Hodgepodge in the driver's seat

 

 It's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  I've been MIA from the Hodgepodge for a few weeks but am jumping back in today.  This week's Hodgepodge questions are kind of all over the place.   Here goes:

1. What's one thing you're excited about in the coming month? 

Our church's annual Fourth of July celebration at the home of friends.  Always a fun, meaningful and festive time!  

Both photos from previous years' July 4th celebration.

2. What was your life like when you were ten years old? 

It seems it was simpler back then.  Oh, of course I had very few responsibilities at ten, compared to adulthood, but life itself was simpler.  I think, as much as I appreciate and use the internet, we were probably in many ways better off without it.  I think I was around 10 or 11 in the photo below.  Our kitchen and dining area had just been remodeled, and this fireplace was added. 

At 10 I loved reading, paper dolls, bike riding, and exploring the farm fields by myself, enjoying the wildflowers, brook, frogs, and more.  I was also beginning to enjoy cooking and baking.

3. What's something from your childhood you still enjoy today? 

I still enjoy wildflowers, brooks, fields and forests.   Only now I know them to be God's creation and so I know whom to thank.  I still enjoy reading, cooking, and baking, too.

Pink lady's slippers

Painted trillium

4. What state (that you haven't been to) do you most want to visit? Tell us why. 

Oh, that is a difficult one. Not sure I can choose just one.  And I've been to a lot of states I would like to spend more time in and maybe visit a different part of.  Like Idaho, for example.  I've visited south central Idaho a couple of times and enjoyed it very much.  But I would love to visit the far northern part of Idaho, hundreds of miles from where we've been in the past.

Craters of the Moon is near Arco, Idaho and is an amazing place we've visited several times.

The sunset photo was taken in Bliss, Idaho.

5. Do you like to drive? Tell us how you learned to drive. 

I hate to drive.  The story of how I didn't learn is probably better than the story of how I did learn.  The unsuccessful attempt involved younger siblings in the back of a Jeep pickup as my dad tried to teach me to drive a standard.  One pop of the clutch, a crying child, and the lesson was over, never to be continued.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 I've been thinking a lot lately about spiritual maturity and how important it is.  So many Christians don't seem to even be pursuing it, and I find that discouraging and more than a little troubling.  Our pastor has been doing a series on this topic that I think may continue for awhile yet.  I did a little bit of looking back at my own blog posts on spiritual growth, and one that I really zeroed in on was this one concerning focus, which happens to be my word for 2023.  You might like to read it if you didn't see this one back in January.  Or just click "spiritual growth" in the label cloud for (hopefully) lots more encouragement in this area.

This meaningful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings is a summertime favorite of mine.

 
And that's the Hodgepodge for today!  Why not go over to  From This Side of the Pond, get the questions, and jump into the Hodgepodge with us?

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 I'm joining Sandra today for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

It's overcast and showery, 70º with 4 mph winds.  90% humidity.  Not a good day for walking.  Forecast also declares "a marginal risk of severe weather today" which I assume means thunderstorms.  We have thunderstorms in the forecast, in fact, for the next few days.

As I look outside my window:::

Most everything is lush and green from recent cool rainy weather.  Lots of wildflowers and weeds are blooming, along with our peonies, which have now been dragged down from the heavy rain. 

 

 I'm tickled that the knockout rose bush I was gifted for Mother's Day seems to have taken to our inhospitable soil and is doing well so far.

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

On the quote I shared last week from  Holy Hygge.  It spoke deeply to my heart and, I think, is very much worth repeating.  I read it to the ladies in our prayer group on Wednesday evening: "Encouragement is not a luxury to the Christian life; it is a necessity. ...  It is the passing on of courage.  To encourage someone is to give them the courage to face an unknown future, the courage to trust an unseen God, the courage to stand firm in a turbulent culture.  Encouragement is no trivial thing.  It is a weapon we wield against the enemy on behalf of those we love.  Who is receiving courage from you today?"

I hope that each of us is involved in the ministry of encouraging others.  Hopefully many others.  

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, three books,  a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

Robins singing "cheerily, cheerily".  My great-aunt used to say, "The robins are cheering."

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of ham, cheese, and some banana pepper rings in addition to leaf lettuce.

