God's Word for Today

Friday, December 31, 2010

2010/365/186/5,043/290/5/10/3700/8/6

No it’s not some secret code deciphering the exact moment of the second coming.

As I looked back at this past year I visited some of my more memorable post, gave my pictures a review and thought about all the things that  I have done over the course of the last 365 days. 

Including this post I will have graced y’all with my opinion of life with 186 post added to the old published folder.

I have taken a whopping 5,043 pictures, yes you read that right 5,043. Out of 365 days this past year I missed a total of 64 days without taking a picture. That means 290 new digital folders to commemorate 2010.

I completed 5 prayers shawls this year and am working on a sixth which will have to wait to be completed until some time next year.

I got to ride in a Race Car and enjoyed it way too much, but that did not even come close to the joy I experience watching the hubs take his turn behind the wheel!

We spent 10 days traveling to 8 different states and visiting 6 National Parks and driving a total of over 3700 miles.

I had loads of fun with Muffinhead.

Cooked a lot of meals, put up dozens of jars of pepper jelly, apple butter, etc, baked bread, broke in my new cookware, immersed myself in God’s word, began a new role as facilitator for Disciple Bible Study, fixed a lot of Latte’s and worked in my garden, picked a lot of produce for the local co-opp, went to lunch with Skoots1mom, started painting again and even checked a few projects of my to do list.

2010 was a year of mood swings and hormonal fluctuations, it was hot then it was cold, I was up then I was down. I loved my family then I wanted to run away and hibernate. I am praising Jesus fully that I did not run anyone over with my car or actually speak the words going through my mind out loud. Sadly I fear that this process will last a bit longer so I am braced for yet another year of hormonal fun!

I will continue on with Project 365 for next year and beyond that my plan for the new year is a blank page. There is another fun vacation planned, however given our last unexpected travel snafu I will postpone sharing about that until I know it will actually happen.

On my to do list for next year, well I am still on the hunt for a desk so I can convert the sitting room of my master bedroom into a quiet place/study area for me.

I have stated working on painting #2.

The DD will be driving, she has been eligible for her learners for sometime, however I have been a bit resistant to the concept. Kicking and screaming is more like it!

The Hub’s and daughter head back to the mission field next year and little miss Muffinhead will turn two years old.

All in all it was a wonderful year.

You have all been a part of it every time you stopped over and left me a comment. Thank you for choosing to spend a few moments of your day with me and for sharing your thoughts, your laughter and your encouragement with me.

I wish all of you a safe, happy, healthy, prosperous and joyous New Year!

Blessings

R

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Apple Butter = Grandma

One of the things that sparks the most vivid memories of my Grandmother is Apple Butter.

I remember being fascinated by the concept that you could make something from scratch that was so wonderful. Sadly by the time I was old enough to appreciate the pains it took to achieve my Grandmother was not able to share the recipe with me. It may have been written down somewhere but in all the recipes I have from her, her apple butter recipe was not among her treasured collection.

She would tell me stores of going apple picking and coming home and getting together with her friends and making huge batches of apple butter. They cooked it in a giant black cast iron kettle that they simmered over an open flame in the front yard. They had an old worn wooden paddle they used to stir the apple butter with, She explained that they would take several handfuls of new pennies and toss into the bottom of the pot to prevent the apple butter from scorching. This intrigued me and I always regretted that I was not able to help on one of these collective apple butter adventures.

Now that I have made a few batches of apple butter myself I have a greater appreciation for the process. I also know why they pooled their resources. Many hands make for happy work, not to mention spreading the workload around a bit.

After a few tries I found a recipe that I feel has to be very close to my grandmother recipe.

I usually use a combination of different apples. For this batch I used Gala and Rome apples (about 12 pounds of apples), but the absolutely essential ingredient is the apple cider. I made it one year and substituted apple juice and it simply did not have the same flavor.

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Apple butter in my opinion is truly a labor of love when you factor in the time spent peeling and chopping then the hours of simmering involved. I did not realize the time commitment as I spooned the spicy deliciousness over my warm buttered toast as a child but I sure did taste the love that was packed in each spoonful.

