Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Once again this Monday, I'm taking time to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

A mostly sunny day!   It's currently 74º and sunny.  Only 49% humidity which isn't bad at all.  There's a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, though.  Of course.  Seems like the norm lately.  Yesterday though was a gorgeous day with fall-like temps.  A campfire last night at camp actually felt good!

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is still very lush and green from all the rainy weather.   One really delightful bloom which I hope to blog about soon is a pink phlox transplanted from my childhood home to the grounds of our little camp.  These flowers are very special to me, as my mother had transplanted them from her grandparents' farm in Vermont.  My childhood home has been torn down now and last fall, my hubby rescued these flowers from what would have been certain oblivion.

Above are the phlox as they looked in an overgrown garden area at my parents' home.  What I am seeing at our camp is just a few single blooms so far.  But I am ridiculously pleased and excited that they are blooming in their new habitat.  

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 
Continuing to ponder  the concept of "outliving one's life" and this quote from an article by Krista Sivnksty in an older Frontline magazine (January/February 2021):

"As Christians .... are we seeking to leave a story that others will remember as blessed?  Are our lives compelling for Him?  Do people, in a way, read our story and sense the need to know God more?"

This week my plans include attending two memorial services and making plans to attend a celebration of life later this month.  Three deaths, three different stories, three legacies.  It all has me pondering -- what story, what legacy will I personally leave?  Will I "outlive my life"?

Above is a summer scene from the Veterans Cemetery in our state.

 

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 robin singing "Cheerily, cheerily" outside the window. 

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of turkey and avocado in addition to tomatoes and leaf lettuce..

On the dinner plate::: 

A slow cooker meal featuring kielbasa, potatoes, and green beans

 

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:

Egg bake
Cheeseburger Pie

Fish Chowder
Enchilada skillet

 

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

Own Your Life, by Sally Clarkson 

 

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Etsy listings

Reply to several personal emails 

Work on Sunday School lesson

Empty wastebaskets

Laundry

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy
Attend two memorial services -- one on Tuesday for a friend's dad, one on Thursday for a church friend

Help with food for the reception following Thursday's service

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Possibly get together with friends

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Crocheting a second red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished those! 😕

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

Yesterday in my Sunday School class, I quoted Nancy Leigh DeMoss (now Wolgemuth) from her book A Place of Quiet Rest.  You can find it on Thriftbooks by clicking the link.  Nancy wrote:

 

"Our feelings are rarely a reliable gauge of reality ... So it is in our walk with God.  We cannot depend on our feelings.  But our heart's devotion to Him will deepen and grow as we choose to put Him first and invest time in that relationship, regardless of how we feel."

Some of the ladies seemed surprised by this, but it is so true.  If we really want to build a relationship with someone, we will invest the time it takes to get to know them.  It's every bit as true with God!

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

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

 

 

Sunday Scripture

 

So today I am starting a new Sunday Scripture series.  I'm going to be posting about my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees., by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured verse was part of Isaiah 62:4 -- "The LORD delights in you."  The question was asked,  "So what does the Bible mean when it says the Lord delights in us?"  I chose to SOAP part of Isaiah 62 as I considered this question.

S= "Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
"Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
" ... for the LORD delighteth in thee."  (Isaiah 62:2-4)

O= These verses speak of a time yet future, when Israel will be restored, when the nations will see its glory and righteousness.  

Concerning the phrase "new name" (v.2), if we look down to verse 4 we see God telling Israel that they would no longer be termed Forsaken, or Desolate, but they would be called Hepzibah (meaning "My delight is in her") and their land would be called Beulah (meaning "married".  This is where the expression and the hymns regarding "Beulah Land" originated.)

Cross-reference for "crown" (v. 3) --  "And the LORD, their God, shall save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they shall be like the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land."  (Zechariah 9:16)

Even though these verses are speaking of Israel, in a future day,  the basic principle does apply that God takes delight in His people.  He delights to see them walking with Him.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delighteth in his way."  (Psalm 37:23)

Spurgeon wrote concerning the above verse: "All that concerns a saint is interesting to his heavenly Father.  God loves to view the holy strivings of a soul pressing forward to the skies.  In the trials and the joys of the faithful, Jesus has fellowship with them, and delights to be their sympathizing companion."

