The Lost Art of ...

I am sure that you could fill in the blank with many words.  Perhaps domesticity, maybe femininity, or even discipline.  Maybe you have been thinking how the art of home cooking is lost, or the art of homesteading.  While all of these would be true, hubby and I were mulling over the lost art of thinking this morning.  Perhaps this appears most in the home schooling realm when parents give up the "fight" with trying or struggling students, but it also appears in adults who cease learning when they graduate from high school or college.  It appears that when things get difficult, human nature seeks to explain why the effort is not worth it. 

                                   "I don't see the value in higher math"

"I don't need to study a language"                             

"I just can't learn an instrument"

                                       "I've never been good at memorization" 

"My parents didn't need to learn that and they get along fine" 

I have given the reasons more times than I care to admit. 

While discussing it, we came up with many reasons to pursue activities that are difficult, that may seem impractical, or that may be out of our comfort zone.  We pursue activities that cause us to think to exercise our minds.  The great Creator God formed our brains to function at a much higher level than we force them to go.  Our God is a God of order and those higher mathematical principles, the principles of language, and the laws of music emphasize this character of God.  He commands us to memorize His Word (and He didn't limit it to Sunday School children).  He commands us to be light and salt in our world (which might be dimmed or unsavory by uneducated Christians who are content to remain so).

Perhaps you, like me, have been struggling with pursuing some form of thinking (for me it is the Biblical languages and Bible memorization) or perhaps you are a parent who is slowly choosing the "easy" path in homeschooling and thus short-changing your children.  Why not focus on God - his creation, his order, his commands - and pursue a path of THINKING!

In His Steps

Following Christ and becoming more like Him seems to be prominent in my thoughts and studies recently.  I have stressed it to the girls in my Sunday School class.  I heard on Sunday and then read on Tuesday about Michelangelo's sculpture of David.  When asked how he carved such a work, he remarked "I simply cut off anything that does not look like David."  How basic, and yet how true.  Christ is doing the same thing in the lives of His own to make us into His image.  Our pastor read the following work back in December or January and I have put a copy in my Bible to remind me of His unique work in my life.  He deals with each child differently. 

Others May, You May Not

G. D. Watson

If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day - out of an unseen treasury.

God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.

The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle you in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.

Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.

Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.



The Embrace of Grace

Since I spent the past day and a half primarily lying flat on my back, I had a LOT of time to read.  I don't usually have a lot of books around, but hubby had received a book at graduation, so I picked it up.  It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.  The Embrace of Grace by Caleb Thompson was penned from a prison cell in TX.  Caleb was arrested and prisoned for agreeing to the discipline of a child.  The book stresses that without trials and difficulties, we would never fully know the grace of God. 

"Without the choice mercy of affliction, without the grace of a thorn that Father gives, we would miss many of the blessings of scripture.  We could not have a personal acquaintance with many of the promises if we never faced the circumstances for which the promise was given.  Pleasure fails to interpret the scriptures to our souls, and we cannot understand their comfort until affliction expounds upon it.  We fail to prize God's Word and hardly know it until trials press upon us.  How would we know 'the Lord i my refuge' if a storm never threatened our vessels?  How would we recognize the Lord as our 'Strong Tower' without being assaulted by the enemy?  How would we know him as our 'Refiner' if we hadn't been through the fires?  How would we know him as the 'Potter' if we had never been pressed out of measure?  How would we know him as our 'Comforter' if we never felt sorrow?  How would we know him as the 'Great Physician' if we didn't experience pain?  How would we know him as our 'Guide' if we understood all things without perplexity?  How would we know him to be our 'Strength' if we were never weak?  How would we know him as 'the Lifter up of mine head' if we were never cast down?  How would we know him as 'Our Father' if we never felt his chastening rod?"  pp. 76-77

The book was a great encouragement to me.  I am also happy to report that I am about at 75% mobility today!  Yeah!

Pain in the Neck

I was torn on the title of this post.  My second choice was "In sickness and in health."

Today I am creeping around the house because I have injured my neck.  After having a sore neck since last Wednesday (I assumed from sleeping on it wrong), I pulled something (sprained or strained it) yesterday around 2:00 and haven't been able to get around very well since.  It will be a very LONG day. 

Why my second choice title?  Because I have a husband who cares for me immensely.  He came home to a half cleaned house, a bed piled with laundry, and a wife who couldn't move ... in the process he was battling the flu himself.  He did not complain, but sweetly took care of the things that were pressing.  I am thankful that he stands by his vows. 

