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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Morning Coffee


I’m reading a book for Booksneeze.com that I can’t review until after May 3rd so I don’t want to mention too much about the book yet.  But I will be giving it a good review!

In my reading this morning, the author  mentioned how he was once babysitting his three boys. One of his little guys was enjoying snack after snack until Dad finally cut him off. At that point the son began to run through the house crying “I want Mommy! I want Mommy!”

As the author pointed out, his son didn’t really want his mommy so much. What he really wanted was what his mommy might give him – which was more snacks.

Isn’t this us sometimes? We call on God to intervene in our lives; we call on him with wailing and pleading; please, God, show up for me. But the truth is we don’t really want God, himself, as much as we want what we think he will bring to us.

Or as Pete Wilson puts it on page 143, “Is it possible you don’t really want God? Is it possible you just want what you think God can give you?”

Good food for thought this morning over my cup of coffee!

~~~

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Ultimate Designer

Cure yourself of the condition of bothering about how you look to other people. Be concerned only . . . with the idea God has of you.
~Miguel de Unamuno


When I read this quote this morning, I instinctively thought of my physical appearance. At age 62, I find I’m more and more “bothered” about how I look. The fashions dominating the retail racks were not designed with me in mind. The skimpy tops and skinny jeans just don’t work on a comfortable 62 year old body! And anything else I put on says loudly and clearly, FRUMPY!  So I pout and whine and stomp my feet about these no nothing designers who will not do their part to help make me beautiful.

Fortunately, though, God isn’t a “no nothing” designer; He is the ultimate designer. Everything he has created has been done with me and my well being in mind. If I choose his line of adornments, I can’t help but be perfectly attired.

I just need to remember to go directly to Him and not be distracted by the glitz of the retail racks.

~~~

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bean Bags and Morning Glories!


This photo is for those of you who have followed my progress on these simple bean bags for my almost 2 year old Granddaughter, Addie. This was a very simple project, yet it seemed to take me forever. I found that I was constantly tending to my “Farm” and not staying on task.

In my defense, I do have a fairly large spread where I have planted and harvested plots and plots of Daffedils, Tulips, Lentils, Pumpkins and Morning Glories. I have 20 chickens, 20 cows and 20 horses – all needing daily attention, not to mention all the neighbors I have who need help with their chores. This isn’t easy, that's for sure!!

So I may have to give up my farm. If I have to struggle to find time to make 15 small bean bags, between farm chores, it might be time for the farm to go.

But, darn, it is so fun!!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Monday Morning Coffee

"There are two ways to spread happiness; either be the light who shines it or be the mirror who reflects it." ~ Edith Wharton

Sharing coffee helps, too!

~~~

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday Morning Thought

More from the lyrical writings of A.W. Tozer and the Gospel of John.

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

“ You can search the libraries in all the world and search through every book of every language under the sun and you will never find any 25-word text that compares to John 3:16. Even if you would collect all of the great minds of all of the philosophers and thinkers and writers from the beginning of time and put them in one room together, all their combined talents could not produce a text that means so much to the human race. I do not say this as a very young preacher might carelessly say it; I say it thoughtfully and with great conviction after a lifetime of reading, thinking and praying.”

“To boil it down into the familiar terms and words we can understand, I can restate this phrase by simply saying it means I mean something to God. Once that phrase is stated, nothing more needs to be said. That sums up in compressed, pressurized fashion the whole intent of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.”

And He Dwelt Among Us by A.W. Tozer


~~~

Saturday, April 24, 2010

My Current Muse!

"Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back." ~Chinese Proverb



It is only with these wise words in mind, that I have endeavored to learn as much about Farm Ville as I possibly can. I've read where this type of creative playing can be good for elderly minds. Thus I feel no guilt when creating my dream farm.

I'm harvesting fields of flowers today; hope you have something fun planned, too!

~~~

Friday, April 23, 2010

Thought for the Day

Thought proking questions from reading Pete Wilson:

What have I done yesterday because I knew God was with me?
What would I do today if I were confident that God was beside me?   
Why is that confidence so hard for me to live out?