A= I am so encouraged by these thoughts! I think of how it blesses my heart when I see my grandchildren act in a thoughtful way or do something brave,  or when someone I've taught or mentored makes a God-honoring choice or decision.  God delights in me in that same way!

That awareness does indeed bring joy, and causes me to be inspired and encouraged to seek an ever-closer walk with Him.  "Just a closer walk with Thee!  Grant it, Jesus, this my plea."

P= "Lord, what a blessing it is to be reminded that You take delight in me, and that You love to see Your children walking in Your ways.  I pray that You will draw me into a closer walk with You every day.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There is our simple study for this week!  I hope it was a blessing to someone today.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Once again this Monday, I may not logically have time for this, but -- I'm joining Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

A mostly sunny day!  As I mentioned last week, we haven't seen the sun much in the last few weeks -- there's been a lot of rain.  It's currently 78º and sunny.  Only 57% humidity which isn't bad.  There's a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, though.

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is still very lush and green from all the rainy weather.  We have some odd looking little mushrooms on our lawn.  Orange daylilies are still abundant on roadsides and in people's yards.  One neighbor in the vicinity of our camp has a roadside flower bed crammed with orange lilies, red bee balm, and light purple hostas.  The colors should look terrible together, but somehow they work and are very cheery.

If I were planting them, however, I like the look of this photo below, from Pixabay, more to my taste.

Image from Pixabay

Right now I am:::

 

Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 
About the concept of "outliving one's life."  I recently read an article in an older Frontline magazine (January/February 2021) by Krista Sivnksty that expanded on this idea.  She wrote of hearing this phrase -- "he outlived his life" -- at the memorial service of a friend.  She noted, "The meaning is obvious.  His legacy will go on even though he is not with us physically anymore. The mentoring spirit he had will continue reaping benefits in those he discipled.  His memory may fade eventually, but lessons learned from his life will not."

She adds, "My mind parked on this thought for days after that service.  What am I doing now so that I will outlive my life?  What have I accomplished that will last?  Who am I influencing for God that will carry on when I'm not here?"  And near the end of the article she challenges her readers:

"As Christians .... are we seeking to leave a story that others will remember as blessed?  Are our lives compelling for Him?  Do people, in a way, read our story and sense the need to know God more?"

There is more, much more, but it certainly got me thinking.

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 phoebe singing outside the window.  We have phoebes at our camp too.  There's a nest full of baby ones outside the kitchen window there.  I think it should be time for them to leave the nest, but they are still chirping away out there.

 The screenshot above, from All About Birds, may give you more info than you ever wanted to know about Phoebes' nesting habits.   You can double click to enlarge it.  I found it interesting that phoebes will reuse a nest (I've certainly observed that at camp) but many birds will not.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in addition to leaf lettuce and maybe a few banana peppers.

On the dinner plate::: 

Loaded Cheeseburger Pie, and maybe some green beans

 

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:

Egg roll in a bowl

Egg bake
Cheeseburger Pie

Fish Chowder (or, if the weather stays hot, a salad made with haddock and peas)
Enchilada skillet

 

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
Etsy listings

Reply to several personal emails 

Work on Sunday School lesson

Above is my most recent sale on Etsy.  I discovered a few more of these in my stash and have just re-listed them.  Below is a fun cookbooklet I hope to list later today.

 

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy
Spend time doing some political volunteering at a fair

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store

Finish up my Christmas in July blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Possibly get together with friends

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Crocheting a red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

Reading through the Bible, I've come to Ezekiel, a book I never find easy.  This morning I noticed this wonderful note in my Scofield study Bible:

"In exile, far from the sight of the glory of God's earthly Temple, surrounded by the pomp of idolatry, Ezekiel received a vision of the majesty and wonder of God's glory, showing that his God was more magnificent than anything to be found in heathenism, and impressing on his mind the greatness of the unseen God of Israel.  The vision indicated that the affairs of the world are not directed by impersonal laws of nature, but by a living Spirit.  Above the babel of man's plans, the authoritative voice of God speaks."