On the dinner plate::: 

 Leftovers: egg roll in a bowl; a couple of pork ribs; chicken diablo and some broccoli/cauliflower, a square of egg bake.  As I think about it, I think I'll probably need to make a side to go with this.  Maybe some cole slaw.

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Loaded cheeseburger pie

Egg bake
Roast turkey

Egg Roll in a Bowl

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

The Teaming Church by Robert Crosby

 

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts

Change dining table √ and hutch decor
Work on felt food

Laundry √

Prep/send Etsy order √

Envelopes like these made from calendar pages are perfect for mailing vintage items like sewing patterns and kids' books!

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy

Declutter a closet

Ironing
Take a box to the thrift store

Write blog posts, especially some for Christmas in July
Work on my Sunday School lesson

 

What I am creating:::

January cross-stitch sampler
Felt food for some toddler birthday gifts

 

And I must say here I am so tickled that one of my younger granddaughters, Arielle (age 8) has taken to embroidery and felt crafting and is enjoying it so much.   She wanted to learn to embroider so she could embellish a t-shirt with embroidery as seen in a craft book she has.  The closeup photo with the hoop shows her sample piece.  I did the French knots as she has not attempted those yet, but I wanted her to see the process and what they looked like.

The cupcake she's working on, and then the finished cupcake, are embellishments on her actual t-shirt.

 

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

This quote from Loving God with All Your Mind, by Elizabeth George, the book I'm going through with my ladies' Sunday School class:  

 

 "For a moment, think of your Christian life as a bucket God wants to fill so that you can enjoy God and enjoy life.  He wants to fill your life with Himself so He can use it to glorify Him, to bless you, and to enrich the lives of others.

    "Now, how do you fill the bucket with the things of God?  Reading the Bible every day is one way.  You can also memorize and meditate on Scripture.  And you can pray and worship.  But you must also realize that every wrong thought you think -- thoughts that are not true and real -- it is like a hole in your spiritual bucket.  Every time you think inaccurately about God, about God's Word, and about people, you are draining your bucket. Each time you dwell on 'what if' and 'if only' and 'this isn't the way it was supposed to be' scenarios, you can be sure your energy is leaking out!" 
 

[Emphasis added.]  What a scary thought!  We can be doing all the right things to fill our spiritual bucket, and then render ourselves completely unusable by thinking inaccurate thoughts not pleasing to our Lord!

Let's never forget we are supposed to be bringing "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ".
 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!

 

Sunday Scripture

 

Just a reminder that I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do, and I think they are working out quite well for my Sunday Scripture posts.

 As I've noted before, I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing especially when I am studying shorter passages, and I hope others will give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Whenever I do answer it (and this week I did), I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 146.  The verses to focus on were verses 1-2.

S=  "Praise ye the LORD.  Praise the LORD, O my soul.
"While I live will I praise the LORD.  I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being."  (Psalm 146:1-2)

O= Spurgeon writes of this psalm: "The rest of our journey [that is, our journey through the book of Psalms] lies through the Delectable Mountains.  All is praise to the close of the book.  The key is high-pitched; the music is upon the high-sounding cymbals.  O for a heart full of joyful gratitude, that we may run, and leap, and glorify God, even as these psalms do."

Scofield has titled this psalm "God praised for His help."  There is just so much in the ten verses of this psalm!  Quite a bit more, actually, than simply praising God for His help.  Take a look:

* Verses 3 and 4 explain the futility of putting our trust in people.
* Verse 5 exhorts us to place our trust in God for our hope and help.
* Verses 6-10 praise the Lord:
• for His creation (v. 6)
• for His eternal truthfulness (v. 6)
• for His justice (v. 7)
• for His provision (v. 7)
• that He frees prisoners (v. 7)
• that He opens blind eyes and heals infirmities (v. 8)
• that He loves the righteous (v. 8)
• that He cares for widows, orphans, and sojourners (v. 9)
• that He deals with the wicked (v. 9)
• that He will reign forever (v. 10)

So the psalmist directs his soul to praise the Lord in verse 1.  As Spurgeon says, "When we praise God, let us arouse our innermost self, our central life; we have but one soul, and if it be saved from eternal wrath, it is bound to praise its Savior."

