Truth for Today #29

Thursday August 4th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the 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 this year!

Romans 5:8-11 (LSB)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

From Vera:

Psalm‬ ‭63:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”
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From Dianna:

Isaiah 55:8

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.”

A Quartet of Sisters Hodgepodge

It’s Wednesday and time for the Hodgepodge questions this first week in August! Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

1. Do you have a sister? Tell us something about her. If you don’t have a sister, tell us about a friend who has been like a sister. Or tell us about a sister-in-law if you have one who is extra special. 

I have 3 sisters and 4 brothers. My sister-in-laws are extra special, too. The photo above is of us sisters in age order, youngest on the left and oldest on the right.

My oldest sister Kathy is a gifted teacher. Vera has the gift of hospitality. Lana is an amazing organizer. We all challenge each other to follow Jesus closely. We all sing and have sung in choirs, trios, duets or in a ‘rock’ band. We all can cook for a crowd.

2. Resister, assister, insister, persister…choose one of the words listed and explain how it relates to you and your life lately. 

Right now since I’m working on dropping unwanted pounds I would say I’m a resister. It’s interesting what a great resister I am in the morning up until about 3pm and then it gets tougher for me to resist so I switch to insister, telling my brain I do not need to have this or that as it will derail my plan. I’m working on some healthier eating habits, too. I want to be able to walk in England in September without huffing and puffing and sweating more than I need to because of excess weight.

3. Share a favorite song, book, movie, or television program that features sisters.

How timely as we pulled out BBC version of Pride and Prejudice on Monday evening and are watching all the episodes again with the 5 sisters who are all quite different from each other.

4. August 3rd is national watermelon day…are you a fan? ~ Yes

Do you like watermelon flavored candy?  NO

Besides eating the melon as is, do you have a good recipe made with watermelon? 

This Watermelon Cucumber Salad is perfect for a summer get together.

5. ‘Tis August…what are three things you’re looking forward to this month.

Our Coast kids are hopping over for a long weekend visit, Addy starts soccer this month so I’ll enjoy watching on the sidelines, and I’ll be helping a little with Vacation Bible School.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m making this dessert again this week for a dinner we are having here on Saturday evening. It has a few steps but is pretty easy to make. It’s a dessert you can make a few days ahead. I think it would easily serve 10-12 people. I’ll give you the link so you can see how much prettier you can make it look with whip cream and fresh strawberries on top. I only used a large carton of good Strawberry Ice Cream. My carton was not 1/2 gallon so my version is not as tall as the showstopper…

I used vanilla wafers and regular Strawberry Ice Cream.

To see the showstopper version of this cake and get the recipe click below!

You can find the recipe here.

It’s called Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake because she used Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream. I call mine Strawberry Ice Cream Cake since I didn’t find the shortcake version of ice cream to use. It is not overly sweet. Hopefully I’ll remember to take a photo of the cake decorated with whipped cream and Strawberries on Saturday.

Oxford Archives ~ Bodlein

Continuing posting from my archives to refresh our memory of our time in Oxford and to remind us of what we do not want to miss this time around. We will be making sure to sign up for a tour of the Bodlein Library this time in September of 2022.
Oxford Day 6 066This magnificent room in the Bodlein in Oxford was used as the Hogwarts Infirmary in the Harry Potter movies. The detail of the carved ceiling is amazing, don’t you think?

Oxford Day 6 067

Oxford Day 6 065

Oxford Day 6 061

Oxford Day 6 068

Oxford Day 6 063

Oxford Day 6 064

Oxford Day 6 059

Oxford Day 6 074Our timing wasn’t the best to be able to get the guided tour of the library room while we were in Oxford in 2014. You have to sign up for their timed tours and we were a bit late out of the gate to do that. Next time…

 

Early Morning Visitors

This past week we’ve enjoyed seeing these visitors in the early morning hours. It’s always fun to see fawns. We’ve also had to dodge Turkeys crossing the roads with their poults (baby turkeys).

Because of the heat we’ve been doing our outdoor chores bright and early in the coolest part of the day. We have one more day creeping up to 100 or more degrees and then we’ll cool down to some 80’s and 90’s.

Welcome to August which already has many days filled in on our calendar with local events. What are you looking forward to in August?

Higher Ground ~ Hymn

Higher Ground 

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Refrain

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s table land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

Refrain

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

Refrain

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till Heav’n I’ve found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Refrain

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s table land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr. 1898.

Sweet and Salty Snack

This sweet and salty snack is hard to resist. The ingredients are few and the method is simple. This is also a Gluten Free recipe.

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 package of corn chips (10-1/2 oz.)

Prepare a 15 x 10 sheet pan lightly greasing it. Distribute the corn chips evenly in the pan.
In a medium sized pot cook the sugar and corn syrup until it bubbles and the sugar is completely dissolved. Take pot off stove top and blend in the peanut butter. Pour the blended sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter mixture over the corn chips evenly. Let it cool and enjoy!

