Sunday Scripture

 

As I've mentioned, 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 140.  The verse to focus on was verse 4, but I chose to look at verses 4-6.

S= "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked, and preserve me from the violent man, who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

   " The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside: they have set traps for me.  Selah.

   "I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God; hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.". (Psalm 140: 4-6)

I also found verses 1 and 12-13 helpful:

" Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man, and preserve me from the violent man." (v.1)

"I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.  Surely, the righteous shall give thanks unto They name: the upright shall dwell in The presence.". (v. 12-13)

O= This is a psalm of David.  " A prayer for protection against persecutors" is the title given by Scofield to Psalm 140.  David reminds the Lord in v. 5 that the proud are setting traps for him.  He asks God in verses 1 and 4 to preserve him from the violent man, to deliver him from the evil man, and keep him from the hands of the wicked.  In verses 9-10 he asks God to bring the mischief and evil these enemies desire for him, onto their own heads, that they would "be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.". David knows that God will hear him and will "maintain the cause of the afflicted." 

 

Charles Spurgeon,  in The Treasury of David, writes that Psalm 140 is "the cry of a hunted soul,  the supplication of a believer incessantly persecuted and beset by cunning enemies, who hungered for his destruction ... With this sacrifice of prayer [David] offers the salt of faith; for in a very marked and emphatic manner he expresses his personal confidence in the Lord as the protector of the oppressed, and as his own God and Defender."

Several cross-references are given for the word "snare" in verse 5:

"For without cause have they hidden for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul."  (Psalm 35:7)

"They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down.  They have digged a pit before me , into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves."  (Psalm 57:6)

"The wicked have laid a snare for me; yet I erred not from Thy precepts." (Psalm 119:110)

"Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me; and the traps of the workers of iniquity." (Psalm 141:9)

"Let a cry be heard from their houses, when Thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hidden snares for my feet."  (Jeremiah 18:22)

Verse 5 ends with the word "Selah".  This term appears 71 times in the book of Psalms and is a musical direction of some type, though scholars are not agreed on just what sort of direction that is.  One of the likely possibilities is that it indicates an interlude -- a pause in the singing while the orchestra continues.  Ryrie says it "is probably a musical notation signaling an interlude or change of musical accompaniment."  I have also heard it defined as a rest.  

 

It seems that Spurgeon may take that latter view, for he comments,  "The harp needs tuning after such a strain, and the heart needs lifting up toward God."

 

Cross-references for "maintain the cause of the afflicted" in verse 12:

"Then hear Thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."  1 Kings 9:45)

"For Thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou didst sit on the throne doing right."  (Psalm 9:4)

 

A neat observation made in the reflection question reading is this one: "Though this Psalm starts out with David in fear, it ends with David confident that God would rescue him."

 

A= The reading for the reflection question also notes: "One of the ways the godly face persecution is by having their words twisted, or their intentions questioned.  Sometimes they are lied about, slandered, or lured into a trap of temptation,  just so they can be brought down."

 

I've faced the type of persecution mentioned here -- having my words twisted or misquoted, having my intentions questioned, being lied about or misrepresented.  I felt like verse 3 was very true in my life.  But I knew I could trust God to keep me from the hands of the wicked and preserve me from the violent man -- and He did!  

Today in our world, believers (in fact, all reasonable, moral, thinking people) are under attack, along with the very truth itself.  We can trust God to protect us as we stand for what is right even as we face the attacks of the wicked.

Spurgeon writes, "If a godly man can be cajoled, or bribed, or cowed, or made angry, the wicked will make the attempt.  Ready are they to twist his words, misread his intentions, and misdirect his efforts; ready to fawn, and lie, and make themselves mean to the last degree so that they may accomplish their abominable purpose."

Does this ever sound like our world today!  I'm so thankful that God will maintain our cause.

P= "Lord, I am so thankful for the reassuring truths of Your Word!  We can read this psalm of David and see how the reality of his faith gave him assurance of God's protection even in what looked like an impossible situation.  And that gives me so much encouragement for my own life.  I have seen You protect me from angry people and even turn situations around.  I know I can continue to trust You to do the same in the midst of a perverse, wicked world that hates Your children.  I praise You for all that You are doing and all that You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

That's the Sunday Scripture for today!  I hope it was a blessing.

