything that has been sprayed with insecticides. And don't trespass! We have a lot of state land and national forests in our area.
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
With the rising costs of groceries, it's important to keep yours open for deals. This week we drove to the big city and I noticed that a smaller meat market had chicken leg quarters for $2.90 for 10 pounds! Can you imagine buying 20 pounds of meat for under $6? What a deal! Unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it, I didn't need any more chicken, having canned up a bunch earlier this year. But all the things that could have been done with that chicken!. Shredded for tacos and casseroles, the drumsticks oven fried, chicken soups and stews and at the end the bones thrown in a pot to make gallons of broth. It was hard to pass it up!
Also, there were 50 pound bags of potatoes to be had for $7. I've mentioned many a time that potatoes are good fillers for hungry growing children. And they store well in a cool dark place. We store ours from September until April with no problem. The ones that start to develop eyes are set aside for next year's crop. I also can up all the little ones because I cannot tolerate buying potatoes. They see us through until the new crop comes in.
Between the foraged fruits and bargains, you could fill your larder for under $20, if you throw in a bag of sugar for making the jam. All it takes is time and effort.
RECIPE FROM THE PANTRY
The cooler weather brings baking. Today I made Tourtiers or French pork pie for my husband. It's one of his favorites.
I was just thinking the other day, how I used to have a batch of refrigerator potato rolls ready for baking whenever needed. Fresh bread is always so good. One way that we saved on groceries was to eat only one serving of meat, but let the kids fill up on all the breads and side dishes they wanted. Anyway, as I said, I used to have a batch of these dough ready in the fridge fairly often. The dough can stay refrigerated for up to five days. One time I kept putting off baking them. I smelled the dough and it certainly smelled yeasty, but thought nothing of it. While they were baking the house smelled like a brewery! Once we tasted them, our eyes began to water, the alcohol content from the yeast an sugar was so high! Everyone had a good laugh about that!
Refrigerator Potato Rolls
1 pkg yeast
2/3 C. warm water
2/3 C. mashed potatoes (reserve 2/3 C. of the potato water)
1 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 C. sugar
2/3 C. shortening
4 1/2- 5 C. flour
In a large bowl, soften the yeast in the warm water.
Stir in potatoes, potato water 1 tbsp. sugar and the salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour.
Combine eggs, 2/3 C. sugar, and shortening. Add to yeast mixture. Beat in enough flour to make a moderately soft dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Or for several days until ready to use)
Punch down dough. Turn out dough on a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Divide into 24 rolls (you can use half and refrigerate the other half for another day). Place ona greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes until golden brown.
I usually made these on Monday, Sunday being the day we had a big formal dinner with a roast and mashed potatoes. I always made sure to make extra potatoes and keep the water when draining them.
IS THIS IT?
So tomorrow is supposed to be the big Shemitah day, where the stock market is supposed to crash according to Jonathon Cahn. I asked for God to give me some discernment about this, and as soon as I did, I started to notice that Mr. Cahn started backpedaling on what he was saying. I'm sorry, but if someone has truly had a word from God, they don't backpedal. Then I started studying it more intensely and all I can say is that while he is very good at noticing patterns, so are a lot of other people that do not claim to be prophets. I have to say, that I am dubious of the entire Back to Hebrew Roots movement, for among many reasons, but mainly if the Jews are so wise to uncover all these "mysteries", why are they not wise enough to recognize Jesus as their Messiah? Besides, God doesn't work with mysteries and mysticism, He plainly has given us the Playbook in the Scriptures. The other problem I have with it is that it relies on a lot of traditions and not upon scripture. You can read what Jesus says about traditions in Mark 7 and John 8. I'm sorry I mentioned Mr. Cahn (I do not call him Rabbi because Jesus said that he is our only Rabbi) in a previous post. I did not follow the scriptures and be a Berean, testing what is said against the scriptures.
"For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
~Matthew 24:24
But I still believe that the economy is going to falter some day, mainly from what I understand about economics and politics. In October the IMF will decide if China will share reserve status with the US. If they do, it will be devastating to the value of our money.
I also believe that we are in the end of the Church Age. Not because of what some so-called prophets are say but because of the reasons Jesus gave the Disciples in Mark 13 and the Revelation of John. Just what has happened to the Pacific Ocean since the Fukushima disaster has me wondering if perhaps we are not to the point or will soon be, to where one third the oceans will be dead. (the second or third trumpet). Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter. Whatever the case, we do not need to fear, because when we see all these signs, we are to look up because our redemption draws nigh! (Luke 21:28). If you do not know the Lord, I would suggest you don't delay in doing so. Buy a Bible and read it, ask a friend, ask a minister.
Anyway, so much for my preaching. Suppose you wondered what I did this week to cut costs?
