A Hodgepodge for the books

 

So 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.  Life has been very busy and I was actually a bit relieved that there was no Hodgepodge last week.   Even though I really don't have time to write one today, I could quickly think of answers to these questions, so here goes: 

1. It's National Read A Book Day...whatcha' reading? What's a book you want to read? 

We like to read in the car -- that is, I read while my hubby drives.  For what seems like months now we have been reading The Real Anthony Fauci, by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  We are finding it takes a long time to digest all of the information -- we are still only on chapter 8 out of 12.  It is truly sickening and so well documented you know it is absolutely true.  I am so anxious to be finished with this book so we may move on to something more edifying ... I care not what.

When we're home in the evening I tend to read before bed. Both Holy Hygge and Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor are in my current reading pile.  At the camp I am reading High Call, High Privilege by Gail MacDonald.

2. Which is better...having high expectations or low expectations? Explain why. 

I think it's fine to have reasonably high expectations for ourselves -- we need to have standards and strive for excellence as believers -- but I think it's better to have low expectations for others and low expectations of life experiences.  People will let us down every time (though God never will) so I don't say to expect the worst, but, as Andy Griffith once said in an episode involving a blind date, "Just don't overexpect."  If you pin all your best hopes on a person or a situation, you are bound to be disappointed.

3. Serenity is________________________. 

Resting in God's sovereign care no matter how challenging the situation.   Remembering what I know to be true about my God helps immensely.  And I highly recommend the book below.  (Also, see #5 below for a related answer to a similar question.

4. What's  the most interesting thing in your purse or pocket right now? 

Probably a handmade tissue holder.   Interested in making one?  They're easy.  Go here.

5. What helps you calm down? 

Reading the Psalms.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Yesterday morning, I watched a lady steal a pumpkin from outside of Market Basket.  She zipped into a parking place and exited her car, leaving the door open and striding briskly toward the store entrance.  I watched, ready to open my car door and call out that she'd forgotten to close her door -- which, I now realize, was the back door.  And continued to watch incredulously as she selected a pumpkin, returned to her car and popped it into the back seat.  And then calmly got into the driver's seat and drove away.  All for a $5.99 pumpkin!

I still haven't completely gotten over this experience.  She made no effort to hide what she was doing or to appear inconspicuous in any way.  Instead, she was dressed like Mother Goose, or possibly as a docent for some living history museum.  She had a table strapped upside down to the top of her vehicle.  And yes, I did get her license plate number, for anyone who might need it.  I wish I had gotten her photo -- or better yet, a video -- but  no doubt the security cameras did.

And there's the Wednesday Hodgepodge for this week!

Favorite cut-out Christmas cookies

2009 vignette on my kitchen island

"When lights and decorations go up along main streets across the country, rolling pins and cookie cutters of many shapes soon come to light in the kitchen. Then, more than at any other season, rolled cookies have top popularity. By the time Christmas arrives, cookie stars, hearts, crescents, jaunty gingerbread boys and animals dangle from the branches of twinkling Christmas trees."
~ Nell Nicholson, in Farm Journal's Homemade Cookies.

Oh, how I loved that book, which my mother had in her cookbook library when I was growing up (and which I eventually got my own copy of).  Nell Nicholson wrote so evocatively of country-style food -- and really, of an entire way of life.   Her words still ring true. For a good many people, the best Christmas cookies are the kind you cut out with holiday cutters and sprinkle with colored sugars and sprinkles before baking -- or, alternatively, bake first and then frost and add the trimmings. I have made plenty of cut-out cookies in my day -- by myself, with my own kids, and now with grandkids -- and thought I would share a few of my favorites here. There are other cut-out cookies over in my Christmas blog as well, and I have labeled them as such so they can easily be found.

Here's the first one:

SUGAR COOKIES

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. If the dough is sticky, add flour if necessary to make the dough easier to handle.

Roll dough 1/4-inch thick on a well-floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters of your choice. Sprinkle with colored sugars or sprinkles.

Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 100 cookies.

This recipe came from a Farm Journal Christmas magazine from the early 1960s. It was supposed to be a very easy dough for children to roll and cut, and I remember helping to make these as a child. Later, I used this recipe for my own kids to make and decorate cut-out cookies when they were young.  It's not my favorite sugar cookie recipe, but it is great to use with kids.


No list of cut-out Christmas cookies could really be complete without gingerbread men.  The following recipe is slightly adapted from Cook & Tell, and is my favorite recipe for ginger guys. Note that it is easily made in a saucepan!

GINGERBREAD MEN

1/2 cup shortening (or use real margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 egg, beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

In a large, heavy saucepan, place shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat and cool mixture to room temperature.

Add beaten egg to cooled mixture in saucepan. Sift together remaining ingredients and stir into molasses mixture using a wooden spoon. Mix well. Form mixture into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

Working with a small amount of dough at a time, and leaving the remainder of dough in the fridge, roll out dough 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick and cut with desired cookie cutters.

Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 375º for 8-12 minutes. Mine took about 8 minutes or even a little less. Makes a bunch of gingerbread men.

This next recipe is a newer favorite of mine, although I suspect the recipe itself is quite old.

BROWN SUGAR CUT-OUT COOKIES

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter flavor Crisco® (I use the sticks -- so, 1 stick for this recipe)
2 eggs
3 Tblsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream sugar and Crisco® until fluffy, using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, water, and vanilla and combine well. Sift the dry ingredients together. Work them into the sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or your hands, if necessary. When well blended, form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap to chill for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, roll the dough very thin on a floured surface. Cut out shapes and decorate with colored sugars and sprinkles, pressing down lightly. Using a floured spatula, transfer the decorated cookies to a foil-or-parchment-covered cookie sheet. Re-roll the scraps to make more cookies. Repeat the cutting and sprinkling process.

