Our Sons God’s and Mine

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Easter 2016 is my third as a blogger.  2014 was Oh Happy Day and 2015 was Black patent shoes.  This year, Easter was a new experience for me.

This is my favourite week, every year.  The one just finished.   We are about to turn the lights out on this one and move through the dark into tomorrow and

a new week.  The second week of Spring.

Since, well, forever, I have loved Spring.

There’s hope in tiny stems of green growing up through soil.  The sun is just a little higher in the sky  and there are signs of new life everywhere.  My very warmest jacket has been replaced with the lighter warm jacket, dinner is served while the sun is still shining through the kitchen windows and the smell.  Even the rain is welcome now.

I walked this afternoon with my girl and we breathed the fresh air while our feet took us through neighbourhoods and under branches hanging bare and waiting

for the kiss of sun and maybe a touch of warmth, soon.  They know when it’s time to sprout buds that turn into leaves that become a green canopy over our heads.  So much new and fresh and I love that we commemorate, celebrate Jesus death and His resurrection He is risen in Spring.

The newness in nature, is a bigger than life reminder Continue reading Our Sons God’s and Mine →

Jesus Died and it’s Good

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So it’s Maundy Thursday.  The day before Good Friday.  It seems like maybe someone chose the wrong word, Good, to describe This Friday.  If you know the story and why it happened, you’ll see why we call it Good and despite the horror of what Good Friday represents, the Why is incredibly Good.

Oh

maybe you aren’t aware that Jesus, the man who died more than 2000 years ago, (so that we, you, me, everybody, could spend eternity with God, if we choose to accept His free gift of Life) actually rose from His death to live again.  Crazy but true.  You better believe it since He’s coming back to get all of us who agree, to believe it.  We do more than Commemorate Jesus sacrifice, His death.   We actually Celebrate.  It’s a lot easier to celebrate when you know there’s a happy outcome.  Good Friday is a somber day of remembering.  Sure, we weren’t there when he died, so we don’t remember first hand.  Some of us have watched movies about what that day may have been like.  The ones I’ve seen were pretty bloody and scary.  Mean people, cruel, inflicting  horrible pain upon Jesus, perfect man, son of God, God himself.  I’m quite certain that being there would have been, well,

worse.

God made sure we had the story at our fingertips so there would be no doubt about what happened.  Jesus came, to Earth.

He walked around and taught about God, who is Love.

He was so loving and kind and offered such hope to the hopeless that those who listened, wanted to hear more and as they listened their hearts were changed and they believed that what He said was true.  They believed and then they followed. He changed them from the inside out.  There isn’t anybody who can’t understand what God wants us to know.  He created us with that God shaped hole in our hearts.  Even for people who have no trouble believing,  It’s following that we have trouble with.

So God created a perfect World and made people so they could walk and talk with Him and enjoy Him forever.  There’s nothing like the enjoyment that comes from walking and talking with God.  Oh, I know, we’ve got it coming from all sides, that God isn’t important at all.  We hear that what’s great is doing your own thing, whatever that is and however you want to do it.  Don’t believe it.  Maybe you’ll enjoy yourself for a bit and a while and then, you’ll be wondering if that’s all there is.

Anyway, even though God created us for the purpose of enjoying Him and He enjoying us,

And here’s the kicker

He created us with the freedom to choose.  He doesn’t want to make us Love Him or make us spend time with Him.  He wants us to do it because we understand how Great He is and how Good it is for us to do that, walk with Him and learn from Him and live in the shelter of His plan and His Love.

Because of Free Will, sin came

and when Sin comes, it’s bad news and Sin changed everything.  From then on, if people wanted to come close to God, they needed to bring a

Blood sacrifice

The blood sacrifice of a perfect spotless lamb.

And Just.  Like.  That.  Back at the beginning, God prepared the way for the perfect spotless Lamb to come to make things right.  To forgive sin and to

Cleanse us from all unrighteousness,

Once and For ALL, for Everybody.  It was necessary.  It was essential.  It was the perfect and only way for God to reconcile us to Him.