Wow, what a blessing to read this today!  Such a great reminder that God is in control and working all things after the counsel of His own will.  Men can babble all they like, but God's authoritative voice will have the final say.

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

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

Sunday Scripture

 

Today finishes 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've worked 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.  This week's reflection question was more of a "sing a song of praise" type thing so I did not answer it in my study.

Today's study is from Psalm 150. The verse to zero in on was verse 6, but I chose to look quite closely at verses 1, 2, and 6.

S= "Praise ye the LORD.  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power. 
"Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. 
"Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD."  (Psalm 150:1-2, 6)

O= C.I. Scofield titles this psalm "the summation of God's praise".

In it, the psalmist instructs, 

* Praise God in His sanctuary
* Praise God in the firmament of His power
* Praise God for His mighty acts
* Praise God according to His excellent greatness
* Praise God with the trumpet, psaltery and harp
* Praise God with the timbrel, dance, strings, flutes, and cymbals

Then, everything that has breath is instructed to praise the Lord!

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

"I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.  And men shall speak of the might of Thy awe-inspiring acts; and I will declare Thy greatness."  (Psalm 145:5-6)

Cross-reference for "greatness" (verse 2): 

"O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy mighty hand.  For what God is there in heaven or in earth, who can do according to Thy works, or according to Thy might?"  (Deuteronomy 3:24)

Speaking of the phrase "praise Him for His mighty acts" (2a), Charles Spurgeon wrote:

"Here is a reason for praise.  In these deeds of power we see Himself.  These doings of His omnipotence are a;ways on behalf of  truth and righteousness.  His works of creation, providence, and redemption all call for praise: they are His acts, and His acts of might, therefore let Him be praised for them."

And speaking of the phrase "praise Him according to His excellent greatness" Spurgeon added:

"His being is unlimited, and His praise should correspond therewith.  He possesses a multitude or a plenitude of greatness, and therefore He should be greatly praised.  If we were always careful to make our worship fit and appropriate for our great Lord, how much better should we sing!  How much more reverently should we adore!  Such excellent deeds should have excellent praise."

Concerning the instruments mentioned in verse 3, my Bible notes that the "trumpet" here is the Hebrew shofar, the horn of a cow or a ram.   The "psaltery" mentioned is likely a harp or guitar type instrument.

And regarding verse 6, where everything that has breath is exhorted to praise the Lord, Joseph Alexander wrote that the simple idea of instruments mentioned in the context:

"it leads us, by a beautiful transition, to that of vocal, articulate, intelligent praise, uttered by the breath of living men, as distinguished from mere lifeless instruments."

Spurgeon wrote,  

"Let all living beings praise Him.  He gave them breath, let them breathe His praise ... All breath comes from Him, therefore let it be used for Him ... What a day it will be when all things in all places unite to glorify the one only living and true God."

A= So much to praise God for!  When I think of praising God in the sanctuary, I think of praising Him in the midst of other believers.  When I think of praising Him "in the firmament of His power", I think  of praising Him in the midst of His creation.  Praising Him for His mighty acts and for His excellent greatness are wonderful ways to praise Him that encompass so much.  I'm not skilled in playing any instrument and don't have much of a voice, but I have breath!  Therefore, I'll use it to praise the Lord!"

P= "Lord, indeed, we have everything to praise You for!  All breath comes from You and is to be used for You.  Every day that I live is to be used for Your glory, and I am to praise You as long as I have breath.  I praise You not only for all that You have done and will do (Your mighty acts) but also for all that You are (your excellent greatness).  Help me to glorify You with every breath, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And there is the Sunday Scripture for this week!  Today we wrapped up our study of Psalms 101-150, but I'll be back with a new Sunday Scripture for next week.