A cross-reference to "Praise ye the LORD" in verse 1 is:

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."  (Psalm 103:1)

The psalmist then adds in verse 2 that he will praise the LORD while he lives, while he has any being.  He purposes to praise God from the depths of his soul, for as long as he lives.

John Morison writes concerning this phrase "While I have any being": "We may fairly conclude that the psalmist stretches his thoughts beyond the limits of time, and contemplates that scene of eternal praise which shall succeed the less perfect songs of the church below."

Spurgeon comments, "I cannot tell how long or short my life may be: but every hour of it shall be given to the praises of my God.  While I live I'll love, and while I breathe I'll bless.  It is but for awhile, and I will not wile that time away in idleness, but consecrate it to that same service which shall occupy eternity."

A= I must take this exhortation to heart and praise God from the depths of my soul.  I love that this psalm goes on to explain the futility of putting our trust in mere humans, and that God alone must be our help and hope.  From there, as the psalmist goes on to list nearly a dozen reasons why the Lord is to be praised, I'm reminded to be specific and purposeful in my praise.  

As mentioned in the reflection question, as we record new mercies from God daily and learn new things about Him, our praise can be continually fresh and new for a lifetime!

P= "Lord, how I praise You for all that You are!  People will fail us every time; only you are perfectly trustworthy.  As I read this psalm I am inspired by the many, many reasons to praise You and the implications that these have for my life.  As I see Your new mercies every day and learn more and more about You, help my praise to be continually fresh and new.  May my praise never become stale or uninspired, but may it truly glorify You "while I have any being"!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question asks: "Have you fallen into a boring routine of singing the same songs over and over?  What new things have you experienced or learned about God, that you can celebrate?  How does this revive your worship?"

My response: I don't think that I have fallen into a boring routine, but I have caught myself using one phrase over and over as I pray -- asking God to "work in a wonderful way".  Now, this is not unbiblical -- there is certainly precedent for it in Psalm 107, and all of God's works are wonderful -- but in my prayer life I believe that He would have me be more specific.

The praise-filled verses of Psalms 145 and 146 have inspired me greatly in my praise and worship of this amazing God!

And there is the Sunday Scripture for this week.  I hope it was a blessing to someone today.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 I'm joining Sandra today for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

It's overcast and cloudy, 70º with 1-2 mph winds.  55% humidity.

As I look outside my window:::

Most everything is lush and green from recent cool rainy weather.  Lots of wildflowers and weeds are blooming, in addition to our two patches of iris which are magnificent this year.

 

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

On what I'm reading in Holy Hygge.  One quote that spoke deeply to my heart: "Encouragement is not a luxury to the Christian life; it is a necessity. We're often tempted to lump encouragement in with things like a pat on the back or an 'Attagirl'.  But encouragement is more than just giving a compliment.  It is the passing on of courage.  To encourage someone is to give them the courage to face an unknown future, the courage to trust an unseen God, the courage to stand firm in a turbulent culture.  Encouragement is no trivial thing.  It is a weapon we wield against the enemy on behalf of those we love.  Who is receiving courage from you today?"

Wonderful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, three books,  a pen and a jar of lavender-infused oil for helping with insect bites.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

A small plane overhead.  Unidentifiable birds calling sporadically.  The hum of the woodsplitter.  Someone mowing a lawn across the street.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch was a salad with cubes of turkey, cheese, and banana pepper rings in addition to butter lettuce.

  On the dinner plate::: 

 

Loaded cheeseburger pie ... a new recipe I'm trying that includes ground meat, green peppers, onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, eggs and more.  No crust.

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Loaded cheeseburger pie

Egg bake
Roast turkey

Salade Hachee*

* This salad is one that I clipped from a newspaper years ago and had never tried until 2006. It’s definitely a keeper. It came from a feature called “Express Lane Cooking” by Bonnie Tandy Leblang that used to run in our daily newspaper. I made a few changes, but Bonnie still gets the credit for a great recipe.

SALADE HACHEE (which I think translates to "Chopped Salad" -- it may have a French name, but this salad has a definite Greek accent)

1 lemon
4 Tblsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano (or use 2 Tblsp. fresh, chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
Cooked chicken breasts (approx. 3/4 of a pound), cubed

Into a large bowl, squeeze all of the juice from the lemon. (Remove any seeds.) Stir in olive oil and seasonings. Add remaining ingredients; toss to combine. Serve.
 

