Be Encouraged

 

The Soul's Conflict with Itself ~ a book review

 

The Soul's Conflict with itself by Richard Sibbes was one that I found to be such a help in my growth as a Christian. It took me a long time to read the book, but that was only because it is so full of Scripture and God's Word can be quite convicting at times. In a roundabout sort of way, this book helped me along with my One Word resilience's synonym perseverance.  Even though it took a long time to read, I persevered because I didn't want to miss anything that God might have for me in this book. And there was a time when I would have just given up about halfway through the book.

The entire book deals with one verse of Scripture...Psalm 42:5, which says,

"Why are thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?  hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."

Richard Sibbes was a Puritan who lived between 1577 - 1635, but don't let that put you off when it comes to his writings.  I was introduced to his writings by our pastor and even though Richard's sentences can often be quite lengthy, I have enjoyed everything I've ever read by him.

I'll share a couple of quotes from the book.

"It is an indignity for men to be led with surmises and probabilities, and so to pass a rash judgment upon persons and things.  Oftentimes falsehood hath a fairer gloss of probability than truth; and vices go masked under the appearance of virtue, whereupon seeming likeness breeds a mistake of one thing for another."

"It is evidence that man lives more to opinion and reputation of others than to conscience, when his grief is more for being disappointed of that approbation which he expects from men, than for his miscarriage towards God."

"This is a sign of a man's victory over himself, when he loves health and peace of body and mid, with a supply of all needful things, chiefly for this end, that he may with more freedom of spirit serve God in doing good to others."

And lastly,

"Satan could not deceive us, unless we deceived ourselves first, and are willing to be deceived."

Would I recommend?  Definitely!

Resilience ~ Perseverance

Corn Chowder

 CORN CHOWDER

2 cups water ~ heat to boiling

ADD AND COOK 8-10 minutes

2-3 cups diced/peeled potatoes

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

MAKE WHITE SAUCE:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

ADD

3 cups (12 oz.) shredded Cheddar Cheese

ADD 

2 cans cream style corn (14.5 oz. each)

1/4 cup diced/cubed ham

Just a couple of notes.  Once you make the white sauce, and add the shredded Cheddar, add that to your pot of cooked veggies and then add the corn and ham, stir well and continue to keep on the stove until the corn and ham have had a chance to heat through.

Also, I did not use cream style corn because I have corn from our garden in the freezer, so I just used a quart bag of it.

We enjoy chowders and while this one wasn't yummy clam chowder that I enjoy when we go to Maine, it was still good.

A New Tradition

 Traditions have always been a big part of my life.

I grew up in a multi-generational household and it was a blessing to be raised in the same home with my paternal grandparents.

There were things that we did as tradition all through the year...

things like picnics at a state park, making cut out cookies with my mom every year at Christmas.

Then when I married Strong Heart, we started some of our own traditions.

When the children came along it was even more fun to pass down some of those traditions to them.

And it became such a blessing to us when our children married that they took some of those same traditions as their own.

But this year after Christmas, Strong Heart and I started a new tradition.

We took all of the Christmas cards that we received this year,

put them in a basket that sits on our kitchen table 

and each morning, as we sit down to breakfast,

Strong Heart picks out a card and as he asks God's blessing on our day and our food, we also pray for the names on the Christmas card that he picked.

It's been such a blessing.

Once we've prayed for the people on the card, he puts it at the back of the cards.

We have really enjoyed doing this, because it gives us that incentive we need to pray for folks that we normally wouldn't think to pray for.

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: 27 January 2025

AROUND ME:  We had a couple of days in the 30s over the weekend, so a fair amount of snow has melted.  It's been good to see bare spots here and there, but we are supposed to get another snow starting Wednesday morning, lasting through Wednesday evening.  At the present, it's only supposed to be a couple of inches.

I AM PONDERING: the mercy of God and how He takes care of us...how it rains on the just and the unjust.  

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS

Blue and White

(photo from Pinterest)

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:  The Violent Take it by Force by Matthew D. Taylor

I AM THANKFUL FOR: shelves in the basement that are lined with canned goods from our garden, my husband, my Redeemer and King, my copy of God's Word, our children and their spouses, our grandchildren, and good friends.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN: how essential a teachable spirit is.

FROM THE KITCHEN:

  

Corn Chowder that we had last week.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:

Tea and Bunnies!  What's not to love?

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK: 

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK

One of my favorite verses.

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:  Laundry, Ironing, Plant Care

"So teach us to number our days, 

that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 

Be Encouraged

 

Quiet by Susan Cain ~ A Short Review

 

Quiet by Susan Cain is a really good read...especially for those who find themselves an introvert in an extrovert world, which is the reason that I chose this book to read.

As you can see from the subtitle, the book is about "the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking".  The book begins with a history of Dale Carnegie, a boy who grew up on a pig farm that made him determined that he was not going to be a pig farmer, even though he was very shy.  You will need to read the book to find out how this one young man developed a course for those who wanted to learn the skills of public speaking.  That course is still alive today.  You can find it at dalecarnegie.com.

