From My Journal

 TODAY IS: April 29, 2024

AROUND ME: the birds are singing, the sun is shining and it promises to be a beautiful day!

I AM PONDERING: how quickly times passes, filling my days with labors of love around our home and doing them as unto the Lord.

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS: 

This is a 67 piece set of The Friendly Village by

Johnson Brothers of England 

that I recently picked up at an auction.

It turned out to be a complete service for 8,

plus 6 serving bowls, three platters, tea pot, sugar, creamer, and the

three tiered plate.

Since the scenes are all winter scenes of different spots in the village, 

I won't be putting them out in the hutch until around Thanksgiving.

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.

The Soul's Conflict  by Richard Sibbes

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I AM THANKFUL FOR: the Lord's provision of a second vehicle. 

FROM THE KITCHEN: 

I gave these a try because they are gluten free and then I went a step further and after we each had one I wrapped them individually and put them in the freezer so we aren't as tempted to eat them all at once.  

Turns out that they are just as good frozen as they are fresh.

When they are frozen they taste like fudge!

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  The children at church.  They certainly brighten ones day!  I had a nice long chat with a little 5 1/2 year old boy after our morning service yesterday.  He is quite the conversationalist and I loved every minute of it!

 A QUOTE TO REMEMBER: 

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  Laundry, general straightening of the house after the weekend and the busy week we had last week while we were car shopping.

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

Psalm 90:12

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

Be Encouraged

 

Abiding in Him - a book review

 

Abiding in Him  A Life Together in Ministry is the story of Bettie and Barry Gilbert's life together as God took them through learning what "ministry" is all about.  It was recommended to me by someone who knows the couple personally.

Both of them suffer with chronic illnesses, which is another reason that I thought the book would be helpful for me since I've dealt with a chronic illness for 20 years now.

Bettie shares how she and her husband met when they were just teens and how the Lord has led them through times of moving across the country (more than once) and developing in them the ideas that were not what we typically think of when we think "ministry".  

Theirs is an interesting story as one watches them go through times of trial with three small children and how He has cared for them through to their current ages where they are moved for one last time close to their now adult children.

There is one statement that Bettie makes that will forever remain with me as she reflected on Leviticus 17:11 about the life of a creature being in the blood.

"We are simply not aware of how thin the veil is between this life and the next one, but our Lord Jesus has the final say, and He holds our life within His hands." page 25.

While I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book, I would say it is a fairly good read.  

Best Pan Fried Cod with Tomatoes

 

Best Pan Fried Cod with Tomatoes

I promise that we really do eat more than just fish around here...it seems that a large portion of the recipes I've posted this year have been for fish.  I gave this recipe a try last week and it was SO good that we have it in our regular rotation now.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Topping:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon drained capers (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Cod:

1 1/2 pounds cod filets

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1

Combine tomatoes, shallot, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, capers, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.

Step 2

About 15 minutes before cooking, remove cod from the refrigerator, so it can come to room temperature.  Cut cod into pieces, thoroughly pat filets dry with a paper towel, and generously season both sides with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, melt butter, and swirl to coat.  Add cod, and do not move the pieces until it is time to flip them over.  Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).  Carefully remove the filets from the skillet with a spatula to a serving plate.

Step 4

Reduce the heat to medium and in the same skillet, add the tomato mixture.  Cook and scrape up any bits stuck to the skillet bottom and stir until the tomatoes just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Step 5

Spoon tomato mixture over filets, garnish with parsley, and serve.

NOTE:  The recipe indicates that the capers are optional.  I chose to use them because we like capers.  But I would say that if you choose to use them, go easy on the salt when you season the fish because capers are salty.

Kindness in a World of Greed

 I recently had a few items that I needed to pick up at a globablly well known retail store. I'd waited to purchase those few items in particular at this store because their selection had always been so wonderful.

The first couple of items on the list were easily found and then we began in earnest to search for photo albums.  This store had always had a good selection of not only photo albums, but also scrapbooking supplies.  We couldn't find either section.

We then began looking for the photo section where I'd gotten pictures made many many times.  But we couldn't find that section any longer either.

When I saw an employee, I asked about the photo albums.  His reply was, "I have no idea.  Probably you should check around the electronics section.  They will probably know."

At that time, we were very close to the electronics section, so I walked over to the counter and asked the person who wasn't doing anything about the photo albums and he said, "We no longer carry photo albums."  I was stunned!  Before I could say anything, another employee in the electronics section who was waiting on someone else said in a rather gruff voice, "Not in this store!  If you want photo albums, Lady, then you need to go to either Michaels or Hobby Lobby."

I was a bit taken aback by the tone of the second electronics guy's tone and both of their attitudes.

Our thermometer's battery recently died and after realizing that the photo section had been removed from the store completely, we began our search for the batteries.  We were closer to the area where the jewelry department was located than we were at the front of the store where the regular display of batteries were, so we decided to just check out the jewelry department first.  Only problem was, we couldn't find the jewelry department either...not the jewelry counter with actual people behind it.  Now in it's place was a few displays of cheaper quality necklaces, earrings and watches.  

About that time, a middle-aged lady employee came walking by and I asked her about the jewelry department and she told me that it had been removed from the store because it wasn't making them enough money, and it was the same reason that the photo section with the cameras, etc. no longer exists in that store.  

She asked if there was something we were needing and I told her we were just looking for batteries for our thermometer and had been able to find them in the jewelry section before but we would just wait until we got to the front of the store and see if they had them there.

In her kindness she said, "Well, let's look over here, because they did have some of those types of batteries here on this one end display."  She walked over with us and looked for them to no avail.  She said, "Well, I guess they have moved them again.  That happens everytime they reset the store."  She also told us that they were preparing to "reset" that particular store again shortly.

I realize that people are in business to make money, but I also realize that this particular company is not hurting for money.  What this experience has done for me is that it will cause me to now shop at a smaller store that really cares that the people in their area have the items they need.

The lesson in kindness?  Our attitudes come through in our words...and in the tone of voice we use those words in.  The first three employees, although they gave me correct information...the store no longer carried the item I was looking for...it came across as my being a bother to their day.  The fourth employee, in her kind and gentle way in how she handled my questions, made me feel as though that just maybe the customer did have some worth.

May it be a lesson that I keep close to my heart so that I come across as caring and kind when someone needs help with something.  

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: April 1, 2024

AROUND ME: rain...LOTS of rain and fog!

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

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:  nourishment for my soul as I study God's Word.  He always brings joy and peace.

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

Till We Have Faces  by C.S. Lewis

She Who Laughs, Lasts! compiled by Ann Spangler

just finished...

To Seek and To Save (Lenten Devotion) by Sinclair Ferguson that Strongheart and I did together.

Abiding in Him by Bettie Gilbert

I AM THANKFUL FOR: the sweet fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

FROM THE KITCHEN: 

Best Pan Fried Cod with Tomatoes

(sorry about the messy presentation)

I tried a new fish recipe... Best Pan Fried Cod with Tomatoes.  I served it over brown rice...SO yummy.  Recipe to follow later this week.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:    

This is one of my perennial flowerbeds.

I wish the colors were as vibrant in pictures as they are in person. 

I've really enjoyed this flowerbed this spring.  

And, yes, those are tulips and grape hyacinths in the yard,

circling the flowerbed.  That was Strongheart's addition last fall.

Since he mows the grass, I can't complain. 😀

A QUOTE TO REMEMBER: 

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  Laundry, write notes of encouragement.  

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

Psalm 90:12