Yield: 4 servings.

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

 

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Go for walk √

Do Bible study assignment √
Work on felt food.

Bible study this evening

The study we are working on

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy

Declutter a closet
Take a box to the thrift store

Write blog posts, especially some for Christmas in July
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Attend a funeral for our elderly neighbor

Dental appointment

Possibly go out for lunch with a friend

What I am creating:::

January cross-stitch sampler
Felt food for some toddler birthday gifts

A couple Shutterfly freebies -- a canvas tote bag and a mouse pad √

 

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

This quote from Better Together,  the study on discipleship we're doing in a ladies' Bible study I'm part of:

 

"The gospel changes everything.  It is not just a heartwarming message that leads to our conversion.  It is an enduring message of truth that radically changes our lives.  For followers of Christ, it is a precious message of hope that sustains, comforts, and encourages.  While our conversion is an instantaneous work of the Spirit where we are legally declared righteous in Christ, the result is a new life that involves a slow transformation into Christlikeness.  Our salvation in many ways is past, present, and future.  We are justified, our future glorification is secured, but our sanctification is progressive and occurs over a lifetime here on earth.  But the truth remains ... our lives ought to be different because we are different.  We are united to Christ."

It took me awhile to get into this study.  But these chapters on the gospel, which we are studying for tonight,  have been amazing.  The particular chapter where I found this quote is titled Life Worthy of the Gospel, and is just so good.  As I read, though, my heart hurt quite a bit when I thought of so many believers I know who just don't seem to grasp this truth.

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!

 

Sunday Scripture

 

 I'm sure you all remember that I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do, and I think they are working out quite well for my Sunday Scripture posts.  Just a few more posts in Psalms and I will be likely switching to something else -- still praying about what to share next!

 As I've noted before, I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing especially when I am studying shorter passages, and I hope others will give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Whenever I do answer it (and this week I did), I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 145.  The verse to focus on was verse 18, but I chose to look at verses 17-18.

S= "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.
"The LORD is near unto all those who call upon Him, who call upon Him in truth."  (Psalm 145:17-18)

I also looked a bit at verses 3-4:

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.  One generation shall praise Thy name to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts."

O= My Bible titles Psalm 145 thusly: "David's psalm of praise."  Scofield has given it the title "Praise to the gracious God."  All 21 verses of this psalm are filled with praise to God for all that He is and all that He has done and is doing.  These particular verses list two of God's attributes and one fact about Him -- * He is righteous in all His ways; * He is holy in all His works; * He is near to all those who call upon Him in truth. We could also say that the verses actually list three of God's attributes: His righteousness, His holiness, and His omnipresence.

Spurgeon wrote concerning the Bible's title of Psalm 145 as "David's psalm of praise": 

"It is David's, David's very own, David's favorite ... It is altogether praise, and praise pitched in a high key.  David had blessed God many a time in other psalms, but this he regarded as peculiar, his crown jewel of praise."

Because I also wrote out verses 3-4, I looked at a few cross-references in them.  For "great": 

"For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods."  (Psalm 96:4)

For "greatness is unsearchable": 

"[God] doeth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number." (Job 5:9)

"[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number."  (Job 9:10)

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"  (Romans 11:33)

Concerning verse 17 -- "The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works" -- John Calvin wrote, 

"The ground upon which praise is here ascribed to God may seem a common one ... but in nothing is wisdom shown more than in holding fast the truth, that God is just in all His ways, so as to retain in our hearts an unabated sense of it amidst all troubles and confusions."

Spurgeon said, "His ways and works are both worthy to be praised.  Jehovah cannot be unjust or impure.  Let His doings be what they may, they are in every case righteous and holy.  This is the confession of the godly who follow His ways, and of the gracious who study His works.  Whatever God is or does must be right.  In the salvation of His people He is as righteous and holy as in any of His other ways and works.  He has not manifested mercy at the expense of justice, but rather He has magnified His righteousness by the death of His Son."