He sent His son to die for us.  He was The Messiah and He still is.  He came.  He lived.  He died so that we could live, forgiven and saved.  He came so we could live abundantly here and perfectly in eternity with Him, later.

He’s coming back to get us.  He didn’t tell us when that would be, but He told us we should be ready, every day and we should help other people to get ready, by telling them about Jesus and His Love for them.

A very long time ago when I was a little one living in the Preachers home, I had this urging to share Jesus with people.  I watched closely for opportunities to tell the story of God’s love.    As I reflect, however, I realize I may at times have forgotten to mention the Love Part and concentrated on the fire and brimstone part.

The little town on the prairies, in the north, way north, had just a handful of churches but in those days almost everybody went to some church or other.  Ours was down the street and around the corner and at the end of the next street and would you believe the doors stayed unlocked most of the time?  During the day, anybody could come and go as they wished and there was never trouble, as far as I knew.  Of course, on Sunday the doors were unlocked because there were only a few hours between morning and evening services.

One week when I was ten, I decided there were just too many children in our town who had no idea who Jesus really was and it was imperative that I be the one to tell them.  I made up flyers and went around to the houses where I knew there were children living and invited them to come to church.  The scheduled time was  3:30 on Sunday afternoon and I would be waiting at the open door to welcome them.  I learned that part from my dad who stood at the door until it was time for him to do his thing on the platform at the front of the little sanctuary.  Everybody knew where our church was, so I expected quite a crowd.  I saw no reason to let my parents or any other adults know about my new venture into evangelism and once our roast beef had been eaten and the dishes cleaned up, I made my way back to the little church where we had spent the morning and would in just a few hours return for the evening.  The doors were unlocked so I let myself in and turned the lights on in the basement.  It wasn’t more than a few minutes until the invitees began to arrive and before I could say Jesus Loves You, that little basement was full of four foot tall humans who had come for a good time.  If you’re thinking perhaps I had bitten off more than I could chew, you are correct, but jumping in where things are more than I can chew has never stopped me and it did not stop me then.  We sang songs and coloured pictures, that I found in one of the Sunday School Rooms and gave no thought to whether I might be taking something that didn’t belong to me.  After all, this was all to advance the Kingdom of God.

And then

I preached.  Oh could I preach.  I stood up there and gave those children the scare of their lives, telling them that if they did not bow next to their chairs, immediately,  they would, before long, be heading for Hell without a hope or a prayer of ever seeing Jesus, except of course on the judgement day when He would return on His white horse.   There were a number of converts that day  who I am afraid may have had nightmares for weeks after and when I finally made my way home and told my only slightly flabbergasted parents, because after all, they had lived with me for ten years already, they suggested that perhaps I should in future let an adult or two know my plans before deciding to hold an evangelistic meeting in the church basement.  Since some of the guests at my little service actually attended our church and a few of them had fathers who served on the elders board, it is not surprising that I was directed to refrain from holding services, ever again, anywhere but in the basement of the manse.  We called it the parsonage but for the sake of you, my readers, I decided to use the more common term for the preacher’s house.

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life John 3:16

We do not mourn the death of Jesus.  We are grateful for His sacrifice made so that we can live with Him forever.

Oh and Sunday is Coming!

Amen

 

 

Considering and Recipes

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Did you notice that it’s looking a lot like Spring out there?  I really like Spring.

I’ve been cooking this week, mostly at home and yesterday I hauled a load of food to share with friends.   We had lunch together after Bible Study and there’s just something about getting together that makes life meaningful.

We were made for interacting, sharing

ourselves.

I’m good on my own, for a while.  It isn’t my favourite and it seems that I can usually think of someone to keep me company.  There are days though, when I just know it needs to be me and just me and my friend Jesus.  I was just telling him a while ago that sometimes things are a bit too hard for me.  He is well aware and it’s right then, at times like those, that He reminds me to take a deep breath and read some of His promises to me.

