Blest is the man, forever blest,
Whose guilt is pardoned by his God;
Whose sins with sorrow are confessed,
And covered with his Savior’s blood.
Blest is the man to whom the Lord
Imputes not his iniquities;
He pleads no merit of reward,
And not on works, but grace relies.
From guile his heart and lips are free;
His humble joy, his holy fear,
With deep repentance well agree,
And join to prove his faith sincere.
How glorious is that righteousness
That hides and cancels all his sins!
While a bright evidence of grace
Through his whole life appears and shines.
This is a fluffy sweet cheese/cream dessert that has a great presentation for Valentine’s Day but a nice treat any time.
I use a Coeur a la Creme mold that I bought at a specialty kitchen store but you can use any 7 inch sieve.
Coeur a la Creme with Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients:
8 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Sauce:
1 pound frozen or fresh strawberries
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons sugar
With the paddle attachment beat the ricotta cheese and confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Change to a whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.
Line your mold or sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels so the ends drape over the sides and suspend over a bowl, making sure there is space between the bottom of your mold/sieve and the bottom of the bowl so liquid can drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.
For the sauce place the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked strawberries into the bowl of a blender and blend until smooth. Chill.
You could substitute raspberries for the strawberries to make the sauce.
To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle strawberry sauce around the base. Serve with strawberries and extra sauce.
Hope you are having a lovely Friday and Valentine’s Day. This is my catch-up post for this past week and the month of February so far with photos I’ve taken and photos that were sent to me. Trader Joe’s tulips were too pretty to pass up last Friday and after pulling my Valentine’s Day bin down I found the sparkly hearts to add to the bouquet.
When we were at Costco a couple trips ago the adidas warm-up sets were $10 and a set in size 6 made it into our cart. JJ is growing right on schedule into size 6!
Basketball is going on this winter and Baba finally made it to a practice.
My sister and her hubby flew into Seattle to surprise a close friend who was turning 50 and they had a bonus visit with our West side kids. Makes me happy to see them all together. They had a great time and sent us photos to prove it!
The first puzzles of 2025 got started and finished in the last couple of weeks.
JJ and I finished this glow in the dark puzzle during our Monday afternoon time. Later when it got dark we checked to see if it was glowing and it was. Woohoo!
This farm seasons quilt puzzle was a fun one to do. I finished it earlier this week.
A few close-ups showing the 4 seasons.
Addy and JJ went to a birthday party at Flying Squirrel in Spokane a couple weeks ago and we were sent these photos.
Tonight Addy and JJ are being dropped off at Gramps and Baba’s for dinner and a movie. Their parents are going to have some uninterrupted time together for a few hours.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. May love fill your hearts and minds and actions!
On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!
The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
From Vera:
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”
From Dianna:
Lamentations 3:23
His mercies are new every morning.
From Karen:
Hosea 12:6
Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually.
1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for whatever sport is happening?
We did watch the game and were so surprised at the blow-out. The Eagles played a great game. I’m glad the Chiefs finally got some good plays in. We really didn’t have a favorite team. For game day snacks I like Charcuterie with meats and cheeses and veggies with dips like artichoke and a baguette cut up in thin rounds and nuts and I could go on and on.
2. What’s your ‘superpower’?
Detective work is one of my super powers and along with that comes spotting danger. Those powers made me a real good Playground teacher.
Another super power, because I love to do it, is planning a trip.
3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday?
I’m thinking I’d like to do a chocolate fondue again.
Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
1-1/2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
Heat the creams until they bubble.
Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.
Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.
This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.
I enjoy hosting a little Valentine dinner and decorating in pink, white and red for a change.
Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love.
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so what’s one of your favorites?
Not a fan of this genre in movies or books. Give me a good murder mystery with a faithful loving relationship in the plot line and I’ll be happy.
If you’re not a movie go-er then what about a book you love that features a great love story?
Going back to murder mysteries the relationship between Gamache and Reine-Marie in the Inspector Gamache series of murder mysteries is a great love story. Their relationship is loving, faithful and an everyday kind of relationship, not far fetched but inspirational.
How about a favorite love song?
This song about God’s love in sending Christ to save us is a current favorite.
On a more earthly note, from my high school days, I’ll go with Cherish by the Association. There were so many popular love songs in the 60’s.
