Words to wash dishes by...

Here we are -- another wonderful Wednesday, and time for Building our Homes Together over at Prairie Flower Farm! I am finding these Wednesdays to be such a blessing and so edifying to me! I so appreciate Linda making this available for all of us.

This week I am again sharing one of my older posts. There is so much in the archives that I would like to share with all of you!

I’ve always been one to post inspiring thoughts above my kitchen sink. It gives me something important to mull over as I wash dishes. We’ve never owned a dishwasher, so I’ve washed a lot of dishes by hand over the years. As well, I've shared dishwashing duties with many a house guest or relative -- so hopefully my "kitchen-sink wisdom" has encouraged others too.

Here’s what’s currently tacked up above my kitchen sink, in addition to the little verse "Kitchen Symphony"
which I mentioned in another post. There are four 3 x 5” cards, each bearing a different quote.

#1 -- Part of a poem, as quoted in the devotional book Streams in the Desert. The poem's author is simply referenced as M.G.P.

God answers prayers:
Sometimes, when hearts are weak,
He gives the very gifts believers seek.
But often faith must learn a deeper rest,
And trust God’s silence when He does not speak;
For He whose name is love will send the best.
Stars may burn out, nor mountain walls endure,
But God is true; His promises are sure.
He is our strength.

#2 -- A quote from Elizabeth George:

“Life’s circumstances NEVER negate God’s standards.”

#3 -- A quote from Edith Schaeffer:

“We are responsible for ‘handing on the flag [of faith]’ and for being very careful not to drop it -- or to drop out -- because of our responsibility to the next generation... To hand down truth to one more generation is one of the central commands of God.”

#4 -- Another quote from Elizabeth George:

”PURPOSE is the key to doing what we have to do to live our lives wisely.”

Hope these thoughts encourage you today and maybe prompt you to tack up some of your own "words to wash dishes by."

A couple more Scripture-enhanced photos

Here are my latest attempts. Although I am a rank beginner at this, I'm enjoying experimenting with this technique. It's a good stress reliever to focus on Scripture and God's creation at the same time.

The photo at top is of part of a concrete foundation in our side yard. We intended to build a breezeway there once, but now we never will because our taxes are already way too high. I hope by next summer to have a little patio out here. For now, the aged concrete with the unfurling ferns made an interesting photo.



And this is a photo actually taken by me! We were leaving a family reunion when I spotted this butterfly on a lilac bush -- took this out the car window!

Flowers around my yard

I'm not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but it's fun to look around our yard and see the summer flowers here and there -- mostly courtesy of others.


These primroses were originally wild, I believe. A dear friend dug them up and gave them to my daughter for her wildflower garden. They have spread over the years and continue to bloom every July.



These are wild orange daylilies, colloquially called "Tiger Lilies" in these parts. These were dug up by my daughter and planted in her wildflower garden. They look beautiful next to the yellow primroses.



And this is bee balm, also shared with me by a friend years ago. She gave me one plant, and now three are blooming. These flowers last a long time, growing brighter along the way. They attract bees -- and hummingbirds!


Hope everyone has enjoyed this glimpse of our summer color!

Psalm 113:3

It's been a tough week or so, but I'm reminded along the way that God is good, all of the time. No matter what is going on in our lives, no matter what our circumstances may be, we can still look to our great God and offer praise. Let's never forget...

A mountain lake

Two Saturdays ago, we attended a family event in a neighboring state. Not too far from the event locale, a relative introduced us to this beautiful, tranquil lake. It really looks to me as if it is in Europe somewhere, and not in New England. This photo, which my husband took, came out so well that I couldn't resist trying to add a Scripture to it.

Kitchen Symphony

The following poem is posted above my kitchen sink. It's just a plain little clipping I found years ago on the back of a booklet of cut-out recipe cards. I've always enjoyed the "sounds" of cooking as well as the aromas -- they tell everyone that something interesting and nurturing is going on in the kitchen. Hope this little poem brings a smile to someone else's face as well!

5 Things Meme

I guess I'm slow, but I just found this at Mrs. B's blog and it looked like fun. I was ready for a few minutes of R&R after a difficult afternoon, so gave it a try.

5 Things Meme


5 THINGS IN MY REFRIGERATOR:
1. Broccoli
2. Fat-free half & half
3. Watermelon
4. Baby carrots
5. Water

5 THINGS IN MY CLOSET:
1. Skirts, shirts, jumpers
2. A tin of hemlock cones for Christmas crafting
3. A bag of ”paper treasures” like greeting cards, postcards,etc. sorted by season, for display in a ribbon board and a glass-topped desk
4. Sweaters & jeans
5. Shoes and slippers

5 THINGS IN MY PURSE: I am the opposite of Mrs. B here -- I don’t love purses. Well, I actually do like them in the abstract -- I enjoy seeing all the cute ones available and occasionally am tempted by them, but seldom succumb because I HATE carrying them.
1. Glasses
2. Wallet
3. Peppermint Altoids
4. Hopefully a pen
5.Calendar

5 THINGS IN MY CAR:
1. An insulated bag for frozen food, etc.
2. A film canister full of quarters
3. Maps
4. A few CDs
5. Straws and napkins

Our Fourth of July

Our day was low-key this year -- no parades, no fireworks -- but we enjoyed the day all the same. My mom has been hospitalized and came home Monday, so we've been pretty busy and a bit stressed.


Here's how we celebrated:

We started the day by going for an early-morning walk -- something we can't ordinarily fit into our schedule. Then we puttered around -- me doing some cooking, setting the table, etc. and hubby doing some outdoor tasks -- until our kids and their families came over following the parade.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch together -- grilled hamburgers/hot dogs, potato salad, tossed salad, corn -- and then a fabulous patriotic dessert, some marshmallow pops for the kids, and watermelon.

The cousins enjoyed playing together and all of the guys were good sports about helping them play croquet, frisbee, blowing bubbles, and even splashing in our partially filled pool.

After everyone left, we worked on a few projects of our own. Later, after a supper of cookout leftovers, we went for an evening walk. After dark, our neighbors set off fireworks and we enjoyed them from our porch.

And that was our day! Hope everyone else had a glorious 4th!