TODAY IS: August 19, 2024
AROUND ME: We have been enjoying some beautiful rains over the past week. The first part of the week we had autumn like days with daytime temps in the 70s and nights in the 50s. Mid-week the temperatures went up some and the humidity increased a lot. Beginning today our temps are to return to those of early last week and one night the low is to be in the 40s! Ahhh...my kind of weather.
I AM PONDERING:
AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS:
A few weeks ago, Strongheart's favorite mug got a chip in it.
Since it was no longer safe to be used,
I decided to surprise him with this mug that I ordered from the Etsy shop
Stonehouse Pottery Ohio .
The potter does beautiful work and best of all Strongheart loves it!
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
The Atomic Habits by James Clear
I finished The Journals of Jim Elliot and it was so good. A review will be coming soon!
I AM THANKFUL FOR: the grace given ability to memorize Scripture. I've been working on memorizing Romans 12. When I began this task in January, I didn't care if it took me all year to memorize it because I'm not in a race. All that I asked was that the Word of God would indeed be active in transforming and renewing my mind. I started with verse 17 this morning.
FROM THE KITCHEN:
Last Monday and Tuesday I turned these tomatoes above
into 21 pints of diced tomatoes!
I'm so thankful to have these on my canning shelves again!
These combined with the five pints I had left from last year will give us enough for the winter!
SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY: Another "story" of the Littles next door. They were leaving yesterday to go to their grandmother's and stopped to say hello to Strongheart. He invited them to come over and pick grapes and raspberries. They were gone the majority of the afternoon and early evening. Strongheart was out weeding one of the flowerbeds when they pulled in at the top of their driveway and the youngest girlie called out to him and asked if it was okay if they came over then to pick the grapes and raspberries. They hadn't even made it to their house yet!
Of course he told her yes and shortly there were two Littles walking over. The Little Guy had to have some rhubarb. He reminds me of me when I was his age. Just pull it up and start eating! He didn't like the grapes because they had seeds in them, but that didn't bother the youngest girlie. Before all was said and done, their older sister came over too. They bring us so much joy!
TO DO LIST FOR TODAY: A bit of cleaning and decluttering.
"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 91:12
It must be such a fulfilling feeling to go from fresh tomatoes to prepared in jars! So much better than store-bought! I really like the mug. I'll look that seller up on Etsy. I have a stoneware mug that I use for tea. The "Littles" sound so adorable! What a breath of fresh air they must be to you. I'm struggling with scripture memorization. I don't seem to be retaining it! But I'm staying at it. Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteIt really is, Melanie. I've always enjoyed canning for that very reason. When the children were small and I was a stay at home mom, it gave me a feeling of appreciation that I could help to contribute in some small way to the food that we put on the table. The picture doesn't really do the mug justice. This lady does an amazing job and the glaze is gorgeous on it. I tried to link directly to her Etsy shop when I was doing the post, but for some reason it wouldn't do it. I think we all go through periods of struggling when it comes to Scripture memorization. But I am blessed by the fact that you are staying at it! Good for you! xx
DeleteThere is such good advice in that clip about looking for ways to be kind.
ReplyDeleteYour tomatoes are really beautiful! I know it has to feel good to have them all canned.
Those kids have no idea what joy they bring you. :)
Good for you for memorizing Romans. Good things to tuck in your heart.
Yes there is , Mari! I have it pinned to my Pinterest board so I can see it often!
DeleteI enjoyed canning the tomatoes. Breaking it up into two days really helped and both days I didn't get started until after lunch.
Those kids are a delight. I'll miss them when school starts later this week.
Romans is filled to the brim with such wisdom...and conviction.
We've had a little rain, but not as much as has been forecast. But for a couple of events where we had outside activities this week, the temperatures were wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking I need to read Atomic Habits. I look forward to seeing what you think about it. Jim Elliot's journals are such a blessing.
The mug looks wonderful!
I still remember verses I memorized in college, but have a harder time memorizing in recent years.
What fun encounters with the Littles. This reminded me of an older neighbor lady when I was a child, Mrs. Beeson. Plus when my kids were little, we lived next door to two older sisters. My boys loved to go visit them.
We've had several showers off and on today and it's been so nice. Our current temperature this evening is 59 but it's to dip lower and tomorrow's high is to be in the 60s. We are trying a new experiment tomorrow that will bring about a good bit of steam, so that will help to keep the house warm. :)
DeleteBarbara, I finished Atomic Habits today and wrote a review for it this afternoon. I will post the review next week, as I already have The Journals of Jim Elliot set up for this week. I really enjoyed Atomic Habits. The first person that I learned about it from was a YouTuber and then Lisa Burgess did a review of it as well. James Clear has such a good basis for his ideas and they make sense. A lot of it is good common sense. I appreciated the fact that he said if we don't meet our goals that we set it isn't that our goals or desires are wrong...it's the system that we use to get there is wrong. I think you would enjoy the book.
The mug really is pretty. The picture really doesn't do it justice.
