What a Beautiful and Busy Fall Day!

We have enjoyed some lovely days lately.  The trees are turning such vibrant colors, too.

Today my husband and I did a bushel of apples into sauce.   My daughter-in-law offered to pick up some apples for me at an orchard we used to frequent when we lived in that area.  Their prices are a bit better and they offered her "blemished" apples at half the price!  My husband wanted me to mix some apple varieties to get a different flavor.  The orchard owner suggested Jonamac.  She called my husband to see what he thought of the variety.  Since I have never tried this apple, the owner gave my daughter-in-law an apple to try and another variety so she could compare.  She gave her recommendation to my husband over the phone.  I'm sure the orchard lady never did an over-the-phone taste test!  The Jonamacs were combined with Cortlands and we think it tastes pretty wonderful.  Also, my husband is a big fan of "red hots".  These were located at the nearby store and added to help with a bit of flavor and a lovely pink color.  It just takes a bit to get them to melt.  The count for the day is seventeen quarts and a pint (for my dear neighbor) and a wee bit for dinner.  Trying to decide if I should do more.  My total for this year is 27 quarts with just a few left over from last year.

This looks like a fun site to check out different apple varities.

For those of you looking for a website that might offer some help in canning and/or freezing, I found this site that may be helpful.  She seems to have a great deal of information on everything from canning equipment to recipes to try.  (I do miss Granny Miller!)

So often the initial reaction to painful suffering is Why me?  Why this?  Why now?  Why?...{then}.  He comes for you, in the flesh, in Christ, into suffering, on your behalf.  He does not offer advice and perspective from afar; He steps into your significant suffering.  He will see you through, and work with you the whole way....  This reality changes the questions that rise up in your heart.  That inward-turning "why me?" quiets down, lifts its eyes, and begins to look around.

You turn outward and new, wonderful questions form.  Why You?  Why You?  Why would You enter this world of evils?  Why would You go through loss, weakness, hardship, sorrow and death?  Why would You do this for Me, of all people?  But You did.  You did this for the joy set before You.  You did this for love.  You did this showing the glory of God in the face of Christ.  As that deeper question sinks home, you become joyously sane.  The universe is no longer supremely about you.  Yet you are not irrelevant.  God's story makes you just the right size.  Everything counts, but the scale changes to something that makes much more sense.  You face hard times.  But you have already received something better which can never be taken away.  And that better something will continue to work out the whole journey long...

Finally, you are prepared to pose--and to mean--almost unimaginable questions:  Why not me?  Why not this?  Why not now?

--David Powlison