THRIFTY THING WE DID THIS WEEK
Harvested tomatoes, broccoli (amazing amount of off shoots from a few plants), peppers, eggplants, blackberries and some carrots.
Canned grape jelly and hot sauce.
Foraged for wild grapes.
Dyed some wool for a penny rug from some dye that I bought a garage sale for 10 cents (amazing to find just when I needed it and in the color that I needed)
Cut down the sunflowers and placed them on the garden fence for the birds. Free bird food.
Bought our own internet modem so we don't have to pay $10 a month to rent it.
Purchased a cheaper internet plan.
Ate most of our meals from the garden and pantry.
Finally! It was cool enough to turn off the air conditioner and the fans. This ought to save a lot on the electricity bill!
Well, that's all folks! Hope you have a splendid week!
Jane
Sunday, July 26, 2015
SIGNS
Hello dear friends! This week there have been signs everywhere to remind me what season I am in. The Amish neighbor's hayfield, stacked so lovely tells me that summer is waning.
That's something you don't see every day! Much more romantic than those big ugly round bales that the commercial farmers use. And if that's not all, the late summer flowers; coneflowers, phlox and brown-eyed Susans, are beginning to bloom.
We harvested about fifty pounds of onions this week and more soon to come. Our stored onions last until late March or early April. I explained how to root cellar vegetables here. We also harvested garlic.
HOW TO BRAID GARLIC
Harvest your garlic when the stalks start to yellow and are falling over. This year it was early.
Step 1: Cut a piece of twine twice as long as you want your braid to be.
Step 2: Place a clove of garlic in the center of the loop. On top of the twine.
Step 3: Bring the stalk to the back of the loop, behind the right side, back up and over that side and under the twine on the opposite side. (Like making a figure eight).
Step 4: Now repeat on the opposite side.
Step 5: Continue alternating sides until you reach the length you desire. Pushing the stalks downward.
Step 6: Hang in a cool dry place to allow the cloves to cure and the stalks turn brown. You can trim the stalks once they are dry, if desired.
We also harvested some blueberries, but we won't have enough to freeze so we bought some locally at $3/ lb and froze them. When we were purchasing them, the clerk waiting on us wanted to know what we were going to do with them. She never heard of freezing them. Can you believe it? How far we have come from the agrarian society we used to be!
I canned blueberry-cranberry juice with some of the berries. I had the cranberries in the freezer from last winter, that I purchased when they were on sale after the holidays.
HOW TO CAN CRANBERRY-BLUEBERRY JUICE
Wash and stem berries.
Put 2/3 C. cranberries and 1/3 C. blueberries into 1 quart sterilized jars.
Add 3/4 C. sugar.
Fill jars with boiling water. leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Place pre-simmered lids on jars. Adjust caps.
Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.
To use, strain the berries and enjoy. This juice is quite strong, so I usually add extra water, after opening. The strained berries can be used for baking. You can use this recipe for straight cranberries also, just use 1 cup of cranberries instead of 2/3 C.. I also make grape juice this way, using 1 C. Concord grapes and 1/2 C. sugar. Easy-peasy!
We also collected the seeds from our lupines and these pretty white hollyhocks:
I think they look particularly winsome against the gray siding. I have a spot scoped out right behind my Apothecary Rose for them. Hopefully, they will be white when they bloom. You never can tell with hand gathered seeds.
WHAAAAT?!!!
Ran and I were driving out in the country between home and Port Hope, when we spotted some crop circles.
There were two different fields of them, and I'm sure that the farmer is none to pleased with that. One field is almost completely destroyed. I would love to see what they look like from above. What this is a sign of, I don't know!
ANOTHER SIGN
Earlier this week, I thought I received a sign that I should stop blogging. I'm very sensitive and some might say thin-skinned, when it comes to this blog. I try to make it helpful and hopefully a little amusing at times, so when I lose a follower, it saddens me greatly. I'm always second guessing myself; did I do something wrong? Did I offend someone? I would hate to think I did. Losing a follower (I have so few, although I know many more read this blog regularly) was one sign, but I had several others. But instead of having a knee jerk reaction and pulling my blog, as I have done in the past, I gave myself some time to contemplate what I should do. I decided, since I have nothing to lose, I should throw caution to the wind and write what I really think needs to be written, without worrying about whom I may offend, although I know once this is posted, I'll fret over it for the rest of the week!
If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know that I am Christian, and that is what leads my life, however, I have no desire to convert others, at least not in the traditional way. I figure you all are adults and have heard the Gospel, and have either rejected it or accepted it. Some of my best friends are non-believing New Age philosophizers. I also have Hindu, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, and even a witch, as friends and relatives. When it comes to evangelizing, I follow the quote by Madeline L'Engle that is ever-present on my sideboard:
"We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."
