Today I was utterly amazed at our weather. Being from Minnesota, we have learned to accept snow storms and heat waves at the most unexpected times. I don’t think I have seen anything so similar to a Laura Ingalls Wilder snowstorm in my lifetime.
Realization set in as I tried to get out the door to feed the chickens. You see, I couldn’t.
Discouraged
What do you do when you are discouraged? Recently, I felt down right bummed. Circumstances, relationship conflict, expectations of others, failings, my own unmet expectations, etc. piled on me. So, I took some time and downloaded a bunch of new-to-me sermons. It has helped in the past, so I gave it a try.
Well, I found that I was focusing on myself again (anyone sensing a theme in my life?). I was pointed to Christ.
What this sermon gave me:
“Me time” Ok, who has heard, you need some “me time”? For a homeschooling mom that has a hard working farmer husband and a baby attached at the hip 24/7, this is almost impossible in the current definition of the phrase. So, for my sanity I just redefine it and adjust my cultural thinking and enjoy my reality. “Me time” for me: Love the Lord with the moments (yes minute moments) I’ve been given by being still, praying, giving thanks, singing, reading, things that help me calm down and enjoy life.
The word. 2 Corinthians 4:7, “7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair…” Did you see that? The power belongs to God, not us. Christ is all. Jahill illustrates this profoundly with testimony to what Christ did in the lives of a few men through a love-filled, gospel centered response to persecution. Oh that I could be bold and love in such a beautiful way.
Right focus. When I focus on me, I feel the weight of affliction or persecution as the passage (and the sermon) goes on to say. I was focusing on that which was in front of me, on circumstances and momentary troubles not on that which is “beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
Help thinking. A good sermon points me to the word and helps me dig deeper. I started thinking about Colossians 3, especially verse 2, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” I then looked at all of Colossians 3 and saw how it points at other points of my life (my relationships, my failings, etc).
Remembrance. “Christ is all” was a theme at Jubilee Church for a time when we first started. Getting into this passage helped me remember past teaching, songs, even friends and other things to be thankful for. Yes, I miss my city church, but am thankful for new relationships at my country church.
Thankfulness. In trying to get past me comes thankfulness to the God who gives all good and perfect gifts. The joy dare is a great resource to help with this.
Forgiveness. Verse 13, “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love…” Why is forgiveness so hard? And even over the simplest of things sometimes. Lord help me to more readily forgive.
Be Unto Your Name
Why do I love this song? It speaks of God and who He is. Far too often we make the gospel all about us. We are a moment, He is eternal.
We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the Ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on highHoly, holy, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Highest praises, honor and glory
Be unto Your name, be unto Your nameWe are the broken, You are the healer
Jesus, Redeemer, Mighty to save
You are the love song we’ll sing forever
Bowing before You, blessing Your name“Be Unto Your Name” by Gary Sadler and Lynn DeShazo (c) 1998
Integrity’s Hosanna! Music All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Last 10 Days
Visitors!
His Invisible Attributes…Have Been Clearly Perceived…
Since I have been busy making sure chicks are happy, getting sap from the sugar bush, and boiling it down to syrup I haven’t been able to do much blogging. So when I’m busy I’ll try to post somethings that I have written in previous newsletters we have sent out. This particular piece comes from ponderings on how God makes His invisible attributes clearly perceived within His creation (Romans 1:19-20). My apologies to those of you who might have read this before.
God has made us in many marvelous ways. And all of these marvelous ways point to Him if we take a moment to consider them. One feature we have been given is the ability to taste sweet stuff. God did not merely give us food as a source of energy, rather he gave us taste buds. We can go beyond surviving on food to savoring food. Oh how good it is to bite into a sweet juicy orange or to crunch into a crisp, succulent pea pod! We all have something sweet that we have a hankering for on occasion. It might be an old fashioned doughnut or fresh juicy peach. Now one of these is quite a bit healthier for you than the other.
God uses His good creation to illustrate spiritual truths in ways that we can grasp. So how does having the ability to enjoy sweet things (both healthy and unhealthy) figure into spiritual truth? In Psalm 119:103 the sweet taste of honey is used to help us understand how the psalmist delights in God’s word. In Proverbs 9 the woman named Folly calls out to the simpleton that, “stolen water is sweet.” Here are two very different kinds of spiritual sweets. The wise psalmist highlights the sweetness of God’s word. The foolish woman highlights the sweetness of ill gotten gain. Where do these proclamations of longings for spiritual sweets come from? There seems to be a distinct connection with what our mouth says and the condition of our hearts (Matthew 12:34). Thus a good heart will savor God’s word and a bad heart will savor the products of sin. Isn’t it wonderful how God reveals to us in His word how our hearts can be captivated by both good and bad sweets, just like our physical tongues can be captivated by both healthy and unhealthy sweets. And just like a peach is designed to do us good while we savor it, so to God’s word is designed to do us good while we savor it. Isn’t God good to us?
So, have you been finding God’s word sweet lately? If not, try to savor some of the promises God has for you in His word today (try Psalm 23, Romans 8, or Ephesians 2 for starters). If you have been finding His word particularly sweet, why not share that sweetness with others(in person or comment below)?
Yummy Yellow Snow?
Ok, ok, bad title. Maybe I should have called this one maple syrup snow cones. Either way, it sure was tasty eating our maple syrup snow last night.
Recipe:
Scoop of clean snow
Drizzle of maple syrup fresh from our farm
Enjoy
Chicken Stock
The best way to get the most from a high quality chicken is to boil the bones to make a broth. This is super nutritious as well as yummy. Though I’m sharing a recipe with you, broth is so simple you won’t even have to look at it. Add chicken, water, maybe a few organic veggies and spices if you’d like, and simmer it for hours and there you have it, yum.
I love using my broth in homemade cream soup for recipes like Chicken Pot Pie, Cub scout supper, or Broccoli Chicken Bake (recipes to come in future weeks). Just read the ingredients on a can of the expensive store bought stuff and you’ll know why.
I have to say that you will want a quality chicken. I once used a carcass given me that had been a rotisserie chicken from a large grocery store. It basically made slightly flavored water. Quality chickens will give a thick almost gelatin like stock. Drink it fresh from the pot and it soothes.
This can also be done with beef, ham, goat, etc.
When you are sick, what can be better than a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup or, in my opinion, Vietnamese Pho? There is a reason for that…
Here’s a great post on the nutrition benefits of broth at kitchenstewardship.com.
Chicken Stock Recipe
• 1 whole chicken carcass (separate the meat and eat it or put it in other recipes)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed (peel if dirty)
• 1 medium onion, quartered (peel if dirty)
• 3 stalks celery or leeks, cut into pieces (optional)
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 5 whole peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Spices – about one teaspoon of your favorite
• 3 quarts water
Place all the ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours.
Another option is to place it all in the crockpot overnight.
Cool and strain broth, throw away the vegetables and bones (some people use the bones immediately for a second batch if the chicken is high quality).
Store the broth in a glass container and put in the refrigerator or freezer till it is ready for use. I like to use it within one week if not frozen.
Righteous Oaks Farm 