Passion and Preparation
March 8, 2010
The Lord brought these verses at a most timely moment:
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” —Hebrews 13:5-6
Daddy read aloud Hebrews 13 during family worship, and it was a wonderful reminder that God gives us exactly what we need at the exact time we’re in need of it! (Proverbs 15:23.)
Before this was read, we had been discussing the future – including marriage and children and the generations to come. Breezy and I are eagerly looking forward to having families of our own and implementing into the lives of our children the many wonderful things our parents have taught us.
Yet, in the Lord’s good timing, He has not given us our families yet. We must wait patiently on God, and serve Him in where He has placed us.
We are passionate about the future, but are we passionate about today?
It is easy to look at the future and imagine how wonderful it will be, because “the grass is always greener on the other side,” right? Right?
We may imagine that it is so, but that doesn’t make it true.
We know not what the Lord’s plan is, but we do know that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28) and that “He will never forsake [us]” (Hebrews 13:5).
The future is the future for a reason – it is not today.
Let us be content in today. Content in where the Lord has placed us. Content in what the Lord has blessed us with. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
Today we can prepare for the future and become better equipped for the Lord’s will. Right now we can be living each and every day for the glory of God and faithfully serve Him where He has placed us and with what He has blessed us with.
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” —Luke 12:48b
Let us be passionate about today, glorify our Savior in devoting every minute to obeying Him, building His Kingdom and preparing for His will in His timing!
Oh! What Sweetie Pies!
February 13, 2010
They’re small. They’re pies. And they’re oh-so-sweet! Just in time for Valentine’s day, you can make these delicious pastries for your family!
All it takes is pie dough, jam, and a little bit of powdered sugar (for extra beauty).
Begin by flouring the counter and rolling pin and flatten out the pie dough.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out hearts in the dough.
Lay out the cut pie dough on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon strawberry jam onto the centers, being careful not to fill them too full.
Wet the edges of the dough with water and place a second piece of dough on top.
Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges.
Poke a fork into the middle of each little pie so that the heat can escape.
Bake at 425° F for 13-15 minutes, or until golden.
Perfectly golden on the bottom!
Sprinkle with powered sugar for extra beauty.
They are delicious and will probably disappear quickly!
The pie dough was extra flaky, making the perfect texture.
We decided that these are the cutest little desserts that we have ever made!
This idea can be easily adjusted for any holiday or celebration by changing the shape of the cookie cutter and type of jam/jelly/preserves used for the filling.
{Original idea from here.}
An afternoon of reading with a cup of tea . . .
February 9, 2010
“In the same way that God designed all of creation in its undeniable perfection and beauty, He handcrafted each girl’s situation with exquisite precision. He chose the exact parents, position, and opportunities that would best fulfill His purposes for her life and bring Him glory. . . continue reading.”
—Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin at Visionary Daughters
“I don’t think that any woman could prepare long enough to perfectly execute this list [in Titus 2:3-5]. But it is my duty to aim to follow this standard that God has set. . . . And what better way to practice being a keeper at home than to learn the ins and outs from my mother, who has wells of wisdom on the subject! And who could think of a better way to prepare to submit to a husband, whether he’s right or wrong, than to practice in a daughters relationship to her father? . . . continue reading.”
—Stephanie at In His Time
“It is when we create things for God’s sake that our work most clearly promotes His glory, rather than threatening to compete with it. Thus the true purpose of art is the same as the true purpose of anything: it is not for ourselves or for our own self-expression, but for the service of others and the glory of God.”
—Philip Graham Ryken in Art for God’s Sake
Time.
January 26, 2010
Where has the bird of time flown off to? Why does it seem that whenever we look for it, we find that it has fluttered off into the distance? One moment it is here right beside us, and the next it is flying off into the horizon never to return again.
Time fades more quickly than we would like it to. We would love to stop time and savor the special moments when the joy around us seems as though it can be no happier.
It seems as though every day there is something that we wish could last longer.
Yet time cannot be stopped, it keeps on going. Life is a gift from our Lord. It is as a vapor that lasts only for a moment (James 4:14). We are given only a time, only a season on this earth in which things come and go.
That is why every moment is important: it is a gift of God. Every hour is important. Every day is important. We are responsible for how we use our time. Are we using these blessed moments in a fruitful way?
I can always see areas in which I can and need to improve the way I spend my time. I am far from perfect. But I do know the One who is perfect, and in Him, with His strength, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).