I pray that one day they will come to the Lord, but I know judging and badgering them, is not going to make it happen. So I just try to set a good example of what I feel a follower of Christ should be; compassionate, generous, joyful and loving. From time to time, I'll make a comment about my faith that sometimes leads to a discussion,sowing tiny mustard seeds of faith, but I don't hit them over the head with it. It wouldn't work anyway, sometimes I think the judgmental, overbearing, fire-and-brimstone types do more harm than good. One thing I do tell them, is that the day that you need to have a RFID chip inserted into your right hand or forehead to access your money, you will know that the Bible is true, as it was predicted over two thousand years ago. Amazing Kreskin, or Sylvia Browne couldn't make a predication like that!
" He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666."
~Revelation 13 16-18 ~
We are already becoming a cashless society and some countries, such as Sweden, are already moving away from paper money in lieu of government issued debit cards. It isn't such a stretch of the imagination to envision that one day people will readily accept an RFID chip inserted into their hand to eliminate the problems of stolen debit cards and to make it easy to access financial and health information. I've already seen advertisements for it. How hard would it be for the powers-that-shouldn't-be to just switch off access to, or erase the history of those that they deem dissidents? Think it would never happen? You haven't read much history. If you're interested in learning more about the Revelation of John or eschatology, John Shorey has written a book that explains it in easy-to-understand language. Anyways, I'll step down from my pulpit now! Ha!
STILL MORE SIGNS
Well, there's Martin Armstrong's "Cycles", the economists' Hindenburg Omen, Mark Biltz's Blood Moon prophecy and Johnathon Cahn's Mystery of the Shemitah, to name a few of the many predicting financial collapse and war by this fall. Some, such as Johnathon Cahn make very compelling arguments. I guess we will soon find out if they are right. Personally, I'd prefer to be in the ready just "in case" league, rather than be the proverbial ostrich with my head stuck in the sand league. In this blog, I have many articles on canning and drying foods, how to garden, setting up a basic pantry and recipes for those staples. There's been tips on staying warm and conserving water. among many other practical and thrifty ideas (and some silly articles, too). There's many blogs that deal with other "hard times" issues, such as, herbal remedies and survival tools. What I do, is copy the articles and make my own survival handbook. Make sure you have a hard copy because if times get really rough, you might not have access to a computer, or who knows, it might be censored. I also own many books that deal with subjects such as natural remedies, canning, trapping, cooking and preparing wildlife, shelter building, etc. Yes, I'm a prepper! Personally, I've gone through too many hard times in my own life, not to be. I'd rather be prepared and be made fun of, than be unprepared and a burden to someone else.
Also, and perhaps more importantly, prepare yourself spiritually and mentally for what might come. However you want to do it, get down to the essence of who you are, then the loss of a job, money, or home will not be such a shock. Those things do not define you! I really did not mean for this post to be such a "doom and gloom" one, but what kind of friend would I be if I saw trouble coming towards you, and did not give warning? I could have made veiled hints and daintily danced about the subject, but it's more important that you receive the information, than it is that I don't look foolish. But there is hope! As Anne Frank wrote, ".....in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.". Get to know your neighbors, form a community of like-minded people. Whatever you do, don't isolate yourself and fret and worry. Do what you can and have faith that it will all work out.
NOW FOR THE THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK (FINALLY!)
Harvested the last of the cauliflower and froze it.
Harvested summer squash and broccoli.
Picked blueberries from our garden.
Froze 5 lbs. of blueberries that we purchased at $3/lb.
Harvested some onions and the garlic.
Canned 13 quarts of cranberry-blueberry juice.
Parked the car and didn't drive it for the last couple of days.
Attended three estate sales for amusement. Bought some neat toasting forks for the campfire for a quarter.
Bought several items of clothing from garage sales for the winter months.
Collected rainwater and used it to water the plants.
Hung the laundry on the line several times.
Ate from the pantry and the garden.
Slept in our shed/guest cottage to stay cool. Nights are always cool here.
Well, that's it for this week! I do treasure every comment. Even you Mr. Spammer. What you had to say was very interesting. Maybe next time, if you can fit it in better to the subject at hand, I'll publish it! Until the next time, may all your days be pleasant!
Jane
HOW TO BRAID GARLIC
Harvest your garlic when the stalks start to yellow and are falling over. This year it was early.
Step 1: Cut a piece of twine twice as long as you want your braid to be.
Step 2: Place a clove of garlic in the center of the loop. On top of the twine.
Step 4: Now repeat on the opposite side.
Wash and stem berries.
Put 2/3 C. cranberries and 1/3 C. blueberries into 1 quart sterilized jars.
