Color!

Some of these winter days have been cold and gloomy.  The usual Western Pennsylvania winter.  It was nice to see that my "Christmas" cactus came through with some color for me!

Even though it is not much, I'll take it!  What a nice bright color to make these days seem less oppressive.

I've often wondered why this plant is called a Christmas Cactus.  Mine has never bloomed at Christmas--Thanksgiving, Halloween, Easter and other days in between.  This one may have been Groundhog Day!  It seems to be several plants in one.  Different parts bloom at different times and one part blooms a very pale pinkish-white.  Plants are amazing.

THOU MAKER AND SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS,
Day and night are thine,
heaven and earth declare thy glory;
but I, a creature of thy power and bounty,
have sinned against thee
   by resisting the dictates of conscience,
      the demands of thy law,
      the calls of thy gospel;
   yet I live under the dispensation of a given hope....
Render my obedience to thy will holy, natural, and delightful.
Rectify all my principles by clear, consistent,
    and influential views of divine truth.
Let me never undervalue or neglect any part of thy revealed will.
May I duly regard the doctrine and practice of the gospel,
   prizing its commands as well as its promises.

--a portion of, To Be Fit For God,  from the Valley of Vision

Dorothy L. Sayers

Rabbit holes.  It seems I fall into them regularly when it comes to the internet. 

While trying to find information about one professor at Grove City College, I stumbled on this Q & A with Dr. Janice Brown, an English professor at the college, about Dorothy L. Sayers.  Although the session is dated from 2007, the information was valuable to me as I attempt to learn more about this British author (even if it is by accident).

The book that Dr. Brown mentions in the interview is available at Amazon.com and you can find it here.

There is even a DLS Society page. 

Enjoy checking out the "Rabbit Holes"


“None of us feels the true love of God till we realize how wicked we are. But you can't teach people that -- they have to learn by experience.” --Dorothy L. Sayers

Frosting

Yesterday morning just a hint of snow had fallen. It left the pine trees with the appearance of having been frosted. 

There is just a hint of green under the big pines. The way it is snowing right now, that won't last much longer. The weather man is calling for 3-6 inches. We'll see, of course. He has been known to be wrong once in awhile.  It may be that, Hazel, the John Deere will see some action tomorrow morning.  At any rate, it is a good night to settle in with a good book or movie.

It's the Big 448!!

Happy Birthday to the Heidelberg Catechism! 
Here is a brief history taken from the Christian Reformed website:

The Heidelberg Catechism was composed in Heidelberg at the request of Elector Frederick III, who ruled the Palatinate, an influential German province, from 1559 to 1576. An old tradition credits Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus with being coauthors of the new catechism. Both were certainly involved in its composition, although one of them may have had primary responsibility. All we know for sure is reported by the Elector in his preface of January 19, 1563. It was, he writes, "with the advice and cooperation of our entire theological faculty in this place, and of all superintendents and distinguished servants of the church" that he secured the preparation of the Heidelberg Catechism. The catechism was approved by a synod in Heidelberg in January 1563. A second and third German edition, each with small additions, as well as a Latin translation were published the same year in Heidelberg. Soon the catechism was divided into fifty-two sections so that one Lord's Day could be explained in preaching each Sunday of the year.

The Synod of Dort in 1618-1619 approved the Heidelberg Catechism, and it soon became the most ecumenical of the Reformed catechisms and confessions. The catechism has been translated into many European, Asian, and African languages and is the most widely used and most warmly praised catechism of the Reformation period.


Here are two examples of the Catechism:

Lord's Day 1
Q & A 1


Q. What is your only comfort


in life and in death?


A. That I am not my own,^1


but belong—


body and soul,


in life and in death—^2


to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.^3


He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,^4


and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.^5


He also watches over me in such a way^6


that not a hair can fall from my head


without the will of my Father in heaven:^7

in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.^8

 Because I belong to him,


Christ, by his Holy Spirit,


assures me of eternal life^9


and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready


from now on to live for him.^10


^1 1 Cor. 6:19-20


^2 Rom. 14:7-9


^3 1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14


^4 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2


^5 John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11


^6 John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5


^7 Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18


^8 Rom. 8:28


^9 Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14


^10 Rom. 8:1-17




Lord's Day 10

Q & A 27


Q. What do you understand


by the providence of God?






A. Providence is


the almighty and ever present power of God^1


by which he upholds, as with his hand,


heaven


and earth


and all creatures,^2


and so rules them that


leaf and blade,


rain and drought,


fruitful and lean years,


food and drink,


health and sickness,


prosperity and poverty—^3


all things, in fact, come to us


not by chance^4


but from his fatherly hand.^5


^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28


^2 Heb. 1:3


^3 Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2


^4 Prov. 16:33


^5 Matt. 10:29

© 1987, CRC Publications, Grand Rapids MI. www.crcna.org. Reprinted with permission.