A cross- reference for "near" in verse 18 -- 

"For what nation is there so great, that hath God as near unto them, as the LORD our God is, in all things that we call upon Him for?"  (Deuteronomy 4:7)

"Not only near by His omnipresence, but to sympathize and favor.  He does not leave praying men, and men who confess His name, to battle with the world alone... 'All' who place themselves beneath the shield of His glorious name by calling themselves by it, and by calling upon it in supplication, shall find Him to be a very present help in trouble." -- Charles Spurgeon

"The nearness or remoteness of a friend is very material and considerable in our troubles, distresses, wants, dangers, etc.  I have such a friend, and he would help me, but he lives so far off ... But it is not thus with you, O Christians!  who have a God so nigh unto you, who have the signal presence of God in the midst of you.  Yea, who have a God always standing by you."  --Thomas Brooks

A cross-reference for "truth" -- 

"God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."  (John 4:24) 

 "To call upon God in truth is, first, to repose an implicit confidence in the faithfulness of His promise, and to look for unlimited answers to prayer from the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus.  But it is also to feel our own urgent need of the things for which we supplicate, and to realize an earnest and unfeigned concern to obtain them." -- Thomas Dale, 1853

"To pray in truth, we must have a true heart, and the truth in our heart; and then we must be humble, for pride is a falsehood; and be earnest, or else prayer is a lie.  A God of truth cannot be nigh to the spirit of hypocrisy; this He knows and hates; neither can He be far removed from a sincere spirit, since it is His work, and He forsakes not the work of His own hands." -- Spurgeon

A= "God is great,  and greatly to be praised.  Not only should we be praising Him verbally, but I believe that our very lives should be hymns of praise and glory to Him.  Verses 17-18 praise God for His righteousness, His holiness, and His omnipresence.  

The nearness of God is a special blessing and one that I am particularly thankful for.  Knowing that He is with me and will never leave me is the most incredible comfort.

P= "Lord,  I am so thankful that You make it possible for us to know You and have a personal relationship with You!  I am thankful for  Your nearness to Your children and that I may speak to You at any time.  I pray that You will help me to be able to share with others how they also may have this relationship with You.  I pray also that You will help me to encourage other believers to cultivate the closeness to You that You want for all of us to have. Help my very life to be a hymn of praise to You.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question this time asks,  "What does it mean to you to know that God is always near to you?  How can you practice the presence and nearness of God more in your life? 

My response:  It is incredibly comforting and strengthening to know that God is always near to me.  I think one of the best ways to practice His presence and nearness is simply to speak with Him often: "Thank You, Lord!" when we see Him act or give wisdom; arrow prayers when we need help or guidance; words of praise and awe when we observe His glorious creation.

And there is this week's Sunday Scripture!  I hope it was a blessing!

A berry important question

 

Image from The Graphics Fairy

I'm late, far too late, for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, so I've selected just one of the questions to answer.  I'm sure you can guess why this one appealed to me most out of all the other questions:

4. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day...are you a fan, and if so will you celebrate? How do you make yours? Have you been strawberry picking? If so what do you do with all those berries?

I am definitely a strawberry shortcake fan. 

I wasn't aware, or didn't remember, that June 14th was National Strawberry Shortcake Day.  So we didn't celebrate.   But we could have, although we were traveling that day.  Let me explain.  

We had traveled up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, on Monday, June 12 and spent two nights at a lovely B&B with friends from Pennsylvania.  On June 14, we were heading home and passed through the city of Brunswick.  Still full from our hearty breakfast, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a break and an iced coffee to share.

BUT across the street was this place:

You can tell it's April, not June, in this photo of The Brunswick Diner.

where, on a rainy April day some years ago,  we ate the best strawberry shortcake either of us has ever tasted.  

It was made with baking powder biscuits, strawberries, and real whipped cream, as is the New England way with shortcake.  But there was one important and stellar detail that the Brunswick Diner added: vanilla ice cream in between the strawberry and biscuit layers.  

At home, I make my strawberry shortcake simply with biscuits, strawberries and whipped cream.

Strawberry picking?  Yes, we have often gone.  Not yet this year ... it's been a wet June and I'm not really sure what that will do/has done to the strawberry crop.  But we will very likely go strawberry picking if it's a possibility for us.

Little granddaughter Arielle had a hand (or two) in picking these

Strawberry field where we picked in 2022

What do I do with all those berries?  I usually freeze some whole.  We wash and hull the berries, then place them on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid.  Then they are transferred to zip-top plastic bags.  Now we have frozen berries that will not clump together and one can pour out whatever is needed for a recipe.

