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





Fall and the Love of Apples

The western Pennsylvania area had been pretty dry until lately.  We have received a good amount of rain and I can't seem to remember when I last saw the sun.  The days have been damp and dreary.  It got cold enough in the house so that we finally had to turn the furnace on Monday.  The dear weather man says that the sun is coming and that the weekend looks to be beautiful!  I'm looking forward to hanging out with Hazel, my John Deere tractor, and soak up some Vitamin D while I cut the grass.  It certainly has liked this rain and cool weather!

The one thing I love most about fall is the apples!  One batch of applesauce is canned.  I don't know if I'll do more since we have so much left over, but applesauce is my favorite thing to can.  The house smells amazing!  We bought our first cider of the season today.  Some of that will need to be warmed up tonight and served with some apple crisp.  Some of life's simple and delightful pleasures!

Not long ago, my daughter-in-law and I were discussing the upcoming winter and she mentioned how she really noticed that she was dreading the coming cold and snow.  I can agree.  The last couple of years, I have felt the dread of winter.  The neighborhood around us seems to vanish and everyone huddles in their home until you see them magically appear in the spring when the grass needs cut.  Sundays become more special in the winter...not only worship, but people!! 

Maybe this winter won't be so bad. 

Nothing in this world happens by chance.  Our great God has "measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure" (Is. 40:12)....this same God cares for you with such special care that He has numbered the very hairs of your head....You may rest assured that even those experiences that are causing much sorrow are in accord with His eternal counsel and decree.
--C.H. Spurgeon

So, Who Is In Control?

It seems awhile since I have posted anything. There has been sewing and quilting that has required my attention lately. There is a comfort to having fabric in your hands and doing something creative and constructive. One baby quilt is completed, the one for Zachary is about half way quilted. My sister's birthday present is cut out and started. Another baby quilt needs started--at least I have the fabric. There is still the Ihlenfeld reproduction quilt that I would like to spend some time on before the grass and garden season begins.

My mind has been occupied on our country as of late. I am constantly wrestling with what is racing through my mind and what I know to be true in my heart.

Our country may have been founded on Christian principles, but the people have left these guiding values and have decided that God is no longer in charge, but man.

In 1Samuel 8, there is the story of the elders of Israel that came to the prophet Samuel and asked for a king. They wanted to be like all the other surrounding countries that had kings to lead them into battle. Samuel was not pleased with the idea and when he inquired of the LORD, God told him that it was not Samuel the people had rejected, but God. At God's instruction, Samuel warned the people that a king will take your children to serve him in battle and in his household. A king will take a tenth of your crops and flocks. The best of all the people had would go to the king and they would become his slaves. Samuel's final warning was that the day would come when the people would cry out for relief from the king they had chosen and God would not answer them. Of course, as we all know, the people didn't listen. In this account, God tells the people that the king will require a tenth of their flocks and crops. That is the tithe that was to belong to God. The king's demands parallel what Israel was to give to God. The people really did reject God and wanted a king. Though they didn't listen to the warnings, the kings really did burden the people in a way God never would.

In my heart, I know that my King is in Heaven, but my heart hurts to know what is being done to our country. Socialism and Marxism have been creeping in up to this point for quite a few years, but in the last few weeks, it has been coming at break-neck speed. People wanted a 'messiah', but just like the Israelites of old, we may be crying out to God because of his burdens. Burdens that the real Messiah has never placed on us.

I am just as guilty as anyone. Surely if we just elect the 'right' man everything will work out. But there is the rub. A man. To put so much trust in a man, who can be corrupted by interests of other countries as well as by men from within who look only for their own selfish gain and power.

While America has never been a theocracy, we have a system of checks and balances built into our representative republic that is based on Christian values. The Founding Fathers realized that men are basically flawed and corruptible. But along the way the system was overrun by those who were hungry for wealth and power. Our second President, John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." When we were a more moral and religious nation, that was part of the check and balance. God-fearing people are called to do what is right, even when no one is looking, because they answer to God, not just men. People were accountable to each other. Neighbors looked out for each other and respected one another.