All washed up!

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Peeled…

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Cut up…

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Sweetened up, spiced up and simmered up…it takes about 3 to 5 hours to get the right consistency…you just have to be patient and stir, stir a lot!!!

Most recipes call for a total of 8 hours of simmering but I am not a stickler for the tradition of having it stick to a saucer when it is turned upside down, so I am just as happy with a nice thick consistency after about half that time.

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Empty jars waiting to be process in a water bath…

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A double batch made 10-8oz jars and three pint jars and three smaller jars.

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I love hearing that little pop as the jars cool after their water bath!

The good thing about putting up the apple butter in the jars is that they will last for a very long time and you don't need to store them in the frig.

When all is said and done I get such a sense of connection to my grandmother when I stand back and look at all the jars lined up on my counter. They pail by comparison to the dozens and dozens of jars that my grandmother put up at one time but then she had a HUGE old fashioned root cellar in the basement with an actual dirt floor lined with shelves. She kept bushels of apple and potatoes down there and the shelves were lined with homemade jam and preserves and of course apple butter.

I have been toying with he idea of purchasing a pressure canner. From what I understand you need a pressure canner to put up jars of low acid foods like chili or spaghetti sauce or veggie soup. I am keeping my eye out at the goodwill or eBay…

I love auto post don’t y’all! I am working on this today, the Wednesday before Christmas and I am setting to to post next week, gotta love technology! when it works…

I’m off for a while to get my house and kitchen in order for Christmas and then as this post’s the hubs and I will be on an impromptu vacation to the Big Apple, yea you read that right.

New York City, Time Square, The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center….

I will have lots to post about in the new year.

Well thank you Blizzard of 2010, our flight was canceled and the next available flight was in December 31….not happening, Major bummer!

Apparently I will not have lots to post about in the New Year!

Blessings

R

 

 

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Project 365 ~ Week 52…WOW!

Church was canceled this morning! Want to know why?

They predicted it but I have to tell ya that until I saw it I was skeptical.

Snow on Christmas.

It began late in the afternoon and lasted all night long. By then end of the night we had a nice three or four inch blanket of snow covering the back yard.

I found myself with a spare few hours that is normally devoted to church so I was able to get my 365 together after breakfast. It was a pleasant break after all the activity of Christmas day of having a morning in my P.J.’s with a nice cup of Dunkin Donut's Vanilla flavored coffee.

So here is my week.

Sunday, December 19

I’m not sure what it is about Sundays, probably my tendency to observe the “day of rest” which includes picture taking. I have had several friends from church who have visited the Holy Land and they report that most of the hotels all have there elevators designated either odd or even so the patrons can choose which one to ride so all they have to do is step in and there is no button pushing involved, button pushing would constitute work and therefore break the Sabbath, so I think button pushing on my camera may fall under that category.

Monday, December 20

Monday I made my regular trip to the H Mart for veggies. My list was big this time as I was getting all the ingredients needed for Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

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No pictures on Tuesday, December 21 or Wednesday, December 22

Thursday, December 23

The holiday’s usually put a kink in the plans of my accountability group. Usually we plan a New Years Day Brunch, this year things did not quite come together with all of our schedules so we ended up finding time to gather together for lunch on Thursday.

I had never been to Red Robin before, and after my burger experience it will defiantly be on the horizon to take the family back to in the very near future. I was so absorbed in my burger and factoring in that I had not eaten breakfast I dove into the juicy awesomeness without giving a second thought to taking a picture of how wonderful it looked.

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I pulled this of there website, good burger….y’all need to go try one.

Whiskey RiverĀ® BBQ Burger 

I have the best Accountably Sister’s y’all!

I came home with a beautiful ceramic bowl filled with all the fixing's for pop corn for a movie night, Dunkin Donut’s Coffee, hand lotion, hand made knitted gloves (thanks skoots1mom!) a beautiful Christmas plate full of cookies. We had a wonderful time of fellowship as we always do and came home stuffed to the gills with french fries and friendship.