Add 3/4 C. sugar.
Fill jars with boiling water. leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Place pre-simmered lids on jars. Adjust caps.
Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.
To use, strain the berries and enjoy. This juice is quite strong, so I usually add extra water, after opening. The strained berries can be used for baking. You can use this recipe for straight cranberries also, just use 1 cup of cranberries instead of 2/3 C.. I also make grape juice this way, using 1 C. Concord grapes and 1/2 C. sugar. Easy-peasy!
We also collected the seeds from our lupines and these pretty white hollyhocks:
I think they look particularly winsome against the gray siding. I have a spot scoped out right behind my Apothecary Rose for them. Hopefully, they will be white when they bloom. You never can tell with hand gathered seeds.
WHAAAAT?!!!
Ran and I were driving out in the country between home and Port Hope, when we spotted some crop circles.
ANOTHER SIGN
Earlier this week, I thought I received a sign that I should stop blogging. I'm very sensitive and some might say thin-skinned, when it comes to this blog. I try to make it helpful and hopefully a little amusing at times, so when I lose a follower, it saddens me greatly. I'm always second guessing myself; did I do something wrong? Did I offend someone? I would hate to think I did. Losing a follower (I have so few, although I know many more read this blog regularly) was one sign, but I had several others. But instead of having a knee jerk reaction and pulling my blog, as I have done in the past, I gave myself some time to contemplate what I should do. I decided, since I have nothing to lose, I should throw caution to the wind and write what I really think needs to be written, without worrying about whom I may offend, although I know once this is posted, I'll fret over it for the rest of the week!
If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know that I am Christian, and that is what leads my life, however, I have no desire to convert others, at least not in the traditional way. I figure you all are adults and have heard the Gospel, and have either rejected it or accepted it. Some of my best friends are non-believing New Age philosophizers. I also have Hindu, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, and even a witch, as friends and relatives. When it comes to evangelizing, I follow the quote by Madeline L'Engle that is ever-present on my sideboard:
"We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."
I pray that one day they will come to the Lord, but I know judging and badgering them, is not going to make it happen. So I just try to set a good example of what I feel a follower of Christ should be; compassionate, generous, joyful and loving. From time to time, I'll make a comment about my faith that sometimes leads to a discussion,sowing tiny mustard seeds of faith, but I don't hit them over the head with it. It wouldn't work anyway, sometimes I think the judgmental, overbearing, fire-and-brimstone types do more harm than good. One thing I do tell them, is that the day that you need to have a RFID chip inserted into your right hand or forehead to access your money, you will know that the Bible is true, as it was predicted over two thousand years ago. Amazing Kreskin, or Sylvia Browne couldn't make a predication like that!
" He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666."
~Revelation 13 16-18 ~
We are already becoming a cashless society and some countries, such as Sweden, are already moving away from paper money in lieu of government issued debit cards. It isn't such a stretch of the imagination to envision that one day people will readily accept an RFID chip inserted into their hand to eliminate the problems of stolen debit cards and to make it easy to access financial and health information. I've already seen advertisements for it. How hard would it be for the powers-that-shouldn't-be to just switch off access to, or erase the history of those that they deem dissidents? Think it would never happen? You haven't read much history. If you're interested in learning more about the Revelation of John or eschatology, John Shorey has written a book that explains it in easy-to-understand language. Anyways, I'll step down from my pulpit now! Ha!
STILL MORE SIGNS
Well, there's Martin Armstrong's "Cycles", the economists' Hindenburg Omen, Mark Biltz's Blood Moon prophecy and Johnathon Cahn's Mystery of the Shemitah, to name a few of the many predicting financial collapse and war by this fall. Some, such as Johnathon Cahn make very compelling arguments. I guess we will soon find out if they are right. Personally, I'd prefer to be in the ready just "in case" league, rather than be the proverbial ostrich with my head stuck in the sand league. In this blog, I have many articles on canning and drying foods, how to garden, setting up a basic pantry and recipes for those staples. There's been tips on staying warm and conserving water. among many other practical and thrifty ideas (and some silly articles, too). There's many blogs that deal with other "hard times" issues, such as, herbal remedies and survival tools. What I do, is copy the articles and make my own survival handbook. Make sure you have a hard copy because if times get really rough, you might not have access to a computer, or who knows, it might be censored. I also own many books that deal with subjects such as natural remedies, canning, trapping, cooking and preparing wildlife, shelter building, etc. Yes, I'm a prepper! Personally, I've gone through too many hard times in my own life, not to be. I'd rather be prepared and be made fun of, than be unprepared and a burden to someone else.
