Like most of us, the siblings above seem to be asking, “Now what?” We usually expect something negative or ornery or at minimum unexpected when family gathers. As we carry this worrisome aspect around we more often than not lose sight of the power of God to change and rearrange things.
When we recently traveled to the beach I was quieted to realize again God is in control, even when I might not sense His control. If only I will accept His love and power over my life, I can come to a place of rest instead of expecting turmoil.
And the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?
Almost every morning at 8 AM Bob walks Lucky. As they went around the retention pond recently they came across these lovely deer.
As soon as he got home Bob said, “I have something to show you!” And shared those two photos. Moments later, a neighbor texted me saying, “I was taking a picture of the deer and look who entered the frame.”
We live in a fun neighborhood!
Often while walking Lucky Bob is listening to Morning Prayer or a devotional blog. I think these verses fit these photos perfectly!
Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. 2 My whole being thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see God’s face?
The winter weather broke and we were going to sleep with the windows open. On that warm evening there many dogs out of doors and they had lots to say. Lucky was uneasy with all those canine voices. She looked out the window with her paws on the sill. Had trouble making sense of it. She laid on the floor next to my side of the bed, under one of the open windows. Seriously restless.
Finally she decided the only safe course of action was to scoot 1/2 way under bed.
Later in the night when I got up she was on her sleeping pillow as the other canines had retired to sleep and were no longer causing a racket.
Lucky has not yet met Noodle, but we have a Great-granddog puppy! Baby Corgi! Congratulations Lizzie and Drew!!
Pink lightning streak on her nose!Eye shadow on this eye only
I think my favorite name for her is pinky toes!
When she is awake she has loads of energy. When she is asleep she is out cold. There is a little eye make-up on one eye and a faint black stripe down her back. She is quiet vocal and for now has a tiny bark. With her personality they are going to have their hands full!
I can’t wait for her to get all her shots so Lucky can meet her!
Did you get a Chocolate rabbit? What part did you eat first?
Years ago when I saw this in a hospital gift shop I purchased it immediately. Fondly remember my mother teaching us about “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.” Now bunnies demonstrating their limited abilities after someone ate the ears, ate the eyes, ate the mouth. Ha!
Has your Lenten discipline brought you to a new place in your walk with Jesus? Or like so many New Year resolutions have you already forgotten what you were aiming for in what you ‘gave up’ for the 40 days of Lent?
I hope and pray that the Easter Season brings you into a closer and richer fellowship with the One Who died for each of us. He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
I saw an advertisement recently that used a quote from Audrey Hepburn. I had never heard this one! She said,
I just love that! The word itself says I’m possible. That is just the optimism I believe the Lord had when He created you and me! He makes us possible and He provides what we need to fulfill His plan on the earth.
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:3-4
He has given us His Son. The power of resurrection life through the sacrifice of Jesus and the indwelling Spirit. Everything we need for life and godliness is ours. Are we taking advantage of the things we have been given? Are we telling ourselves “I’m possible.”
There was a time when it would have been thought impossible that people of color could star in Cinderella, and I would ask “Why not?” There was a time when my mother took my sister for modeling lessons while I stayed home to strip the wax off the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. I called myself “CinderLinda.” (Molly is a nickname.) Yet the following shows how very possible “impossible” things are!
You may have asked God if there is some way He can use you in His Kingdom. I would cheer a resounding, “Yes!!” Our Pastor often quotes Henry Blackaby.
“We don’t choose what we will do for God; He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us.”
So have you asked the Father where He wants to involve you? If He shows you where He is working will you be willing to join Him? Even if it is not a place you choose to serve? Are you willing to declare through His power “I’m possible!”
Many years ago the following praise chorus was popular. Praise choruses are a great way to learn Scripture. This one quotes Jeremiah proclaiming praise in The Amplified Bible Jeremiah 17:32.‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficult or too wonderful for You—. The outstretched arm is the weakest position. You will get the idea after the first minute!