Bake at 350º for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove to cooling racks.

Yields a lot of cookies; I have never counted to determine how many, and the original recipe, which I found in Cook & Tell, didn't say.
Have you ever made a chocolate cut-out cookie?  I have two recipes for those and they are very good.  Different!

CHOCOLATE  JUMBOS

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 cup melted shortening (for example, one Crisco® stick, melted)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup warm water or coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp. cloves (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat the egg; add sugar and molasses and beat 1 minute more.  Dissolve the cocoa in the melted shortening, cool slightly; then add to batter and beat again.  Dissolve the soda in the warm water or coffee and vanilla.  Sift together the flour, salt, and spices if using.  Add soda mixture to the batter alternately with the sifted dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Chill dough for 1 hour before using.

Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface; cut into shapes.  Bake about 8 minutes at 350º; do not overbake; you want them to be fudgy, so watch carefully.  Remove to racks to cool.

When cool, frost generously with a vanilla butter frosting.  If you need a recipe, try this:  3 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tblsp. softened butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and up to 5 Tblsp. milk -- start with half that amount and stir in more milk as needed until smooth and spreadable.  Makes a good amount of cookies!

The second one is a little bit less fudgy and more molasses-y, but very good:

COCOA-MOLASSES COOKIES

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
Vanilla glaze, optional

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in molasses, egg and vanilla to mix well.  Sift together flour, cocoa and salt; stir into creamed mixture.  Chill dough.

 Roll dough rather thick, about 1/4”, and cut into rectangles with a clean empty luncheon meat can, or use cookie cutters of your choice.  Place cookies 1/2” apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° about 10 minutes.  Remove from sheets and cool on racks, then frost with vanilla glaze if desired.  Makes about 3 dozen.

 A little side story concerning these Cocoa-Molasses Cookies:  Years ago I read the Trixie Belden serieÏs to the kids, then they enjoyed them on their own as well.  In one of the books a Dutch lady named Mrs. Vanderpoel served Trixie and her friends some cookies, and I’ve always wondered if these were the ones.  The recipe says that these cocoa-molasses cookies are ”long-time favorites in Dutch neighborhoods in the Hudson River Valley.”   These are yummy with a vanilla glaze but just as tasty without it.  Moose and pine trees cut from this dough are really good!

  And this last one, which may be my personal favorite sugar cookie, is from my dear friend Marilyn's mother. Love the festive combination of flavors in this one!

CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES

1 cup shortening (may use half margarine)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. orange extract
2 unbeaten eggs
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine all but the flour and beat thoroughly. Add flour and mix well. Chill dough thoroughly.

Roll small portions of dough 1/4-inch thick and cut out. [Edited to add: decorate cookies before baking with sprinkles and colored sugars; or, bake the cookies plain and frost when cool.]

Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375º oven.

The yield is unspecified on this one, too. You really do get a lot of cookies from cut-out recipes, especially if you re-roll the scraps, a process that sometimes seems interminable. But I always do it.

Whichever recipe you choose, have fun.  Happy Baking!

I am linking up today with Gooseberry Patch's Christmas Cookies and Candy Recipe Roundup, where you will find loads of inspiration for your Christmas kitchen gifts and treats.

Cranberry Lemonade ~ a refreshing summer treat

Photo by Taste of Home

In trying to decide what to share for Gooseberry Patch's Recipe Round-up this week, I got to thinking about refreshing icy summer beverages.  When I bring a fruity lemonade or iced tea to a get-together in a gallon glass jug with lots of ice, people always enjoy it.

This Cranberry Lemonade recipe is one that I used to make all the time.  I had forgotten how easy and refreshing it is.  Other than the cranberry juice, it takes simple ingredients most people would keep on hand and is so simple to put together.

Why not double or triple the recipe and put in a gallon jug with ice for your family and friends this weekend?  I predict they'll enjoy it as much as we do!

Brazilian Cheese Buns

(Photo from King Arthur Flour)

I have been wanting to post this link for awhile now: Brazilian Cheese Buns.  Since beginning to avoid wheat about five months ago, I am always on the lookout for a good wheat-free recipe.  This one is gluten-free; it is made from tapioca flour and is absolutely delicious.

I tried this recipe because it looked easy and I have had good results from most gluten-free recipes I've tried from the King Arthur Flour site.  It has very good reviews.  I have never visited a Brazilian steakhouse, but these buns are said to taste very similar to the ones served in those restaurants.  These buns have a fantastic aroma as they bake and are quite addictive when served warm alongside soup, salad, or pasta.

The recipe said nothing about using these for sandwiches (they are on the small side for that) but I tried it anyway because one thing I really do miss is a good sandwich now and then.  I've used these for sandwiches using fillings such as ham and cheese, turkey, and chicken salad and they were all really good.  It would just need to be a filling that goes well with garlic and cheese flavors.  The buns are a bit chewy for sandwiches but really not bad at all.  I enjoy them.

I should add that the cheese buns freeze very well.  The recipe does make quite a few, so it's good to know they will freeze.

Don't reserve this recipe just to use for your friends and family who may be avoiding wheat or gluten; anyone who enjoys garlic and cheese and ethnic flavors would probably like these.  Hope your family enjoys the Brazilian cheese buns if you try them. 