A bit of a Hodgepodge

 

I'm a day late, but want to try and join in on 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 range from royalty to Mother's Day.   Here goes:

 1. Did you watch the coronation of King Charles III? Share some of your thoughts about that, or about the royal family in general. 

I didn't watch any of it.  No TV, and was too busy (and too tired) to watch online.   I do think all of the pageantry and solemnity is fascinating.  Not really a fan of the king.  The passing of Elizabeth was a huge loss for Britain, but of course at her age it was inevitable.

This is the cover of a 1955 datebook printed in Great Britain.

And this is a 1958 datebook, also from Great Britain's Wilkinson Publishing.  These tiny pocket calendars are so unique!

Pages above from the 1955 calendar.

2. What are you the uncrowned queen of? 

Lists.   You can read more about my lists here at Secrets of the Slightly Organized, a 2017 post that a number of you have already seen.

My master grocery list.  Really ought to update it as there are categories on here we seldom buy anymore.

Pantry inventory list.  Invaluable.

3. In a box of chocolates which one do you usually go for? 

Caramels, or some sort of nut cluster.

These felt chocolates I made a few years ago were fiddly, but oh so much fun!

4. Something learned at your mother's knee? 

Cooking and baking, and the blessing of using those activities to create gifts for others.  You will find "kitchen gifts" labels on both of my blogs, and I have a Pinterest board for them too. 

Above, my Kitchen Gifts Pinterest board.

Don't you agree?

When this little book came out during my childhood, it meant the baking season was about to begin!

5. 'Like mother, like daughter'...in what way is this saying true for you? 

See above.  I also tend to save a lot of things, though I'm trying to pare down the things I have saved.   Oh, and I love Christmas as much as she did.  Perhaps more.  So among the many saved items are stacks of old Christmas magazines like this one:

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

One of the things buzzing around in my head right now is the endless opportunities for ministry that God gives us when we hand our lives over to Him, the rightful owner.  Praying for a servant's heart!  

This gorgeous graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings  reminds us how we can bless others by serving them.  God is so good! 

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!  Glad I could squeak in a little time to write a post.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 Yes, I'm trying again for another  Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The Weather:::

It's beautifully sunny.  A perfect spring day in New England.

As I look outside my window:::

Birds are flitting about.  The sky is blue and spring flowers are blooming everywhere.  There's a nice breeze to keep the black flies away.

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post while waiting for my hubby to come in for lunch.

 

Thinking and pondering:::

On something a lady in my Sunday School class shared yesterday.  She mentioned that she regularly asks herself the question,  "If everything I am not grateful for was taken away tomorrow, what would I have left?". This then leads to counting her blessings and thanking God for them.

On my bedside table: a lamp, a wood slice coaster, a book, and a pen.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

The ticking of a schoolhouse clock in the room where I'm writing this.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will likely be a salad with tiny cubes of ham, cheese, and avocado.  Maybe a sliced tomato as well.

 

 On the dinner plate::: 

 

Chicken and broccoli casserole, mini sweet peppers

 

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:

 Fish chowder
Chicken and broccoli bake
Burger bowl

Hot ham and potato salad

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

Licensed to Lie by Sidney Powell

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Message a friend

Finish organizing some counselling resources
Whatever my superiors here ask me to do

Launder rags and mop heads from Saturday's clean-up day.

Plans for this week:::

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

Declutter a large bookcase in the upstairs hallway

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Spend time at my volunteer job
Speak at a ladies brunch on Saturday

 

What I am creating:::

January cross-stitch sampler
Start some pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
Embroidered dish towel

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:

I've been reading Nancy Wolgemuth's book Adorned.  I'd like to share this very inspiring quote: "Our job is to embody the wisdom of God's Word in such a way that we can effectively teach it to others -- not just out of our notebooks, but out of our lives... As we do this ... our own growth in grace is furthered, the baton of authentic faith is passed onto the next generation, the health of the church is preserved, and its witness to the world is enhanced."

What a challenging statement!  The last two phrases made me think specifically of how believers are to be salt. 😊

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there is 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.

 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 139.  The verse to focus on was verse 14, but I chose to also look at verses 17-18a, which talk about God's thoughts toward us.

S= "I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well ...

"How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."  (Psalm 139:14, 17-18a)

O= C. I. Scofield titles this psalm "God's all-seeing eye and inescapable presence."  This is a psalm of David.  There is much,  much more to this psalm than the few verses I have delved into here.  

