Happy Homemaker Monday

 

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

The Weather:::

It's overcast and cloudy, cool at 56º with 9 mph winds.  High humidity though.  I'm headed out for a walk in a half hour.

As I look outside my window:::

Birds are flitting about; phoebes have a nest in the garage eaves.  Most everything is lush and green from recent cool rainy weather.  Most trees are fully leafed out now, except for a phenomenon I have never seen before -- some trees apparently had their leaves damaged by freezing  (27º) temps in mid-May and the leaves have all shriveled up and turned brown.  This has mostly happened with beech and oak trees, though many trees of these species are still fine.  It's so strange! 

 

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post while waiting to meet up with a friend to walk.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

"O 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)

Praying about and pondering some situations I'm having difficulty understanding.  It reminds me about the godly wisdom of Elizabeth George when she says of Romans 11:33 that we can take every inexplicable situation in life and file each one in between the "bookends" of God's wisdom and God's knowledge.

She wrote in Loving God with All Your Mind: "We must accept in faith that the events of our lives are accomplishing something in God's plan for us and for His world.  He is at work and in control of our universe and our lives, and He has His reasons, which are un-understandable,  unsearchable, inscrutable, inexhaustible, unfathomable, and impossible to grasp.  The reasons behind His decisions remain in the realm of God, and you and I must rest in the knowledge that they are His domain, not ours.Therefore, we probably won't understand the how's and the why's on this side of heaven."

There are four chapters of the book dealing with this verse!   What a blessing for handling the inexplicable situations of our lives.  This should be required reading for every believer.

 

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 sound of an occasional car passing on the road below.  Unidentifiable birds calling sporadically.

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of ham, cheese, and avocado.

  On the dinner plate::: 

 

Leftovers. An egg bake with ham, some egg roll in a bowl, white chicken chili.  I'll probably roast some veggies to go along with it all.

 

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 sweet potato salad

Hamburgers

The weather was hot, and I had planned a whole week full of main-dish salads, but it turned cool, so now I am having to shift gears!

 

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

Licensed to Lie by Sidney Powell

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Possibly some errands with my hubby
Go for walk.
Work on felt food.

Phone call with my daughter of the heart, Jennifer

 

Plans for this week:::

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

Declutter some bookcases
Take a box to the thrift store

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Dust bedroom

What I am creating:::

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

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

This quote I found in the Daily Walk Bible devotional for June 11 (I'm ahead of schedule):

 

"When the forecast calls for storms, ships need a strong anchor; buildings, a sure foundation; trees, a deep root system.  In each case, their very survival through the storm depends upon a strong link to that which cannot be moved.  David's anchor in stormy circumstances was an unshakable faith in an unchanging God."

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

 There's the Happy Homemaker Monday for today!

 

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 (and this week I did), I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 143.  The verse to focus on was verse 8, but I chose to look at verses 5-6, 8, and 10.

S= "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.  I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee, like a thirsty land.  Selah.
"Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust.  Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto Thee ... Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.  Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness." (Psalm 143:5-6, 8, 10)

O= This is a psalm of David.  C.I. Scofield gives it the title, "An urgent appeal for help."  

David looked back at what God had done in the past: "I remember the days of old"; "I meditate on all Thy works"; "I muse on the work of Thy hands."   

He thirsted after God each day.  He asked God to show him the way in which he should walk.  He wanted to be led by God's Spirit, and so he lifted up his soul to God on a regular basis for direction and comfort.

Cross-reference for "I remember the days of old" --

"I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times ... And I said, This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.  I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Thy wonders of old."  (Psalm 77:5, 10-11)

Spurgeon writes, of the phrase "the days of old":

"When we see nothing new which can cheer us, let us think upon old things.  We once had merry days, days of deliverance, and joy and thanksgiving; why not again?  Jehovah rescued His people in the days which lie back, centuries ago; why should He not do the like again?  We ourselves have a rich past to look back upon; we have sunny memories, sacred memories, satisfactory memories, and these are as flowers for the bees of faith to visit, from whence they may make honey for present use."

I like that thought!