I am so thankful for our wise creator.  I usually take my body for granted.  I have come to realize that those small little neck muscles are used CONTINUALLY throughout the day.  I am also thankful that He can heal the body that He made and look forward to more agile movement soon, I pray.

Party Desserts

Well, the house is empty today and sits waiting for a thorough cleaning.  All of the linens from last week are on the line and I am hoping that the sun comes out to dry them.  It was a good weekend, but I am looking forward to a return to normalcy (at least until next week when we have guests again).

I promised some dessert recipes from the graduation party.  Both have been staples in my recipe box for years!

Jello Poke Cake

1 - 9x13 box cake baked according to directions

1  box jello mixed to liquid stage (don't gel in fridge)

Prepare cake as directed.

When cool, poke holes in top with fork.

Pour jello over cake.

Chill in fridge several hours or overnight.

Top with cool whip and serve.

I used gluten-free yellow cake and orange jello.  I really enjoyed it.  The gluten-free cake seemed more dense then the typical cake mix which seemed a better mix with the jello!  This can also be done and made as a layer cake.  Be creative with flavor and color combinations!

Oh Henry Bars

These are my favorite no-bake cookies.

Made with gluten-free rice crispies (or chex mix)

this is still a usable recipe in our home.

1 c white Caro (corn syrup)

1 c sugar

(cook until almost boiling)

remove from heat

add

1 and 1/2 c peanut butter

6 cups rice crispies (or corn flakes)

Flatten on a cookie sheet or in 9x13 pan.

Melt 12 oz of chocolate chips with 3 Tbsp butter.

Spread chocolate on top of cookies and cut into squares.

Cinco de Mayo

In recognition of the completion of hubby's coursework, we had a little party today.  It was threatening rain, but the Lord kept it away and the evening was pleasant for visiting.  We had just under 30 guests and enjoyed them all.  Unfortunately, I have an uncanny knack for picking party dates that don't work for people, so the men (3) were substantially outnumbered by women and children.  I was so thankful that a visiting missionary and his family were able to make it so hubby had someone to visit with (besides the ladies).

With plenty of ladies and teenage girls to help, the preparation was easy and clean-up was done before I even noticed.  What did I decide on for dessert?  Orange Jello Poke Cake and O'Henry Bars!  Don't recognize the names ... Check back Monday for recipes!

Graduation Day!

Well, the day 3 years in the making is finally here.  Actually we did not expect to be here today, but the Lord had other plans and in the end we were both glad that he did.

Hubby graduated tonight with highest honors.  It was a thrill for me to see him graduate.  I was glad to have some friends here to celebrate with us.  I am also glad that those who could not be here in person could share our joy by watching live streaming if they wanted to. 

We were both surprised when they announced hubby's name for an award.  Why surprised?  I thought it was well-deserved, but our time at the school was short and our interaction with the faculty and students was primarily limited to the classroom setting.  The award was a leather bound Greek New Testament (oh is that the best gift ever for my hubby) and was given "in recognition of outstanding Christian character and scholastic achievement."  I am pleased that hubby maintained a good testimony to the end and that he finished strong.  Some days it would have been easy to throw aside the rules, to just take the demerits, but God's grace kept us in the right path.  Praise the Lord.

Of course, we could not end the day without a treat ...

... and so, off to DQ we went! 

YUMMY! 

I just love reasons to celebrate.

"What is That to Thee? Follow Thou Me."

This was the subject of hubby's preaching today: the need to look forward, the need to follow Christ.  We do not receive our direction, our call, or our affirmation from men, but from our Lord and Saviour.  It is easy to get caught up in pleasing others, in following the plans and programs of others ... and while that may be God's plan, we must always evaluate if our steps are in line with God's Word.



Some of you were able to see it on live stream from the school, but if you missed it, you can still download it here.  Hubby was given a beautiful wide margin Bible at the end of the service as a thank you gift. 

Quite a special day around here!

Incoming

Today will be a busy day.  Our friends from Washington/Pennsylvania are on their way to share in the festivities this weekend.  Just some last minute tidying to do and then prepare my Sunday School lesson.  I am looking forward to the special Preaching Chapel tomorrow, Graduation on Friday, and a party on Saturday ... then a rest on Monday!

AAAHH!

Song of Solomon 2:12-13

The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds is come,

and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs,

and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.

There is nothing like the fragrance of spring and summer.

While our weather feels of summer with highs in the upper 80's yesterday,

oh, the smell as I walked and ran this morning.

I think that I was primarily smelling the honeysuckle.

Made the running less arduous to enjoy the nature around me.

Now - back outside to tend to the yardwork.

Company coming in tomorrow morning.

Must ... Get ... Busy!