I Cannot Tell

Just in case you didn't make it to the hymn at the end of my "Lamb of God" post, I wanted to re-post this beautiful beautiful hymn:

"I cannot tell why He, the King of Heaven,
Should leave the peace of all eternity,

Why God Himself should lay aside His splendor,
To leave the Father's side and come to me.

But this I know: our silence filled with singing,
And all our darkness fled from heaven's light

When Christ the Lord, so human, yet so holy,
In love was born a child for me that holy night.

"I cannot tell why He, the Joy of Heaven,
Should give Himself to suffer for my sin,

Why Holy God should love me in my shamefulness,
Why He should die to draw my soul to Him.

But this I know: that Christ the Lord is risen,
And praise His name, He's risen now in me!

Because He lives, I'll rise to life eternal!
He took my guilty heart, and I'm forever free!

"I cannot tell when He will rule the nations,
How He will claim His loved ones as His own;

And who can tell the holy jubilation
When all His children gather 'round His throne.

But this I know: all flesh will see His glory,
And skies will burst as all creation sings.

The Son will rise on one eternal morning
When Christ the Savior of the world is Lord and King!"

"I Cannot Tell" written by Ken Bible; inspired by William Y. Fullerton

Fudgy goodness...

This is a very favorite recipe at our house for chocolate sauce. Be it vanilla, peppermint stick, or cookie dough ice cream...this is the topping of choice!! Be warned...it's fast, easy, and fudgy! You might find yourself making this frequently!!

Hard-Shell Ice Cream Sauce

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter, cubed
3 T. evaporated milk (or half and half)

In a heavy saucepan, combine the chips, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream (the sauce will harden). Refrigerate any leftovers. The sauce can be reheated in the microwave.

Picture from http://www.tasteofhome.com/

Lamb of God

"Behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who was there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald...From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal...'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"..."Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Rev. 4:2-3, 5-6, 8, 11)

So is the holiness and majesty of God in His heaven! Where day and night praises come continually before the great and awesome throne of the eternal, unchangeable, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful King!! In no way could we in our natural, fallen, sinful state come before such holiness and purity. There was no way we could make ourselves pure enough, perfect enough, to come before this throne. For centuries, sacrifices had to be made by priests for sin, to cover over the peoples filthiness before God. The world cried out for a Redeemer!! So God, in His great wisdom and love, at the perfect time, sent His Son from this awesome place of worship and glory and angels...to earth.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1-3, 14)

"Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil. 2:5-8)

God became a helpless human baby, in the womb of a young virgin, Mary. He chose to come and dwell here with us. To experience the sorrow, the pain, the suffering. To become a servant. Why? In order that He might bridge the vast expanse of sin, and bring us to God!!! He came to live perfectly, to die in our place, taking the wrath of God that WE deserved upon Himself. He came to bring glory to God.

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?' And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.' And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I was a Lamb standing as though it had been slain...And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and twenty-four elder fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation'...'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'...'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and light forever and ever!'"

There would be no Lion of the tribe of Judah, no worthy Lamb. We would not have access to the throne room of God, if Christmas hadn't happened. We would still be lost in our sins, with no offer of salvation extended to us, if God hadn't come to earth and dwelt among us as a human being. There would be no hope of a second coming of Christ in glory, if Jesus hadn't come the first time in humility and servitude. He is WORTHY!!

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11)

It is still beyond my comprehension why God would do this for ME. God who sits enthroned in heaven with angels to sing His praise, fully sufficient in Himself. Why would he send his precious Son to DIE on the cross for a dirty, sin-stained human being...not even a speck in the expanse of the universe? Oh but I'm so THANKFUL He did!! During a Christmas fellowship with several dear like-minded families this evening, a little girl sang this beautiful hymn that expresses so well the wonder of Christmas:

"I cannot tell why He, the King of Heaven,

Should leave the peace of all eternity,
Why God Himself should lay aside His splendor,

To leave the Father's side and come to me.
But this I know: our silence filled with singing,

And all our darkness fled from heaven's light
When Christ the Lord, so human, yet so holy,

In love was born a child for me that holy night.