Of the phrase "I muse on the work of Thy hands", Spurgeon writes:  

"This he had done in former days, even in his most trying hours.  He repeats his perusal of the page of nature, and counts it a balm for his wounds, a cordial for his cares, to see what the Lord has made by His skillful hands.  When the work of our own hand grieves us, let us look to the work of God's hands.  Memory, meditation, and musing, are here set together as the three graces, ministering grace to a mind depressed."  Spurgeon notes that here David is chasing away gloom from his own soul by communion with God.

Of the phrase "cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness", W. Abbot wrote in 1870,  

"[This voice] speaks every morning, but many ears are deaf to it.  But while others are indifferent to it, cause me to hear it; let me not lose the opportunity: waken my ear morning by morning, so that I may hail the season and enjoy the privilege." 

Spurgeon said,

"A sense of divine love is to the soul both dawn and dew; the end of the night of weeping, the beginning of the morning of joy.  Only God can take away from your weary ears the din of our care, and charm them with the sweet notes of His love.  Our plea with the Lord is our faith; if we are relying upon Him, He cannot disappoint us: 'in Thee do I trust' is a sound and solid argument with God.  He who made the ear will cause us to hear; He who is love itself will have the kindness to bring His lovingkindness before our minds."

For the phrase "in the morning":

"The morning is a season often spoken of by [David], and as a time of devotion is much prized by him.  'My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.' (Psalm 5:3)  It is well to have a subject like [lovingkindness] to occupy our waking thoughts.  Prayer and praise, reading and meditation, will be sweet with such a subject occupying and influencing our minds." -- W. Abbot

Cross-reference for "cause me to know the way wherein I should walk" -- 

"Lead me, O LORD,  in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face."  (Psalm 5:8)

For the phrase "I lift up my soul unto Thee" --

 "When David was in any difficulty as to his way he lifted his soul toward God Himself, and then he knew he could not go very far wrong.  If the soul will not rise of itself we must lift it, lift it up unto God.  This is a good argument in prayer: surely the God to whom we endeavor to lift up our soul will condescend to show us what He would have us to do.  Let us attend to David's example, and when our heart is low, let us heartily endeavor to lift it up ... to the Lord Himself." -- Charles Spurgeon

Cross-reference for "Thy Spirit is good" -- a reminder that this is the Holy Spirit being spoken of here -- 

"And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."  (Isaiah 11:2)

A= When we urgently need help, we must do as David did and turn to God.  Looking back at what God has done in the past encourages us to trust Him for the future.

Musing on the work of His hands in creation is a tremendous blessing, for it reminds us of His power and creativity -- and how He can bring those qualities to bear on the uncertainties of our lives.  

As we lift up our souls to Him,  we are comforted by His lovingkindness and can be led by His Spirit in the way He would have us to walk.

P= "Lord, I thank and praise You so much that it is even possible to have a relationship with You!  Meditating on all that You have done in the past and musing on Your power and design in creation gives me every reason to trust You for my day and for my future.  I praise You that I hear Your lovingkindness every morning, and that I have the privilege of lifting my soul up to You.  Guide my steps today, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question asks, "What is your morning routine?  Are you turning to God and being reminded of His steadfast love at the start of the day?  How would this change your life if you did this daily?"

My response: My morning routine begins with coffee, Bible reading and study, and prayer.  It's such a comforting and instructive time, something I look forward to every morning.  I believe this practice would change any believer's life for the better if done every day.

And that is today's Sunday Scripture!

A few goals for June

 

 It's a new month, so it's time for some new goals!  Here are some goals for June:

* 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
* Stay at our little camp as often as possible
* Get together with friends for a meal out
* Have extended family over for supper at our cottage
* 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) 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
* Enjoy a getaway to meet up with friends on the Maine coast
* Host these same friends for a meal and a tour at our little cottage
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Finish up my trust responsibilities
* 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
* 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 JUNE:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs 

And here's how May went:

  * Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week -- not fully done, but this is an ongoing goal
* 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!
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- not done
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones -- done!
* Plan for and celebrate Mother's Day -- done!
* Get together with friends for a meal out -- done!
* Have friends over for lunch after church -- not done this month, I don't think
* 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 -- curtains are done!
* Finish 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters -- not done
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects -- time has been spent, but projects not complete
* Continue decluttering the entire house, zone by zone -- not done
* With my hubby, set some goals for the second half of 2023 -- not done
* Plan a spring getaway with my hubby -- it's become a summer getaway and is planned and booked
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items -- done, but it's ongoing
* Finish up my trust responsibilities -- only a check to write to myself, so I'm calling it done!
* Spend some time volunteering at The Wilds of New England -- done!
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- done!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- done, but never as much as I'd like
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- done!
* Memorize ten Bible verses and review ten older ones -- not done
* Fine-tune devotional to share at a ladies' brunch mid-month -- done!
* Get together with friends at our camp on Memorial Day -- done!
* Prepare and teach a ladies' Sunday School class each week -- done!  But of course it's ongoing.
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers -- not done
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general -- done!
* Drink enough water each day -- not done, though I'm trying
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week -- not done