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My new gloves modeled by the DD and her freshly polished nails for the Christmas Eve service.

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I was so busy on Friday, December 24 cooking that I totally forgot to take any pictures.

I made two pecan pies. The day before I had put on my FB status Chocolate Chip pr Oatmeal Raisin? Well with overwhelming support from all my FB pals the Chocolate Chip won hand down so a batch of Chocolate Chip cookie dough was prepped and waiting for the oven after church.

I put my Broccoli Casserole together as well as my Mashed Potato Casserole and got my stuffing together for the stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and got the rib roast prepped and ready for the oven as well. 

Saturday, December 25

One of my favorite things to do is sit and wait for my family to stir on Christmas Morning. Now that my remaining child is nearly grown the morning of the mad dash to the tree are over. Buster and I sat and enjoyed the glow of the tree in my living room.

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Another tradition at my house on Christmas morning is a Mimosa! In my opinion it is the only true way to drink orange juice!

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Sufferer’s from high cholesterol beware. We had Eggs Benedict for breakfast. I had never made them before and even if I do say so myself it was TO DIE FOR…literally! If you factor in the 4 egg yolks' and 1 1/2 sticks of butter in the hollandaise sauce and then the poached eggs and Canadian bacon, but it was worth every gram cholesterol.

The roasted herbed new potatoes were really good too!

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The DS and family came over for Christmas dinner. Muffinhead had a great time running circles in my house and opening all her presents. However after about three presents she had reached her threshold.

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“Grandma HELP ME PLEASE! Nooooooo moooooooore presents. I got stuff to doooooooooooo!”

Y’all she is just a little whirlwind. She never sits still for a minute!

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This is the table before Muffinhead got a hold of it!

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I came back into the kitchen and she had crawled up into every chair and had made the muffinhead tablescape.

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The Pecan Pie, one plain and one with cream cheese.

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As Christmas dinner’s go this one in all honesty was a bit of a disappointment. After the success I had a few weeks ago with the previous prime rib I was still basking in the afterglow of the fork tender tender juiciness. However the meat fairy was not kind to me this year. After having a slight miss hap and letting it go about 15 degrees past optimum temperature it was a bit overcooked. Then shoe leather I think would have bee easier to chew. The Broccoli casserole and mashed potatoes were good at least. I even had to toss my Portobello mushrooms in the trash, when I pulled them out of the fridg to get them stuffed and ready for the oven they were covered with a nice coating of yucky mold. Not very appetizing at all.

As we were all hacking away at the prime rib shoe leather I kept hearing the words of Alton Brown, “Great Chef’s have bad days, I’m sorry you will not be the Next Iron Chef!” Live and learn. It was just not a good piece of meat. I bought a 10 pound rib roast, I cooked half of it on Christmas day and now I have a two pound rib roast and three rib eyes wrapped up in the freezer. Anybody need some frozen hockey pucks or a two pound doorstop let me know and I'll FedEx them to ya!

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After dinner we broke in our newest board game, that is another family tradition. We always find a new board game under the tree each Christmas.

We had great fun learning how to play a new game. If you are looking for a good party game then this fits the bill. Its easy and lots of fun!

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Well that’s it for me and this weeks 365.

For more 365 y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Christmas day!

R

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Christmas Wish…

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is to curl up on my sofa with the fire going with a nice hot cup of something and listen to some Christmas music and enjoy a moment of peace and holiday tranquility.

No hustle, no bustle, no shopping, no wrapping, no cookie baking, no running around for this or that….

I wanted to thank all of you for stopping by this past year and also to wish each and every one of you the most wonderful and blessed Christmas holiday.

Blessings to all y’all!

Luke 2
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
   and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

 

Merry Christmas

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Project 365 – Week 51

This week was jammed pack with activity but most of it went undocumented.