"I cannot tell why He, the Joy of Heaven,

Should give Himself to suffer for my sin,
Why Holy God should love me in my shamefulness,

Why He should die to draw my soul to Him.
But this I know: that Christ the Lord is risen,

And praise His name, He's risen now in me!
Because He lives, I'll rise to life eternal!

He took my guilty heart, and I'm forever free!

"I cannot tell when He will rule the nations,

How He will claim His loved ones as His own;
And who can tell the holy jubilation

When all His children gather 'round His throne.
But this I know: all flesh will see His glory,

And skies will burst as all creation sings.
The Son will rise on one eternal morning

When Christ the Savior of the world is Lord and King!"

"I Cannot Tell" written by Ken Bible; inspired by William Y. Fullerton

I Heard the Bells...

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.



I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth good-will to men"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Then ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day-
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


From our home to yours, a very very blessed and joyful Christmas!!

Disruptions

"'My times are in Thy hands.' Quite often they seem to be in the people's hands. When I wish for solitude and no interruption, the phone rings, people come, mail arrives that demands immediate action. Do I imagine that the interruptions come as a surprise to the Lord? Are they not, just as much as the planned things, a part of the pattern of things that work together for good?

"Flying in a small plane over Manitoba's vast farm country one spring evening, I was fascinated by the beauty of the patterns created by the contour plowing. There were stripes in varied shades of earth and greenness, circles and swaths and curves for miles and miles on every side. But the most beautiful designs grew out of the interruptions--a tree here, a pond there, a hill, a rock, a river. The plowman had had to bend the line each time he passed one.

"'Lord, where there are interruptions, it seems that the disposal of the time I had planned so well has slipped out of my hands. Help me then to remember that it has not slipped out of Yours. In Your hands, these unexpected things will be fashioned into an unexpectedly beautiful design.'"

~Elisabeth Elliot

(Discipline: The Glad Surrender, "The Discipline of Time" )

Yuuuummmmm...

Homemade slice and bakes!! Boy were these yummy! Kinda like a citrus shortbread cookie. I wasn't very well prepared to make them though. I doubled it, and had only 2 T. of lime juice and no limes for zest. Sooo....I used 2 T. lemon juice with the lime juice, and grated the 2 lemons we had, and since I was still 2 lemons/limes short for zest, I grated an orange to bring me up to the proper amount. ;) So I guess mine were Citrus bites. Either way, pretty tasty.


Key Lime Bites

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar, divided
2 T. lime juice
zest of 2 limes
1 T. vanilla extract
1-3/4 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt

Cream butter and 1/3 c. powdered sugar. Blend in lime juice, zest and vanilla; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt; add to butter mixture, stirring until combined. Roll dough into a log; chill for one hour. Slice log into 1/8-inch thick rounds (sharp knife works great!); place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-14 minutes or until slightly golden. Place remaining powdered sugar in a large plastic bag. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool for several minutes. While still warm, place cookies in bag with powdered sugar; toss gently to coat.
Makes 2 dozen.

Hopie's cake

Here's a picture of Hopie's pink lamb cake. She asked for a red cake first, but um, we talked her out of it. See the squiggly lines around the outside? They were supposed to be straight, but I was sobbing so hard after writing that "four"...

Okay, okay, so I've accepted it now. She's four, and there's nothing I can do about it. She only gets cuter and more adorable anyway, so what am I moaning about? ;) I'm sure I could name some things...*sigh*

Waaahhhh!

My baby sister turned FOUR last Thursday!!! We were slackers and forgot to keep the bricks on her head, to keep her from growing, and now here she is, four. And she has the nerve to look pleased about it!

Yes, those are sprinkles on her cereal. Grace's idea. :)

Mother and the happy birthay girl. And the pile of birthday cards from the family. It's always fun to see the stacks of homemade cards from siblings. :)

For reference...