People of God should be model citizens, caring for the poor, obeying the laws, living peaceably with their neighbors and praying for those in authority over us. When we are not, we give all Christians a black eye and give the 'world' reason to point the finger at us and say we are not any better than anyone else. Christians are called to be perfect. Most of us realize that this will not be attained this side of heaven, but that doesn't mean we stop trying. It is our calling to be obedient. Because God has chosen us, redeemed and saved us, we obey because we love Him. In somewhat the same way as a child who loves their parents, wants to please them and be obedient.

No matter how far the stock market falls, how many more stimulus packages are brought forth, how high our taxes go or who is in the White House, God is still in control. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases", Proverbs 21:1.

All this may just be me 'talking' in circles and my theology may not be completely accurate, but I guess what I'm trying to say, if only to myself, is that God is still in control of this world and I can trust him. He has not failed me and he is my real King. I should not despair.

God knows what He intends....The will of God must be done. Without effor, He molds all events into His chosen form. In the spheres of mind and matter, His dominion is absolute....God can bend the thoughts of people as easlily as we can turn on a water faucet.

Tested believer, the Lord will be as faithful to you as He has been to me. The Lord will not fail you. Do not be discouraged, "the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everrlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27). You will conquer. You will be delivered, and God will be glorified." from C.H. Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters, Roy H. Clarke, Editor

Christmas Thoughts

It has been awhile since I posted anything. It is a busy time for so many and I am among them!


We are excited that all three of our kids and spouses will be here for Christmas. If I don't get another gift, that will do.


Part of my family will be here for brunch--wonderful sister Ann and her family, along with my mom. We started a White Elephant gift exchange a couple of years ago and this has caused some of us year long searches for just the right gift! Keith and I think we have the perfect one!! Later on, the kids will stay for the big deal dinner. Hopefully Keith will be home and not get called out. He has been working the last several years over the Christmas holiday so that the guys with little ones can be home. It is my hope that this is the last one. That retirement will allow for him to be with his kids and grandkids on Christmas. Let's hope everyone in the area behaves themselves! Friday we will have "Game Night" with Keith's family at his sister's!


I still need to make a pumpkin pie and then start cleaning up after myself. Keith's favorite nut cookies are made, which took all afternoon. I still need to run the sweeper and put things away. Stephen arrives this evening...hopefully before the ice storm that is predicted gets here. Emily and Jon arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. The Aaron, Andrea and Daniel will get come for brunch.


The sheets and towels I hung out this morning are still a bit damp and are thawing in the dining room as best as can be, hung on my clothes drying rack...it is quite a sight! They need to be dry so I can get them back on the bed! At least they will smell so sweet and feel wonderful! Thankfully, the neighbors decided not to light their fireplace. I don't know what they burn that smells so bad!


Remembering that all this busyness is preparing for family, but also harboring in my heart thankfulness for Christ's incarnation. He left his heavenly home and glory to die for us. It is very humbling to think about the Holy Son of God came here. That the good news was first given to shepherds, men who at that time were not even permitted to give testimony in court they were so distrusted. Born in a place where the animals are kept. Born to get his hands dirty working with wood. He became one of us...God with us. Emmanuel.


Best wishes to all of you for a blessed Christmas!



Wonderfully true is this fact: when you and I come to the closing scene of life we will find that Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matt. 1:23), has been there. Chares H. Spurgeon from the devotional. Beside Still Waters



O God, take me in spirit to the watchful shepherds, and enlarge my mind;
let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing, believe, rejoice praise, adore, my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, my eyes uplifted to a reconciled Father; place me with ox, ass, camel, goat, to look with them upon my redeemer's face, and in him account myself delivered from sin; let me with Simeon clasp the new-born child to my heart, embrace him with undying faith, exulting that he is mine and I am his. In him thou hast given me so much that heaven can give no more. Excerpt from The Gift of Gifts from The Valley of Vision

A Thankful Thanksgiving

The Blairs got together for a delightful Thanksgiving feast at my sister, Ann's. She and Sarah (aka Martha Stewart, Jr.) had the house looking so festive! As with most of our family celebrations, everyone brings something to help out. We had quite a bounty from which to choose. Ann's turkey was beautiful and delicious. She worked very hard keeping the ole girl based. We had a smaller crowd than normal with Aaron and family with the Padron's in Atlanta and Keith and Nathan working and then Sam got called out and never made it. Still, I am so thankful to get together with Stephen and the rest of the family. It was so fun to see Taylor and Spencer, too.