~~~

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Character Matters; Not Comfort

“God is more interested in your character than your comfort.”  Rick Warren

On the face of it, we know this to be true. If we were asked about it, we would surely respond that God, indeed, is much more interested in our character than our comfort.   A no-brainer as they say.

Yet it seems that I live out the opposite response. I tend to think that if I’m not comfortable heading in a certain direction; if I’m not “feeling good” about what I’m doing; if things aren’t going smoothly, then it must not be from God. I must have misunderstood what God was telling me. Otherwise things would be going better.

But the truth is, I most likely was following God’s lead. It’s just that God is more interested in me, than He is in my projects.  What happens to me and how it impacts my relationship with Him is the real measure of my day's work; not how comfortable I am.

Or as Pete Wilson put it, “…it’s as much about the person we’re becoming as it is about where we’re going.”

~~~

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Family Time ~Addison Noelle~

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Addie and her Mom came to have coffee with her Grandma, Grandpa and Great Grandma.  A fun time was had by all!!  You can't beat Grandkids!!!!

~~~

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Morning Coffee

Those of us who allow the hand of God to carve away what doesn't belong will eventually find ourselves free to be 'clearly ourselves'.  Brenda L.

What a wonderful promise to contemplate over morning coffee  as we head into the day before us! 

Thanks to Brenda for leaving that thought on this blog.  Visit her own blog at It's A Beautiful Life for more inspiration.

~~~

Monday, April 19, 2010

Operation 55 - A Food Drive Challenge!

What's Your Donkey, my son's blog, is sponsoring a Food Drive for Second Harvest Heartland.

Read about the challenge here.  The challenge is to collect $5.00 from 1,000 people within 5 days, through social networking sites, for a grand total "harvest" of $5,000 for Second Harvest Heartland. Please post on this wall and let's see if it can be done!  (Donations are made directly to Second Harvest Heartland but tallied for this challenge.) 

If you aren't able to donate, maybe you can simply post this messge on your Blog or your FaceBook account to help spread the word.  It will be fun to see how many people can be reached by this message!


~~~

Monday Morning Coffee

"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

And nothing spurs my creative thinking like a mug of fresh coffee while watching the sunrise!  May both your coffee and your ideas be exceptionally fresh today!

Happy Spring!!

~~~

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday Morning Thought

And He Dwelt Among Us by A.W. Tozer:

"The Lamb of God, the seed of Abraham, David’s greater son, the Lamb that was slain – He specializes in hard cases and He takes away sin – yours and mine. He forgiveth iniquity and pardoneth sin. You confess it; He forgives it. You name it; He destroys it. You expose it; He removes it. You own it; He takes it out. You do not have to have a priest or a preacher, or a baptismal font or a river, or a course in theology; you just have to believe what I am telling you now. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. That is where to look, to the Lamb of God. To Jesus, the Lamb of God."  ~ A.W. Tozer

~~~

Saturday, April 17, 2010

New Friend

Grandson, Noah, discovered a new friend in the yard!

~~~

Saturday Morning Coffee


It is not the objective proof of God’s existence that we want but the experience of God’s presence. That is the miracle we are really after, and that is also, I think, the miracle that we really get. ~Frederick Buechner

Brew some fresh java and experience God's presence and miracles today!  As for me, I'm headed to my favorite garden center's open house today.  I believe a bowl of colorful pansies will be perfect for our front steps! 

Enjoy your day, too!

~~~

Friday, April 16, 2010

It's Friday and the week-end is before us!

I came home every Friday afternoon, riding the six miles on the back of a big mule. I spent Saturday and Sunday washing and ironing and cooking for the children and went back to my country school on Sunday afternoon.   Ida B. Wells