Our cabin was about 20 minutes (ha ha, not counting the crazy 6-mile gravel driveway that took 20 minutes to drive out of!) from the NORTH entrance. We did a lot of driving. :)

Picture from http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/

Day 4

At last another Yellowstone slide! I kind of forgot that I hadn't finished these yet! This slideshow is of our fourth day in Yellowstone. This day's objective was to drive across the north side of the park, down the West side, and about half way to the East entrance. We stopped for lunch near the entrance to the trail head of Avalanche Peak, where Dad, Tyler, Sam, and I were planning to spend a few hours hiking. Trail length was roughly 4-miles for the round-trip. The elevation gain was about 2100 ft, which got us to 10,568 ft elevation. First 20 minutes or so were a little rough on the lungs, before we got used to it. So we just stopped when we had to, drank water, and scared the bears away by singing country western music (but that's a different story). Mom and the girls, meanwhile, went and built sandcastles by Yellowstone Lake. :) A fun day for all! The hikers finished their hike a bit ahead of schedule, however, and found themselves momentarily stranded, since the lake was 30 minutes away and we still had an hour or so until the time we'd asked Mom to meet us back at the trail head. Since our lunch area (and, more imporantly, the facilities) was only about 1 mile down the road, we decided to start walking, instead of waiting. As we neared our destination, we ran into a buffalo, right next to the road! Not wanting to disturb or otherwise upset the fellow, we tiptoed to the other side of the road and kept going. As we were juuuust about to our lunch area, our big, friendly, most-welcome van drove into view. Mom had left early, and was coming to our rescue. Rounds were made once again at the lunch-area facilities, and all were happy to rest their legs on the long drive home.

Making up my goodie list...

Peppermint Twist Kisses

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 to 8 drops red food coloring
36 chocolate kisses

Directions: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half; tint one portion red. Divide each into four portions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape each portion into a 9-in. log. Place one red log next to one white log; twist gently to create one swirled roll. Roll gently until roll becomes one log. Repeat with remaining dough. Cut each log into nine slices; roll each into a ball. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Press chocolate kisses into the center of warm cookies. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 3 dozen.

Picture and recipe from Taste of Home website

A quote from an "Apples to Apples" Bible edition card

"Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words."

-Francis of Assisi

(1182-1226)

Introducing our pets...

I have meant to do this for a while, because my sister Abbie took some lovely pictures of all our pets a couple weeks ago, and I wanted to post them. :)

This, of course, is Shanni, who got the first picture post on my blog. A deceptively innocent looking bundle of fur who wreaks havoc and laughter all over the house. Love her to pieces...most of the time. She's fun. We've definitely been blessed with interesting pets. Not one of them lacks personality!!

Next is Bear, our 10-year old Golden Retriever. You can see the white beginning to show around the eyes. Beautiful dog! BIG dog. :) Both his parents were 90-100 pound retrievers. In this picture, Bear is still growing out his hair after a summer haircut. He's a sweetie. Abbie loves taking him out for walks, so they're good buddies.

This pretty fellow is Tyler's 4-1/2 year old Sheltie, Pippin. :) He's a very sweet pup with a great disposition. We all love him dearly. Though he haunts the kitchen and comes running at the sound of cereal being poured or chips being put on plates. There's always the chance that some tasty morsel will fall to the floor. And I guess we do it enough that he hasn't given up the practice.

This is our sweet new parakeet, Pearl. Well, its full name is Pearl Justinian van der Hoeven. Sam wanted its first two initials to be PJ. But Pearl is what has stuck. Our last bird was a mean and aggressive little thing that would peck at you if you so much as touched the bars of his cage. Pearl, however, is being diligently trained to sit on fingers.

Last is our sweet little Netherland Dwarf, Archie. Pitch black with tiny ears and the cutest little face. :) A cuddle bunny for sure, though he has bitten me once or twice. Not maliciously I'm sure, but still...not exactly the way to build trust. Hmm, and writing about him reminds me I need to trim his nails tomorrow. A VERY nerve-wracking job, since his nails are black and you have to use a flashlight to find the quick, and avoid cutting into it. Yikes!

So those are our pets! We have a tankfull of fish and a frog too, but they're not very photogenic, and the frog is camera-shy. But what fun pets are. There's just something home-y about seeing a cat sleeping in front of the fireplace, a dog sitting at his master's side, and to hear a bird chirping cheerily in the corner. Such a variety of little critters that bring joy to the heart. Mostly. ;)

Discipline

"Strive to choose, not that which is easiest, but that which is most difficult. Do not deprive your soul of the agility which it needs to mount up to Him."