I was the same way with Scripture memory and then I listened to a lady by the name of Susan Heck. Are you familiar with her? She is amazing as a Christian and she has things she shares about Scripture memorization that I found very helpful. They are things that didn't sound logical to me at first, but once I tried it I was amazed at how quickly they worked!
The youngest of the girls next door loves flowers and she knows when she comes over that she will always go home with some flowers. :) And whatever fruit or veggies are in the garden. :)
I had not heard of Susan Heck, but I looked her up just now. Most of the verses I learned in college were through a recommended system where we repeated them 25 times a day, then 20, and so on, going down by five til we got to zero. Then we reviewed the verses periodically. It worked, but it was very tedious. Those were all KJV, and when I try to learn those passages in the ESV now, I get confused. :) Glenna Marshall, whose blog I sometimes read, recently wrote a book about memorizing Scripture that I have thought about looking into.
DeleteBarbara, I understand about memorizing in the KJV and then getting confused now when you try memorizing in the ESV. I've been using the Legacy Study Bible for the last couple of years and that's what I am using for my memorization. There were a couple of places that I would automatically think a word or two in the KJV but the Lord has helped me overcome them. 😊
DeleteYou should chat with Melanie about Susan Heck's memorization program. She has the little book that Susan did.
Look at how productive you were with those tomatoes! So many jars of goodness. I love that mug. Such sweet times you can have with those little neighbors. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteThat was so much fun working with those tomatoes, Ellen! I loved it! We are doing grape juice tomorrow using a new method to us. In the past we have always used a fruit press, but Strongheart ordered a fruit steamer back in the spring from the company where he buys his veggie seeds. So I'm excited to see how this all works! There's a hose that runs from the steamer directly into the jars.
DeleteHubby really enjoys his new mug, too.
What a nice looking mug, Those tomatoes are absolutely delicious. I used to belong to a community garden in the last town we lived in but this town doesn't have one but they are working on getting a site which would be great. Enjoy your tomatoes and have a great week.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill. I was really pleased with the quality of craftmanship.
DeleteWe were able to purchase the tomatoes that were pictured on the picnic table from an Amish family owned and run fruit market. I'd told my husband earlier in the spring that I didn't need tomatoes to can and then realized that I only had five jars of the diced tomatoes left from last year. That's the first time in the many years we've been gardening that I've bought produce from someone rather than having it from our garden. The community garden you had in the last town sounds like a lovely idea. I've seen those in some of the episodes of Escape to the Country and I love the concept.
Hope you have a great week!
Such a beautiful mug! Such clever words in that clip as to how to be kind, helpful, encouraging!
ReplyDeleteLovely sight of those fresh tomatoes!
Thank you, Duta. I was really pleased with how beautifully the glaze was done.
DeleteYes, lots of wisdom in the first clip. It's such a good reminder for me with my One Word Kindness.
We have been enjoying Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches every day for lunch. Oh my! So good!
xx
Romans 12 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. My memory skills are not as good as yours are though. :)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Karen, it's not my memory skills that are great...it's the system I use that helps me retain them. I listened to a lady by the name of Susan Heck who does a lot of scripture memory and tried some of her suggestions. It has really helped me.
DeleteNice new mug you got for Strong Heart. He sure has made friends with the littles next door. Yes, what joy they bring!
ReplyDelete21 pints of diced tomatoes. You were very productive.
Your memorizing is going so well. It's a wonderful use of your mind💗.
I love the shades of blue in the mug and then how that eventually goes to brown at the bottom. He really enjoys the mug and he commented on how the colors are much the same as were in his old mug.
DeleteYes, he certainly has made friends with the littles next door. They love him and they often tell us both that they love us.
I did the tomatoes two different days and didn't start until after noon each day. By breaking it up like that into two days it wasn't as tiring as if I would have done it all in one day.
Thank you for the encouragement about my Scripture memorization. It truly is a wonderful use of the mind and I know the Lord will use it as He transforms my mind.
Romans 12 is an amazing chapter to memorize! My brain just doesn't stay focused that much anymore. Thankfully the Lord brings scripture to mind when I need it.
ReplyDeleteLovely job on those tomatoes! My little cherry tomato bush is starting to ripen a few at a time.
I love that mug! The colors are very nice!
Monica, sometime check out a lady by the name of Susan Heck on YouTube... specifically the ones she does on Scripture memorization. I think you will find it helpful.
DeleteI'm excited that your cherry tomatoes are beginning to ripen.
The mug really is prettier in person. The potter did a beautiful job with the glaze.
that mug is gorgeous!! I've been drinking tea at night out of a new favorite mug from my son and daughter in law for Mother's day from when we were in Hocking Hills Ohio. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you. We were really pleased with the quality of the work on the mug. Since we've been having this cooler weather in the evenings we have been drinking a cup of tea at night as well. Do you have a favorite brand of tea?
DeleteWhat a precious story. Children keep us young! A wonderful perspective to have! xoxo
ReplyDeleteYes they do, Jenny. We are thankful for the Littles next door, as well as their parents.
Delete