If you can't sleep,
don't count sheep.
Talk to the Shepherd.
saying seen on a church sign.
"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)
If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd. saying seen on a church sign. "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)
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Here are some wonderful thoughts from our parents' newsletter that go along with the theme of the last post. Though they are going through many trials on the mission field, God has helped them to keep a thankful heart. Here is an excerpt from that newsletter. In Everything Give Thanks “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything? Does it really mean we are to give thanks in everything? Yes, the verse says that it is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything. Does that mean when the rains cease, and the water supply starts to run low again so we have to ration the water? Yes. Does that mean when we aren’t able to take a real bath for a week or two or three? Yes. Does that mean when, due to a leak in the fuel tank, the fuel supply for the generator gets too low to last six weeks and so has to be rationed to meet the most urgent needs of those weeks? Yes. Does that mean when there are bigger mounds of laundry to do because we only get to do it once a week since there is not enough fuel to run the generator more often? Yes. Does that mean when you come home after a week in town and discover that a rat has made a big mess around the house, chewed up a sentimental throw pillow,* and tried to make a nest on your nice soft blanket? Yes. *This throw pillow belonged to Mom's mom. It was a special keepsake, a cross-stitched pillow with a beautiful scene and the song, "Beyond the Sunset." Mom was thankful that she was able to salvage the cross-stitched part. Does that mean when you pour your hearts into God’s work and people’s lives and they reject the teaching of the Word? Yes. Does that mean when you are falsely accused of being the reason for someone else’s wrongdoing? Yes. Does that mean when people you are trying to teach and prepare for the ministry go against your advice and do things their own way in order to please men? Yes. Does that mean when you are told that your plane will be arriving in Owena at 10:30 a.m., and you wait two hours in the hot sun at the airstrip because the plane is two hours late, and there is no place to sit down except on the ground, and the mobile phones (cell phones) aren’t working that day because of a problem at the tower, so you can’t get in touch with the hangar to find out whether the plane is going to come, or not? Yes. In everything give thanks. That is not as easy to do as it is to say. But we are grateful to God for His abundant blessings even in the midst of all the trying circumstances. Even in the midst of testings and tears, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. We are thankful that God’s Word does not change, and that we can always count on God to be faithful. His mercies are new every morning, and they endure forever. But then, can we give thanks for all things too? That’s what Ephesians 5:20 tells us to do: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is a little bit harder. But we can give thanks for all these things. We are thankful that the Lord has used all these things, and more, in our lives to teach us to depend more fully on Him and less on ourselves, and to help draw us closer together too . "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18 This is very hard to do this morning. Many things have been occurring that may or may not turn out the way I think they ought to - Job situations, difficulties in the work for Dad and Mom, health care situations, etc. There are some possibilities here which make me excited. They also make me worry that it won't turn out "right" (my idea of right, of course). It is easy for me to worry and fuss and whine and stew. That was the temptation for me last night and this morning. It is not wrong to be concerned about these things and to bring them to the Lord in prayer. But it is wrong to dwell upon them and to try to figure out how I think the Lord should answer them. The focus should be God, God, God; not me, me, me. Lord, put thankfulness in my heart. Help me think upon that which is good and right. As I pondered these things this morning, the Lord brought to mind a whole list of things that He has done for us just since yesterday. 1. Christy had safety out shopping, and the Lord gave us and our friends safety as we went to Dr. Schulman's. 2. The Lord gave encouragement through things friends wrote to us (friends who knew nothing about my troubled thoughts). He also encouraged us through His word, good music, and good preaching. 3. The adjustment was very good and gave much relief. 4. With a coupon, we were able to save $1.00 at Earth Fare. 5. The Lord gave help and wisdom in preparing to redo the "Needs" page on Dad and Mom's website. 6. The Lord helped in going through Mom's journal and preparing news to be uploaded to their website. 7. The Lord helped in writing an important email. 8. The Lord gave me a very good sleep last night. 9. The Lord allowed me to wake up today in less pain than I was in yesterday. 