Be Encouraged

 

Lila - a book review

 

Lila is the third book in the series by Marilynne Robinson.  The first book in the series, Gilead, was one that I reviewed early in February of this year.  I've not read the second one in the series, Home, but I do plan to order it just so I can have a fuller picture of the Reverend Ames life.  Jack is the final book in the series.  I've already been introduced to Jack in Gilead and I'm not sure that I want to persue his life any further.

I did have a friend tell me that Gilead would make a lot more sense to me, if I read Lila so I knew I wanted to read it...and I am so glad that I did.

Lila had been neglected when she was very young and had been rescued by a woman named Doll.  The group of people that Doll was associated with were drifters in Iowa and worked whatever jobs they could find as they "drifted" through different towns.

While Doll did her best to raise Lila to be a hard worker, Lila was still left with a hard life.  To her credit, she did see to it that Lila had enough education that she could read and figure numbers.  

There came a time when Doll ended up in jail because of a murder she had committed and in the meantime, Lila had come to the town of Gilead, Iowa.  She entered a church one Sunday morning in order to get out of the rain.

The church was the one that Reverend John Ames was the pastor.  His first wife and little boy had died several years prior to this.  The church people had "looked after him" and he still lived in the house that his grandfather and father had lived in when they pastored the same church.

Even though their backgrounds were SO VERY different and he was much older than Lila, Reverend Ames was drawn to Lila and an unusal romance developed between them.  But I won't say anymore about that because I don't want to spoil the book for you, should you decide to read it. 

There's a good bit of going back and forth from Lila's early life and the time she arrived in Gilead, but it isn't difficult to follow. 

I would definitely recommend this book because it is a beautiful illustration of how the gentleness of God's grace brought joy and happiness to both the Reverend and to Lila.  

Sausage, Peppers and Onions

 

Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

1 pound Italian Sausage

1 green pepper, cut in strips

1 red pepper, cut in strips

1/2 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (15 oz.)  Italian diced tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown the Italian sausage and place in bottom of crockpot.

Add all remaining ingredients to crockpot and give a quick stir.

Cook on low for six hours.

Once the six hours are up, I turned the temperature up to high on the crockpot, made a bit of a slurry with cornstarch and water and added it to the mixture in the crockpot.  I put the lid back on and let it cook on high for about 15 minutes so that the mixture would thicken.

I served it over spaghetti noodles.

Genuine Kindness in the World of Business

 The words, "It's my pleasure",  will more than likely bring to mind a certain food chain.  Mr. Cathy definitely had the right idea in how to make the customer feel as though they counted.  

But have you ever wondered just how sincere those words are coming out of the mouths of the employees?

When we shop in one particular area of the town where we go to run errands, we always end up at this food chain.  

The young people behind the counter are always so polite and courteous.  

The shift manager who is working with the employees,  making sure the orders are being filled in a timely fashion, always seems to be kind and courteous with the other employees.

And then there's the "hostess" who is always pleasant and walks around to each table to see if you need anything. 

After visting this particular chain recently, I just sat and observed as I ate my lunch. 

The kids behind the counter and the shift manager were working well together.  They were laughing and encouraging one another in different ways.

The hostess was as sweet as she could be and interacting with the customers in more than just, "Is there anything you need or that I can get for you?" type of way.

The thing that stood out to me about kindness in this establishment is that it was genuine.  Anyone can say, "It's my pleasure", but it has been my experience that these people, both young and older, sincerely mean it when they say it.

As God has made me so aware of this in my search for my "One Word for 2024"...Kindness...I pray that when I say, "It's my pleasure", I will be genuinely kind.

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: April 8, 2024

AROUND ME: it's a bit overcast this morning but outside my window I am seeing a beautiful blooming pear tree.  Its beauty makes up for it being overcast.

I AM PONDERING: the beauty of nature at this time of year.  Color is popping up everywhere around us! 

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  how the Holy Spirit works as He teaches us lessons from God's Word.  When the same Scriptures keep popping up in various places I know it's time to sit up and take notice!

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  

  Refreshment for the Soul is a collection of Richard Sibbes thoughts on different topics and is compiled as a devotional.  So, it will be an ongoing reading throughout this year.

Rebels at the Gate - Lee and McClellan on the Front Line of a Nation Divided by W. Hunter Lesser...this is SO good.  It's about the Civil War battles that happened in my area of WV!  Strongheart and I are going through the book together so we've had some great conversations as a result of reading it together.

Till We Have Faces  by C.S. Lewis

She Who Laughs, Lasts! compiled by Ann Spangler

I AM THANKFUL FOR: the time that I had last week when visiting with one of my brothers and then talking with my other brother on the phone.

FROM THE KITCHEN: 

(picture courtesy of Pinterest)

There's one slight difference in our kitchen for tonight's dinner.

I'm using some of the Italian Hot Sausage that Strongheart made,

and we didn't put it in casings, 

so ours will be made with ground Hot Italian Sausage. 

I will serve it over pasta.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:

(photo courtesy of Pinterest)

I mean, bunnies on blue and white!

What's not to love?

  A QUOTE TO REMEMBER: 

(photo courtesy of Pinterest)

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  Laundry, work on cleaning out a couple of cabinets.  

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12