Also, and perhaps more importantly, prepare yourself spiritually and mentally for what might come. However you want to do it, get down to the essence of who you are, then the loss of a job, money, or home will not be such a shock. Those things do not define you! I really did not mean for this post to be such a "doom and gloom" one, but what kind of friend would I be if I saw trouble coming towards you, and did not give warning? I could have made veiled hints and daintily danced about the subject, but it's more important that you receive the information, than it is that I don't look foolish. But there is hope! As Anne Frank wrote, ".....in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.". Get to know your neighbors, form a community of like-minded people. Whatever you do, don't isolate yourself and fret and worry. Do what you can and have faith that it will all work out.
NOW FOR THE THRIFTY THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK (FINALLY!)
Harvested the last of the cauliflower and froze it.
Harvested summer squash and broccoli.
Picked blueberries from our garden.
Froze 5 lbs. of blueberries that we purchased at $3/lb.
Harvested some onions and the garlic.
Canned 13 quarts of cranberry-blueberry juice.
Parked the car and didn't drive it for the last couple of days.
Attended three estate sales for amusement. Bought some neat toasting forks for the campfire for a quarter.
Bought several items of clothing from garage sales for the winter months.
Collected rainwater and used it to water the plants.
Hung the laundry on the line several times.
Ate from the pantry and the garden.
Slept in our shed/guest cottage to stay cool. Nights are always cool here.
Well, that's it for this week! I do treasure every comment. Even you Mr. Spammer. What you had to say was very interesting. Maybe next time, if you can fit it in better to the subject at hand, I'll publish it! Until the next time, may all your days be pleasant!
Jane
Sunday, July 22, 2012
THE WAYFARERS
First, he had some rain! Hurray! I wish that I could share with you the joy it brought. It wasn't really enough to do any good, but it was so pleasant to hear the rain falling upon the roof, Jamie and I went out and stood in the middle of the yard with our faces uplifted to the heavens, just rejoicing in it. And after the rain. it was as though the world rejoiced also. The birds came out and started chattering excitedly and flitting back and forth. Mr. Rabbit came out from his abode under the raspberry bushes and hopped about the yard. He was so cute, I forgave him for eating all my beans and cabbages. I wish I could have taped it for you. I would have entitled it Joy!
All that are fans of Tasha Tudor are familiar with this quote:
The gloom of the world is but a shadow.
Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take Joy!
~ Fra Giovanni~
I always try to live each day like this. I have to admit there are some days that it is easier said than done. As a matter of fact, during one dark period of my life, the only good I could find in the day was that I awoke. And on some days, I rather hoped I wouldn't. But like the warmth returning after a too long winter, ever so slowly I was able to once again find joy in the simple little things that make a life.
So how does one climb out from a deep dark depression to become what some may think of as a bit of a frivolous , happy-go- lucky person? One word - faith. Now, my faith, may not be the same as yours, you may not even worship the same God as I, but I truly believe that to live life without some sort of faith in something bigger than our own little selves must be a to live a life without hope.
Isn't religion a funny thing? Everyone is so sure that their way is the only way? I used to feel so inadequate, when I talked to or read blogs from Bible scholars. Some people are just so knowledgeable and can quote scripture for hours at a time. They always know just how to pray and can give a verse for any situation. I could study until Kingdom come (and I may very well do) but I'll never be one of these types. Just never been any good at memorization. But I get the gist of the Bible. And that's is to love thy neighbor and follow the commandments and to not judge people to harshly. And to be thankful for all the He has given us.
My mother is always arguing that I need to attend a church. I do not, by the way. I understand the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, but I fail to see, how attending a church that I do not feel part of, that has made no effort to make me feel a part of, makes the Sabbath holy. She argues that it isn't supposed to be about me, but what is the purpose of a church but to bring its parishioners closer to God? So that they can have a personal relationship with Him? Cannot my family by ourselves, worship and praise the Lord without the aid of a minister or a church building? I may be wrong, but this I do know, no amount of church attendance (and I attended every week, plus twice during the holy seasons for thirty years) every brought me closer to the Lord. But hey, if you find church a solace or a prerequisite to being allowed into Heaven, I will not argue with you. Just being honest here about my faith and I will freely admit, I do not have the answers.
In catechism we were taught to love, honor and fear the Lord. I always got the fear part, and even the honor part. But the love part was difficult. I could say I loved God, but I didn't really feel it. It wasn't until I went on my own journey of discovery that I learned to think of Him as a loving parent, that really wants the best for us. Now I would say, I have the faith of a small child. A child doesn't second guess it's parent, just accepts what they are given. It's simple, there aren't a lot of rules to my faith. I just am thankful for all that is given and TRUST.
So each day I rejoice in the little things, like wayside flowers, and send up thanks to the Creator. I have conversations with Him all day long. "Just look at that beautiful sunset, God, thank you for sending it my way!'' "Well I really messed up there didn't I? Will You please show me how to fix it?" Some may think that this is too simplistic and some make think it is disrepectful, but that is how I have a personal relationship with Him.