Bread Baking Day (with a quilt side show as an added bonus)

While I cannot claim to be a bread baking expert, I enjoy doing it.  I enjoy the eating of fresh baked bread even more!  There is nothing like a slice of warm homemade bread with butter or homemade jam or jelly.  It just doesn't get much better.

Baking bread is an art, of sorts.  There is still much I need to master.  There have been times when I have crafted a beautiful brick.  Then there are times when this happens:




This lovely bowl made three medium sized loaves, (of which I should have taken a picture...I'm still getting the hang of this) that turned out great!  Sometimes I like to use the smaller pans since it is just the two of us and there is nothing like putting all this work into something so wonderful and then have it go stale.

You will notice the kitchen towel.  It is from my great-aunt.  After she died the extended family was given the opportunity to see if there was anything they wanted.  There were still old clothes from another great-aunt.  I was able to get this kitchen towel, which needed a wee bit of mending, and an old house dress.  I used the house dress in a small quilt that I made for my Amish rocker.  That way I'll have a piece of her with me.

She was a large, Scots-Irish woman who never married.  Of course, she made her own clothes and to have something that she made that I could use the fabric, makes my quilt extra special.  Here is a piece of the fabric I used in the quilt.

It gives me joy to have pieces, no matter how small, that are part of our family's past.  It gives me a connection.  There is something about a thing that is passed down--not just material things, but a faith that has been passed down as well.  Just as Timothy's faith was passed down from his mother and grandmother.  There is a legacy that is more important than any "thing".

Thou has made known to me
   that to save me is Christ's work,
   but to cleave to him by faith is my work,
   and with this faith is the necessity of my daily repentance
   as a mourning for the sin which Christ by grace has removed.
--from Reconciliation  from the Valley of Vision

Something new...

Yes, I have entered the 21st century and received a digital camera!  (Thank you Sarah!!)

Those of you who are not as "Amish" as I am have been accused of being, will surely notice that I have a great deal to learn.  (The big pine tree is not really leaning, but it does appear that way because of the big branch.)

This is the west side of our U-shaped driveway.  My husband has already shoveled off this side (his side) and it is covered already!  The snow was falling and looked so beautiful I thought I would give the camera a try.

One of my sisters lives near Atlanta. During this last round of snow, we were having a contest to see who received the most snow--she won with eight inches. We only received four.  Who would have thought!


Falling snow is so pretty.  If it would just stay off the roads and the driveway!  Although today was a break from shoveling, it does get old quickly.  I am thankful, though, that it is not eight inches and it is light and fluffy.

Who knows where this will lead.  But I hope it will be fun! 

Please be patient with me as I learn.

"It is as ordinary for the righteous to be comforted as it is for the day to dawn.  Wait for the light; it will surely come." -- C. H. Spurgeon, from  Beside Still Waters, Words of Comfort for the Soul





The 2010 Holidays: An Overview

This was going to be easy.  There are only three children--all adults--two spouses, and three grandchildren.  And not all of these people were staying 24/7.  It was only three days that the house would be full, as well as my heart.

My meal planning is shabby at best.  I get ruffled and things get changed, people sleep in and my plans go to pot.  Wednesday night was our family's Christmas together.  In planning the evening meal, I figured that making the entire meal myself would be a gift, of sorts, to the girls so they would have a night off.  Wouldn't a turkey be great with stuffing--easy enough--sweet potato casserole (dessert, really) and green beans and pie.    Now the entire idea behind a turkey was so that there would be leftovers for the next day for snacking and dinner.  Two meals, at least, in one afternoon of cooking.  Even before Wednesday, thing began to unravel.  We were needed at a doctor's visit, which was beyond important, on Wednesday afternoon.  My daughter, who is far better in the kitchen than I, ended up taking over.  Not in the plan.  I felt very badly that my idea to give her a break fell completely apart.  She even made the pie.  At least I did the sweet potatoes and green beans.  She chided me later that I was attempting way to much.  Maybe I did get out my Superwoman undies.  The next night, when I thought we would use the turkey, the other kids called to say they were bringing pizza.  It was a good idea--on paper.

Perhaps, underneath my good intentions, was also the desire to show the kids that I really can do stuff.  That I may be moving a bit slower, but the abilities are still there, well most of the time.

Families have a way of being even more dysfunctional than usual during the holidays.  (Of course, I'm an expert.)  We were no exception. 

All in all, having the house full did make my heart full.  The three little ones seem to enjoy each other, believe it or not!  It will be fun to see them grow up together:  All just about a year apart.

When the last son left, my heart was a bit sad.  The house was quiet again.  The holidays were over.  A new year was beginning.

Note to self:  Burn the Superwoman undies.

"O LORD,
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed
   in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory....
...I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
   with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
      thee, O son, at my helm
      thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails."
--From The Valley of Vision, New Year