To use the fresh berries, probably my favorite thing to make would be strawberry shortcake.  To be a little more fancy, this Strawberry Lovers' Pie is another huge favorite.  

 

And this Strawberry Cheesecake Pie is another. 

Photo from Spend with Pennies.com

I also like this homemade Strawberry Pie Filling as another way to use fresh berries.  

 
And these Strawberry Muffins (or, as you will see, Strawberry Coffeecake) are also scrumptious!

And there's my answer to a berry important question. 

Another cookbook review:

 

This week I'm doing another cookbook review of a book I've used so often: Slow Cookers, Casseroles & Skillets by Gooseberry Patch.  You can find it on Amazon here, but it looks as if a new edition of it may be coming out in August.  I do love the version I have, but I'm sure the new one will be good as well.  I checked on Thriftbooks and it is out of stock there.  Unlike most of the books I get from Gooseberry Patch, this one was neither a Thriftbooks find nor a cookbook I received in exchange for a recipe.  I actually won this one in a giveaway, and I have been very glad that I did!

As the title notes, there are three categories in the contents of this cookbook: Savory Slow Cookers, Cozy Casseroles, and Speedy Skillets.  Each category has three subcategories: Just 5 Ingredients; Easy Family Meals; and One-Dish Dinners.

From the Just 5 Ingredients! category of the Savory Slow Cookers section, I have made Pennsylvania Stuffed Peppers,  Georgia Tomato Roast, "Rotisserie" Roast Chicken, and Carol's Cheesy Potato Bake.  That cheesy potato bake is so easy, and is a hit at every potluck I take it to.  I use a homemade substitute for cream of chicken soup.  So good!  a couple of want-to-try recipes in this category are Italian Sausages & Peppers and Company Chicken Dijon.  

From the Easy Family Meals category, I've tried the Chicken Sausage & Pasta -- very good!

From the One-Dish Dinners category of slow cooker recipes, the Sausage & Peppers Sauce is a good one.  I've sometimes used a package of frozen red and green pepper strips in place of the chopped green pepper.  I've also tried the Homestyle Chicken Stew, and noted it was "Very good!"

In Cozy Casseroles, from the Just 5 Ingredients! category, I've made John's Spinach & Red Pepper Chicken a number of times.  It is very, very good and so easy.  I don't usually use the full bottle of Italian dressing.  Grandma Hodges' Chile Rice is another I've made quite a few times and it's a good side with hamburgers or any Mexican main dish.

In the Easy Family Meals category of casseroles, I have made the Tex-Mex Spaghetti Pie probably dozens of time.  It is so good and so easy.   I've also tried the Best-Ever., Must-Have Meatloaf, and it is very good but I don't like it as well as my regular meat loaf recipe.  Grandma Jeanette's Mashed Potatoes are just like my make-ahead mashed potatoes, a definite keeper recipe.  I would also like to try the Baked Chicken Chimies and Loaded Cheeseburger Pie from this section.  That last one may go on my menu soon, in fact!

From the One-Dish Dinners category of casseroles, I've made the Easy Chicken Divan numerous times.  I use my homemade cream soup substitute instead of the cream of chicken soup it calls for.  I'd like to try the Layered Ravioli Florentine and the Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza.  I'm pretty sure I've tasted Fu-Man-Chew before.  Decades ago, a lady at a church we visited made a casserole with similar ingredients, and I loved it.  I may have to try this one!

 
Now, from the Just 5 Ingredients! category in Speedy Skillets, I've made the Cheesy Chicken & Rotini and labled it "Excellent!".  On the side dish skillet reeipe Zucchini Parmesan, I've labeled it "Wonderful!"  I've also made the Smoky Cabbage and called it "Excellent!"  I added Cajun seasoning to taste in this one.  A couple of recipes I'd like to try in this category include Beefy Taco Skillet, which sounds intriguing (one cuts flour tortillas into 1-inch squares to cook with the other ingredients) and Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta.

In the Easy Family Meals category of skillet meals, there are several I've made over and over.  Busy-Day Lasagna Toss, Quick Skillet Spaghetti, Mexican Skillet Spaghetti Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo -- I've labeled each "Excellent!" and I've even had granddaughters email me for the recipes.  Cube Steak in Savory Gravy is one I'd like to try.