10. The Lord gave us food for a smoothie and for breakfast. And it tastes good! 11. He also showed us reminders yesterday that winter will not last for ever; that He will send spring soon. It seemed like the Lord was driving home a message. "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) And here are more wonderful promises from God's word: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:25-34 Dad and Mom will be flying back into the village tomorrow, probably sometime this afternoon USA time. As they fly back, please remember them in prayer. They will be facing a very difficult situation in the work of the church there in Owena, Papua New Guinea. Pray that God will show Himself powerful. Pray that His name will be honored and glorified. Pray that the people will have prepared hearts to hear God’s Word; that they will understand what it means to follow God; that they will not be following man. Pray that they will understand that this is not a case of who will follow “Paul” or who will follow “Apollos,” but rather who will follow God. I cannot give all the details here; but I cannot stress it enough, Please be in urgent prayer. Especially be praying on Saturday evening, starting around 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Thank you so much. God bless you all for praying. May God be magnified. "14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man' heart." Psalm 104:14,15 The past year has been a difficult one for me as I have experienced joint pains, muscle spasms, nerve pains, numbness and tingling, etc. So far no specific diagnosis has been reached. However, through visits to a couple of doctors and three chiropractors, hours of online research, and the input and suggestions of friends, the Lord has shown me some foods and supplements that can give relief from some of the inflammation. I would like to share some of the things that have been a help to us with our problems. Perhaps they will be a help to someone else as well. (On top of the above mentioned problems, I also have a number of food sensitivities. Christy also is experiencing some food sensitivities and some symptoms which indicate there is inflammation going on in her body. Therefore, recipes will take these food sensitivities into consideration. Feel free to take and modify them according to your own needs.) Cherry/egg Smoothie This is very delicious. However, it does use raw eggs. There is always a danger of salmonella on raw eggs, so handle with care. I usually wash the eggs well with a tiny amount of dish detergent and then rinse thoroughly. They are then sprayed with hydrogen peroxide to remove any other bacteria. To make smoothie, place the following in blender 1 banana ½ cup frozen cherries (good for joints) 1 capsule acidophilus* (opened and sprinkled in) Powdered ginger to taste - (anti-spasmodic for muscles) Powdered cinnamon to taste 1 scoop cordyceps mushroom supplement** - (anti-inflammatory) 2 raw eggs - mildly anti-inflammatory and also soothes an irritated stomach Optional: add a little brewer’s yeast*** for more energy Blend all until very smooth. I drink this about 4 mornings a week. *The acidophilus I use is Longest Living Acidophilus™ by Futurebiotics **The cordyceps supplement we use is called CocoCeps which is ™ of Madre Labs, available from iherb This supplement does contain chococolate and has a small amount of caffeine. According to my chiropractor Dark chocolate is anti-inflammatory when eaten in moderation but becomes inflammatory when combined with milk. ***The Brewer’s Yeast we use is from Solgar and is made from fermented beets. It is non-active yeast and is debittered. Orange/lemon Green Tea Ginger Drink This is a great drink for energy. I like to take it with me when I go out, especially in the summer. It can be made with just lemons or with oranges and and one lemon. If using just lemons, use 2 lemons instead of the 3 oranges and 1 lemon. Make in a 3 to 4 cup container. 3 oranges - mildly anti-inflammatory 1 lemon - mildly anti-inflammatory 6 pieces of crystallized ginger - anti-spasmodic and soothing to muscles 1 capsule of green tea - decaffeinated, Life Extension brand Optional: 1 packet emergen-C; if you are needing extra electrolytes Honey or sugar to taste (sugar and honey are both inflammatory, especially sugar, but sometimes this drink needs a little sweetness.☺) Seltzer water enough to fill the 3 cup container. Note: this drink does contain quite a bit of natural and other sugars. Please use with caution if you have sugar problems. A Mostly Anti-inflammatory Lunch Beef Liver Gravy Tapioca starch or flour - 3 Tbsp. - (Tapioca starch is available in an Asian Market); potato starch or corn starch can also be used Tapioca starch can be very inflammatory; use in small amounts or use 3 Tbsp. of flour instead 2 tsp. beef liver extract - I use Solgar brand tablets. They have no additives. If ground to powder, they can be used for gravies or beef stock. Red meats are considered to be inflammatory, but beef liver is considered to be beneficial. Curry powder to taste - strongly anti-inflammatory; also thought to be useful for cancer prevention; be careful not to use too much or gravy will be bitter; also use curry with caution if you have a tendency to develop kidney stones Salt to taste - unprocessed sea salt (the one with all the colorful crystals); has natural trace minerals Onion and garlic powder to taste Parsley Other spices as desired for taste - use only plain, natural spices. Instructions: Mix starch with cold water and allow to