HEALTHY HABITS FOR MAY:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs-- done, though of course it's ongoing.

End of the month Hodgepodge

 

 It's Wednesday, 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 are all over the place.   Here goes:

1. Do you know much about (or understand) Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Does it worry or excite you? 

I know very little about it and understand even less.  I try not to worry -- preferring to pray instead -- but from all that I've heard, the possibilities with AI are both concerning and troubling.  

2. What was the last song you listened to? Your favorite movie soundtrack? What song always puts you in a good mood?  

Last song I listened to would have been a video of our granddaughter's orchestra concert.   (We heard it in person Thursday evening, but my daughter played the video for a friend yesterday.)  Favorite movie soundtrack is Anne of Green Gables.  I'm not sure if there is a song that reliably puts me in a good mood.  Maybe something from a musical -- Oh, What a Beautiful Morning or something similar would do that.

Julia is at right.

Orch 3 in the photo above (there are several musicians not visible) is playing the Gigue from Sonata II in D-Major by Telemann

3. What were you doing ten years ago? 

I had to look this one up!  Apparently in May 2013 I was doing a lot of crafting of small items for gifts.  You can read about some of that here: recent simple crafting.  

Fabric trimmed dishtowels with a Coke® theme

Felt pancakes

Another fabric trimmed towel

Crocheted dishcloths

4. Your favorite no-bake summer dessert?

The easiest is this: Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert.   I've shared this for the Hodgepodge before, but for those who missed it:

HEAVENLY ICE CREAM SANDWICH DESSERT

12 ice cream sandwiches
12 ounces of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 pkg. toffee bits (made by Hershey’s, found near the chocolate chips in the baking aisle)
Chocolate ice cream topping to drizzle on when serving

Line a 13x9-inch pan with ice cream sandwiches, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread the whipped topping over the ice cream sandwiches, then sprinkle the toffee bits over the topping. Freeze for 6-8 hours or overnight (or longer).
When ready to serve, cut the dessert in squares. Drizzle chocolate topping on decoratively when serving. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Yes, this dessert starts with a simple box of ice cream sandwiches.  Spread, sprinkle and drizzle a few simple ingredients, then stash in the freezer, and you have a scrumptious summer dessert.
 

5. Something you're looking forward to in June? 

Meeting up with friends in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 

We will be staying at this bed&breakfast where we've stayed a couple times in the past -- delightful!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The summer season has begun!  We enjoyed a delightful Memorial Day yesterday, going out for breakfast with friends, then spending the rest of the day at our little camp in the woods.  We had a fun Memorial Day lunch together with our friends, along with our daughter and her hubby and family who live next door to our cottage.  Everyone shared in providing the food: hot dogs, burger bowls, pasta salad, baked beans, chips, deviled eggs -- and later fruit salad, blueberry cheesecake, and rhubarb shortbread bars.   All yummy and with absolutely no calories, of course.  From now through fall, we'll be hosting friends and family often at our rustic little place.

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Happy Homemaker Monday ... on Tuesday

 

 I'm joining Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom,  a day late as yesterday was Memorial Day and we spent the entire day away from internet.  I hope that all of you had a blessed Memorial Day and that at some point you took a moment to be thankful for the sacrifice of those who have given all to keep our country free. 

The Weather:::

It's a beautiful spring day in New Hampshire.  66º (so they say) and only 39% humidity.  Glorious sunshine and a slight breeze.  I'm headed out for a walk in a half hour.

As I look outside my window:::

Birds are flitting about; phoebes have a nest in the garage eaves.  Purple lilacs are blooming, along with some pink honeysuckle, and the scent is amazing.  

Right now I am:::
 

Working on a blog post while waiting to meet up with a friend to walk.