They’re real you know!

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

To be separate, apart, can fill us up with renewed vigor, give us a chance to think about who we are and who we are becoming and what we’re doing and what we should do and

being apart can even just provide a minute to look around and actually

see

blessing and beauty and birds and water and sky and  trees and then

we can feel full and ready to be together again, with people who are Good For us and we for them.

Sometimes Good For, looks a bit peculiar.  Good For, doesn’t always mean, “You make me so happy”, or, “I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else right now”.  Sometimes Good For, means

“you’re softening my edges”, or “you’re causing me to sit up and take notice of That Thing in my heart, That log in my own eye.”  You know, the parts that I don’t really want you messing with.  Well, sometimes it isn’t you at all, messing.  It’s God, shaping me and letting you help.

I can sure do with a dose of Good For, more than every once in a while.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  Haggai 1:7

Today I’m just spending some time with myself and doing some considering.  Wondering what God wants to tell me.  I sometimes don’t like what He tells me by the way, but I know enough to understand He is really, really Good with a capital G.  He’s always close and I’m thankful for the rest He gives when I’m in need.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  Isaiah 59:1

So while I’m doing some considering, I’m

attempting to listen.  Not so easy for someone who likes to do most of the talking.

I thought you might like to see a couple of the recipes I have worked on this week.

Have a look and while you do, remember how much you are loved by the One who created Love in the first place.  ♥

Chicken for chicken Salad
Chicken for chicken Salad
#2 My favourite Salad Dressing

It’s Monday and The Learning curve is on the rise

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Hey Friends!

I’m sitting at Second Cup because I made the trek to the Apple store to see if the nice people in blue shirts could help with my technical issues.  They could and did.  Except for the one little wrinkle of sideways pictures.

I cannot figure it out and am pretty much fit to be tied.  There have been so many requests for the Mac and Cheese from Superbowl, that I am posting anyway.  Yes, I know the photo of my newest fave pasta is actually posted sideways.  Please turn your head on it’s side and view it that way and I will continue to work on a resolution.

It’s the best Mac & Cheese I have ever made and perhaps ever eaten.  Feel free to let me know what you think.

pre casserole dish
Mac and Cheese
creamy mac and cheese

It’s under PASTA RECIPES and I’m excited for you to try it.

Honestly, these past two years of blogging have been the most intellectually challenging since I attempted grade 10 math.  I have been determined and your encouragement has kept me in the blogging game.

Thanks and happy cooking.  Coming up next

Butter Tarts

 

Thinking Speaking Listening and Waiting. Learning

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There are some nice things about having children who are all grown up.  There are some not great things about it too, like

that means I’m getting old(er) and they are on their own and aren’t really keen to have their mama weighing in on their choices.  There’s no escape for them though.  Once you have a mom who loves you from way inside her heart, once you have a mom who is actually part of you and you are part of her, it can’t be undone.  It’s just there, deep.  We moms have lived longer and sometimes have wisdom to impart.  Sometimes not and growing up means learning about discernment and sifting through the words and tucking into the good ones and forgiving the not so good.  Listening and saving or listening and not saving what was said.  I’ve told you before that Papa called it “keeping short accounts”.  Forgiveness.  Looking past the words and thinking about the Love that maybe prompted them, or considering the wounded heart from which they came.

It was Family Day weekend, just past and we did some chatting, some of my kids and even some other people’s kids and me.  That’s one of the good things.  The conversation is good.   Oh we don’t always agree and sometimes we agree not to.  We each do some listening and it makes for wealth, richness.  We know each other and are getting to know each other better, my little ones and me.   It’s hard to do without talk.  I mean, God gave us tongues so let’s use them

for good.

Way back, likely circa 1970 or so, my papa, dad, Father, who had much wisdom to share although I wouldn’t have agreed, gave me a book and suggested I read it.  Being rather naive still, I wondered why he had chosen that particular book, until I turned the second page.