Susan goes on from there to show how this led to the extroverts taking lead in business because they are perceived as one who knows what he's talking about because he presents himself in a self-assertive manner.  She gives many examples of how many times when there is a job opening and an extrovert and an introvert both interview for the job, the extrovert generally gets the job even though the introvert understands the working of the job better because the extrovert appears more confident of himself.

The author also delves into different Ivy League schools and how the majority of their enrollments are extroverts and how uncomfortable students from other countries feel in the environment because they've been raised in a culture where introverts are admired for their ability to think through problems and come up with winning solutions.

As an introvert myself, I found it interesting how easily it can be determined while babies are still in the nursery in the hospital whether a child is going to come forth with as an introvert or an extrovert.

While this book wasn't one that gave four or five steps of "self-help", I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  It held my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out more.

Minestrone Soup with Herbs and Whole Grain Pasta

 

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH HERBS AND WHOLE GRAIN PASTA

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 large carrot, cut into thin rounds

1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch half moons

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

1 (15.5 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup whole wheat or bean rotini or elbow pasta

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, green beans, and zucchini and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the vegetables soften.  Add the garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes and broth.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.  Then cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the canned beans and uncooked pasta and cook, uncovered, for 11 to 15 minutes more, until the pasta is tender.

PERSONAL NOTE:  I did not use fresh green beans like the recipe calls for.  I used canned green beans from our garden, and I just added them in when I put in the kidney beans and pasta.

Also...you could use any kind of pasta you want...it doesn't have to be whole wheat, or a gluten-free pasta, unless that's your preference.  This is a recipe from my favorite anti-inflammatory cookbook and that's why it is specifying certain types of pasta.  

Also...you may want to start out with just 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and see how that tastes.  I use the full teaspoon because pepper is good for inflammation, as are the basil and oregano.

Resilience

 Using my One Word for 2025, resilience, as a jumping off point, I realized that some of the lessons I may learn this year will be through trials that are more personal than I will want to share here.  Having that as a reference point, I decided to check out some synonyms for resilience.

Here are a few that I have found:

Strength

Persistence

Tenacity

Potency

Perseverance

Power

Stubbornness

Elasticity

Adaptability

Fortitude

We are only halfway through the month of January, but I have had a few opportunities to practice resilience in things that have been hard to go through.  God has been gracious to bring me through each one.  

Truthfulness is something that is essential in any relationship, but especially in a relationship between Christians.  Situation ethics shouldn't be a part of our DNA as a Christian.  When these things take place it's time to set some boundaries.   Life is real, my friends, and things like this do happen.  The lesson in resilience that I have learned through these particular instances has to do with the synonym "strength" and although it isn't a synonym for resilience, "weakness" or "weak" definitely fits in these circumstances. 

You see, I am learning firsthand 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 

Resilience isn't about my strength.  It's about His strength, my weakness, and my dependence on HIM and His strength.

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: 20 January 2025

AROUND ME:  Beautiful white snow!  It just keeps coming down, covering the ground with God's handiwork in shades of white. It started snowing sometime during the night Saturday night, early Sunday morning and is to continue today.  As of Sunday afternoon, we had six inches of fresh snow on top of what we already had.  Temperature this morning at 7:17 A.M. is 9 degrees F.

I AM PONDERING:  the fact that today is Inauguration Day 2025 and wondering how much our world will change again over the next four years.  This is certainly a different world than I grew up in.

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS

Tea Sandwiches Photo courtesy of Pinterest 

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:   Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

I AM THANKFUL FOR: good healthy food, my husband, my Redeemer and King, my copy of God's Word, pretty stationery, journals, my adult children and their spouses, our grandchildren, just to name a few.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN:  I am thankful for our computer, especially when it works, but when it doesn't it leads me to desperate measures. 😃 Last week, it was being contrary when I wanted to download pictures and work on the blog, so I had to resort to going to my phone and learning how to edit and post blog posts from it!  God is good!

FROM THE KITCHEN:  I am relearning the art of taking pictures for the blog!  Strongheart sits down at the table and looks to see if it's safe to eat or if I need to take a picture first. 😂

Here's some prep work I did for the Minestrone that I made last week.

 

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  

I enjoy the view up this stream any time of the year.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK: 

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK: 

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

O DO LIST FOR TODAY:   Laundry and plant care.

"So teach us to number our days, 

that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 

Be Encouraged

 

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

 Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil

1 large egg

TOPPING:

1/4 cup old fashioned oats

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

1 Tbsp. room temperature coconut oil

GLAZE: (optional)

1/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

2-4 Tbsp. water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line a muffin pan with 12 liners.

In a small bowl make the crumb topping.  Combine the oats, sugar, apple pie spice and coconut oil together and mix until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and stir to combine.  Add in the applesauce, milk, coconut oil, and egg and stir until fully mixed.  Scoop evenly into muffin pan and top with oat topping.  Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely before topping with glaze.