I love good music sung by talented singers. Even if they sing something that isn’t necessarily classified a ‘love song’, it brings out the love in me. Andrea Bocelli can be singing anything and it sets a amazing mood. Nat King Cole is another singer who’s voice is ‘music to my ears’. Music is very key in my personal history. God has used it in powerful ways in my life.
5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E.
Living in love
On the cusp of heaven
Visualizing with hope
Eternity
6. Insert your own random thought here.
My favorite Valentine’s! Photo from Valentine’s Day 2024.
After our wonderful tour with Jimmy on Monday September 23rd we were ready for lunch. We took the steps down Advocate’s Close and found the Devil’s Advocate.
Fish and Chips one more time before we left Scotland.
After our lunch we could face the stairs to go back up Advocate’s Close to the Royal Mile.
Our destination would be Holyrood Palace which is at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle.
Located on the Royal Mile, the Mercat Cross holds a prominent position within the Old Town. Its proximity to other historic sites, including St Giles’ Cathedral and the Museum of Edinburgh, places it at the heart of Edinburgh’s cultural and civic life.
The Mercat Cross holds significant cultural importance in Edinburgh’s history. It was not merely a market hub, but also the focal point of civic gatherings and proclamations. Its distinctive octagonal structure, adorned with a unicorn and the royal coat of arms, reflects the intersection of commerce and monarchy in medieval Edinburgh.
The John Knox House is on the Royal Mile.
John Knox’s House dates from the 15th century and has been largely unaltered since the 1550’s when the Mosman family, Goldsmiths to Mary Queen of Scots, remodeled the house. John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation and founder of the Presbyterian Church, only lived here for a short period before his death in 1572.
The ground and first floors of the house are presented as a museum about John Knox, the evolution of the Protestant faith in Scotland, and the conflict between John Knox and Mary Queen of Scots. There are a few audio commentaries and lots of written information to read.
On the second floor of the house, you see a wood-paneled apartment that is preserved in the state that John Knox would have known. This is the most interesting part of the house.
We found the Secret Garden through an archway along the Royal Mile and had to take a photo of the Thistle
After the garden we finally were at the end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood Palace.
Holyrood Abbey was founded by David I, King of Scots in 1128, and Holyrood Palace has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 15th century. Queen Elizabeth II spent one week in residence at Holyrood Palace at the beginning of each summer, where she carried out a range of official engagements and ceremonies
This beautiful doorway was a perfect photo op and it became Josh and Laura’s Christmas card.
We bought some souvenirs in the shop at Holyrood.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse Fountain
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle. Holyrood Palace is the setting for state ceremonies and official entertaining.
We walked back along different roads to Grassmarket and then up Victoria Street.
Looking down Victoria Street.
Since this is the last of my posts from Scotland I wanted to add Greyfriars Bobby in the Kirk. We saw this spot earlier in this day. Do you know the story behind Greyfriars Bobby or have you seen the old movie?
Our last full day in Scotland was another record breaking steps day. Goodnight to Monday September 23rd.
On Tuesday September 24th we had coffee and breakfast snacks at the Black Sheep before we checked out and called an uber to take us to the airport for our flights home.
We loved our time and what we experienced in Bonnie Scotland. Cheerio.
Certainly I will be with thee!
Father, I have found it true;
To Thy faithfulness and mercy,
I would set my seal anew.
All the year Thy grace hath kept me,
Thou my help indeed hast been,
Marvelous the lovingkindness
Every day and hour hath seen.
Certainly I will be with thee!
Let me feel it, Savior dear,
Let me know that Thou art with me,
Very precious, very near.
On this day of solemn pausing
With Thyself all longing still,
Let Thy pardon, let Thy presence,
Let Thy peace my spirit fill.
Certainly I will be with thee!
Blessèd Spirit, come to me,
Rest upon me, dwell within me,
Let my heart Thy temple be;
Thro’ the trackless year before me,
Holy One, with me abide!
Teach me, comfort me, and calm me,
Be my ever present guide.
Certainly I will be with thee!
Starry promise in the night!
All uncertainties, like shadows,
Fade away before its light. Certainly I will be with thee!
He hath spoken, I have heard!
True of old, and true this moment,
I will trust Jehovah’s word.
Another version of a Ranch Dressing Crockpot Chicken we tried in the past that was very satisfying. Busy days are a great time to plug the crockpot in and step away for the day coming home to a nice meal.