Easy Cheese Logs

(Photo of a similar cheese log from Taste of Home)

I wanted to link up an appetizer recipe for Gooseberry Patch's recipe round-up this week, but it seems that most of my favorite appetizers came from Gooseberry Patch in the first place.  This one is a little different.  I found it in one of my other cookbooks years ago and have modified it somewhat.  The little bit of jalapeno flavor is very nice, but the jalapenos can be omitted if you don't have them or don't care for them.  This takes a bit of time to put together, since you need to take time to toast the nuts, but I still consider it easy and quick.  And there is nothing like the convenience of making an appetizer ahead to pull out of the fridge when needed.  Here's the recipe:

FESTIVE CHEESE LOGS

2 cups pecan or walnut pieces
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces grated sharp Cheddar cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or use a couple tablespoons of dried parsley flakes if you must)
2 tablespoons finely minced onions (the dried will work; use 2 tsp.)
1 or 2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
1/4 cup minced pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Toast the nuts: Spread them on an ungreased baking sheet and place them in a 350º oven for 7 to 10 minutes until nicely toasted. Watch them carefully. When they’re done, transfer them onto a large plate and let them cool.

Put the three cheeses in a large mixing bowl and work them with the back of a wooden spoon until blended. Add the remaining ingredients (except the nuts), and mix them with a spoon or your hands until everything is evenly blended.

Chop the nuts with a hand chopper and work 1 cup of them into the cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

When the 15 minutes are up, put a large piece of wax paper on your work counter. Spread the nuts on the wax paper.  (If you happen to have more fresh parsley, that also looks pretty mixed in with the nuts, so you might like to chop a bit more and add to the chopped nuts.) Divide the cheese mixture into two portions and place one portion on top of the nut-covered wax paper. Using your hands, shape the cheese mixture into a log, rolling and pressing it into the nuts as you shape. Wrap it in plastic wrap and follow the same procedure to make a second cheese log from the remaining cheese mixture. (If you prefer to make a cheese ball, scoop the entire cheese mixture onto the nut-covered wax paper and shape it into a large ball, again rolling and pressing it into the chopped nuts as you shape. ) Wrap the cheese ball or logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 cheese logs.

This recipe has been a family favorite for years, and it always goes over well at events I take it to. It's nice because you can make it well ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you're almost ready to use it. Just pick up a box or two of crackers and you're all set. I took this to a gathering in early December and took along the snowflake-shaped Ritz® crackers to accompany it. I like to make the logs rather than a cheese ball because they stay neater looking -- just slice and serve.

Apple Crisp Pizza

 (Photo by Taste of Home)

 For Gooseberry Patch's Recipe Round-up, I thought I would share this wonderful apple recipe.  It's been posted here before, but is my favorite apple recipe which is what they're asking for.  I found the recipe in Taste of Home ages ago and haven't changed a thing about it.

APPLE CRISP PIZZA

Pastry for a single crust pie
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium apples, peeled and sliced 1/2” thick
TOPPING:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned (or quick-cooking) oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Roll out pastry to fit a 12-inch pizza pan; fold under or flute edges of
pastry. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl; add apples and
toss mixture together well. Arrange apple slices in a single layer over
pastry in a circular pattern to completely cover pastry. Combine the
first five topping ingredients in a bowl; mix well and sprinkle over
apples. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are
tender. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle caramel topping over apples. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 servings

This is a wonderful dessert to make in the fall when the apples are
ready to pick. It makes your kitchen smell so good! You may add
vanilla ice cream on top if you like, but it’s delicious just as it is.

Scripture cross-stitch samplers

For Building our Homes Together
 today, I would like to share some Scripture verse cross-stitch I have made.  I have posted about these before, but wanted to share them again today.  I love that these have not only been wonderful projects to complete, but especially that they kept Scripture before me as I stitched and that now, on the walls, they keep Scripture before my family and guests.

First, here are four samplers that are hanging in the hallway between our kitchen and living room. For years this hallway, which is narrow and short, was sort of a dead space as far as any sort of decorating is concerned. I had these samplers, which I had made years before, and had never gotten around to framing them. The main reason for that is that they were all odd sizes and the frames would have had to be custom-made. Either that, or (my preference) my hubby would have to make the frames.

Amazingly, a couple of years ago he finally did find time to make them. I thought that rather than scatter the samplers all over the house in different rooms, or put them in a large space such as the living room, they might have more impact if I painted all of the frames the same color and put them all together in a smaller space -- such as this hallway. I am so glad I had that thought, as I pass through that hallway many times a day. The busy colorful designs of the samplers always make me smile, and the Scripture verses they include bless my heart as well.

Here’s the first one:



This was the first of these samplers I made. It features Isaiah 1:18, a favorite Scripture verse. I just love the falling snow outside the window.

Here’s another one. I think this is the second one I did. It features Philippians 1:11.



I love all of the detail in this one. That teapot? It was originally a cat in the pattern. I am not a fan of cats and I certainly would not want one on my kitchen counters or tables, so I turned the cat into a teapot.

Here’s the third sampler:




The verse on this one is Luke 6:38.

And the last one on this wall has a very helpful, practical verse -- Colossians 4:6.


I do apologize for the quality of some of the photos. The hallway is so very short and narrow, I had to lean into the hall to take the photos and they really aren’t the best. But I think you can get a good idea what the samplers look like.

The patterns are from Cross Country Stitching magazines. As far as I can tell by looking at the web site, all of these back issues are still available. Here are the issues the samplers may be found in:

The Luke 6:38 sampler (titled "Good Measure" was in the June 1996 issue.

The Philippians 1:11 sampler (titled "Kitchen Wall") was in the February 1995 issue.

The Isaiah 1:18 sampler (titled "Scarlet & Crimson") was in the February 1996 issue. The one I have is wrongly labeled Feb. 1995, but it's definitely the 1996 issue.