So here I arrive at the subject of personal relationships. Recently my son and I had a conversation about a friend of his that had committed suicide when he was in high school. He said, "You remember her don't you? She was always hanging out at our house, because she liked to feel part of the family." I'm ashamed to say, that I vaguely remember the girl, there were always so many children running about our home back then. I wish I had known her situation, I would have given her extra attention. We had a rather unconventional home life. There were always gangs of kids hanging around. I allowed them pretty much free range of the place. The math geeks were allowed to write out a complicated math equation on the upstairs hallway wall (it had ugly wallpaper I was going to strip anyhow), the musicians played in the garage, and it was sort of a home for the broken hearted girls that had a case of unrequited love for either one of our own boys or one of the other boys that were always there. Many an afternoon some sweet little girl and I would sit together on the settee in my bedroom watching an old movie, knowing that I was tending to a love lorn little soul. My neighbor, who was a teacher, always felt it was her duty to warn me that so-and-so didn't come from the right family or that they had a substance abuse problem. But they never had any problems while they were at our house and who knows? Maybe just hanging about a "normal" family and eating cookies fresh from the oven was what they needed. I never regretted that I didn't shelter my children from the unsavory facts of life; that some people have problems. They all grew up to be wonderfully compassionate people. It didn't keep them from accomplishing much in their young lives, from attending good universities, and none has ever gotten into trouble with drugs or alcohol, so I guess it all turned out OK. As they say the proof is in the pudding. I loved my little adopted wayfarers and think of them often. I gained so much from them being in my life. I hope they look back on those days fondly, when crazy Mrs. Z. used to let them camp out on her hard old Victorian sofa, when their parents kicked them out of the house.
Since we are the subject of friendships, I would like to talk about blogging friendships. I hope everyone that visits here, feels welcome. Some of us may not have much in common, except for the fact that we both read blogs. But if you leave a comment, I will do my best to answer it, and if you'd like to talk about something different, don't be afraid to mention it. If it's personal you can always send me an e-mail. If you feel that you are out of the loop, I'm sorry. Sometimes, it just happens that a post isn't relevant to everyone. It's not deliberate that I'm leaving you out,. Being an outsider all my life, the very last thing I would want to do is to make anyone feel like they are standing on the outside looking in. Everyone is welcome to join the party here. Just leave a comment. If you leave comments regularly, don't be surprised to find your blog listed over in my blog roll. Speaking of which, I don't follow blogs because of two simple facts. One, I don't know how, and secondly, ever since Comcast switched to Xfinity, my e-mail is so slow, that I try to eliminate as much of it going to the mailbox as possible. So if the number of followers is something you value, and I comment often on your blog, or you see your blog listed on my blog roll to the right, just mentally add one more to your followers -me!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
THE GATE OF THE NEW YEAR
Here's a fitting poem as we approach the new year. If you love old movies, perhaps you are familiar with it, as it's read at the end of The Mortal Storm. It's known as The Gate of the Year, but it's actual title is God Knows.
God Knows
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.
So heart be still: What need our little life Our human life to know, If God hath comprehension? In all the dizzy strife Of things both high and low, God hideth His intention.
God knows. His will Is best. The stretch of years Which wind ahead, so dim To our imperfect vision, Are clear to God. Our fears Are premature; In Him, All time hath full provision.
Then rest: until God moves to lift the veil From our impatient eyes, When, as the sweeter features Of Life’s stern face we hail, Fair beyond all surmise God’s thought around His creatures Our mind shall fill.
~Minnie Louise Haskins~
Wishing all my dear friends a happy and hopeful New Year!
Jane
PS: Blogger isn't working at the moment. Just want to let you know that I've read your current posts and will respond once Blogger allows it.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
YES, I CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!