Wandering into the 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. As is often the case, this week's Hodgepodge questions are kind of all over the place.   Here goes:

1. What's something bizarre you've seen or heard recently? 

I have seen more bizarre stuff in the past few years than I ever thought I could possibly see in my lifetime.   The bizarre turn taken by children's story hours is only one of them.

2. July 18th is National Sour Candy Day. Who knew? Do you like sour candies or other foods with 'sour' flavors? Kimchi, rhubarb, gooseberries, tamarind, dill pickles, sour cherries, sauerkraut, cranberries, and  grapefruit...of the sour foods listed which is your favorite? 

I used to love lemon drops, but I don't really love sour candies.  In fact, I think things like sour patch kids are disgusting.   But I have helped to unbox candy for a sweet shop and I am aware that sour flavors are a favorite with many kids.

As for other sour flavors, I might be hard pressed to choose between rhubarb, dill pickles, cranberries, or grapefruit.  Probably I would pick rhubarb.  (Which sounds like I am headed for the rhubarb patch. But one pulls rhubarb when harvesting it; it is not "picked" so I'm safe in using that word.)

If you should be interested in some of my favorite rhubarb recipes, you can find them at the link.  For more, click "rhubarb" in the label cloud in the sidebar.

3. Share a favorite memory of an aunt or uncle. 

Well, the "sour" thought segues perfectly into this question.  Not because these folks were sour, but because my aunt Dot made the most wonderful sour pickles on the planet.  I have her recipe and will add it here.  She used tiny gherkin cucumbers, salt, vinegar,  and dry mustard, and I think that was all.  But they were amazing!  These pickles do not need to be processed, but they do have to set for awhile before you can use them.

Dot and her husband, Howard, were close with my parents and so even though they lived an hour away, I clearly recall  her kitchen.  I remember a small table and chairs near the back door, where drop-in guests might be treated to a piece of pie.  At the other end of the very long room (created during a renovation) was a large dining area with a bigger table and more chairs.  This area had a bank of windows looking out on a gorgeous view of Vermont farm country just across the Connecticut River that separates New Hampshire from Vermont. 

Dot’s kitchen stove was 1950s vintage (maybe a bit older) and quite beautiful as appliances go.  It was large (I think it had 5 burners) and was gleaming white porcelain.  From that oven came some of the best pies, cookies, rolls and other baked goods imaginable.  Dot’s daughter, Sandy, tells the story of how her dad might say, on any given day at lunchtime, “Only two desserts, Dot?”

I personally loved Dot’s pies and her oatmeal rolls the best.  Her butterscotch pie was probably my favorite, 

 

but she also made a fabulous date pie which was wonderful at holiday time.  Her oatmeal rolls were outstanding and we always loved it when she would bring a batch at Thanksgiving or some other occasion.  Served warm and with butter melting inside, they were amazing!

4. How would you describe your ability to manage stress? 

If I rely on God and take B-complex regularly, I handle it fairly well.   I always say that if I miss B-complex for a couple days, I notice it.  A couple days more and my family notices it.  If I miss it for longer than a week, everyone will know.

5. What do you think about when you let your mind wander? 

It usually wanders to things I have to do and tasks that need to be completed. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We've had a lot of these air quality alerts this summer.  Mostly due to fires in Canada, I believe.  I am here to tell you that there is something to this air quality stuff.  My friend and I have found we just can't take a walk on those days.  It's debilitating.  My hubby and I came out of a store Tuesday afternoon and it felt literally like walking into a wall.  Very hard to breathe.

And there's the Hodgepodge for today!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Once again this Monday, I may not logically have time for this, but -- I'm joining Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

A very rare sunny day!  We haven't seen the sun much in the last few weeks -- it's mostly been rain, rain, and more rain.  It's currently 81º and sunny.  Only 47% humidity which is a nice break.  There's an air quality alert though so we didn't walk.  Past experience has taught us to take these alerts seriously.