As for the Colossians 4:5 sampler, it was in the October 2000 issue, and is (I think) titled "Teapots".

You can order any of these back issues from Cross Country Stitching via catalog or from their website. Here's the link: Cross Country Stitching.


And here is the most recent one I have finished.  It's sewed onto a dish towel (cut to size) and hung from a recycled calendar dowel/cord.  This one is hanging on my living room wall.



 

Above is a closer look at the top part of the sampler.

And here is a closer look at the bottom part of the sampler.  I love the quilt hanging from the wooden spoon and also the yummy looking Bundt® cakes.  This sampler is titled "Country Baking" and may be found in the December 2005 issue of Cross Country Stitching.



If you are interested in joining in Building our Homes Together, see below:

Building Our Homes Together

I thought I would take just a minute to share about something wonderful that is happening over at Prairie Flower Farm . Linda has instituted a feature/blog hop called Building Our Homes Together. It happens every Wednesday. Ladies are invited to share relevant posts from their own blogs -- anything that has to do with building our homes: devotions, Bible study, prayer, frugality, recipes, gardening, blessing our husbands and children in various ways, homemaking, cleaning, decluttering, decorating, etc. etc. I know that many of you are posting things like this every day.

Here is the direct link to this Wednesday's posts: Building Our Homes Together. (Be sure not to miss Linda's fun idea of keeping treats on hand just for her hubby!) If you would like to get in on this helpful and encouraging feature, head on over and link up. You have through next Tuesday to do so, and then of course on Wednesday there will be a new one. If you have some older posts on your blog that others would find helpful, you can just link to those as I've been doing. Here is my most recent one, which many of my readers have already seen, but newer readers may not have: Building a Prayer Journal. Enjoy!

Cookie recipes galore!!!

I thought I would join in this week with Gooseberry Patch's recipe round-up, which is featuring cookies. Cookies are my favorite thing to bake and there is no way I could link to only one recipe here on my blog. So I am sharing several assortments. Here are the links:

Fun and Festive Cookies (This assortment features cookies that are fun for any festive occasion -- including, but not limited to, Christmas.)

Family Favorite Cookies (This assortment features tried and true delicious favorite cookies of our family.)

2 Favorite Big-Batch Cookie Recipes

Would you like to get in on this recipe roundup? Find out how and join in below.

Marinated Veggie Salad

(Photo by Taste of Home)

This was originally posted back in March, but I thought it would be a good one to link to for Gooseberry Patch's Recipe Roundup -- which is Cookout Favorites this week. Enjoy!

I tried a new salad recipe this weekend, and thought I would pass it along. We always enjoy marinated salads, and this one was no exception. I had come across the recipe in an older Country Woman magazine, and thought it looked simple and easy. I made this on Saturday night to take to our church potluck on Sunday. Here's the link: Marinated Veggie Salad.

I used homemade Italian dressing, but any Italian dressing you like would work just fine. The only change I made was to omit the chopped red onion. We just don't care for raw onion in recipes, although we use cooked onions all the time. Another time, I might add some dry minced onion or some additional onion powder to the salad dressing before mixing the salad.

This salad went over very well at the potluck. Delicious and very easy!

Want to check out more good cookout recipes? See below:

The return of the periwinkle

For Building our Homes Together today, I thought I would share this post which I wrote several years ago and then updated in 2010.  I originally wrote this post back in May 2007. I want to post it again because ... well, you’ll see. Read on:

I think I’ve mentioned before about the wonderful wildflower garden my daughter planted as a young teen. She did virtually all of the work herself -- clearing the ground, laying out brick paths, and transplanting wildflowers. It was a thing of beauty... and so special because she had done it all herself. Some of the flowers she transplanted were from our woods; others she dug up along the roadside. Family and friends who knew of the project were generous and shared plants with her. Her grandfather, in particular, was thrilled with her interest. He was a lifelong observer of nature who kept a “wildflower list” of plants he saw each year. He often brought her plants he had found in his ramblings through the woods and fields near his home.

One of the plants was called periwinkle. With glossy green leaves and charming purply-blue flowers, it made a lovely addition to the wildflower garden.

“It will spread,” Grandpa promised. I didn’t think too much about it at the time; the garden was new, with lots of empty space, and the idea of a plant that would spread didn’t sound too bad. Then too, I had been given plants in the past by friends who told me the plants would spread, and they hadn’t spread very much. I figured our soil was just too poor and that’s why the plants had not spread.

Well, Grandpa was right about the periwinkle -- and I had sadly misjudged it. It spread... and spread... and spread. At first it was charmingly attractive. When the first leafy tendrils crawled across the brick paths, they looked lovely. Those leaves stayed bright and glossy even in the driest droughts and the coldest temperatures. But before many years had passed, periwinkle was everywhere in that garden. There wasn’t much room for the other plants to breathe. The brick paths were almost obliterated by leafy green vines.

Grandpa is appreciating the beauties of heaven now, and my daughter has long since moved to her own acreage. The garden remains here, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it other than raking off the leaves in the spring and enjoying the flowers that still bloomed here and there.

Last fall I became aware of just how much the periwinkle had taken over the garden. I set about to eradicate it. What a task it was! Those plants trailed hither and yon over the garden, putting down roots as they went. And in many cases the roots were deep! It took days and days of pulling, ripping, and tugging at those plants to get them all out. Even then I couldn’t be sure I had them all. I knew that spring would reveal whether or not I’d actually gotten rid of them.

Sure enough, when I raked the leaves off a few weeks ago, there were still occasional sprigs of the glossy green periwinkle. They were quickly pulled out, however, and I feel optimistic that I can keep them under control now. I tossed the uprooted plants far away, in a completely separate area, over an ugly embankment where we could use some ground cover. That way, if they should happen to take root, they would serve some purpose.