For the One-Dish Dinners category of skillet meals, I've only tried one of the recipes -- Linguini & Vegetables -- but it was delicious.  "Leftover" Fried Rice sounds a lot like my own homemade fried rice recipe.  One-Pot Sausage Dinner sounds good and easy,  as does Hamburger Gravy, which the recipe suggests could be served over pasta, rice, potatoes, or even pierogies.  It would be fun to try it over pierogies, I think.

So there you have it -- another cookbook review.  I highly recommend this one!

Sunday Scripture

 

I've mentioned that I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do, and I think they are working out quite well for my Sunday Scripture posts.

 As I've noted before, I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing especially when I am studying shorter passages, and I hope others will give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Whenever I do answer it, I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 144. The featured Scripture was the first part of verse 1, but I chose to look quite closely at both verses 1 and 2.

S= "Blessed be the LORD, my strength, who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
"My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust."  (Psalm 144:1-2)

For greater clarity, here is the passage in the ESV:

"Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge."

O= This is a psalm of David.   In my Scofield study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles it, "A psalm of trust."

David begins by blessing the Lord who is his strength, his rock, the One who trains his hands for war and his fingers for battle -- the One who has given him the strength and ability to fight skillfully.  

He then goes on to name many other titles that enumerate what God is to him: his goodness (or steadfast love); his fortress, his high tower, his deliverer, his shield, the One in whom he trusts.  It would be instructive to look at each of these separately.

Cross-references for "rock" -- 

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."  (Psalm 18:2)

"For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."  (Psalm 31:3)

 Spurgeon writes: "The word rock is the Hebrew way of expressing strength: the grand old language is full of such expressive symbols."

"With all his strength, David blesses the God of his strength.  We ought not to receive so great a boon as strength to resist evil, to defend truth, and to conquer error, without knowing who gave it to us, and rendering to Him the glory of it.  Not only does Jehovah give strength to His saints, but He is their strength.  God is full of power, and He becomes the power of those who trust Him.  In Him our great strength lieth, and to Him be blessings more than we are able to utter."  -- Charles Spurgeon

"My strength [Hebrew, 'my rock'].  The climax should be noted, the rock, or cliff, comes first as the place of refuge, then the fortress or fastness, as a place carefully fortified, then the personal deliverer, without whose intervention escape would have been impossible." -- Speaker's Commentary, quoted in The Treasury of David

 Concerning God teaching David's hands to war, and his fingers to fight, someone named only as "J.F." gave some interesting notes in the "hints for preachers" section of The Treasury of David.  He shared an outline for "Things not to be forgotten by the Christian soldier":

1. The true source of his strength: "the Lord, my strength"
2. The constant need of instruction from his everpresent Teacher
3.  The praise due to God, both for victories won, and skill displayed.

I found the middle section, concerning instruction from the soldier's everpresent Teacher, to be most helpful, as it listed the following:

*he will gird on the armor provided and commended by God;
* he will select for his weapon the sword of the Spirit;
* he will study the divinely given textbook to learn the devices of the enemy; the methods of attack and defense; and how to bear himself in the thick of the fight;
* he will wait upon God for understanding.

Cross-references for "steadfast love" (these are from the ESV; in the KJV it reads "mercy"):

"My God in His steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies."  (Psalm 59:10)

"O my strength, I will sing praises unto You, for You, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love." (Psalm 59:17)

"Having experienced God's kindness in so many ways, [David] calls Him 'his goodness', meaning that whatever good he possessed flowed from Him.  The accumulation of terms, one upon another, which follows ... tends greatly to strengthen faith.  We know how unstable men's minds are, and ... how soon faith wavers, when ... assailed by some  trial of more than usual severity." -- John Calvin

"O how truly has the Lord been mercy to many of us in a thousand ways!  He is goodness itself, and He has been unbounded goodness to us.  We have no goodness of our own, but the Lord has become goodness to us.  So is He Himself also our fortress and our safe abode; in Him we dwell as behind impregnable ramparts and immovable bastions." -- Spurgeon

Of the phrase "my high tower, and my deliverer", Spurgeon writes: "As from a lofty watch-tower the believer, trusting in the Lord, looks down upon his enemies.  They cannot reach him in his elevated position: he is out of bow-shot; he is beyond their scaling ladders; he dwells on high.  Nor is this all; for Jehovah is our Deliverer as well as our Defender."