No pictures on Sunday – December 12

Sunday afternoon we found ourselves at two musical events. The first was the Christmas Canteen at the Aurora Theater. It was a very good Christmas Musical Review. We walked out the door after the show to below freezing temperatures and had a spare few minutes before having to go to the church for rehearsals for the DD Christmas Choir concert. All in all I spent a total of three and a half hours listening to some form of Christmas music. I am not sure what my musical threshold is but I think I may have reached it by the end of the night.

Monday – December 13

Just a bit of Christmas cheer! Here is a picture of the tree and mantle.

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No pictures on Tuesday – December 14

Wednesday – December 15

The DD is all ready for the “Elf” themed youth Christmas party!

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Thursday – December 16

Buster has such a hard life.

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No pictures on Friday – December 17…

Saturday – December 18

More evidence of Buster’s tortured existence, and the hubs doesn't  have it that bad either! Isn’t that what cold rainy Saturday afternoons are for?

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Well I got all my shopping finished up almost. The hubs and I were heading out the door on Friday for his company Christmas party, yea no picture from that either, but it is one of those requirements that you really don feel like documenting. The food was awesome…that is the best thing I can say about the whole evening, anyway as we were heading out I realized that I had totally forgotten to pick up something for Muffinhead stocking. So I will be heading back out next week to pick up a few toddler friendly things for the her. Isn’t that part of the whole Christmas experience, the last minute thing you forgot?

I have the menu planned and some of the grocery shopping done. Next week I will be baking cookies and getting ready for the big day. This year we get to stay home and I can’t tell ya how much I am looking forward to a peaceful Christmas day that does not include sitting in the car for several hours. Not my idea of a fun way to spend Christmas Day!

God is good and I get to enjoy Christmas in my own home.

Well that’s it for me this week.

So much for getting my post done early this week.

For more Project 365 y’all head over to Sara's and link up.

The year is almost over and we will be into 2011 and a whole new round of weekly sharing.

Merry Christmas

R

Friday, December 17, 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Project 365 ~ Week 50

Sunday, December 5

In last weeks P365 I showed y’all the pictures of making my pumpkin puree. Well here is the finished product. The jury is still out I’m afraid. It had very good flavor but for me I think the texture was a bit different, but then every pumpkin pie I have ever eaten was probably made from canned pumpkin. It was a very smooth consistency, that was not the problem. It was a very soft almost a chiffon consistency as far as pies go. I think I may investigate other recipes and see if possibly there might be a different recipe that would lend itself to a firmer more custard or cheese cake like consistency.

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If you are a fan of Pumpkin pie then I think you will like Alton Brown’s  recipe. 

Monday, December 6

There were a lot of culinary first this week. I made some French Onion Soup and if I do say so myself it was delish!!!!

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I hesitate to call this my new favorite thing, but it is really pretty good aside from it being hugely expensive. This small container that is not even a cup is over $6.00. It looks like real sugar and has a very pleasant taste. It does have a slight after taste but it is much better in my opinion that Splenda or Equal, that is if you’re a millionaire.

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Tuesday, December 7

I don’t normally have my stove going on all 4 burners but I wanted to get a shot of my new cookware in action. I have a pot of apple butter simmering on the very back burner, that will be for a later post. My broccoli going in the steamer and my creamed potatoes in the back right and the sauce up front for the Baby Back Ribs that were waiting to get sauced up and run under the broiler.

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Wednesday, December 8

These are my newest Christmas decorations. I went to Hobby Lobby in search of some silk poinsettias and left with these candle rings. Even at 50% the silk poinsettia were still a bit on the pricy side plus they were just the floral bunches and I would have had to purchase pot’s, floral foam and that messy Spanish moss and then I would have had to actually make the arrangements…not what I was up for not to mention not what I was willing to pay for. Maybe I’ll get lucky and there will still be some left when they mark everything down 80% after Christmas.

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Thursday, December 9

These are my two newest ornaments. This one reminded me of our sweet Buster that I had to bring it home.

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I have three ornament collection on my tree. I have birds, crosses and angels. This beautiful silver cross was 50% off so at about $1.00 I figured I had to buy it…..