After the Blairs, Stephen and I ran into Butler because Eric and Grace made an unexpected visit. I stayed longer than I really planned, but it was wonderful to see so many of the Johnsons...especially from out of town. Grandpa was at the VA and the Bodens were at his brother's. Of course, it was typical of the Johnsons to have enough food to feed most of the apartment complex! Cynthia sent over wonderful pumpkin pies for us to enjoy!! The Colwells were the only ones all present and accounted for and I am thankful to them for picking up the slack.

Poor Keith didn't get much of a dinner by the time I got home, but I made up for it last night with his own turkey dinner with some of the wonderful leftovers sent home.

Yesterday, I went Black Friday shopping for the first time in my life! That was an adventure! I was able to get some bargains, but you certainly can't be in a hurry! It was surprising to see so many people, but yet only run into the Wilsons and Jeannette, Emily's friend from volleyball, that I knew.

Today I did laundry and have most of it on the line. We have had a couple of decent days. Still chilly, but today we may almost hit 40. I am grateful for the sunshine...at least there is a bit of it today. After I came home from shopping yesterday, the sun was out and there was a good breeze and I hurried to put sheets on the line. Well, the neighbors started a fire not long after I hung stuff out. My blanket smelled of smoke, but the rest seemed fine. I rinsed it today, and so far, no smoke from the neighbors.

I would like to get a start on decorating for the holiday, but my sleds are put where I can't reach them, so Keith will need to do that some time soon.

This coming week is a busy one with something almost every day!

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent! Time is flying!

"The tender mercy of our God gleams with kindly light. I see in His mercy a soft radiance like the matchless pearls that form heaven's gate. Mercy is a melody to my ear as well as to my heart. Mercy is music, and to the brokenhearted, "tender mercy" is its most exquisite form.

If you are desperate and depressed, "tender mercy" is life from the dead. think of this in connection with God, and you will be struck with wonder that One so great is so tender.

God is love. Not only is He loving, He is love itself." excerpts from Charles H. Sprugeon, Beside Still Waters

Is This November??

What a wonderful, relaxing day. Lunch in the sunshine, bedclothes on the line, did devos in the sunshine, sat with my neighbor, Betty, in the sunshine...it's 68 degrees, some windows are open and it is just glorious!

Right now, I'm waiting for cookies to come out of the oven and I'm hanging out with Mozart. We will have potatoes from the garden tonight, and I'll make some Apple Crisp.

Keith and I will go vote when he gets home from work. I expected to be anxious about the election today, but I only listened a bit to the talk shows. That probably helps. Only God knows what tomorrow will bring, but He is faithful and controls everything...I'm having trouble spelling soveriegn, OK, and this thing doesn't have spell check, that I know of :-).

In my devos today in Tabletalk, I read an article about the gospel in Africa. There are brothers and sisters in Christ suffering over there. Limbs being cut off, just because they preach the good news. Churches are being burned, yet the faithful return, time after time to rebuild. And the church is growing. The author, Dr. Peter Hammond, said this, " Bad times are good for spiritual work." If we are headed for rough economic and spiritual times, this is good to remember. The church grows stronger in tough times. I need to be among those who are tough. Usually, I'm the one who runs from confrontation. There is a lesson from our African church family. That, for me, at least, Christ needs to be most important, not what men can do to me or threaten. I have a great deal of "growing up" to do.

Enjoy another beautiful fall evening!