--Saint John of the Cross

From "Discipline: The Glad Surrender" by Elisabeth Elliot

Day 3

This slideshow is of our 3th day exploring Yellowstone. The day before this we stuck near home, doing laundry and exploring all the gift shops in Gardiner. Nothing very picture-worthy. :) Although I suppose our stacks of laundry were large enough to be worth a picture or two. I didn't take any though. Sorry. But on this day in Yellowstone, we explored the Canyon side of Yellowstone (east side). Such different scenery from the west side! Lots of waterfalls and amazing overlooks.

Reputation and Character

"The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation; the truth you believe determines your character. Reputation is what you are supposed to be; character is what you are. Reputation is the photograph; character is the face. Reputation comes over one from without; character grows up from within. Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; character is what you have when you go away. Your reputation is learned in an hour; your character is built in a lifetime. Reputation grows like a mushroom; character grows like the oak. A single newspaper report gives you your reputation, a life of toil gives you your character. Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; character makes you happy or makes you miserable. Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; character is what the angels say about you before the throne of God."

William Hersey Davis

Yellowstone Highlight

Here it is. The Petrified Tree. Cool, huh? The boys wanted their picture taken with it so they could preserve the memory of their favorite landmark forever. After seeing it for the first time, we talked about it the rest of the trip, since we passed the turnoff to see it nearly every day. How difficult it was to pass it up each time!! Tyler and Sam in particular just begged to be allowed to see it one last time before we left, but because of our tight schedule, it just never worked out. Thank goodness for cameras, eh?

With all sincerity, I thought it really was pretty neat. This redwood tree was probably petrified during the flood! Which means it's...old. I love old things. And history. So it was my kinda landmark. Years ago, there were supposedly 2 other stumps just like this one, but they were slowly chipped away by visitors looking for souvenirs. Hence the bars. We did get to bring home some petrified wood though, since we found some in a river we were playing in. :) So much variety to be found here!

Day 2

More Yellowstone pictures! These are from our second day in the park. We visited Mammoth Hot Springs, and traveled across the northern section of road, stopping at anything and everything we wanted to. Including the petrified tree, which was everyone's favorite (who doesn't like a stump of dead wood behind bars?) Well, I thought it was cool, anyway. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of that most noble of tree stumps...or at least, it turned sideways when I tried to put it into the slide show. It may have to get a separate post all to itself. *grin*

The new look

This is so fun! All I did was send the picture to my blog-header expert friend, Michelle, and she turned it into something beautiful!! Still fine-tuning the other blog colors (background, type, borders, etc.), but this looks much more fall-ish. Thank you so much Michelle!! I LOVE it!!

1993

I found a picture of the same little jumper! This was taken on my 4th birthday. And okay, forget what I said about the curls. ;) These were special birthday sponge-curler curls. Not quite as natural as Hope's, but I loved when Mom did them. Don'tcha love the hairbow?

In my search for a picture of me wearing that blue dress I found another one that many of you will enjoy, since it's a family picture when we were only 6. Hee hee. Just Mom, Dad, Luke (6), me (4), Tyler (2), and Sam (4 months).

I love looking through old photo albums!!

Little Cutie

Little girls just belong in dresses and tights. :) And just look at that sweet smile! Think she's had her picture taken a few times? You'd be right. The delights of being the adorable baby sister. By the way, that jumper she's wearing was MINE 16 years ago. My mother made it! It was my favorite because it was made of ever-so-soft midnight blue velour. Maybe I'll have to find a picture of me wearing it those many years ago, to see if Hopie and I look similar. I certainly didn't have those curls!!

As for the sweet pup, that's Tyler's dog Pippin (for those of you who have never met him). The cutest little Sheltie in the world!

Heart's cry

O For a Heart

O for a heart to serve my God

A heart that's ever broken to His will

Oh for a heart to serve my God my king
A heart that's ever delighting Him.