    The psalmist determines to praise God: "I will praise Thee."

Why?  "I am fearfully and wonderfully made"; "Marvelous are Thy works"; "Precious are Thy thoughts unto me"; "When I awake, I am still with Thee."

There are a number of cross-references.  For "marvelous are Thy works";

"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doest wondrous things." (Psalm 72:18)

For "How precious are Thy thoughts": 

"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)

"O LORD, how great are Thy works!  And Thy thoughts are very deep."  (Psalm 92:5)

For "If I should count them":

"Many, O LORD, my God, are the wonderful works which Thou hast done,  and Thy thoughts which are toward us; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee.  If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."  (Psalm 40:5)

I found several wonderful quotes from Spurgeon in The Treasury of David.  I couldn't leave any of them out!

"If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord's dealings with us after we quit His secret workshop, and He directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life?  What shall we not say of the new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord?"

Have you ever wondered about the kinds of thoughts God thinks about you?  We know from Jeremiah 29:11 that God thinks thoughts of peace toward us, and not of evil, to bring us to an expected end.  (Yes, I know that verse is specifically speaking to Jews, not believers, but the principle is still true for us: God's thoughts toward us before salvation were that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  As Christians, we know that He works all things for good in our lives to bring us to Christlikeness.  He wants us to know His peace, and He has many good purposes in our lives as well as an eternal home in heaven.)  

Spurgeon offers many more ideas concerning God's thoughts toward us:

"When we remember that God thought about us from old eternity, continues to think about us every moment, and will think of us when time shall be no more, we may well exclaim, 'How great is the sum!'  Thoughts such as are natural to the Creator, the Preserver, the Redeemer, the Father, the Friend, are evermore flowing from the heart of the Lord.  Thoughts of our pardon, renewal, upholding, supplying, educating, perfecting, and a thousand more kinds perpetually well up in the mind of the Most High."

I shared the thought from Spurgeon below, a couple of weeks ago, but it was too good not to share again:

"It should fill us with adoring wonder and reverent surprise that the infinite mind of God should turn so many thoughts toward us who are so insignificant and so unworthy!"

A= God's "all-seeing eye and inescapable presence" is so comforting to me!  The fact that He sees and knows everything that touches my life, and that He is always with me, is just so comforting to me. 

The human body is so intricately woven together, so carefully planned and designed, it's truly amazing.  How much more aware I should be of stewarding this body well!

And, as Spurgeon noted, it does indeed fill me with "adoring wonder and reverent surprise" that the infinite mind of God should turn so many thoughts toward us".

P= "Lord, I am indeed filled with reverent surprise and wonder when I remember that Your infinite mind thinks so many thoughts toward me that they are more in number than the sand.  That's astounding, and I am so thankful for this truth.  I praise You for creating my body in such an intricate, amazing way, and I pray You will help me to take optimum care of it.  I praise You for Your loving guidance and care throughout every day of life.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

That is the Sunday Scripture for this week, friends.  I hope you have a wonderful Lord's Day and a blessed week!

I *may* write a Hodgepodge post

 

 Yep, it's Wednesday again, so 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 all relate to May in some way.   Here goes:

 1. What's something you 'may' do this month? 

I may completely finish up my trust responsibilities.  I'm very close to being done.  What a relief that will be! 

I do trust Jesus every day, but this sweet graphic by Abby reminds me how I have had to trust Him fully through every step of this trust responsibility.  None of it came naturally to me,  and it was all outside my comfort zone, but God provided as I trusted in Him.

2. "All things seem possible in May" ~ Edwin Way Teale. Do you agree? Elaborate. If not May, then in which month if any would you say all things seem possible? 

I agree that May is a hopeful month in which folks may be optimistic about things to come -- especially things in the garden.  But then again, here in our part of New England, folks do not plant before May 30, knowing that frost is also still possible in May.  A good number of graduations and weddings take place in May, and surely all things seem possible to those commencing a career or a marriage.  

But to me September is more of a month when all things seem possible.  New beginnings with the start of a school year.   There are no black flies.  The weather has cooled, but it's still warm enough to swim, picnic, enjoy ice cream, etc.  No danger of frost likely until October, so it's still possible to harvest garden produce and still hope for more.  The crisp, wonderful air of fall and balmy September days invigorate me to new projects and progress.  Like May, only better. 