The book was/is called The Tongue A Creative Force

The author is Charles Capps and his book is a best seller.

My Father, as God’s representative on this Earth, did not hesitate to inform me of my imperfections, for my betterment and of course, God’s Glory.  His

my father’  s  

very sincere and focused purpose was to guide us in the way that  God had specified.  I could not doubt his connection to God because they spent so much time together.  Early morning, late evening, family devotions and in conversation with other people, I was reminded of his relationship with Him.    Dad listened carefully to what God told him.  Fathering, parenting was a big deal and to him was his greatest calling.  He and I had more than a few Moments since I was confident in my own choices.  Now though, I look back and don’t we all view, Back Then, quite differently now, than when we were actually Back Then?  Growing up is hard and when we get there, do we ever get there

The methods by which we have arrived at this thus far place make just a little more sense.

Anyway, the book.  The Tongue book.  It’s a good one and it wouldn’t hurt us all, everyone, to sit down with it for a few hours.  It’s short really.  I learned some things, or started learning some things and it was years ago that the wheels started turning.  You see,

the creative force of my tongue has caused some reckoning over time.  I am going to compare myself right now, to one of Jesus special friends.  You know I’m going to say

Peter.  He and I have a lot in common,  Some would go so far as to call him mouthy 

and yes, I have been called that very thing.  Even by the people who loved me most.  He was also passionate about His friend Jesus.  His Lord Jesus.  His God Jesus.

I too am passionate about my Lord Jesus.  Peter said a whole lot of dumb stuff that came from a passionate and loving place and yes, me too.  We’ve been studying the book of Matthew at this Bible Study I attend and dear Peter loved Jesus so much and I would say he could have done with a few chapters of

The Tongue

but better than that, he actually had Jesus close, the teacher himself.  I have him too because His spirit lives inside me.  It’s He who gives me those nudges when I don’t want them and it’s He who reminds me when it’s time to keep my tongue still and do some quiet listening instead.  Guarding my tongue requires some Fast Thinking.  Sometimes the thinking comes a little too late, after the speaking and it’s never a good idea to do things in that order.  Thinking is always best

in first place.  Think first and speak second.  For some of you it isn’t hard since you just don’t do a lot of talking.  Well, we did some chatting on this Family Day weekend and you really learn a lot by talking to people and listening to people.

Thinking and speaking and listening and waiting. Learning,

I was considering these, while I was driving home and thinking about the good times and even a few moments that weren’t my favourite and I was coming to a house needing food replenishing.  It’s hard to make something out of not much, but add to that, a few chicken breasts and anything is possible. Well some fast thinking was needed on that snowy afternoon.   I unloaded the car and walked a couple of kilometers to the grocery store and picked out a package of four, chicken breasts, grabbed a bag of green beans and remembered there were three large potatoes in the pantry.  The fridge contains a surplus of jars and bottles of things and the spice drawer is pretty well stocked.  So back I came and got out my favourite pot.  It’s actually officially named French Oven and a friend gave it to me.  It gets used often and does the cooking beautifully.

I knew the potatoes would work for three of us and planned to do the smashed technique.  A sauce on the chicken would be yummy and I had some odds and ends of vegetables in the crisper.

The end result was

Easy French Oven Chicken with Smashed potatoes and green beans.  It was good and nutritious

 

Manna

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Hey!

It’s been a while.  The past months, three to be exact, have been strange really.  So many times I have headed for the phone to punch in that number I dialed often, back then.  There’s been some stuff going on here at our house and some of it’s worth sharing and some of it just needs

Nano’s wise counsel.  It’s a loss when, after living  longer than half a century (I know, crazy) you’ve gotten advice from someone whose advice you value and then

just like that she isn’t there.  Gone forever.   Even so, my need for her to be alive is still right here where it’s always been.  Every now and then there’s this panic and I feel the blood rushing to my heart and I sort of want to yell or stomp my foot and change the whole thing.  The dying thing.  But I WANT to talk to my MOM.

Can’t! Continue reading Manna →