Oh that I would be made pure

That I would strive to love Him more

That every work of my hands

Would accomplish His plans

So that He would be glorified.

That I would place no other above

That I would die to lift high my God

That every gift I enjoy

Would always be employed

In the service of my faithful Lord.

--Keith Getty & Margaret Becker

"O For a Heart"

Day one

After our 2-day drive, and 1 day of resting up at our cabin, we entered Yellowstone for the first time! We drove all the way from the North entrance down the west side to Old Faithful. The geyser was the main attraction of the day, but we stopped at a few other neat hot springs, waterfalls, and beautiful picture taking sites along the way. :)

Walnuts

An ordinary pile of Autumn odds and ends?

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I THINK NOT!!!
Meet Walnuts.

Piper on Purity

"Christian purity is not the mere avoidance of evil, but the pursuit of good."

-John Piper

(The Passion of Jesus Christ, pg 91)

Home away from Home

This is a slideshow of our cabin on a buffalo ranch in Gardner, MT, as well as the surrounding property. They'd moved the buffalo because of the wolves and the nearby Yellowstone buffalo, but we still enjoyed the company of horses, miniature ponies, and friendly ranch dogs. Thankfully no grizzlies or wolves...as interesting as that might have been. :)

One thing that I don't have a picture of, but that we'll all remember forever is the loooong driveway to our cabin! It was 6 miles of gravel that took our poor van 20 minutes to drive. Everyone just sorta tingled for a minute or two after driving it. :P

In Heavenly Love Abiding

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear;

And safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here;

The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid;

But God is round about me, and I can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back;

My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack

His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim;

He knows the way He taketh, and I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen;

Bright skies will soon be o'er me, where darkest clouds have been;

My life I cannot measure, the path of life is free;

My Savior has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

--Anna L. Waring (1823-1910) "In Heavenly Love Abiding"

The 33-hour drive

The first of what I hope is several slide shows depicting our westward travels :)

To Live Faithfully...

"God surely hears that prayer [to live faithfully] when it is accompanied by obedience in the things that are perfectly clear. Both the wisdom and the strength will always be given, in perfect measure when the time comes, if we take up quietly and faithfully the duties of today. Let us not make the mistake of directing our energies toward what is not today's business. The best preparation for the future is always the conscientious carrying out of what is given us today."

~Elisabeth Elliot

A week at the Orchard

For those who are curious how much fudge, donuts, pies, etc. a little apple orchard goes through in the time of a week, here's an estimate 0f what we made and sold this week:


--24 9x13 pans of fudge, (120 pounds, I believe)


--35 batches of donuts (that would be roughly 210 dozen...and yes, we sell out every week)


--THOUSANDS of fried pies (turnover size...we can barely keep up with the demand! They're what this orchard is famous for)


--Dozens upon sticky dozens of caramel apples


--I don't know how many gallons of cider (Tyler would know...he has spent almost every minute at the orchard this past week making and bottling cider!!)
*NOTE: I was just informed by Mr. Ciderman himself that they make, bottle and sell 2600-3500 gallons of cider weekly!!!!


--Lots and lots of apple butter, pumpkin butter, jams, jellies, and preserves! This is what they make all winter with all the extra fruits!


--I can't imagine how many apples, pumpkins, squashes, etc, they sell. But really I'm not surprised...their apples are gorgeous and the most delicious things ever!! How am I going to go back to grocery store apples after this?!?! I don't even want to think about it right now. :)


Obviously I don't know all the numbers, but it really is pretty amazing how busy they are this time of year!! I love it!! Today I spent most of my time in the back kitchen making donuts...77 dozen. Love those greasy racks. :P But to make up for it, I got to help jar apple butter, which is the most wonderful job because it smells so amazing!!! Hopefully I'll get some pictures of my workplace and all that fudge soon, but here's a link for the present:
http://www.evansorchard.com/Index.html


The Lord has definitely blessed Tyler and me with a great job. We love the people we work for...and most of the people we work with. ;) It's always busy and sometimes crazy, but has brought so many opportunities to share the gospel and reach out in love to hurting people who need Jesus!! Has been a growing experience for us both, for sure. Ha ha. That just struck me as funny after writing about all the fudge and donuts I make. *grin* Never mind.