A= In considering verse 1,  where David says God teaches his hands to war and his fingers to fight, I'm reminded of how believers are given the armor of God and the sword of the Spirit to fight spiritual battles.  

God is our goodness.  We have no goodness of our own.  He is our rock, literally our strength, for again we have no strength of our own.  He is absolutely to be trusted.  He is not only our Defender, but our Deliverer.

P= "Lord, I praise You that You give me everything I need to fight spiritual battles.  Your Word teaches me about the tactics of the enemy and how to fight and resist him.  More than ever, I'm aware of the spiritual battle believers are in, and the importance of being armed to fight skillfully and effectively.  I pray You will help me to memorize Your Word so it will be there when I need to wield the sword of the Spirit.  

"I praise You that You are my rock, fortress, stronghold, refuge, and deliverer -- and most of all for Your steadfast love.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question asks, "Is God your rock, fortress, stronghold, deliverer and refuge?  And how does remembering God's love, as the first among the list of all the names of God, make your relationship with God more personal?

My response: God is indeed all of these things to me.  He is my rock that I can cling to in times of trouble -- even "though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea".  He is immovable.  He has been my fortress and my stronghold so many times, hiding and sheltering me when I felt threatened or unsafe.  He has delivered my soul from death and He has often delivered me from difficult situations as well.  And He is my refuge in a hostile world.  I can flee to Him at any time I feel the need.

Remembering God's love -- that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me; that He drew me to Himself with lovingkindness; and so much more -- all that He does or allows in my life is from a heart of love.  Because of this great love, my relationship with Him is an intensely personal one.

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

June 7 Hodgepodge

 

 It's Wednesday again -- and that means it's time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's Hodgepodge questions are kind of all over the place.   Here goes:

1. Tell me something you remember (or if you're not there yet, something you look forward to) about being 35.

I can't look back at my blog for this one! Let's see. My oldest child would have been around 14, my youngest around 6, if I am figuring correctly.  So I was in a busy season of life.  But it was about to get busier in another year when I started working at a local Christian school!

2. Last time you 'burned the candle at both ends'? 

It's truly been a long time.  Probably the latest I would have stayed up would have been the couples' retreat  last October. And then we would have got up quite early the next morning, so yes ... I would say the last time I "burned the candle at both ends" was last fall.

Photo is from the little getaway that accompanied that retreat.  This pond was along our route from our Airbnb to The Wilds of New England.

3. Are you someone with the 'gift of gab'? Elaborate (which shouldn't be a problem if you answered yes teehee).  

I seem to have plenty to say as a writer, but  I don't consider myself at all to have the gift of gab.  Thankfully, my husband has enough for both of us!

My daughters always say that "Dad knows no strangers" and you can tell by his smile that this is so.

4. Do you request a special meal on your birthday, and if so tell us what that meal is? Do you want the same kind of cake year after year or will any flavor work? Do you want cake at all? Growing up were birthdays a big deal in your house? Are they a big deal now? 

I don't request a special meal on my birthday.  We most often celebrate it with my daughter and her hubby and family. Whatever they feel like making is fine with me.  Any flavor of cake would work, or I would skip the cake and go with pie or any other dessert.  For decades, my dad always bought me eclairs for my birthday.

Growing up, we didn't really have birthday parties as such, but we did each get to choose our birthday meal and the kind of cake.  My birthday is in January, so from the age of 10 or so and beyond, I liked to choose a summery meal: hamburgers, potato salad, corn fritters, and iced tea.

5. 'Age is just a number.'..agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I do agree.  Most days I feel far younger than my chronological age. Sometimes much, much younger.  And then there are those days when I feel 100 ... But those are few and far between.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have got to get busy listing things in my Etsy shop.  Life has been so busy of late that something has had to fall by the wayside, and Etsy has been that thing.  This week I should be at home every day (other than going out to walk) and hopefully I can get some listings done.

This is one of the books I have to list.  I have two of these.  Plus so many other things -- books, cards, sewing notions, recipe leaflets, and much much more!
 

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!