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Oooppppsss no pictures on Friday, December 10 

Saturday, December 11

The rule at my house is if I cook and I cook all the time then I don't have to clean it. I have the best husband y’all. This is the picture in my kitchen most nights after supper. He’s a keeper y'all!!

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Well as far as Saturdays go this on has been super busy but I vowed to try and get my 365 up and running and se to auto post before I hit the pillow tonight. So far today I have made two separate trips back and fourth to church and I will have to make a third trip out in a bit to fetch the DD from a Youth Choir Christmas party. They were hitting the streets to go caroling at a nursing home and then to a few neighborhoods and then back the choir directors house for Pizza and a Wii, fun for her but all I did to day was drive her around.

Well that’s it for me and this weeks 365, for more y’all head over to Sara’s and link up!

I’m totally shocked and it is almost a border line miracle that I only missed one day this week.

Blessing and can y’all believe that the year is almost over?????

Not me!

Blessings

R

Friday, December 10, 2010

A Disciple Moment: “Here am I, here am I.”

We were reading in Daniel and Isaiah this week as well as a few verses from Zachariah, Malachi and Micah.
Our theme word for the week was HOPE.

Some people have a difficult time with the Apocalyptic literature and the visions of the end times. Grant it it makes for some very interesting discussion. Over the years of my journey with Disciple and the other bible studies I have taken I have learned that sometime I just have to set aside my need for clarity and understanding in favor of letting the greatness of God’s mysterious and wonderful ways take over.

My approach to this go around with Disciple I is to look for the broader picture. My need to fully understand verses like “It will be for a time, times and half a time.” is still there. After many different studies I have done on the book of Daniel I have a clearer understand of end time symbolism, but that is not what spoke to me the most over this past week as we read our assigned scriptures.

What I saw very clearly was the picture we get of just how sovereign God is. How He rules the heavens and the earth with His ultimate power. Last week we read about the account of Job and how God may allow suffering and evil to exist but it is still under His ultimate authority. God spoke the command “You may not take his life!” and The Accuser, Ha-Satan was obedient to that command. In a very strange kind of way that brings me great comfort. Not that evil exist but the it is under the supreme authority of God.

But that was last week and I digress.

This week what spoke to me the clearest was God’s desire to have relationship with his created. In all the end time visions and all the apocalyptic predictions and confusing images what jumped off the page were two very clear concepts. The first was from Isaiah 65, it tells me in verse 1”

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
   I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
   I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.”

God was calling out back then and I believe that he is calling out to us now. He is shouting “Here I am! Here I am! Here I am!” He is seeking relationship with me, with you and with the entire world.

This bring me great comfort when I think about those in my life who fail to acknowledge God presence and for those who have het to come to now who God is. The fact that He reveals himself to those who do not ask ask and can be found by those why do not seek is just another reason to put God in the category of sovereign and supreme.

It brings me great comfort.

And believe me, we all need comfort from time to time.

On those day when I am lifting up my hands in frustration and calling upon the Lord to bring it on, days when I am craving the new heavens and a new earth I think about that ultimate peace I will experience when I am in God’s presence. We all have those moment when we just get weary of the chaos and the unfathomable things that happen in the world around us.

Even in my impatience for good things to happen God word is very clear about His stance on waiting. He tells us to “Be Still and Know” my life verse that gives me great comfort, but he also instructs up to wait. To wait with expectation and to wait for His Greatness to appear on the earth.

When that eventually happens can you imaging how wonderful it will be to to know that God’s word tells us that “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

The presence of God will be so enveloping and so ever-present that before a thought even has a chance to form on my lips God will already be there and giving me an answer. Before I have even completed a thought He will know what is in my heart.

We are nearing the half way point in Disciple I. In a week we will break from the Old Testament and wade into the familiar pages of the New. I am amazed at the insights and the revelations that God has brought to us as a class and been privileged to witness the growth and bonding we have developed as a class. God is good in all He does and His word does not come back to us empty.

For that I am so very thankful.

As we anticipate the celebration of the Birth of Jesus let us all bask in His great love and his bountiful abundant outstretched hands.