 
Thinking and pondering:::

A quote from the novel I've been reading, Stories that Bind Us:

"Mom Sweet had a whole box full of special recipes that were reserved for only the very special days ...
flipping the lid, she showed me card after card.  'Every one of these has a story.  When I bake them, I think of memories of my children or my parents.  Sometimes they make me smile and sometimes I get sad.  But those memories?  They're the stories that bind us.' "

I thought about this yesterday morning when I pulled out my grandmother's recipe for baked beans to make for Memorial Day.  Sadly, this is not in her handwriting but in mine, as I wrote it down at her dictation back in the 1970s.  (I do have some recipes in her handwriting, and I'm so thankful for those.)  You can see this recipe has had lots of use over the years.

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, two books, and a pen.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 Listening to::: 

The distant hum of the wood splitter..

On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch will be a salad with cubes of ham, cheese, and tomato.

  On the dinner plate::: 

 

Leftovers.  Some components for burger bowls, baked beans, cole slaw, sausages .. I really think we have enough for an entire meal of leftovers.  I may saute some sliced zucchini, or roast some, just because we have a lot of it on hand.

 

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 with bacon

Hot ham and potato salad
Hamburgers

 

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

Some may wonder why it is taking me so long to finish this book.  A couple reasons: 1) I only read for a few minutes before falling asleep each night, and I don't usually read before bed at our cottage; 2) I typically read through a fiction book twice so I don't miss anything, as I tend to read quite quickly the first time through.

On my to do list today:::
 

Work on blog posts
Lots of laundry.
Go for walk.
Work on felt food.

Phone call with my Nevada daughter.

 

Plans for this week:::

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

Declutter some bookcases
Take a box to the thrift store

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Dust and vacuum bedroom
 

What I am creating:::

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

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

This quote I found while studying for my Sunday School lesson:

 

"You will never meet a fear that Jesus has not conquered; you will never face an enemy that Jesus has not defeated; you will never have a need that Jesus cannot meet; you will never face a temptation that Jesus cannot overcome; you will never have a burden that Jesus cannot lift; you will never face a problem that Jesus cannot solve; you will never know a bondage that Jesus cannot break; you will never know a circumstance when Jesus is not sufficient; you will never experience a moment when Jesus does not care."  -- Roy Lessin

 

Every one of these statements can be validated from Scripture.  What an encouragement today and every day!

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there is the Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!  

 

 

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 142.  The verse to look closely at is verse 3, but I chose to look at verses 1-3a.

S= "I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.  I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my trouble.  When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path."  (Psalm 142:1-3a)

Verses 4-5 jumped out at me also:

"I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me.  Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

O= C.I. Scofield has titled this psalm "An experience of deliverance."  Its title in the Bible is "Maschil of David, A Prayer, when he was in the cave."  (Maschil means "instruction".)  Psalm 57 has a somewhat similar inscription: "A Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave."  (Michtam may possibly be a musical term indicating how the psalm should be sung, but its meaning is unknown.)

So David composed more than one psalm while hiding in a cave.  Two cross-references are given for  "cave" -- 

"David, therefore, departed from there, and escaped to the cave, Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him."  (1 Samuel 22:1)

"And he came to the sheepcote by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet; and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave."  (1 Samuel 24:3)

A cross-reference for "overwhelmed" is Psalm 77:3 -- "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.  Selah."

 I found a couple of wonderful quotes in Spurgeon's Treasury of David.

"[David] was in one of his many lurking places, either Engedi, Adullam, or some other lone cavern wherein he could conceal himself from Saul and his bloodhounds.  Caves make good closets for prayer; their gloom and solitude are helpful to the exercise of devotion.  Had David prayed as much in his palace as he did in his cave, he might never have fallen into the act which brought such misery upon his later days." -- Charles Spurgeon

"The Lord is not withdrawn to a great distance, but His eye is upon you.  He sees you not with the indifference of a mere spectator, but He observes with attention, He knows, He considers your path; yea, He appoints it, and every circumstance about it is under His direction.  Your trouble began at the hour He saw best ... and He has marked the degree of it to a hair's breadth, and its duration to a minute.  He knows likewise how your spirit is affected, and such supplies of grace and strength, and in such seasons as He sees needful, He will afford in due season." -- John Newton

David says here in Psalm 142 that he: 1) cried to the Lord; 2) made supplication to Him; 3) poured out his complaint before Him; 4) showed Him his trouble.  Part of that trouble (verse 3b) was that his enemies had laid a snare for him.  As we see in verses 4-5, any sort of human refuge or comfort failed David.  But God was his refuge -- and even when his spirit was overwhelmed within him, God knew David's path!  