God can use anyone yielded to Him for the growth and building of His kingdom. The best question is “Are you willing to serve Him?”
Bob’s favorite hymn came to mind recently as MUSIC WEEK developed on this blog! Praise can be a powerful part of your spiritual discipline. The word says that God inhabits the praises of His people. (Psalm 22:3 KJV) Christianity. com comments on that verse saying
The word “inhabits” is not suggesting God is only present when people are singing praises about Him. Obviously, God is not confined to one place. As the Creator of the universe, the world, and all the people and things within it, God has no bounds. But what the writer of the psalm seems to be saying is that God is present and glorified when His people lift His name in honor. God enjoys it—perhaps it brings Him peace and rest. He draws nearer to us when we praise Him.
Have you ever attended a symphony performance of Beethoven’s Ninth? It is very difficult for me to be there and not break out in loud singing when they get to this melody. One of my favorite hymnals has it as selection #1. Below is an updated version that I like also!
The keyboard work is so fun to watch! And participants of all ages! Love it!
Original lyrics Henry J. van Dyke, not exactly what they are singing, but I like this updated version!
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46
Purported to be the largest pearl ever found
So what do you value the most? The parable says this is what the kingdom of heaven is like …. Do you value the Kingdom and your relationship with the Trinity above everything else? Would you give everything you have to get this pearl?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
Matthew 6:33
Jesus said the above after telling the people not to worry about clothing or food or anything else. If we are willing to seek Him, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will have everything else we need.
St. Isaac of Syria, from the 600s, continues to influence Orthodox spirituality today. He is known as one of the greatest spiritual writers of the Christian East. His writing was suggested to me in 2009. Remarking on this parable he wrote:
A swimmer dives into the sea naked, in order to find a pearl.
A wise monk journeys through life, stripped of all that he has, to find within himself the pearl, Jesus Christ, and finding him, he no longer seeks to acquire anything else beside him.
Daily Readings with St. Isaac of Syria
I believe the first thing we stumble over in this pursuit is naked, or stripped of all that he has. We are simply way too attached to our things. If you were from Ukraine right now you would either be putting your life on the line for your country or running for your life with few, if any, possessions. Are we willing to turn loose of our hold on possessions so we might grasp the Lord firmly as our source of life and reason for living?
Have you forgotten –
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
Job 1:20a
The saying goes “You can’t take it with you” but what if you turned loose of the all-encompassing life-draining drive for power and possessions now? It is unlikely you will move to a barren wasteland and become a desert father or mother. You could however focus your life upon the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You could pursue this pearl of great price and find treasure you never suspected was available to you in 2022. Never will the question be answered in your own heart unless you experiment with opening your hand, letting go of the tenacious grasp of things, so you can grab hold of the Lord.
Do you have a Halloween store near you? Once when I was having difficulty turning loose of my teenage children the Lord had me buy a rubber hand like the ones below.
I took it home and easily cut off the red line of ‘blood.” I placed it palm up on my dashboard. The Lord had said I could turn my kids loose to Him or He could pry them out of my hands. Every time the car hit a bump those fingers would vibrate and wiggle. Yes, it was a clear object lesson for me and it made me laugh to boot. God has such a sense of humor!
Perhaps you need to visit the local part supply store and get a hand for yourself? Turn loose of a few obsessions first, trusting that He is able to be in charge of those. Then a few more things. Then a few more, filling your time and mind with His word and presence. He is able to inspire and help you with this if only you will ask.
When there was a supply chain crisis and tube biscuits vanished from the store, (also known as Whop-whop biscuits from when we used to strike them on the Formica countertop to open),
Whop Whop Biscuits!
Ha! No worries! While visiting in Nashville, Nita taught me to use frozen Pillsbury biscuits. Yes, indeed, there they were! Pillsbury frozen biscuits 🙂 Never fear, comfort foods are near!