"I make this sad confession. When my soul is happy and things prosper, I do not live so near to God as I do in the midst of trials and depression. When the world's bread is sugared and buttered, we eat it until we become sick. then the world changes our diet, filling our mouths with vinegar and making our drink bitter. The world's wells are full of sweet but poisonous water. We pitch our tents at the mouth of the well and drink until we forget the well of Bethlehem. When earth's waters become bitter like Marah's stream (Ex 15:23), we turn away sick and faint. But this affliction brings us to our God, just as the barking dog drives the wandering sheep to the shepherd's hand." C.H. Spurgeon

Cold Remedy

Thanks to my best friend, Laura, who is always looking out for me for this information. I am coughing...AGAIN! For the past two years I have been cold-free and this season I've already had two! So, Laura gave me this recipe that is cooking as I type...

Garlic, Honey & Lemon Tea

3 C. water
3 cloves garlic, cut in half

bring the above just to a boil. Turn off heat and add:

1/2 C honey
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
Strain
sip 1/2 c of warm tea 3 times a day.

Keep it in the frig and heat it up as you need it.

Laura says the taste is not bad either!

Thanks a ton, Laura. I'm anxious to try it.


"I will Strenthen You." Isaiah 41:10
"When called to serve or to suffer, we take inventory of our strength and find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. Do not let your heart fail when you have this promise to fall back on, for it guarantees all that you can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent, and He can communicate that strength to you, and His promise is that He will do so....My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me according to Your Word." Charles Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters, Roy Clarke, Editor

Our birthday party was a grand time! We enjoyed a picture perfect October day. I am so very grateful that the sun warmed the house for everyone to be comfortable. My dear sister was a great help, as always! Just her presence is a comfort. It is always good to be surrounded by family. Every opportunity for me to see my kids is great.



While I continue to be concerned about our economy, the elections and the future, I want to recommend a book for you. Carla Emery's Old Fashioned Recipe Book. It has a wealth of knowledge about everything!! Baking bread, making soap, root cellars, gardening, canning and so much more. Her stories are entertaining as well. I heartly recommend it. It can be found on Amazon.



The day started out beautifully. While the days continue to be nice I am racing around trying to get things ready for winter. I emptied the compost on the garden...it was heavy and smelly. Hopefully, it will help the garden in the spring. The garlic is planted. A new variety from Johnny's Selected Seeds as well as some from this year's crop. My newest green grocer at the farmer's market said that garlic should be planted on Columbus Day...close enough. The clouds have gathered and I had to get the clothes off the line sooner. A couple things were still damp, but I have them hanging on the line on the porch. The forcast is for rain tomorrow or some time soon.



Things are so busy with lots of meetings.



I'm looking forward to a great weekend already!

Some of you are called to some extraordinary duty and do not feel strong enough. Follow that call for surely the Lord is in that place. He will help you. C. H. Spurgeon

Blessings,

Today is my first day as a blogger. The kids will think I've lost it.

My title comes from "The Valley of Vision" a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions...plus we live in a valley.

What a beautiful day here! The sky is a beautiful, clear blue and the leaves are becoming glorious. The clothes line was full today, so we will sleep well on clean, sweet-smelling sheets. I asked our neighbor if I could borrow his tiller to take care of our garden for the fall. He'll drop it by some time soon. In anticipation of that event, I got busy and pulled out the rest of the dead tomatoes and poor zucchini. I still have some lettuce and spinich and parsley! I would have thought that our two frosts would have taken care of everything!

Since we are studing "Respectable Sins", by Jerry Bridges in Sunday School, of course God is using this study to work on my "worry" in light of the economic issues of the day. In my devotions today I read this by C. H. Spurgeon: "The glory of God's faithfulness is that no sin of ours has ever made Him unfaithful....God is faithful. His children might rebel. They might wander far from His statues and be chastened with many stripes. Nevertheless, He says, "My loveingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. (Ps. 89:33) He says, "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (Is. 43:25)

God is faithful when I am not. But I continue to need to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.