Monday, February 5, 2024

From My Journal

 TODAY IS:  February 5, 2024

AROUND ME: a smidgen of frost, but our daytime temperatures are definitely increasing!

I AM PONDERING:  the faithfulness of God when He tells us in the last part of Psalm 30:5 that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  So, if you are going through something that is causing you grief, please remember that it's only for a little while and that joy WILL come!  What a comfort His Word is.  

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  a good book and a cup of tea.

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  The Gospel's Power and Message by Paul Washer, I am really enjoying this book and look forward to doing a review of it in the next few weeks.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs,  I read a small section in this book before falling asleep each night.  I've read this book several times now, as I try to make it a practice to read it once a year.

 A Garden to Keep by Jamie Langston Turner is a good book, but it has taken me a bit to have the main character's way of talking become second nature to me.  It's been good though, now that I understand the way she writes and talks.  There will be a review at some point.

 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.

I AM THANKFUL FOR: God's Word that gives us comfort and strength and helps us to stand firm in our faith as it helps us grow deeper in our relationship with Him.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN:  When I visited my friend Granny Marigold recently I learned about swans.  I found it quite interesting since we do not have swans here where we live.  She shared a picture from the internet of a formation of swans flying.  That's called a wedge.


Aren't they graceful?


FROM THE KITCHEN:  I made a decision about whether to try the Cottage Pie Baked Potatoes or my friend Lauren's recipe she sent me.  I will post the recipe a bit later on in the week as a few people have requested it.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  being healthy

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER: "There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious."  C.S. Lewis

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY Laundry, ironing, and reading

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12

23 comments:

  1. a good book, a cup of tea and knitting in my lap! Also after traveling, being home in the early morning silence!! Lovely look at your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Karen! Thank you so much for sharing your favorite things...we like the same things, only I would have to say crocheting instead of knitting. :)

      Delete
  2. A little frost here today too.
    The verse is good for me today; as you know we are having a hard time in our church right now but God is faithful!
    How do you read so many books at once? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry to hear this, Mari. I’m glad you take comfort in God’s faithfulness.

      Delete
    2. I'm glad that the verse was an encouragement for you today. Actually, I thought of you when I decided on that verse. Praying for you and your church family.

      Delete
  3. I've found with most of Jamie Langston Turner's books that they aren't the kind that grab me and draw me in immediately. It usually takes time and thought to get into them, but they are worth it in the long run.

    Our temperatures are supposed to get up in the 60s today. I am loving the sunshine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbara, thank you for sharing that with me about Jamie Langston Turner's books. This is my first one of hers that I have read. I'm still at a place where I can read about one chapter each time I sit down.

      Delete
  4. I've always thought of swans as such delicate birds. I saw a video of a swan who was taken to a rehab center due to an injury. When they returned the female to the pond, her mate was there waiting for her. It was so sweet to see them "snuggle" with their necks intertwined.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww...thank you, my friend, for sharing about the swan video and how it reunited with its mate. So precious.

      Delete
  5. Oh my - and yes - so grateful for being, and feeling!, healthy! I don't want to take that for granted. It feels so good:) And I am thankful that joy comes in the morning!! I hope your week is already off to a good start and that you are enjoying your Monday!! Blessings to you, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jennifer. I thought of you this morning when I was writing the post on the topic of health especially, because I know you had such a hard year, healthwise, last year. xx

      Delete
  6. What is your favourite type of tea?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Lauren. I thought about you so much this morning as I was busy in the kitchen making Shepherd's Pie...well, Cottage Pie for me. Carroll had been outside all morning splitting and stacking firewood and when he came in for lunch and saw the Cottage Pie his eyes lit up! We both enjoyed it so much. I had a bit of a scare though...I thought for a minute that I was going to need to DM you and ask for the recipe again. I looked through two of my huge homemade recipe books, page by page, twice and found all of your other recipes but not the one for Shepherd's Pie. I have a clipboard that I keep current recipes on that I want to make in the near future and decided I would look there. That's where it was! I surely was relieved. I have made several different recipes for Cottage Pie that I've got off the internet, but none of them are as good as yours.

      And my favorite tea is Twinings Decaf English Breakfast Tea. :-)

      Delete
    2. I’m glad you found the recipe! Although you can always ask me again!

      Delete
    3. I'm glad that I found the recipe too! :)

      Delete
  7. Today we had weather warm enough for me to cut the canes on about half of the raspberry bushes... but of course the weather will turn cold again.
    I love Earl Grey tea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Willow. My husband cut the canes on our raspberry bushes last week.

      Delete
  8. I too saw the swan picture on GM blog and miss seeing them on the lake where we used to live. I've never seen them in flight though.
    It's been wonderful having these few sunny days. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swans are so graceful. I can understand why you miss seeing them on the lake. Yes, the sunshine has been wonderful!

      Delete
  9. I'm glad you enjoyed reading about the swans. I saw on FB that more than 50 swans are currently on the lake at Willband where we try to go walking on the weekends. I hope we see them before they move on.
    My Monday list was very similar to yours. It was a good day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did truly enjoy that post on the swans! I heard the geese fly over this morning and I thought about you, wondering if you were viewing the swans! My Monday was a good day, too.

      Delete
  10. Sounds like a good day. I'm looking forward to the recipe, too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a good day, Ellen. The recipe will be posted tomorrow. :)

      Delete