(picture from www.evansorchard.com)

Twinsies

Carrie and Hope, all matching and adorable. :)

Little sisters are so wonderful!! This picture just makes me want to sew more so I can make more cute matching things for them. In all that spare time I don't have, eh?

Beautiful day...

Such a lovely day at the vdH home...blue sky, cooler temperatures...Hey, but what kind of critters are on the roof there?

Aha...it's Dad and Sam! I guess they miss the mountains from our trip out west. Too bad there are so many trees. They might actually be able to see for a couple miles. Not quite like being 10,000 feet up on top of a mountain, but...I guess they were willing to take what they could get!

Okay, okay, they were cleaning the chimney. Or it looks like Tyler was anyway. Getting ready for those cold, yet cozy, winter days. :) Hooray!

Trust and Obey

"David inquired of the Lord"

2 Samuel 5:23

"Christian, if you would know the path of duty, take God for your compass; if you would steer your ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many rocks might be escaped, if we would let our Father take the helm; many shoals or quicksand we might well avoid, if we would leave to His sovereign will to choose and to command...We must mark God's providence leading us; and if providence tarries, tarry until providence comes."

-C.H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, Feb. 9)

~ ~ ~

"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground!"

-David (Psalm 143:10)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'm not an especially talented writer when it comes to sharing what the Lord has been teaching me. I know after I post this, I will think of dozens of verses I could have used, or things I could have said better or differently, but this is a subject that has been on the forefront of my mind this past year, and I just wanted to share it. I'm slowly learning that I'm not the only one to have these struggles, and that it's okay to open up and be honest, and to share how the Lord comes through every time. :) Would heartily welcome any thoughts or comments from any who are learning or have learned the same things! Particularly, though, from any of my older, wiser readers who have been walking with the Lord longer and have more stories of His faithfulness! You never know how God might use a little comment on a little blog to bring encouragement at just the right moment to someone! :)

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Somehow I have a funny feeling that, no matter how old I get, obedience is something God's always going to be working on in me. It probably gets easier as you begin to build up story after story of God's faithfulness, and experience the joy of walking on obedience to the Lord. But it definitely seems to be a process of trusting, obeying, and then finding out that the Lord really is sovereign and knows what He's about.

Although I've had "obedience tests" in the past, it seems that it's a lesson the Lord has really wanted me to "get" this year. Since my graduation about a year and a half ago, there's been the question of how I use this time in my life. Lord willing, I would love to some day get married, have a family, and be a godly stay-at-home wife, mother, and homemaker. Best job in the world, in my opinion! So though that's what I've wanted since I was a little girl, the Lord has reminded me that "obedience is the end", and that I really don't know what He has in store for me, and that I just need to do what He says, without considering whether it lines up with what I think my future is. Similarly, I need to obey His revealed will to me, and not concern myself with things I don't understand yet. It's been said, "Beware reasoning about the Word of God. Obey it."

For example, I've said that I would love to get married some day. And yet, the Lord hasn't led me to college and doesn't want me to play the dating game. *gasp* How will I ever find a husband?!? Oh yeah, I don't have to find a husband! If the Lord wills it, He will bring it about in His good time and in His good ways, without any "help" from me. And I'll be saved from a lot of the heartbreak and hastily formed and broken marriages that I see around me. It's only by the grace of God that He's brought certain people, books, and teachings into my life that have helped me to understand that I need to trust God in this area as much as (and perhaps more than) in any other. It's a hard one to keep my hands off of, I'll admit, but I know, through many testimonies, that it'll be worth it in the future. Elisabeth Elliot's book, "Quest for Love" has been a great encouragement to me, and I plan to read it's prequel "Passion and Purity" soon after.