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is incredibly lush and green from all the rainy weather.  Orange daylilies are abundant on roadsides and in people's yards.  This morning I saw some gorgeous bee balm (red) in a neighbor's yard, but I can't technically see it from my window.  Below you see some red bee balm and some pink bee balm that we used to have in our yard years ago.

 

 

 

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

On this thought regarding Matthew 6:34:

“Both anxiety and worry spring from natural and legitimate concerns that are part of life in this world.  But legitimate concerns are handled wrongly when they do one or more of the following: 1) become dominating concerns in our life and lead to fear; 2) destroy our perspective on life and cause us to forget that God exists and cares; or 3) move us to drift into an attitude of constant worry and concern over a future that we cannot control.”  -- Lawrence O. Richards

 

I think that’s a really excellent summary of how it’s possible to handle concerns wrongly.

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 phoebe singing outside the window.  We have phoebes at our camp too.  There's a nest full of baby ones outside the kitchen window there.

 On the Breakfast plate:::

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

On the dinner plate::: 

Hot ham and potato salad, air-fried Brussels sprouts on the side

 

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:

Egg roll in a bowl

Egg bake
Cheeseburger Pie

Fish Chowder (or, if the weather stays hot, a salad made with haddock and peas)
Enchilada skillet

 

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
Etsy listings

Laundry √

Do a bunch of computer tasks for my hubby√

Send a note to a friend√

Reply to several personal emails 

Work on Sunday School lesson

 

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy
Visit Story Land, a fun White Mountains amusement park as our granddaughter does a concert there (postponed from last week)

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store

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

Possibly get together with friends for a picnic

 

What I am creating:::

 

January cross-stitch sampler
Felt food for some toddler birthday gifts -- nearly done with this one!
Crocheting a red, white and blue hot mat

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

 “One of  the most vulnerable places in the believer is his thoughts.  Perhaps the devil finds entrance here more quickly than elsewhere.  Is this not the reason why the apostle Paul exhorts Christians to think of things that are ‘true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report’?  Every thought needs to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ if the believer is to know how to refuse the thoughts that come from the evil one.  Satan also finds an undisciplined, undiscerning mind an easy prey to his delusions and ofttimes an unconscious instrument in his service.”  -- Ruth Paxson, Life on the Highest Plane

 

Oh, is that ever true!  We need to be so careful.  Becoming "an unconscious instrument of Satan" seems to be happening to more and more people.  I don’t want to be an instrument of Satan in any way and so I am going to guard my thought life even more carefully.

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've worked out quite well for my Sunday Scripture posts.  Only one more psalm to go, so I'm making plans for future Sunday scriptures.

 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 149.  The verses to focus on were verses 3 and 4, but I chose to look closely at verses 1 through 4.  

S= "Praise ye the LORD.  Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints.
""Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
"Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp.
"For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation."  (Psalm 149:1-4)

O= Speaking of this psalm in its entirety, Charles Spurgeon wrote: 

"The tone is exceedingly jubilant and exultant.  All through, one hears the beat of the feet of dancing maidens, keeping time to the timbrel and harp."

C.I. Scofield titles this psalm "God praised by the children of Zion."

I found it striking that this psalm both begins and ends with the directive, "Praise ye the LORD" (verses 1 and 9).

My Bible notes that a timbrel was likely a tambourine, while a harp was probably a lyre or zither.

The instructions here are to:
* praise the LORD
* sing to the LORD a new song
* sing God's praise in the congregation of saints

Specific instructions to Israel:
* rejoice in the One who made them
* be joyful in their King
* praise God's name in the dance
* sing praises to God with the timbrel and harp

Verse 4 ends with two statements about the LORD:

* He takes pleasure in His people
* He will beautify the meek with salvation.