What are your plans?

~~~

Thursday, April 15, 2010

If I Could Ask God Anything by Kathryn Slattery

If I Could Ask God Anything  - awesome Bible Answers for curious kids.

I approached this book with high expectations. How “awesome” to have help explaining some of the challenging questions kids ask about God; help that would go beyond the happy-face but thin responses we so often offer kids. “…the perfect resource for children, parents and Bible teachers” the cover said. This is the promise I held as I began this book.

Unfortunately, the promise went unfulfilled. While the questions were many and varied - from “Does God Ever Sleep?” to “Is the Holy Ghost Really a Ghost?” – the answers were right out of any basic Christian Sunday School class curriculum. There was nothing wrong with Slattery’s answers; they just weren’t the step beyond answers I was hoping to find.

For example, the question, “Did Jesus Really Feed Five Thousand People with Five Loaves of Bread and Two Fish?” was answered this way:

“Yes, Jesus really did feed five thousand men, plus women and children, with only five loaves of bread and two fish. He took the loaves and fish, looked up to heaven, and thanked God for what they had – even though it didn’t seem to be enough. Then Jesus broke the loaves. When the people had finished eating and were full, the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over (Matthew 14:13-21)!


God may not always give you what you want. But you can trust that God will always give you what you need.”

That is the biblical account, for sure; it’s the one kids usually hear - complete with a Bible reference. And for some, that answer might be enough. But I was hoping for more; something that would go beyond simply repeating the basic story as most Sunday School books do. Thus, I would rate it as a fairly standard resource or three stars.

(I was given a copy of If I Could Ask God Anything by Kathryn Slattery by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest review. This opinion is wholly mine.)

~~~

Morning Coffee with Starbucks


"One person can save trees. Together, we can save forests. That's why we'd like to encourage everyone to switch from paper cups to reusable travel mugs. Check out Starbucks to see the thousands of people taking the pledge to make a difference."

"Join the movement. On April 15th, bring a mug to your local Starbucks and we'll give you a free brewed coffee. Bring in a mug any day, and get 10 cents off your beverage, anytime."

~~~

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Prime Rib Dinner

Mom and Dad served a prime rib dinner last night. 

Good food...

...and good company!

~~~

Comfort Quilts

Five more quilts finished today and ready to mail - even with playing Farmville on Facebook! (-: 

~~~

And He Dwelt Among Us by A.W. Tozer


The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:29

“The lamb of Abel and the lamb of Abraham and the lamb of Isaac and the lamb of Judah and the Passover lamb, all these were in the lambs that men had presented. But now comes the lamb that nobody else could ever present. He is God Almight’s Lamb, the summation and finish of all the lambs that ever were or are to be. This is the full, clean preliminary summation of what all the dying lambs meant through the centuries.”
And He Dwelt Among Us by A.W. Tozer


James L. Snyder, in his Introduction to And He Dwelt Among Us, wrote this about A.W. Tozer: “He out Davided David, meaning, of course, that like David, Tozer had a way of presenting truth in a musical frame that set the heart to singing.”

Which is why I love reading most everything that A.W. Tozer wrote.

~~~

Monday, April 12, 2010

Who plants a seed....

Helping Grandpa - 1986

Who plants a seed beneath the sod,
and waits to see, believes in God.

~~~

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Lead On, O King Eternal

Yesterday I found this interesting little book at a garage sale for 25 cents. It’s called “The Story of Fifty Hymns”.

From the Preface:
“On the morning of May 7, 1934, a group of artists and musicians, headed by Joe Emerson, a nationally known figure in the radio world, started a program of morning hymns. Every faith was represented in these hymns.”

The intro goes on to explain how General Mills of Minneapolis became the sponsor of this radio program and shortly thereafter, in response to listeners’ requests, published this book of hymns. Each of the fifty hymns, representing all faiths, included a one page historical story about the hymn.

Lean On, O King Eternal

Lead on, O King Eternal,
The day of march has come;
Henceforth in fields of conquest
Thy tents shall be our home.
Through days of preparation
Thy grace has made us strong;
And now, O King eternal,
We lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears,
For gladness breaks like morning
Where'er thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o'er us,
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

History:

“It is the custom at many schools for the graduating class to produce an original song of its won. “Lead On, O King Eternal” was written for the graduation class of Andover Theological Seminary in the spring of 1888, by Ernest W. Shurtleff, one of the members of the class. It has since become one of the most popular convention and meeting songs among young people in religious societies and orders. The hymn expresses a high standard for youth in the ideals of Christianity, encouraging them to march in paths of peace and brotherly love, drawing their strength from the power of faith. It is a battle song of our young people who go out to conquer a rather difficult world. But with God as their eternal leader, they are certain to win the contest.”