At all times our focus must be on our Creator. God is in control, and it is because of Him that we must be faithful with the time He has given us on this beautiful earth. We must use our time wisely.
In this culture fascinated with entertainment, it is easy to become distracted. That is where regret may come into play. We can find ourselves caught up in the moment and forget the most important things around us when we loose our focus and misplace our priorities.
Looking back we see how the Lord has worked in our lives. We can see the many changes in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We may miss those past days, but hopefully we will not look back with regrets. That would be a terrible end of the story.
It is up to us how we use our time and, by God’s grace, we can use it for His honor and glory.
Will we waste it or spend it wisely with no regrets?
A Homemade Christmas #4: Review
December 29, 2009
Welcome to A Homemade Christmas! This is No. 4 of 4 A Homemade Christmas events.
I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts, decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that made your home extra special for Christmas!
{Feel free to learn more about A Homemade Christmas here.}
I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We had a lovely time here at home and with extended family. (We are also very glad to have Daddy home until after the first of the new year!)
{Pictures to come, but in the meantime you can look here.}
Our gift-giving was very small, but most delightful! Mom surprised Breezy and I with homemade ornaments that she was working on over the past week (we didn’t realize how many she actually made until we opened our packages). (You can view a picture here.)
Momma also crocheted Breezy and I each an afghan in our colors of choice. They are beautiful and cozy, and most definitely large enough for ourselves and a few wee ones! (You can view pictures here.)
I gave Mother-Dear a pair of fingerless gloves (the set pictured here) and a crocheted wallet/cough drop holder/receipt case. She knew she was going to receive them, and even got to use them before Christmas Eve.
Also, this coming week I will have a happy little download for my readers! I think you’ll enjoy it and you just might end up adding it to your list of things to do for next Christmas!
Thank you all for joining me for A Homemade Christmas! It has been such a pleasure to see what you have been creating! Thank you for sharing, and I hope you’ll join us again next year (Lord willing) in 2010 for another round of A Homemade Christmas!
Did you have A Homemade Christmas? I invite you to join me here by adding your link to your post about homemade gift(s), decorations, foods, and/or handmade things that made your home extra special for Christmas!
To join us in wrapping up, just sign Mr. Linky below (make sure you use the direct post link). You can get the codes and instructions for adding an A Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. This Linky will be open for two weeks.
View Other A Homemade Christmas Posts:
. . . happiness and cheer.
December 25, 2009
On Christmas Eve we had a delicious dinner of Pork Chops and Rice. We only have this meal one or two times a year, making it extra special. The Chops are lightly breaded and we sprinkle the rice with brown sugar.
After our meal Breezy and I read aloud a few poems, a story, and sang duets of several of our favorite Christmas carols by the candle light.
Bently wishing he new what was in the five packages behind him under the tree. He was quite the patient puppy . . . and he was well rewarded with a stuffed squeaking beaver (just a toy, just a toy) and some very special dog treats. He especially enjoyed pretending the beaver was a rat.
But first Daddy read aloud the story of Christ’s birth from Luke 1:57-2:40.
Little packages under the tree. We were low on brown paper, so Momma cut up a small brown paper sack which worked perfectly!
Hand-embroidered ornaments from my dear mother – what a delightful surprise! She finished them on the morning of Christmas Eve. These will be safely tucked away into my hope chest.
Momma crocheted Breezy and I each an afghan in our colors of choice. We were allowed to see them while she was working on them . . . until they grew large and she kept them hidden. Not until Christmas Eve were we able to see their full size – they are beautiful and cozy, and most definitely large enough for ourselves and a few wee ones!
My dear parents! What a blessing it has been to be raised by such wonderful, godly parents! I am thankful to the Lord for making them my mother and father!
Our Christmas Sugar Cookies that we make every year. We enjoyed these cookies, pretzels, cheese, and donuts (inspired by the dear Chancey family) while watching Scrooge (1935).
And as we do every Christmas morning . . . Momma and I made the Monkey Bread.
Over the river and through the woods (really and truly) to grandmother’s house we go!
I hope that you all have had a most wonderfully happy and blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
While living the life my Lord has blessed me with, I am at home with my family enjoying being a daughter, homemaker and artist. My highest goal is to give glory to God and enjoy Him forever. It is He that has saved me with His amazing grace and is continually molding me; to Him I owe everything. Read more . . .