Cross-references for "congregation" (v.1):

"Praise ye the LORD.  I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation." (Psalm 111:1)

"And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O LORD: Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints."  (Psalm 89:5)

Cross-reference for "rejoice" (verse 2)

"Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

Cross-reference for "Him that made him" (verse 2)

"O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (Psalm 95:6)

Cross-references for "King" (verse 2):

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon ... a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)

"All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon ... a colt, the foal of a donkey."  (Matthew 21:4-5)

My Bible notes too that the phrase "in the dance" (verse 3) can also be read "with the pipes."

Spurgeon wrote: "Personal praise is sweet unto God, but congregated praise has a multiplicity of sweetnesses in it.  When holy ones meet, they adore the Holy One ... A congregation of saints is heaven upon earth: should not Jehovah, the Lord of saints, have all the praise that can come from such an assembly?"

A= I also am to worship and to praise God joyfully.  I'm to sing the new song He has put in my mouth, and to praise Him "among the congregation of saints" -- in the midst of other believers.  Like Israel, I can rejoice in my Creator and be joyful in my King.  I can praise His name in every way possible.  I'm not a fan of loud bands, today's worship dancing, etc. but I know that God does take pleasure in His people when they sincerely and genuinely praise Him with their worship.  And He alone is worthy of our praise!

P= "Lord, I praise You for who You are -- the Creator, the King of all the earth!  I thank and praise You that You made a way for humans to have a relationship with You through the death of Your own Son.  I praise You for the joyous new song that You have put in my mouth!  Help my worship always to be pleasing to You, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: Have you ever considered how much God loves it when you let loose and just praise Him with all of your heart and soul?  How does knowing that God takes pleasure in your praise, encourage you to enjoy worship more, despite what others might think?

My response: Of course God obviously does desire for us as His people to praise Him with all our heart and soul.  However, all glory needs to go to Him and the focus needs to be on Him.  I think that whenever we see worship as a "performance", anytime the attention goes to people and not to God, we are crossing a line from worshiping God to calling attention to people and doing what feels good to us.  We must always remember that worship is about God, and not about us.

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week.  Just one more Psalm to go!

Better late than never ... a reminder about Christmas in July

 Just a reminder -- one that I should have posted 2 weeks ago!  Some of you have noticed, but I think that many have not, that I'm having Christmas in July over on my Christmas blog, Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen.  I apologize for not reminding you all before this.  Things are just a little busy around here.

Lots of fun Christmas-related posts over there, so do go check it out if you are interested in planning ahead for Christmas!

Simply the 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.  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. Is your life simple? Elaborate. 

In a way it's very simple.   We are retired and live in our own home in the woods just outside of a small town.  We are blessed to have a getaway place just 15 minutes away.  Life is busy with people and ministry and that, of course, makes it less simple.

2. What simple pleasure are you are currently enjoying?  

Time at our little camp.  It's very simple and basic there, but with a few comforts.  Sort of like glamping I guess.  No internet and no plumbing, but we do have cold water to the kitchen sink, an incinerating toilet, and a gravity feed hot shower.  I'm really amazed, by the way, at the water pressure from that gravity feed. 

 

Living room end of the camp

Yes, that paint or lack thereof needs attention!  Planned for this summer.

3. Travel by plane or go on a cruise? walk or ride a bike? swim or ski? ocean or mountains? 

I prefer a plane to a cruise.  I like bike riding, but in general prefer walking.  Not a fan of either swimming or skiing, but will say I prefer the lakes in summer to snowy mountains in winter.  I've only ever tried cross-country skiing, not downhill, but loathed it, actually.  Ocean and mountains are both favorite places for me, but if I can only choose one I'll say ocean.

4. What's the last thing you bought online that you really loved? 

Oh, let's see.   I can't think of anything, so I will just say I love being able to order from Walmart.com and have things arrive almost more quickly than going into the store.  We like to buy our vitamin C from Walmart as it's the best price for the brand we like, but our local store is almost always sold out of it.  Online to the rescue!