~~~

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Saturday Morning Coffee


"A man who limits his interests, limits his life." ~ Vincent Price

Pour yourself a mug of coffee and make plans for an interesting day!

~~~

Friday, April 9, 2010

Politeness, Sweetness and Rightness!

"I'm making a list
I'm making a list of things I must say
For politeness,
And goodness and kindness and gentleness
Sweetness and rightness:
Hello
Pardon me
How are you?
Excuse me
Bless you
May I?
Thank you
Goodbye
If you know some that I've forgot,
Please stick them in you eye!"

~ Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends)

~~~

Thursday, April 8, 2010

And He Dwelt Among Us by A.W. Tozer


This quote, from the Introduction by James Snyder, describes what I hope to experience by studying And He Dwelt Among Us - Teachings from the Gospel of John:

"As you read this book and explore the Gospel of John, allow Tozer's words to cultivate the mystical side of your Christian experience and cure any tendencies you might have toward spiritual boredom."

Tozer described the Gospel of John as presenting Christ in a mystical setting; based in theology but using the theology as "a ladder to climb to the heights of Christ's nature".  As a fan of Aiden Tozer's perspective, I am looking forward to this new journey through John.

~~~

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Morning Coffee

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you yourself shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God. 
~Phillips Brooks

Pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee and then take on the day ahead!

~~~

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

If I won the Lottery!

This is something I'd love to do if I had a million dollars to spend.  I'd buy and renovate an old country style church and make it a Christian Museum, Book and Gift store.   I'd call it Blessings!

~~~

The Art of Backroad Travel


“Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

~~~

Monday, April 5, 2010

From the Country Roads of Iowa




Even the brown fields of Iowa are beautiful right now - in their own way. There is something calming about the drive up and down the country roads. The numerous (and I do mean exceedingly numerous) little prairie cemeteries are much more visible when not hidden by crops and leafed out trees. It is a stark reminder of just how difficult life was for the early settlers of this land.  We owe these pioneers so much!

~~~

National Raisin and Spice Bar Day

Today, April 5th, is National Raisin and Spice Bar day.  Here again, as posted last year, is my favorite Raisen Spice Bar recipe.  Perfect with a glass of cold milk or fresh coffee.  Enjoy!

Raisin Spice Bars
· 1 cup raisins
· 1 cup water
· 1/2 cup shortening or veg oil
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 egg, slightly beaten
· 1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon soda
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1 teaspoon ground allspice
· dash ground cloves
· 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

PREPARATION:
Combine raisins and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in oil; cool to lukewarm. Stir in the sugar and beaten egg. Sift together dry ingredients; with a wooden spoon beat into the raisin mixture. Stir in chopped nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 375° for 18 to 24 minutes. Cool in pan then cut into bars. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar. Makes about 24 bars.

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Saturday, April 3, 2010

Saturday Morning Coffee

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.
~Virgil A. Kraft

We're taking to the road today – heading south into Iowa just to see what is in bloom down there. We will drive the country roads and the narrow streets of small towns checking gardens and trellises for any show of spring.  Should be a nice Easter weekend.

~~~

Friday, April 2, 2010

Google and the 205th Birthday of Hans Christian Anderson

Today Google is celebrating the 205th birthday of Hans Christian Anderson by using 5 different very neat  doodles from the story of Thumbelina.  Even if you have nothing to search for, go to google.com to see these doodles.  Click the doodle to move through all five of these sweet little scenes. 

H. C. Andersen was born 205 years ago today on April 2, 1805 in Odense, Denmark. He passed away on August 4, 1875.

~~~

A Prayer for Good Friday

"We thank Thee for the knowledge of Thy love that forgives our sins; may we reflect it today, seeing only the best that is in others, that we may be kind all the day through.  Enable us to 'serve' and to 'give'. -- for Thine is the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

From God's Minute - A Book of 365 Daily Prayers Sixty Seconds Long for Home Worship (Copyright 1916 by L.M. Cross)

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Morning Coffee

Strange how a cup of coffee can represent at the same time
the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Unknown

~~~