Many thanks, Nita!!
When Omicron variant was running rampant we returned to staying home more. It was difficult not to get down and blue and feel as if THIS WILL NEVER END!! So I decided to cook!
Baked brownies with dark chocolate frosting. I usually make them with walnuts in half the pan. Then when I frost them I put walnuts on half the frosting. Lately we have wanted them either all nuts ( like us) or all without nuts to share with neighbor.
Ribs in the magic pot! Jill Evans taught me how to do this. You cook the ribs in the Magic pot. I usually freeze half of them for another time. Then when ready to make dinner brush them with Bar-be-Que sauce and run them under the broiler until glazed. OH yum! Make a couple sides and you are living large!
One of our favorites is Slow cooked Oatmeal in the crock pot. Oatmeal is just good for us period. I make a batch and put it in the fridge. Scoop out some for breakfast, creamy and thick. I like mine with lots of milk and a bit of cinnamon sugar. Bob likes his with raisins added.
With pork tenderloin I can never go wrong. I sear it on the grill for extra flavor. Then rub in spices and bake.
I finally tried chicken breast in the magic pot from a frozen state. Several gals told em to try this. Yep! It worked and was SO moist.
Turkey wild rice soup made with broth we created from the bones at Thanksgiving is so yummy. Merged several recipes several years ago and this is one of Bob’s all time favorites. We think it tastes best after being refrigerated overnight before consuming. We freeze the excess and enjoy it several times. Put it with one of those frozen biscuits with brownie for dessert! Nope, we are not losing any weight here! But not ballooning with Covid pounds either.
WILD RICE & MUSHROOM TURKEY SOUP 4-6 servings
4 T. unsalted butter 1 Large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped 3 carrots chopped
4 oz. Mushrooms (or more!), sliced 3 T. flour
5 cups turkey or chicken broth/stock 2-1/2 c. cooked wild rice
1 branch fresh thyme ½ t. dry 12 oz. cooked turkey, chopped
3 T. dry sherry ½ c. non-fat sour cream 1 t. each salt & pepper
Melt butter over med-hi heat. Add onion, celery, carrot: cook & stir until softened 4-5 min. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to give off some liquid, 2-3 min. Sprinkle flour over veges. Stir well and cook 1 min.
Add stock, rice and thyme. Cover and heat to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer until veges tender – 15 min.
Add sherry and turkey, cook 1 min. Remove from heat, add sour cream, salt & pepper.
Recipe created 11-05 Updated 2-22
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
During his life in California my father-in-law, Dragomir Dutina, was a volunteer and supporter at Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum. The photo above is my husband, Robert, standing at the roots of the massive Moreton Bay Fig Tree which grows there. If you are ever in Fremont California you might want to stop by there 1251 Peralta Blvd., Fremont, CA.
Regarding the Moreton Bay Fig Tree Wikipedia says Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, as well as Lord Howe Island. Its common name is derived from Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots.
The Shinn family imported many specimens for their home garden. This one is SO impressive. Wouldn’t you think by the photo that this tree has massive underground roots? So why all the visible big roots? Have you ever visited a gothic cathedral with ‘flying buttresses?”
Washington National Cathedral
Again Wikipedia says: Buttress roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forestsoils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hence the name buttress) while also gathering more nutrients. Buttresses are tension elements, being larger on the side away from the stress of asymmetrical canopies.[1] The roots may interwind with buttress roots from other trees and create an intricate mesh, which may help support trees surrounding it. They can grow up to 30 feet (9.1 m) tall and spread for 30 metres above the soil then for another 30 metres below. When the roots spread horizontally, they are able to cover a wider area for collecting nutrients. They stay near the upper soil layer because all the main nutrients are found there.
Wait! All that show and massive growth is because of shallow roots? Well, maybe not because it says if 30 metres above the soil perhaps 30 metres below the soil, too. 30 metres, 98 FEET. “They prevent the tree from falling over while also gathering nutrients.”