3. April showers bring May flowers...is this true where you live? What's your favorite color of the rainbow? Your favorite May bloom? Do you enjoy visiting gardens? What's a 'famous' garden you'd like to visit? 

Right now we are experiencing May showers. Torrential rain off and on for the past few days.  I haven't seen any rainbows, but my favorite color of the rainbow might be violet.  

There are a few things blooming -- forsythia, daffodils, and wildflowers like bloodroot, violets, and trilliums.  My favorite May bloom might be pink lady's slipper ... or it might be lilacs.

I do enjoy visiting gardens.  One in our state I would like to visit and never have been to is the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park.  I've heard it is lovely.

4. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series of films? If so how many have you seen? (I think there are 12) Are you a fan of the sci-fi genre in general, in either books or movies? What's your favorite sci-fi book or movie? 

I think I have seen three of these films.  I'm really not a huge fan (though some of my family members are) though there are things about the ones I've seen that I enjoy, there's probably more that I don't care for or that just doesn't interest me.

I'm just not really into sci-fi at all.

5. Cinco de Mayo lands on Friday of this week...do you enjoy Mexican food? How often? Do you eat out or make your own? Your favorite thing to order in a Mexican restaurant? Have you ever been to Mexico?

We do enjoy Mexican food and I most often make my own.  How often?  Oh, I don't know.  Perhaps every month or two.  We enjoy eating in Mexican restaurants and at a favorite taco truck located at an Hispanic grocery store in Nevada.  In a Mexican restaurant I am apt to order some type of combination platter so I can try more than one thing.  I've never been to Mexico.

The Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Salad below is amazing!  I've made it numerous times and we just love it.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Have you tried the Bigelow Botanicals Cold Water Infusions?  I've tried every flavor and enjoy them all.  My current favorite is probably the Watermelon Cucumber Mint, but they are all good.

And that is the Hodgepodge for this week!

Some goals for May (and how April went)

 

Wow, a new month already!  April seemed to fly by and was a very busy month.  So here are some goals for May:

  * Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully several times per week
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Plan for and celebrate Mother's Day
* Get together with friends for a meal out
* Have friends over for lunch after church
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations (yes, even now!)
* Do some sewing projects ( a few more sachets to stave off musty odors, plus maybe curtains) for the cottage
* Finish 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Continue decluttering the entire house, zone by zone
* With my hubby, set some goals for the second half of 2023
* Plan a spring getaway with my hubby
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Finish up my trust responsibilities
* Spend some time volunteering at The Wilds of New England
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Memorize ten Bible verses and review ten older ones
* Fine-tune devotional to share at a ladies' brunch mid-month
* Get together with friends at our camp on Memorial Day
* Prepare and teach a ladies' Sunday School class each week
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR MAY:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs 

And those were my simple goals for this month.  How about you?  Any goals to share?

  I think that I'll note down how my goals went again this month:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week -- an ongoing goal that I never fully accomplish, but I can say that I did do some decluttering in each zone.
* Change my decor to spring -- not feeling too motivated now that we have more snow --- done!
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love -- not done
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully several times per week -- done!  But this is also an ongoing goal.
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- done!  I posted once, but that's something!
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones -- done!  This one is also an ongoing goal.
* Celebrate several family birthdays -- done!
* Prepare for and celebrate Easter, both at church and with family -- done!
* Get together with friends for a meal out -- done!
* Have friends over for lunch after church -- done!
* Have one dental crown set and get the preparation started for a second one -- done!
* Attend our first ladies Bible study of 2023 -- done!
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations (yes, even now!) -- not done
* Do some sewing projects ( a few more sachets to stave off musty odors, plus maybe curtains) for the cottage -- not done, but it's also an ongoing goal.  I'll feel more motivated as we get closer to cottage season.
* Finish 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters -- not done
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects -- done, although this is also an ongoing goal, and the projects themselves are not yet finished
* Continue decluttering the entire house, zone by zone -- done, that is, I am continuing on it, but this again will be an ongoing process
* With my hubby, set some goals for 2023 -- not officially done, though we have talked about it some
* Plan a winter getaway with my hubby -- not done
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items -- done; that is, I am continuing to stock and sell.  But it's another  ongoing process.
* Spend some time on my trust responsibilities -- done!  And almost completed!
* Spend some time volunteering at The Wilds of New England -- done, but it's another of those ongoing things.
 (The daffodils below are a beautiful sight we've been seeing in April as we travel to our volunteer jobs.)

* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- done!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- not done as much as I'd like
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- done!  But again, this is ongoing.
* Memorize ten Bible verses and review ten older ones -- not done.  I only reviewed the older ones.
* Continue my study for a devotional to share at a ladies' brunch in May -- done!  I've finished the writing process, but of course am reviewing it and continuing to prepare and pray
* Prepare to start teaching a ladies' Sunday School class mid-month -- done!
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers -- not done, although we have talked about how we might make it work
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general -- done, but that's another ongoing goal
* Drink enough water each day -- not done
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week -- not done, although we did walk some.  The weather hasn't been the most conducive.

HEALTHY HABITS FOR APRIL:   Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs -- doing well with everything except for drinking more water.

So that's how April went!  As you can see, I put the "not dones" in italics in dark red again this month.  Just for the inquiring minds that might care to know.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

I'm trying again for another  Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The Weather:::

It's pouring rain.  We had heavy rain all night, giving rise (pun not intended) to flood warnings for area rivers.  Yesterday was dreary and showery, with an occasional hint of sun.  Today is predicted to be "mostly cloudy", but we will see.

As I look outside my window:::

The windows are running with raindrops and the screens are still coated with raindrops from last night.  Things are quite muddy still, especially after our recent rainfall.  Trees are beginning to leaf out, but are a long way from fully leafed out.  Those trees that produce catkins still have them in place.  My forsythia is continuing to bloom brightly.  My two small primrose plants came back and are doing well.  Chives are up 6-8 inches and are very usable.  

That yellow blur is the forsythia bush.  Near the center of the photo (follow over from the forsythia) is a wooden tub with greenery sprouting out.  Those are the chives.  I've already used some in a salad.

 

Right now I am:::
 

Trying to accomplish as much as possible on a rainy day before heading out to my dental appointment at 2 pm.

 

Thinking and pondering:::

On spiritual growth and maturity.   Not optional for believers.  Our pastor continued the series on this yesterday.  I'm continuing to ponder two of the Greek words translated mature or maturity and how one has to do with progress and the other with process.  Our former pastor's teaching that if a believer isn't moving forward, he's moving backward, also comes into play here.  There is no standing still in the Christian life.

On my bedside table:::
 

Two books, a pen, vial of Deep Relief essential oil, a jar of lavender infused olive oil.  It also occurred to me this morning that the bottom of my nightstand contains a couple other things; a tube of lotion and a stack of perhaps a half-dozen books waiting to be read.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

Dear friends gave me these primrose plants for Mother's Day 2021.  So thankful they continue to come back each spring!

 Listening to::: 

The dripping eaves and falling rain.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will likely be a salad with tiny cubes of meat & cheese.

 

 On the dinner plate::: 

 

Not sure yet.  Maybe chili or some kind of soup.

 

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:

 Fish chowder

Egg roll in a bowl
Chicken with artichokes and broccoli
Pork loin

Hot ham and potato salad

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

On my to do list today:::
 

 Dental appointment

Finish two blog posts
Prep and send Etsy order
Empty wastebaskets

Plans for this week:::

 Two dental appointments

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

Dusting in the bedroom
Declutter a large bookcase in the upstairs hallway

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Spend time at my volunteer job

 

What I am creating:::

January cross-stitch sampler
Start some pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
Embroidered dish towel

I'm tickled that I thought of adding this sweet springtime crewel piece to a shelf on my spring-decorated hutch!  I stitched it for a relative years ago and ended up getting it back.  Perfect time and place to display it!

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

I've just begun the study of Loving God with All Your Mind with my ladies' Sunday School class, and to me it is astounding (but knowing God, not surprising) the difference this is already making in women's lives.  The verse to focus on for the first few chapters is Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, or if there be any praise, think on these things."  We're focusing on thinking on whatever is true and real.  I'd like to share the following quote from author Elizabeth George in chapter 2: 

"When you think on God's Word, on what is true and real about yourself and your circumstances, God uses His truth to break the cycle of destructive thinking that leads to discouragement, despair, doubts, and depression.  However real the pain, the hurts, and the disappointments of your life are, you must remember the greater reality of God's love, power, and redemption.  This brings God's comfort, healing and hope to your heart and soul."

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there is the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!