So even though the things God has me learning right now seem to point to the desires of my heart, I still have to hand those desires and dreams, good as they are, back to Him, and trust Him with them. And I'm excited to see how in the world He's going to do it!! As a child of God, it's a joyful thing, even if I struggle first, to place myself into the hands of a loving Father, who sees and hears and knows all! :)

So though God's helped me trust Him with my future, I've still struggled somewhat with being content where God has me right now. It's so easy for me to compare myself with friends who have found their "niche" and then to feel like I'm not doing anything of much value. But I was reminded the other night that God doesn't "rate" us based on how much it feels like we're doing for Him, or how "spiritual" what we're doing looks, but He DOES care about whether we're walking in obedience to Him and seeking to glorify Him wherever He puts us. Even if it's not exactly what we had in mind or especially want to do in the long run. :) I want so much to be able to say with Paul that "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." (Phil. 4:1)

This wanting to walk in Jesus' steps certainly keeps a person in prayer. "David inquired of the Lord". I never want to make a decision based on what everyone else is doing, especially if it's the way the world is doing it. God calls believers "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9) So it follows that the way I make decisions should probably be a little different than "what's popular" "what's considered 'normal'" or "what makes me stand out the least?!?!" And yes, for a quiet, shy person like myself, it's a temptation! But if I want to glorify God and proclaim "the excellencies of Him who called [me]," my decisions HAVE to have their beginning in prayer and in Scripture, or my decision making won't be any different from the unsaved! Being the temple of the Holy Spirit should and will make us radically different!

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"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) Even the grit and grace to trust and obey. "To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (vs. 20)

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"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13)

Obedience is the End

This is an Oswald Chambers quote that I came across earlier this year. Originally I had only read a portion of this quote in "God's Smuggler", but then googled it, and found out that there was a lot more! It really changed, among other things, my view of obedience, as well as my decision-making process! More about that later. For now, the quote!

"We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us, and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success. We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.
What is my dream of God's purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process - that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.
God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.
God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious."

A Fairytale Pie

Here's Kate, holding the evil-looking, brown-green squash called, upon research, a fairytale pumpkin! From the patch of Cinderella's step-sisters perhaps? At any rate, I picked this one up at the orchard down the road (where I work), having been told that it made excellent pumpkin pies. Time for some food experimentation!!

I used my mom's recipe for Pumpkin Pie from fresh pumpkin. The recipe said to bake the gunked out, halved pumpkins in a dish filled with 1/4 inch water for 1 hour. Being impatient, I decided to quarter the squash and microwave it instead. It took about...1 hour.

While waiting for my pumpkin to cook, I mixed together the dough for my Oma's pie crust and lined three pie dishes. This is the step that for whatever reason keeps me from making pies more often. An odd thing because I love to make pie crust. I suppose just the concept of having to flour the counter, get my hands all messy, and have to deal with greasy dishes afterwards that makes me THINK it will be a big undertaking. ;) Definitely worth it though. This is yummy crust! Flaky and delicious every time.

Once my pumpkin was soft and fully cooked, I scooped out the insides and discovered that I had 6 cups. Enough to double the recipe! Originally, the recipe would have made 2 8-inch round pies. I got 2 9-inch pies and 1 8-inch. By the way, Mom and I tasted the pumpkin at this point, and found it to be a bit sweeter and less bland than normal pumpkin. At least that was my opinion. Mom just kinda made a face that said "it still needs butter and brown sugar."

And then....I guess I could have used a mixer. But who wants to use something man-made when you could use something God-given? I mean, it's so much more practical and saves electricity. Not to mention that I don't have to wash an orange-splattered kitchen afterwards. The fewer things to wash in the end the better, I say!!

Next step: mix the smooooth pumpkin with brown sugar, spices, and beaten eggs. Pour into prepared pie pans and bake at 350*F for 35 minutes. You wouldn't believe how marvelous our house smelled! Pumpkin pie candles might have to do occasionally (though I think it's cruel...you walk into a house, smell pie, and...what a LET DOWN!!) but as for me and our house, we make real pumpkin pie!

Beautiful.

Though I do admit, the piece should have been bigger. Or maybe it was just dwarfed by that blob of cream on top? But anyway, I personally liked this pie better than the pumpkin pie made from canned pumpkin. Had a good texture and more spicy-ness. And although we have some pumpkin pie-dislikers in our family, it was generally approved of by those who tried it. :) Yummy!