God is calling out to us.

I am Here!

 

Blessings

R

 

Isaiah 65
Judgment and Salvation
1 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
   I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
   I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2 All day long I have held out my hands
   to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
   pursuing their own imaginations—
3 a people who continually provoke me
   to my very face,
offering sacrifices in gardens
   and burning incense on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves
   and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,
   and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
   for I am too sacred for you!’
Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
   a fire that keeps burning all day.

6 “See, it stands written before me:
   I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;
   I will pay it back into their laps—
7 both your sins and the sins of your ancestors,”
   says the LORD.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
   and defied me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
   the full payment for their former deeds.”

8 This is what the LORD says:

   “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
   and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
   there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;
   I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
   and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
   and there will my servants live.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
   and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
   for my people who seek me.

11 “But as for you who forsake the LORD
   and forget my holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
   and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,
   and all of you will fall in the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
   I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
   and chose what displeases me.”

13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

   “My servants will eat,
   but you will go hungry;
my servants will drink,
   but you will go thirsty;
my servants will rejoice,
   but you will be put to shame.
14 My servants will sing
   out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out
   from anguish of heart
   and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
   for my chosen ones to use in their curses;
the Sovereign LORD will put you to death,
   but to his servants he will give another name.
16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land
   will do so by the one true God;
whoever takes an oath in the land
   will swear by the one true God.
For the past troubles will be forgotten
   and hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “See, I will create
   new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
   nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
   in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
   and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
   and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
   will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it
   an infant who lives but a few days,
   or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
   will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach[a] a hundred
   will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
   they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
   or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
   so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
   the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
   nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the LORD,
   they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
   while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
   and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
   and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
   on all my holy mountain,”
            says the LORD.


Thursday, December 9, 2010

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree….

Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee is hosting a Holiday meme today! It’s time to have a blogosphere tour of holiday trees and favorite ornaments.

Decorating the tree at my house is a staged event consisting of several phases. I don't think in the history of Christmas at the Be Still and Know household it has eve been completed on one evening. It used to be a family affair but over the years as the children have flown the coop and gotten fully immersed in the iPod and hair care products it has morphed into a singular activity. The Hubs get the tree standing up right and then retires to the chair to supervise.

Tuesday afternoon I finally got the last ornament on the tree and it’s as decorated as it is going to get this year.

I will admit to having a bit of lackadaisical attitude about the holiday decorating this year and I have done a somewhat what abbreviated version this year. The majority of the garland and decorative nic-nack’s are remaining packed away this year in favor of just a few holiday highlights scattered around my home.

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Here is the view of the tree and the mantel. I am still looking for some poinsettia to place on the mantle. I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday looking for artificial but did not find any within my price range which is really cheap so maybe I’ll have better luck at the old Wal-Mart later this afternoon.

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I think I may have shared pictures of these treasured ornaments before but do mom’s ever get tired of showing casing the brilliance of their precious little ones even when they are not so little any more. We all have them. The sweet little handmade ornaments put together with Elmer's school glue and Sunday school craft supplies. These three ornament are my top three favorites.

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My new favorites are from our latest vacation. For some time now we have made a point of making sure we pick up a Christmas ornament from our various travels.

This one is from our visit to Mount Rushmore….duh! But it is really nice I think!

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I love this one from Yellowstone. It is a moose holding a fishing pole with a fish inside a bloke of frozen ice on the end of his line.

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These last two are my newest additions. Each year I give the sale rack at Hobby Lobby the once over and try and add to the stash of decorations. I did a bit of early shopping yesterday. These were only 50% off but I had to get this gorgeous silver cross and this sweet puppy ornament so captured the spirit of our own sweet Buster that it made it’s way to my cart.

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These aren't really ornament but I got these decorative candle rings for a steal at Hobby Lobby and I thought they were kinda cool.

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Well that all the decorations here at Be Still and Know Christmas 2010. So for more festive fun y’all head over to Linda’s and link up.

 

Merry Christmas Y’all

R

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