The whole project reminded me so much of how sin takes root in our lives. At first it may look attractive and harmless, even desirable. The first periwinkle plant was so pretty. Even when it began crawling over the bricks, I still liked it. But before I was even aware of how much it was spreading and how it was putting down its roots, it was everywhere, choking the life out of the garden. In the same way, sin will choke out our spiritual life. And it happens so subtly we may not even notice. Then what a task we face when we determine to deal with our sin! We think we have it uprooted in one area, but then it pops up somewhere else. This reminds me of the vital importance of keeping short accounts with God and dealing with our sin each and every day.

... Fast-forward to April 2010. I hadn’t seen any of the periwinkle since I pulled out what I thought were the last sprigs of it in 2007. This year we had a lot of warm weather in March, and the snow left the wildflower garden early. Yesterday I was out there moving some large tree branches which had fallen on the garden over the winter. The weather has been so unseasonably warm that lots of shoots are up -- daffodils, bloodroot, tiger lilies -- and periwinkle!

I thought it was long gone, but I found at least a dozen sprigs of it in different places in the garden. It must have worked its way back up to the surface. That’s the same thing that happens when some deep-rooted sin is covered over rather than being dealt with and uprooted out of our lives. Eventually it pops back up and we have to deal with it all over again. What a great object lesson for me today! I’m uprooting that persistent periwinkle again, and hopefully I’ll dig deep enough this time.

Living in the light of creativity...

Today I want to share some thoughts about nurturing creativity in our homemaking and in every aspect of life.  I need to be exercising my God-given gift of creativity in my homemaking (as well as in other areas) each and every day.

Quite a few years ago I happened upon some unique Thomas Kinkade calendars at the dollar store. They were unusual because each month emphasized living our lives in light of a particular quality. One that stood out to me was "Living in the Light of Creativity." I like to feel that I live my life in this way. I was thinking about this concept one afternoon as I worked in my simple scrapbook journal. I had cut out the little picture of this particular calendar page from the back of the calendar, and was preparing to paste it into my journal. I mused for a few minutes on what it means to live one's life in the light of creativity.

The artist, Thomas Kinkade, has written his thoughts on this calendar page. He wrote, "When I create, God lights a fresh candle of joy for the world." I thought, That's undoubtedly true for Thomas Kinkade. Each of his paintings will "light a candle of joy" for countless people all over the world.

But what about me? What does it look like when I live my life in the light of creativity?

When I personally create, I know it "lights a candle of joy" for me. I seem to need creativity in my life to feel truly complete. A little creativity each day -- be it in the craft room, at the computer, or in the kitchen -- seems necessary for me.

And just maybe, those on the receiving end of the creativity... a poem, a blog post, a devotional thought, a magnificent dessert, a homey meal, a cozy room, some homemade fudge, a hand-crafted gift... will have a "candle of joy" lit for them as well. Because when all is said and done, creativity is not just a God-given gift for our own enjoyment; it's meant to be shared.

Another pillowcase project

Today for Building Our Homes Together, I thought I would share some homemade grocery bags that are truly frugal to make. It seems that in some parts of our country, it is now pretty much mandatory to use reusable grocery bags. These are especially frugal because you may already have the makings right in your linen closet! Have fun with this idea!

Here's the post, which again, is an older one:

I mentioned how I seemed to be in a real pillowcase mode with my Christmas gifts this year... I made vintage style ones and also embroidered and cross-stitched ones. But it went beyond that. I saw a tutorial for making pillowcase grocery totes from existing pillowcases. You can find it here:

pillowcase grocery totes

I had so much fun making these. I wanted to make a set for each of my daughters for Christmas. I think I ended up with a set of eight for each girl, plus I made a few for myself. Mostly, I just used pillowcases I had on hand. We love flannel sheets, but we don't love flannel pillowcases (not to sleep on, anyway; I've occasionally used some as sort of slipcovers for pillows). And every set of flannel sheets comes with two of them. They turned out to make gorgeous, sturdy grocery totes. I also purchased several pillowcases at the thrift store for 50¢ each to use for this project. Each tote took an hour or less to make. It was so much fun to see how the different prints turned out!

A snowflake tote.

This was a king-size pillowcase from the thrift store.

A blue toile in flannel

This flannel sheep pillowcase made a smaller tote, so I kept it for myself.

More snowflakes.

A western design.

Most importantly, I managed to devise a way to present the pillowcase grocery totes as a gift! That had been on my mind for some time. Of course I could have just stuffed them in a gift bag or a large box, but then the recipients would have to think of a way to store them. My idea was to make the gift packaging something that would be usable for storing the bags.

As I observed shoppers at my local supermarket, I noticed that most of them who use fabric bags just bring them all stuffed into one bag, and then just send that bag along on the conveyor ahead of their groceries. I also envisioned that they probably store the fabric bags in just the same way -- stuffed into one bag and hung on a peg or nail or whatever.

So it made sense to package the bags within one of the totes. But I wanted/needed some sort of label -- something to make it look a bit gift-y and to identify it. So I came up with the idea to make a clear plastic pocket for the container tote and to attach it with bias tape. I then made up a label to slip into the clear pocket.
For the plastic pocket, I utilized a clear plastic pocket that had come on a package of pillowcases -- a set that I had bought to embroider. I cut the pocket off, then edged it with bias tape and sewed it to the tote, then slipped the label in.

The pocket without the label in place.