set for at least 5 minutes Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly Cook on medium heat (maybe lower if using a gas stove) until mixture boils and thickens. Stir frequently. Asparagus Asparagus is moderately anti-inflammatory. If you use frozen, check the bag to make sure nothing else is added. When using the frozen, you can easily break off the stringy parts before adding the pieces to the pan. The sprigs of asparagus will snap easily where the stringy part ends and the easy-to-chew part begins. Add about 4 tablespoons of your gravy to the asparagus. If necessary add water to keep the asparagus from burning. Add a small amount of salt to taste. It shouldn’t need much since the gravy already has salt in it. Barley Biscuits Note: Barley is not anti-inflammatory. It is moderately inflammatory. It is, however, less inflammatory than rice though slightly more inflammatory than wheat. Most grains are somewhat inflammatory, but they can be combined with anti-inflammatory foods. Also, flour is best used right after it is ground. When it sits at room temperature very long it becomes rancid and becomes more inflammatory. We get organic barley for $1.00 a pound at Ingles, and a friend grinds it for us. Ingredients: 4 ½ cups barley flour ¼ cup expeller pressed canola oil Pinch of salt 3 tsp. baking powder* 1 ½ cups water Mix all ingredients and make large drop biscuits on an ungreased stainless steel cookie sheet. If using wheat instead of barley, the cookie sheet should be greased. If using wheat-free flour, the cookie sheet does not need to be greased. However, wheat-free flour bisuits or cookies do stick very badly to non-stick cookie sheets. *Homemade Baking Powder Most baking powder has cornstarch in it. If allergic to corn, try this homemade baking powder 1 part baking soda 1 part cream of tartar 1 part tapioca starch or potato starch Mix all thoroughly and use as you would regular baking powder. Well, I hope this has been a help to someone. The smoothie and meal certainly were yummy! I’ll try to post again another time about other recipes or supplements good for inflammation and/or food sensitivities. Have a great Lord’s Day tomorrow. 15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. 17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? Psalm 147:15-17 This morning we were able to get out of our trailer park and head off to the chiropractor in Charlotte. There are always interesting things to see on the way there and back. Today was especially pretty due to the leftover snow and ice. On top of that there was a very beautiful, clear, blue sky. The sun made the icy snow look wet and caused the ice laden trees to sparkle like jewels. After we came back from Charlotte, Christy applied for a job at a business in Kings Mountain. On a sidewalk, we saw that the melting ice was making interesting patterns. The sunshine shone brilliantly on the snow when we parked at the business where Christy applied. Too bright! When we got home, we were welcomed to still more beauty. Thank You, Lord. Welcome all readers to the white, wonderful world of North Carolina. God just sent us a beautiful snow and ice storm. I'll put a few pictures here and then make a photo gallery below as there are so many pictures of it. Hope you have fun looking at them. As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10,11 Photo gallery below. To see a picture bigger, just click on it. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10) Greetings everyone and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is certainly a blessing from the Lord that He has brought us through the year 2010 and has now allowed us to see the start of 2011. Thank God for His mercies. And along with the beginning of the new year, the Lord has allowed us the beginning of a New Venture! Announcing the Grand Opening of the online store - Joyful Hearts Variety. There you will find some handmade items for sale, a page with free downloads, and a blog with "reflections of the heart." There is a free photo e-book for Grand Opening Week as well. Don’t forget to check it out on the Freebies page. God bless all of you and give you all a wonderful year in Him. “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.” (Psalm 65:11) |
Sour Sammy
Sour Sammy could not be good, no matter how he tried. One day his father had to discipline him for doing wrong, He asked his father why he could not be good, so his father got down the Bible and showed Sour Sammy how only Jesus could make him good. "Soon it was known all over town That Sour Sam had lost his frown -- Jesus had turned it upside down." Mom's e-book for children can be purchased by clicking on the "Buy Now" button below. Journey Into the Love of God by C. Young "This little book, written from the perspective of a young Christian lady, will take you on a fascinating journey deep into the heart of God." $3.75
God is Near Even when He Seems Far Away A short eBook with Reflections on Psalm 34. Written by C. Young $.99 Archives
October 2021
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. Provided by Christ Notes Bible Search Looking for encouragement? Hop on over to our Encouragement blog for uplifitng Bible studies and more. Categories
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"Set Your Affection on Things Above" (click below to download short e-book)
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