Since it’s summer and we are in a heat wave this recipe that requires no baking is a good one to try.

Firewood 2022

We drove to a remote part of the Colville National Forest to find a spot to fell some trees for our kids’ wood supply.

To clarify and answer some questions: There is a usual $30 permit fee you need to obtain to cut down trees in the forest. The last 2 years the fee was waved. These are standing dead trees that you can cut. They require you to cut your lengths to 7-1/2 feet so that you aren’t processing lumber, as such, but using the wood for heating purposes.

It was a new adventure for four of us. Dear and Dan have done this a few times.

All the proper gear was loaded in the trucks. We were far enough away that the grands really didn’t need their ear protection.

Keeping a good distance away from the location that the trees would fall upon.

Timber!

Chaps and gloves and ear protection are all important along with common sense.

Bear spray, fire extinguishers and other safety equipment were loaded, if needed.

The first sections ready to load at about 7-1/2 feet. Smaller rounds will be cut at home.

Addy was not happy about all the Dear Flies, none of us were! They were annoying for sure.

A little time in the shade.

These two persevered for the 4 hours or so out in the wilderness with entertainment from their own imaginations. There were lots of snacks and water, too. On the way home after singing a few rounds of ‘I’ve been working on the Railroad’ they both fell asleep and had a nice little nap but once home they were raring to go!

JJ found his tractor and trailer and was ready to haul some wood if needed.

The two old folk stopped on the way home for a quick bite to eat and then went home for a cool shower and to put their feet up! We are thankful that we can be a help to our kids when needed.

Truth for Today #28

Thursday July 28th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the 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 this year!

Acts 17:22-31 (Legacy Standard Bible):

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to inhabit all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are his offspring.’ Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding men that everyone everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He determined, having furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.”

From Vera:

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:11-14‬

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

From Diana:

Psalm 84:12 (NASB)

“O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in you”.

From Karen:

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Goodbye July Hodgepodge

Another Summer Wednesday Hodgepodge today with thanks to Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1. According to author Gary Chapman there are five love languages-words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. Which one is yours? 

If you mean which one do I receive as love, I’d have to say acts of service with true words of affirmation coming in close. On the other side, the giving not receiving, I like to give gifts.

2. What are five foods you eat every day? 

As it stands, I’m in a period of trying to drop some pounds so according to that regiment here are five foods I’m eating at present:

High Fiber Cereal from Trader Joe’s with 9 grams of fiber per serving, a good handful of blueberries, low fat string cheese, eggs and an assortment of veggies.

3. Five places you’d love to visit?

Prince Edward Island, Ireland, New England States, More National Parks, More of Great Britain

4. Something you’ve done recently that deserved a ‘high five‘?

I’ve lost a good solid 12 pounds.

5.  Give us five 5-letter words that describe your July. 

Water: with the summer heat I’ve been watering, a lot.

Shade: If I’m outside I try to find shade. We have also put up our shade cloth.

Walks: Early morning walks have started in July.

Grands: July has lots of opportunities for fun in the sun with our Grands!

Focus: Working on a more God-Centered focus. Something I read yesterday in a devotional by Alistair Begg: “Jesus made it clear that in order for us to embrace a God-centered focus, we must first understand who we are without Him. In fact, Jesus explained to His disciples that apart from Him they could do nothing; after all, “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17) Our need for Jesus is not partial; it is total. None of us can even breathe without God’s enabling. How can we think of taking credit for any work that He’s done through us? We are absolutely impoverished without divine help.”

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Speaking of our grands and July, on Monday we went into the Colville National Forest to a very remote area to help our kids get stocked up with fire wood for the winter. I’ll do a whole post on our time there. Here are the grands who persevered a whole 4 hours!

Our Country Bungalow ~ Before and After

I’ll start with some good old photos of our home past seasons…

Such a sweet memory of Addy bringing me a bouquet of flowers on my birthday. Old door color, new door color.

Before and after…

 

We put our summer shade cloth up on Thursday.

Front and Back in the new colors.

Dear also removed the outdoor light fixtures and painted them white. They were a gold finish that was not in great shape.

There is still a little touch-up on the white trim that needs to be done. Dear also had to take out the decking closest to the house to put in flashing so the rain water wouldn’t soak the siding and destroy it. That set him back a few days.

We are happy with the new look. The paint is Teton Blue by Behr.

The new view for all the south bound traffic that drives by with the clearest view of our home.

It took almost 6 gallons of paint. We have enough paint left over to redo the south side of the house in a few years. That’s the side that gets the most sun and other weather beating.

We have moved into the last week of July. Time is ticking away. Predictions this week are for temps to get upwards to 100 degrees and above. We’ll be working very early in the morning and staying inside in the heat of the day.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a good week.