I designed the label to be the right size to fit the pocket and printed it out on card stock. I figured that when the recipient starts using the bags, she can put anything she'd like in the clear pocket -- coupons, shopping list, a picture of the kids, whatever. I am quite pleased with how this idea worked out.

The pocket with label in place

So there you have it. I couldn't share all this before, much as I wanted to, because then two Christmas gifts would no longer have been a secret! Hope someone else can use this idea!

If you would like to see more Building Our Homes together, click the links below!

Lifting up my soul to God

 

Today I'm sharing this older post (actually a combination of two older posts) concerning lifting up our souls to God.  This little study was a great encouragement to me.  I hope these thoughts will encourage others, as well:

This morning as I began my prayer time, the phrase "I lift up my soul unto Thee" came to my mind. I felt in a very real way that I was lifting my soul up to God in prayer. I could not recall for sure what psalm these words are from, so I quickly looked them up in the concordance at the back of the Ryrie Study Bible I happened to be using. I found three verses with similar phrasing, though there may well be more. After I finished my quiet time, I decided to look at these verses in Spurgeon's Treasury of David. Here is the first one.

"Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul." (Psalm 25:1)

Spurgeon wrote: "See how the holy soul flies to its God like a dove to its cote. When the storm winds are out, the Lord's vessels put about and make for their well-remembered harbor of refuge."

I love both of the images that he uses -- the soul being lifted to God as a dove flies to its place of shelter, and a vessel fleeing from the storm to a familiar harbor. That is exactly how I feel.

Spurgeon continues: "It is but mockery to uplift the hands and the eyes unless we also bring our souls into our devotions. True prayer may be described as the soul rising from earth to have fellowship with heaven; it is taking a journey upon Jacob's ladder, leaving our cares and fears at the foot, and meeting with a covenant God at the top. Very often the soul cannot rise, she has lost her wings, and is heavy and earth-bound; more like a burrowing mole than a soaring eagle. At such dull seasons, we must not give over prayer, but must, by God's assistance, exert all our power to lift up our hearts."

Robert Mossom wrote in 1657: "Unto Thee in the fulness of Thy merits, unto Thee in the riches of Thy grace; unto Thee in the embraces of Thy love and comforts of Thy Spirit."
 
Originally, I took two posts to share the other verses and insights I found on lifting our souls up to the Lord. I decided to add the second post to this one now (September 2011) to make it simpler.   Truly, as I pray each morning, I do lift my soul up to Him in praise, adoration, confession, petition, and intercession.

The second verse I found was this one:

"Rejoice the soul of Thy servant; for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." (Psalm 86:4)

Charles Spurgeon, in The Treasury of David, wrote: "I look for all my happiness in Thee only, and therefore, 'unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.'

"I know that the nearer I am to Thee the greater is my joy, therefore be pleased to draw me nearer while I am laboring to draw near. It is not easy to lift a soul at all; it needs a strong shoulder at the wheel when a heart sticks in the miry clay of despondency... but the Lord will take the will for the deed, and come in with a hand of almighty grace to raise His poor servant out of the earth and up to heaven."

Those of you familiar with The Treasury of David know that not all the writings in it are those of Spurgeon himself. Following his commentary on each psalm, he also has a section called "Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings" which quote other Bible scholars, pastors, etc. of his time and before. It is worth reading what these godly people wrote.

In the "Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings" for Psalm 86, Spurgeon quotes John Gill concerning verse 4:

"It [the phrase 'I lift up my soul'] denotes the devotion, fervency, heartiness, and sincerity of his prayer: the doing of it with a true heart, the lifting up of the heart with the hands unto God."

Isn't that wonderfully put? It was a blessing to me.

The third verse I found was this one:

"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." (Psalm 143:8)

This, I know now, was actually the verse that came to my mind during my prayer time this week. It is a verse that I have memorized. I love this verse! It says so much about the Christian life in only 33 words. Someone has said (and I agree with them) that this verse could be the theme verse for every believer. Can you imagine how different things would be if every believer lived out this verse?

Concerning this verse, Spurgeon wrote: "When David was in any difficulty as to his way he lifted his soul towards God Himself, and then he knew that he could not go very far wrong. If the soul will not rise of itself we must lift it, lift it up to God.... 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."

Let us be doing just that!

My Quiet Time

I promised I would share an example of what my own personal quiet time is like. I hesitate to do this, because I want people to understand that a quiet time is just that -- personal -- and it is going to vary from person to person and even from day to day in each person's life. Nevertheless, here's basically what I do.

My quiet time has three basic components: prayer, Bible reading, and Bible study.

I usually have my prayer time first. That works out better for me, because if I wait and do that last, or in the middle, things start to happen. The phone begins to ring, or someone needs me to do something. So I like to pray first, before the interruptions begin. As I mentioned, I have a time of confession, then a time of praising and worshiping God, then a time of praying about my character flaws and specific issues (areas that need work in my life), then a time of praying for the needs of others. You can find the details in my posts on using a prayer journal. I plan on a half hour for my prayer time. Occasionally it is more or less than that.

Next I have my Bible reading time. This can be done in many different ways, as I detailed in my post on Bible reading. I allow a half hour for my Bible reading; it often takes less time than that depending on the method I am using to read through the Bible.

Then, my Bible study time. Some days I don't have time to sit down and work on a Bible study, but I am studying my Bible each day anyway because I work every day on preparing my Sunday School lessons for the coming week. Again, there are many different ways of studying the Bible. One of the easiest is to use a Bible study book or booklet where you write out answers to questions. I highly recommend the Elizabeth George Bible studies. She has written studies on the life of Sarah, the life of Mary, Proverbs 31, and the books of Luke, Judges/Ruth, 1 Timothy, James, Esther, Philippians, 1 Peter, and Ephesians. (These are not expensive books. They're available at ElizabethGeorge.com, or you can find them on Amazon, Christianbook.com, and   ThriftBooks as well.) I have worked my way through Bible studies, literally inched my way through them one question at a time, and you can do the same. You don't need to block out large amounts of time for this.