O’Brien Hash Brown Chicken
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1- 16 ounce jar of salsa of your choice
2 cups prepared Ranch Dressing
1- package of frozen O’Brien hash brown potatoes (approx 4 cups)
Method:
Prepare your crock with cooking spray.
Pour salsa in bottom of crock.
Add frozen potatoes.
Layer chicken tenders on top of potatoes.
Top with prepared ranch dressing.
Cook on high for 1 hour and then turn down heat to low for 4-5 more hours.
At end of cooking time stir the ingredients in the crock pot.
From Greyfriars Kirkyard we made our way back to St. Giles Cathedral which would be the end of our tour. By this time the cathedral was full of fellow tourists from around the world.
St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, has been a working church for almost 900 years. A backdrop to Scotland’s turbulent religious history, it has seen the seeds of civil war sown and been John Knox’s parish church during the Reformation. It is still an important centre for civic services such as the Kirking of the Parliament and services for Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle.
On 23 July, 1637 Dean Hannay rose to read the new liturgy in the High Church of Edinburgh, St. Giles. The liturgy had nineteen chapters within its forty-three pages “detailing how the church should be governed, from the King gaining his position from God, down to the renaming of ministers, kirk sessions, and presbyteries with terms taken from the Episcopal Church.” As the pastor began intoning from the prayer book, Jenny Geddes, allegedly a local street vendor, stood up and yelled, “Wha dur say mass in my lug!” (How dare you say the Mass in my ear) and flung her three-legged stool at the minister. Pandemonium broke out as others followed suit and the prelatical entourage fled the scene out a back door. The town guard had to rescue the bishop from the rioters. Similar scenes were enacted in other Scottish towns where the liturgy was read.
This plaque made me chuckle. James Hannay D.D. the Dean of this Cathedral, 1634-1639, He was the first and the last who read the service book in this church. This memorial is erected in happier times by his descendants.
“Constant oral tradition affirms that near this spot a brave Scotch woman Janet Geddes on the 23 July 1637 struck the first blow in the great struggle for freedom of conscience which after a conflict of half a century ended in the establishment of civil and religious liberty.”
The famous Scottish Reformer, John Knox was born near Edinburgh in 1505. Knox’s writings and his determination to fight for Scotland to be Protestant saw the Scottish nation and its identity changed forever…
John Knox saw how important it was for the church to do what the Bible said, and not just what they thought was right. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to anyone, even kings and queens, for what he knew was right. His preaching was used by God to transform the whole of Scotland.
Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll ~ Beheaded near this cathedral- A-D-1661
Leader in council and in field for the Reformed Religion
‘I had the honour to set the crown on the King’s head, and now he hastens me to a better Crown than his own.’
With all the niceties settled at the coronation, it was time for King Charles II to reveal his true nature. One of the few nobles to oppose the king’s decree and stand faithfully for the Covenants was Archibald Campbell, the first Marquis of Argyll. He travelled from Scotland to London to congratulate Charles II, arriving there on 8 July 1660. He never got to see the king however, for he was straightaway arrested and thrown into the Tower of London on a charge of treason and false accusation that he was one of Cromwell’s conspirators behind the execution of Charles I. After languishing there for five months, he was sent to Edinburgh castle and was sentenced to death. The marquis was beheaded at the Mercat cross next to St Giles on 27 May 1661, being the first of many of the Covenanters who followed him as martyrs.
Before he was executed, he is cited as saying, ‘I had the honour to set the crown on the King’s head, and now he hastens me to a better Crown than his own.’ Back in 1651 he had crowned Charles II as King of Scotland at Scone after this prince had lied to God and man, swearing under oath that he would support and defend the Presbyterian Church and the Covenants. The marquis is also said to have stooped and kissed the guillotine called the Maiden, and quipped, ‘That is the sweetest maiden I have ever kissed!’ He welcomed the thought of leaving this corrupt world and joining his Saviour in heaven.
Our son Josh left this review of our tour.
“Jimmy was an incredible wealth of knowledge!!! This walking tour in Edinburgh and the history and stories he told, tied our whole 12 day Scotland trip together! We visited different cities, castles, monuments, grave sites and memorials all over the country and this was the absolute capstone experience of our trip! My faith was deepened hearing stories of these martyrs and how they died trusting and following their Saviour~!”
On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!
The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you!
1 Samuel 2:1-3
And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
From Vera:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV
From Nikkipolani:
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:30-31 (NKJV)
From Karen:
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 