5. What’s your 'back in my day we__________' story? 

I'm old enough to remember party telephone lines where more than one household shared the same line.  Think Mayberry.  It was all too common to be unable to make a call because a couple of gossipy neighbors were tying up the line.  And of course they could then listen in on other people's calls and have more gossip fodder!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Oh, goodness.  Well, this one is really anything but random.  It's a verse we were discussing in Sunday School on Sunday, and I was just thinking this morning that I would like to memorize this, along with verse 5 that follows it:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."  (2 Corinthians 10:5)

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Once again this Monday, I may not logically have time for this, but -- I'm joining Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

Rain, Rain, Rain!  Currently it's 68º with a 100% chance of rain.  94% humidity with a 5 mph breeze.  Our weather for the past week has been either rainy or hot and humid.  Not the greatest, but I try not to complain too much.  Humidity is not my friend.

As I look outside my window:::

Everything is incredibly lush and green from recent cool rainy weather.  Mostly wildflowers and weeds are blooming around here.  Orange daylilies are abundant on roadsides and in people's yards.  The elderberries are flowering gloriously.

 

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

On a sentence I recently read in Holy Hygge.  This was in the context of living out the purposes God has for us -- that as we invest time, energy and talent in these we will be motivated to "put our hands to the work and do it with laser focus".  It all reminded me of back in 2010  when I spent a few hours considering God's purposes for my life -- which I will share below.  (If you have never identified God's purposes for your life, you really should.  It's incredibly important and helpful.) Taking into account God's purposes for all believers and for me in particular, I came up with a list which I wrote out and placed in my prayer journal.   Since doing that, I make it a point to review God's purposes for my life frequently.

God's overarching purpose for me is the same as for any believer: To bring honor and glory to God with my life by using the spiritual gifts and the talents He has equipped me with.    I have broken this down into a 3-part personal "job description":

1) Be a godly wife [this includes being a good homemaker]; mother, grandmother.

2) Use my teaching gifts and other spiritual gifts for God's glory -- to encourage fellow believers and help them to grow spiritually, and to reach out to those who don't yet know Him.

3) Use my writing talents and other talents to God's glory -- again, to encourage my fellow believers and to point others to Him.

 

Anyway, back to the sentence from Holy Hygge, in this context: 

 

Be the person you wish others would be for you.

That certainly motivates me!  How about you?

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::: 

The falling rain.  An occasional passing car makes a wet noise on the road below our house.  Phoebes singing outside the window.

 On the Breakfast plate:::

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

On the dinner plate::: 

Egg roll in a bowl, made with broccoli slaw and leftover pork roast. 

 

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:

Egg roll in a bowl

Egg bake
Cheeseburger Pie

Fish Chowder
Enchilada skillet

 

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
Etsy listings

Laundry √

Prepare and send an Etsy order√

 

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some notions, patterns, cards, and kids' books on Etsy
Visit Story Land, a fun White Mountains amusement park as our granddaughter does a concert there

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store

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

Possibly get together with friends for a picnic

 

 

What I am creating:::

January cross-stitch sampler
Felt food for some toddler birthday gifts
Crocheting a red, white and blue hot mat

Refurbishing a tiny vintage balsam pillow√

You might wonder about that last project.  I failed to get a photo but the original looks a little like the screenshot below.  Mine is a New Hampshire pillow.  I've had it for years.  It was stained and no longer had any balsam scent at all.  It just smelled musty and old.  But I love it and really wanted to keep and display it.  So I opened up one end, dumped out the balsam needles, washed the pillow cover and hung it in the sun to dry.  Then I pressed it, refilled it with fresh balsam from a bag I bought a few years back from LL Bean.  And stitched up the end again!  A small project to be sure, but one I'm very happy with.

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

This, from the study Between Grief and Glory in the chapter A Pattern of Deliverance: "We cannot interpret God and His character based on our present pain.  Instead, we need to interpret all our circumstances based on knowledge of God from His Word and from the evidence of His past faithfulness.  Circumstances change, but God does not."

So important!  I love that -- interpreting all our circumstances based on our knowledge of God from His Word and from His past faithfulness to us.  

It reminds me of a favorite quote of mine from F.B. Meyer: 

"Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him."

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

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