Along with the gift buying, baking and tree trimming, another annual event is the "I don't celebrate Christmas because it's a pagan holiday." sermon. I wouldn't mind listening to it, if the preacher was truly telling me these things because he/she fears for my soul and on occasion I have heard some very sincere pleas, but on the contrary, usually those people are using their argument to show us how better of a Christian they are compared to us. Sort of like measuring us up with a spiritual yardstick and pridefully (what does the Bible say about pride?)showing us that they are much more pious. Of course, they always preface it, by saying "I'm not making any judgements, but...", but of course they are judging you, and rather harshly, I might add. By the way, if you hear the phrase "I'm not judging you", you can be assured that they are. I have to laugh, because it is almost comical, like Dana Carvey's Church Lady the way they like to make you feel small. Oh! The church ladies I've run into in my lifetime. And friends, I am telling you now, that if you think you can evangelize by being one of these holier-than-thou, I'm-a-better-Christian-than-you type people, you have another think coming. I know, because for many years, I was one of those running away from such people. I've talked to enough non-believers to know that when they see this judgmental example of a "good" Christian, they want nothing to do with our faith. After all, are we all not sinners? This being said, if you truly believe that celebrating Christmas is sinful and you believe it is your duty to warn others, do it in a loving concerned manner. So yes, I celebrate Christmas for many reasons. First, my family is spread out over the country. Usually Christmas is the only time that we all have vacation days at the same time. Secondly, there are a lot of traditions involved in Christmas. Those old ornaments on the trees have been in my family for generations. Some are the only tangible things I have of my grandparents. Traditions and memories are what sustain us when times get rough. Thirdly, what's wrong with celebrating? Even in the Bible there were celebrations. I truly do not believe that God gave us life so that we were to go around acting joyless. On the contrary, being cheerful and kind can be two of the best example of being a Christian. I once had a substitute teacher, Miss Schmidt, that was the very personification of joy and patience. I learned more about what it was to be a Christian from spending one day with her, then I learned in a year of sermons. As for some of the customs being pagan, well the devil likes to take all that is good and make it his own. I even read that putting a candle in your window is a pagan practice. Really? How about it just looks pretty and I like the idea that it's lighting the way for anyone who is lost to come and I will feed you and give you a place to lie your head? These things are just symbols anyway, what matters is what is written in your heart.
The finally argument is that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th. What does it matter? If God had wanted us to know the date, He would have given us it in the Bible. What is important is that we acknowledge that "God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son to die for us. That he that believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16. As a Christian, everyday should be a Christmas celebration and Thanksgiving!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
By: Samuel Medley
I know that my Redeemer lives!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living head!
He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives exalted, throned above;
He lives to rule his Church in love.
He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with his eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives to bless me with his love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my savior, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Hymn # 264 from Lutheran Worship
Author: attr. John Hatton
May you all have a joyous and blessed Easter!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
~Matthew 5:9~
Maybe because of what's going on in the world, I've been thinking of this verse a lot recently. As a matter of fact, I'd say God is nudging me toward it. I toss and turn in bed thinking about it, I wake up thinking about it, when I turn on the TV, I see a verse on one of the Christian TV stations about peace. The other day I decided to reread one of my favorite childhood books, and what was the title of the chapter I opened it to? Peace at Last!
No, this isn't a prophesy that there will be peace in the world. All Christians know there's only One way that's going to happen. And because I have studied eschatology for decades, I believe things are only going to get a lot worse. Sorry that I can't be more Pollyannish about it. No, what I've been I been thinking about is the actual interpretation of this verse.
My entire life I thought that verse referred to people that settles squabbles, fights, and wars. The person that mediates opposing factions. And it does mean that. But digging a little deeper, I found another meaning. Blessed are the people that make peace. Make as in create.
We all know the drama queen-type person, that is always creating a fuss. The person you must walk on eggshells around because you worry about "setting" them off? Well there's a polar opposite person in the world. The friend that you know that you can turn to with a secret, and know that it won't be spread around town. The mother that has taught her children to be kind and polite. The patient person that doesn't grumble when given the worst job on the volunteer list, but does it without complaining and even pleasantly. The homemaker, that makes her home a sanctuary, that young and old know they can come to and be welcomed with open arms. The disabled person that accepts their disability and doesn't whine about it. The wife that doesn't complain. The encourager rather than the critic. The list can go on and on, there are many ways to create peace. We might not have any control about what goes on in the world, but we can control what goes on in our little part of it. Look at those wonderful Japanese people, standing quietly in line for hours for a bottle of water. Imagine what the world would be if everyone acted that way. To be a peace maker is to be Christ-like. Are you a peacemaker?
~Matthew 5:9~
Maybe because of what's going on in the world, I've been thinking of this verse a lot recently. As a matter of fact, I'd say God is nudging me toward it. I toss and turn in bed thinking about it, I wake up thinking about it, when I turn on the TV, I see a verse on one of the Christian TV stations about peace. The other day I decided to reread one of my favorite childhood books, and what was the title of the chapter I opened it to? Peace at Last!
No, this isn't a prophesy that there will be peace in the world. All Christians know there's only One way that's going to happen. And because I have studied eschatology for decades, I believe things are only going to get a lot worse. Sorry that I can't be more Pollyannish about it. No, what I've been I been thinking about is the actual interpretation of this verse.
My entire life I thought that verse referred to people that settles squabbles, fights, and wars. The person that mediates opposing factions. And it does mean that. But digging a little deeper, I found another meaning. Blessed are the people that make peace. Make as in create.