Have you known Christians who sport large canopies (hear many words about God) but perhaps their root system seems flimsy? Have you noticed buttress roots about them? I knew people who were proud that they could recite all the books of the Bible. I always wondered how they did at actually LIVING one verse. Living any one verse is harder than it seems.
Many of us try to show others our faith with large financial donations, bragging, and flying buttresses made of arguments about faith, strong convictions about God’s judgements and meanings. I think St. Francis had it right when he said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.”
I pray along with Paul that ‘out of His glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through the Spirit in your inner being …and you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to GRASP how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to KNOW this love that surpasses knowledge.’ (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)
Out of His riches God can help us to know these things. Give Him your hands so He can give you the power to grasp these things. Once you have hold of it let Him show you how to use this power and knowledge. If you forget and the knowledge slips out of your hands, go back and ask Him to help you again. Oh Father, that we might bring delight to Your heart through these actions. I pray it all for your glory. Amen.
Like Dragomir’s great-grandson hold firmly to the roots of love in Christ
The photo at the top is the Juniper tree at Live Oak Park, Berkeley, California. That is the place where Bob and I said our marriage vows over 51 years ago.
My Robert waiting under the Juniper tree with our families for me to wed him. Episcopal priest behind him.
Decades went by. I gave my heart back to Christ in 1976. He gave his life to Christ not too long after that. We worked and worked on our marriage over the years. We have always said, “Divorce is not an option. Murder maybe, but not divorce!”
Fast forward from 1970 to December 2017. We both got the flu. Within 24 hours his became life threatening pneumonia with organ shut-down sepsis. Got him to an ER. He was placed on a ventilator and rushed to a different hospital. Within two days my cough began to break up and I was by his side.
The passage from Ephesians 3 helped me as I walk through the terror of possibly losing him forever.
In 2018 I wrote: “Part of my struggle was yielding to the facts and in stillness letting my wishes die, placing my hope in the plans of the Almighty. I could not see the outcome at all, but I trusted His goodness and His love for both myself and my family. I learned that crucified you must hold perfectly still. EPH 3:16 helped me to trust more. “I pray that, according to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” I prayed for Bob and our children to be strengthened. I prayed for myself to be strengthened by His Spirit with power penetrating to my innermost being. Yes, crucified you must hold perfectly still. I was not “going” anywhere.”
Have my roots grown since then? I learned so much through that awful experience. Yes, my husband is alive and kicking now. His health has returned. We are going through the Covid crisis with everyone else in the world. We are perhaps more careful than other Americans, having almost lost him four years ago.
My roots? Well I am certainly aware that Bob and I will not last into eternity. Only my relationship with Christ will go that far. We do hope to see each other in the afterlife, but we both understand that relationships there are much different than here.
“Strengthened in your innermost being with power through His Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith….” I would not want to lose my husband to Covid or in any other way, but I feel as if I would not be devastated as I might have been in 2018. Having lived through the almost-death and brutal recovery after his illness, I can honestly say that the Lord sustained us and taught us both many things about His love and power.
“Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, AS you are being rooted and grounded in love.” God’s love is beyond my words. He holds, sustains and directs me with His love. When I resist His leading, He disarms me with His love. He indwells me by with power by His Spirit and it is a process to be rooted and grounded in love. An ongoing to the day I die sort of process.
I love this video. It shows what I cannot see below the surface of the soil. It shows the growth in split screen above and below and then goes on to show the up-close root process. How are your roots growing?
Can you imagine yourself being rooted and grounded in love like this kidney bean? Like the Juniper tree in the photo above? Why not watch the video again and ask the Lord to strengthen you in your inner being with power through His Spirit. Ask Him to helped you be rooted and grounded in love. One person noted, “We need to ask for what we want.” Grow us Lord I pray, by Your Spirit and power, in Your time. Amen.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 