The SOAP method of Bible study is also something that I highly recommend.  You can do this with just one or two verses at a time and it is incredibly helpful to your spiritual growth.  (I should add that some people don't think the SOAP method is a good idea because it can be easy to take verses out of context and miss their real meaning and application.  When I use this method, I always make sure that in observing the verse -- the "O" in "SOAP" -- I look at the context and see who it's speaking to, the time frame, the verses before and after it, and more.) 

So that is my quiet time in a nutshell. Some days I will sing a hymn or chorus, particularly when I am praising God for one of His attributes or for His Word. I will find a song that fits with what I am praising Him for. Some days I will open my prayer time with a reading from a daily devotional book like Streams in the Desert,  just to set the tone for my quiet time.

In summer, I love to have my devotions outdoors or on the screened porch. In chilly weather, curling up with a cozy throw or in a rocker in front of a crackling fire makes for a nice quiet time. A cup of tea, hot cocoa or coffee is nice to sip on too.

I want to emphasize again that we are all at different ages and stages in our lives. I happen to have an empty nest and I also have the blessing of being a stay-at-home wife. Most mornings I do not need to be out of the house at an early hour. So I can take this luxuriously long time for my devotions. Many of you, I know, cannot. Especially you young moms with babies and toddlers. I want to emphasize to you not to beat up on yourselves because you don't have the time that I or someone else might have. This is not about designing the perfect format for your devotions. It's simply about spending time with your Lord each day. He knows all about your children, your responsibilities, and your schedule. If you can only take 5 minutes for each of these components to your quiet time -- and if those 5-minute segments are separated by an hour or more -- that's still fine. Start with 5 minutes. Then aim for more the next day, asking God to give you the time you need to spend with Him. The important thing is to spend that time with Him each day and to work at doing so consistently. As you do, the blessings will be so great that you will not want to miss a day. May God bless you all as you seek to implement a quiet time into your daily lives!

Quiet Time 101

Recently, a couple of people have asked me about my quiet time with the Lord. What do I do? What does a typical quiet time look like? Well, let me begin by saying that it's probably different for everyone, because we are all in different ages and stages of life. I don't think there is any one "perfect" way to have a quiet time, and when you think about it, that's appropriate, because we are imperfect people. The most important thing is that you take time to meet with the Lord each day, preferably at the beginning of the day. How much time you spend and exactly what you do is going to vary from person to person.

In this post I want to share some basic thoughts on having a quiet time, or personal devotions, or time with the Lord, or however you prefer to title it. Then I'll write a second post describing my own typical quiet time. The information I'm sharing below is a combination of my own thoughts, things my pastor has shared over the years, a workshop I attended on personal Bible study, and ideas from various books I've read. I can't recall at this point what information came from which source, so I really can't give credit where credit is due, unfortunately. I could write out the quoted Scripture verses here, but I encourage you to take a few minutes and look them up on your own.

Devotions defined. What is a quiet time? It's a time you spend alone with God and His Word. It's a time to learn what God has written in His Word, so that we might learn to do and apply what is written there. The Bible was written for each one of us -- it applies to our past, our present, and whatever the future may hold. The Bible is our personal letter from God. When we pick up our mail, we pay much more attention to our personal letters than we do to the impersonal form letters. So it should be very important to us to spend time reading our personal letter from God!

Devotions are not optional. They are as necessary for our spiritual survival as food and water are for our physical survival. We are in a literal battle against Satan and his helpers; they are out to make us useless Christians and destroy our testimony. That can actually be accomplished if we are not in God's Word daily. We need God's Word to combat the devil. When Satan begins to accuse us, we need to follow Christ's example and use God's Word to refute him. (Remember how when Jesus was tempted by Satan, He consistently quoted God's Word, saying, "It is written..." and Satan departed from Him. Read it for yourself in Luke 4:1-13.) If we don't know the verses, they won't come back to us when we need them. And we can't know the verses if we don't read, study, and memorize the Bible.

Devotions are necessary for our spiritual growth. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study God's Word. 2 Timothy 3:15 tells us what His Word is for: doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness. Having devotions should be so important in our lives that we consider it a daily necessity like brushing our teeth and combing our hair. We would only neglect these things if we were too sick to do them!

Pray before beginning devotions. A good prayer to use before beginning your devotional time each day is Psalm 119:18. It's good to aim for the same time for your devotions each day -- early morning, before you really get into your day, is ideal -- but be realistic. The Lord knows all about your day and your responsibilities. If you miss a day with your devotions, don't waste time getting upset with yourself, and don't give up. Start in again the next day.

Bible reading and study should be part of your devotions. If you don't have time for an actual Bible study, then just read your Bible. Ask the Lord to show you what He has for you from His Word each day. Read carefully. Jot down that special verse or verses, and ask God to help you apply it to your life. You might want to memorize it!

Some different approaches to Bible reading and study. Here are some ideas:
* Study a particular book of the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you toward a book that will be just what you need to study right now.
* Study a particular character in the Bible. Find out what made that person strong in the Lord, their weaknesses, how they may have failed or succeeded.
* Think of a particular weakness in your own life. Search out the answers in God's Word that will help you deal with this weakness.
* Use a study book or booklet where you write out answers to questions.
* Use a daily devotional book -- but be sure you study, and pay more attention to, the accompanying Scripture references.
* Study your Sunday School lesson, whether you are student or teacher.
* Read the Bible through in a year or more -- but don't stop your reading each day until you've learned something you can apply to your life.
* Read a chapter of Proverbs each day, corresponding with the day of the month. For example, on January 27, you would read Proverbs chapter 27. Ask God to show you something to apply to your life.
* Read through the Gospels-- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Doing this is a wonderful way to observe Jesus, our Savior, in His daily interactions with people. Since He is our Example, it's very helpful to see how He handled life's daily challenges.