We all know the drama queen-type person, that is always creating a fuss. The person you must walk on eggshells around because you worry about "setting" them off? Well there's a polar opposite person in the world. The friend that you know that you can turn to with a secret, and know that it won't be spread around town. The mother that has taught her children to be kind and polite. The patient person that doesn't grumble when given the worst job on the volunteer list, but does it without complaining and even pleasantly. The homemaker, that makes her home a sanctuary, that young and old know they can come to and be welcomed with open arms. The disabled person that accepts their disability and doesn't whine about it. The wife that doesn't complain. The encourager rather than the critic. The list can go on and on, there are many ways to create peace. We might not have any control about what goes on in the world, but we can control what goes on in our little part of it. Look at those wonderful Japanese people, standing quietly in line for hours for a bottle of water. Imagine what the world would be if everyone acted that way. To be a peace maker is to be Christ-like. Are you a peacemaker?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A MESSAGE FOR THE WHY ME-ERS
The foxes have holes, and the bird of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
~Matthew 8: 19-20~
Early in our married life we were desperately poor. It was easy to feel bitter and sad when we saw others spending money foolishly, when we were going to bed hungry. I hate to admit it, but often I thought, "Why me God? I'm trying to live my life in the right way, but You reward immoral people, while I suffer. Don't You love me as much as them?" I know it was wrong, but that is how I thought. An especially rough patch was when we went down to our car one morning to discover someone had stolen all the tires off of it. The manager of the apartment complex greeted us, telling us we would have to put the tires on that day, or our car would be towed away. Not only did we lose the money for the tires (which we bought at a salvage yard) but also a day wages as we scrambled to get the tires and install them.
It is times like this that many turn their backs on God. But please consider this, God did not give His only begotten Son a life of luxury. Jesus was the poorest or poor. He was born in a borrowed stable, laid in a borrowed manger, and when He died upon the cross, He was buried in a borrowed grave.
Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.
~2Corinthians 8:9 ~
The are many verses in the Bible that show us that suffering is a part of being a faithful Christian. The Holy Spirit says:
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake.
~Philippians 1:29
James said:
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried , he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.
~James 1: 12~
No where in the Bible does it say that God will give you a life of luxury and ease, in spite of what some preachers are preaching. God does promise that He will be with you, however, in your suffering. Just think of the New Testament authors; Luke was hanged, Mark was dragged through the streets by a team of wild horses, James was clubbed to death.
I am so grateful for my trials! Without them I would not have the knowledge to help those that are hurting now. It has made me stronger, spiritually as well as mentally.
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
~1 Peter 1:7~
Remember that without sacrifice there can be no crown to be laid at Our Savior's feet. That in John 6:19 he instructs us not to lay up treasures here on Earth. I leave you with the words of Paul:
I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only,but unto all them also that love His appearing.
~2 Timothy 4: 6-8~
~Matthew 8: 19-20~
Early in our married life we were desperately poor. It was easy to feel bitter and sad when we saw others spending money foolishly, when we were going to bed hungry. I hate to admit it, but often I thought, "Why me God? I'm trying to live my life in the right way, but You reward immoral people, while I suffer. Don't You love me as much as them?" I know it was wrong, but that is how I thought. An especially rough patch was when we went down to our car one morning to discover someone had stolen all the tires off of it. The manager of the apartment complex greeted us, telling us we would have to put the tires on that day, or our car would be towed away. Not only did we lose the money for the tires (which we bought at a salvage yard) but also a day wages as we scrambled to get the tires and install them.
It is times like this that many turn their backs on God. But please consider this, God did not give His only begotten Son a life of luxury. Jesus was the poorest or poor. He was born in a borrowed stable, laid in a borrowed manger, and when He died upon the cross, He was buried in a borrowed grave.
Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.
~2Corinthians 8:9 ~
The are many verses in the Bible that show us that suffering is a part of being a faithful Christian. The Holy Spirit says:
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake.
~Philippians 1:29
James said:
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried , he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.
~James 1: 12~
No where in the Bible does it say that God will give you a life of luxury and ease, in spite of what some preachers are preaching. God does promise that He will be with you, however, in your suffering. Just think of the New Testament authors; Luke was hanged, Mark was dragged through the streets by a team of wild horses, James was clubbed to death.
I am so grateful for my trials! Without them I would not have the knowledge to help those that are hurting now. It has made me stronger, spiritually as well as mentally.
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
~1 Peter 1:7~
Remember that without sacrifice there can be no crown to be laid at Our Savior's feet. That in John 6:19 he instructs us not to lay up treasures here on Earth. I leave you with the words of Paul:
I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only,but unto all them also that love His appearing.
~2 Timothy 4: 6-8~
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