A= We may not be hiding in a cave, as David was, but we often face difficult situations in which we feel trapped.   We can follow these same steps that David took.  We can cry out to the Lord and make supplication to Him, pouring out our troubles to Him.  Of course God already knows what trouble is touching our lives, but He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him.  Often, our spirit feels overwhelmed.  I know many people who are feeling that way right now.  It's comforting to remember that God knows our hearts and our path.  In fact, He is traveling that path with us!

P= "Lord, I am so thankful that we can know You!  What a blessing it is to have that personal relationship with You so that we are able to pour our hearts out to You and know that You will act on our behalf.  I love knowing that You already know every twist and turn our path will take and that You are walking it with us.  What a comfort in these troubling times!  I praise You for how David documented Your working in his life, and that You preserved his songs to encourage believers through the ages.  I thank You for comforting my overwhelmed spirit today, in Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question for this time asks, "Are you tired and weary today?  Do you feel unsure of your future?  Tell God how you feel.  How does knowing that God is with you every step of the way and that He already knows the path you will take, give you peace and strength to press on for another day?"

My answer: I am tired and weary today.  Tired of people and their problems, mostly.  Not really unsure of my own future, but concerned about what the future may hold.  Knowing for sure that God knows my way even when "my spirit faints within me" is incredibly comforting and strengthening.

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

A simple pleasure

 

 I'm taking one question from this week's Hodgepodge to answer.  No time to work on the entire list, so I chose the question 

What's your favorite simple pleasure?

Oh, there are so many simple pleasures I enjoy!  I could go on and on for quite awhile:  summer ice cream dates, autumn leaves, snowy winter days, the first spring blossoms, breezes wafting through screened windows, sharpening times with friends, time with grandchildren and their parents, time at the lakes and mountains of our state, sunrises and sunsets, campfires, picking strawberries and blueberries, walking an ocean beach -- and so many, many more.  

But the question was what's my favorite simple pleasure, so that narrowed it down quite a bit.  In her Hodgepodge post, Joyce noted that her morning coffee is that for her.  Sometimes she even looks forward to it the night before.

And I have to say that when I go to sleep at night (especially at our camp) I will be thinking of that first cup of coffee the next morning, as it will be accompanying my time in God's Word.

Oh, the simple joy of brewing a cup (or three) of coffee and sipping it as I read through God's Word in my Daily Walk Bible -- now my absolute favorite way to read through the whole Bible.

And then to work on my current Bible study.  As many know, I'm trying to finish up a study of Psalms 101-150.  I think I have eight more psalms to complete.  That's the study pictured at the top of the page.

I'm also working on a couple of Daily Grace studies, and so enjoying them, but they are taking a bit of a back seat while I finish up Psalms.  One is a discipleship study and the other is in Lamentations.

Then I continue sipping coffee while I have my prayer time.  This often takes me between 30 and 60 minutes, but it is a precious time of dealing with sin in my own life, praising God for who He is, and interceding for others.

I especially love it when I can have my coffee and quiet time at our little cottage.  It's particularly wonderful when we can have the big screened windows open and the sweet woodland breezes and birdsong are wafting in.

And it can be a cozy time at home too, especially in the dark, quiet early mornings when we turn on the pretty white lights in the living room.

Sometimes, if we have to travel for our volunteer jobs and must leave early in the morning, my hubby and I pray as we travel down the interstate.  He did this for years whenever he had a long commute to a logging job.

And speaking of travel, it's always a blessing to have my coffee and quiet time in any cabin or Airbnb where we might have traveled for a getaway.

If we happen to be at our favorite getaway cabin in the Great North Woods, there is nothing like coffee, Bible study and prayer down on the dock right next to Back Lake.

As I've gazed at all these photos of some of my well-loved simple pleasures, it has blessed me even more to remember that God's Word will last forever.  I may not always  have coffee, but I can always have God's Word -- especially if I have taken time to memorize part of it.

And that's why coffee and quiet time is my favorite simple pleasure.  What is yours?