FOR THE GLAZE:

In a small bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup, vanilla and water.  Add the water as needed until smooth.  Drizzle over muffins.

Store covered at room temperature for up to a week.

PLEASE NOTE:  This recipe was originally done as a gluten free recipe, using gluten free flour (i.e. King Arthur Measure for Measure) as well as coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar, but it's fine to substitute regular all-purpose flour and regular sugar.

Winter Beauty in West Virginia

 I wanted to share some of the beauty of winter in West Virginia.

We went out yesterday morning and I took these pictures less than five miles from home.

The last two pictures were taken less than a mile from our home.

"That my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever."

Psalm 30:12

What Do You Hold Dear?

 I think we have all been saddened by the devastation from the fires in Los Angeles, 

the people in western NC who have lost their homes because of Helene,

 and people who have been without power for any length of time due to the winter storms we've been having.

I know it's given me cause to stop and do a bit of thinking about my life values,

 as I've pondered those events, while doing some decluttering here at our home.  

I can only speak for myself, but I have several boxes of things set ready to go to a donation center in a nearby town. 

 Things that once were just "the coolest thing ever" or so I thought at the time.  

Now, they are going to find new homes because they no longer serve me well.  

They are no longer things that I value.

SO... what do I value?  

What is it in this life that I count most precious?  

It's definitely not things (not that there's anything wrong with having things, but what do I treasure most?)

It's the people that God has put in my life...my husband, our children and grandchildren.  

My relationship with Jesus and growing in my relationship with the Holy Trinity through the reading of God's Word, through prayer, and sharing His love with others.

How about you, Friend?

What are the things that you treasure most in your heart?

  

From My Journal

 TODAY IS: 13 January 2025

AROUND ME:  Beautiful white snow!  It just keeps coming down, covering the ground with God's handiwork in shades of white.  We currently have somewhere around 16-17 inches.

I AM PONDERING:  The goodness and mercy of God as He leads us along.

AMONG MY FAVORITE THINGS: 

BOOKS I AM CURRENTLY ENJOYING:   The Soul's Conflict with Itself by Richard Sibbes .

I AM THANKFUL FOR: sunshine, snow, brightly feathered male Cardinals, and beautiful shades of blue on the Blue Jays, and all of the beautiful shades of brown on the birds that have been enjoying the seeds left for them in our bird feeders.  It's such a joy to watch them from the kitchen window while I do the washing up after a meal, good health, my husband (always my husband), a warm home and a husband who takes care of the woodstove.

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN:  Last week gave me a challenge or two, but keeping my One Word resilience in mind, helped me to realize new and afresh the beauty and freedom we have in following God's leading in our lives.  I'm so thankful!

FROM THE KITCHEN:  Being on break over the holidays has influenced me in a bad way, as it got me out of the habit of taking pictures of our meals and goodies like I did prior to break. :)  I did make some very yummy muffins the other day.  We ate a couple for breakfast and the rest went into the freezer.  I will take a picture when I thaw them out again and share the recipe here on the blog next week.

SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOY:  

Tasha Tudor who enjoyed the simple country life.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK: "Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace within difficulties."  C.S. Lewis

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:  "But let all who take refuge in you be glad, 

Let them ever sing for joy; 

and may You shelter them, 

that those who love Your name may exult in you."  Psalm 5:11

TO DO LIST FOR TODAY:   Laundry, clean out the fridge, and plant care.

"So teach us to number our days, 

that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 

Be Encouraged

 

"Come now, and let us reason together,"

Says Yahweh,

"Though your sins are as scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool."

Isaiah 1:18

Happy Snowy Weekend, my friends!

Resilience

You may remember that my One Word for 2024 was kindness. 

 It was a way that God taught me many life lessons as I memorized Romans 12 throughout the year.

Resilience is the One Word for 2025.

There are two definitions given for resilience.

1.  "the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after 

deformation caused especially by compressive stress."

2.  "an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change."

In my case, we are going for definition number two,

which could be interesting considering the fact that I do not like change.

But then that's probably the exact reason that it's my One Word for this year.

I've been reading in Richard Sibbe's book,

The Soul's Conflict with Itself

and one thing that has stood out to me in the entire book...

when God allows circumstances in our lives that challenge us,

if we truly believe in His Sovereignty in our lives,

whatever He allows into our lives, we will accept quietly.

It isn't that we won't feel the challenge of the circumstances,

but we will go to Him and trust Him that it will be for our good.  

I think especially of how in Psalm 42:8 

David illustrates perfectly where our dependence should be.

I've just come through one set of circumstances where that verse is one that I have clung to.  And a close friend, in whom I had confided, commented to me about the resilience with which my husband and I had come through it.

That leads me to believe that God has much to teach me this year.

And I'm not going to shy away from it.

That was the word that stood out to me, and I am looking forward to learning new lessons. 

"By day, God will command His lovingkindness;

And by night, His song will be with me,

A prayer to the God of my life."

Psalm 42:8