A prayer time should also be part of devotions. The basics of your prayer time should be: asking God to search your heart to show you sin in your life, which you can then ask His forgiveness for; praise of God and His attributes; thanksgiving for all He has done for you; and praying for the needs of others as well as yourself. You can keep a list of requests, or you can use a prayer journal to organize the requests as I do. As an encouragement, you might write down the date you first prayed for each request and then note the date when it is answered, giving praise to the Lord as you do so.

Some helps to seeing answered prayer:
* Choose a certain time and place for prayer each day (Matthew 6:6)
* Pray specifically so you will know when God answers (John 16:24)
* Pray according to God's will (1 John 5:14-15)
* Thank God for what He has already done (Philippians 4:6)
* Be ready to do your part to see prayer answered (1 John 3:22)
* Be an example to others in your public and private life (1 Timothy 4:12)
* Be prepared for spiritual warfare. Remember that Satan does not want you to have devotions. He will fight you on this!

There are other things you might add to your quiet time. You might make this the time you work on memorizing Scripture or reviewing passages you have already learned. Singing a hymn or chorus is another way to praise God during your devotional time.

Entire books have been written on this topic. One of the best is A Place of Quiet Rest, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Many of Elizabeth George's books are helpful as well.

Whatever format you decide to use, just take the plunge and begin your quiet time today. If you've tried before and failed to have devotions on a regular basis, try again. Keep picking yourself up each time you fall and get back on the devotional track again. You can count on the fact that God will use this time to make an amazing difference in your life!

Actually using my prayer journal

It's time for another Building Our Homes Together Wednesday! This week I am going to share a previously published post (try saying that 3 times quickly) concerning actually using my prayer journal. If you would like to see what other ladies have shared for this feature, head on over to Prairie Flower Farm and check out the links for Building our Homes Together!

My prayer journal

I thought it would be helpful to share this info again, so here it is: 

 I’ve done a number of posts about my prayer journal -- guidelines for making one, how it’s put together, and how to make a prayer journal kit as a gift -- but I thought it was high time to actually write a post as to how the prayer journal works on a daily basis. 

 Before I begin, I'd like to say a word about prayer requests. A number of people have asked me how I deal with the short-term, more urgent prayer requests which we get at church, from friends, or via our church’s prayer chain (email or phone). They felt these requests would be hard to keep track of on an ongoing basis in a prayer journal. And they’re right. I don’t put these sorts of requests in my prayer journal. If I get a request for someone at church, I usually write it down in the notebook I keep with me for sermon notes. That’s usually enough to keep that request in my memory for when I pray for that person during the week. When it’s answered, I can cross it out. If I get a request via phone or email, I’ll jot it on a post-it note. When the prayer is answered, I toss the paper.  

The prayer requests I keep in my prayer journal are long-term ones. For example, for my grown children I pray for things like this: • Closeness to God • Spiritual growth • Wisdom for parenting • Wisdom for marriage • Wise use of finances • Wise use of time • Use of spiritual gifts and talents... etc.  

Now, as to actually using my prayer journal on a daily basis. The first section I come to is Adoration -- where I have a number of pages concerning the attributes of God. So I turn to the attribute for the day -- I keep a marker in this section so I praise God for a different attribute each day. As I praise Him for, say, His omniscience, I can also thank Him for the fact that He knows all about me and every circumstance of my life. I find that praising God for His attributes first sets the tone for my prayer time. 

 Next, I come to Agreeing -- that is, agreeing with God about my sin. In this section I have a number of pages concerning character flaws and sin issues in my life. Again, I keep a marker in this section so I pray concerning a different problem each day. This makes a huge difference in my life, because these issues don’t slip off my radar screen. I am praying about them on a regular basis. Also in this section, I have a section called Health and Energy -- detailing the daily need for eating healthfully, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, etc. Again, since these are areas where I am prone to get lazy, it makes sense to have them here where I can pray about them every day.  

Next, I come to Asking. Within this section, I start by praying through the requests for Every Day. These would be ongoing, long-term requests for my husband, children/spouses, grandchildren, parents and close friends.  

Next, I pray through the requests I have allotted to different days of the week. On Monday, for example, I pray for missionaries. Again, the requests I pray for missionaries are not short-term urgent requests (although I do pray for those needs at other times) but are ongoing, long-term things like protection, boldness, opportunities to witness, fluency in language, times of refreshment, etc. 

Each day I also pray for a portion of our church family. And this is where those prayer requests I get at church or via the prayer chain come into play. As I pray for, say, Sue Jones (made-up name) I remember that Sue is having a biopsy next week, and pray about that. So that is pretty much my prayer time in a nutshell. I have found that my prayer time is so much more effective and so much more of a blessing to me as I use my prayer journal. I hope that those who are making their own journals or those who receive them as gifts will find them as helpful as I have found mine to be. 

 I'd just like to add here that the time of praising God for His attributes is becoming ever more precious to me as I tend to consider my requests in the light of the particular attribute I am praising Him for that day. For example, as I pray for my children, and I am praising God that He is truth, I can thank Him that His promises are true, and that He will keep His promise to continue the good work He has begun in the lives of my children (Philippians 1:6).