Yard art with a message... from MY Man... to me! Knowing how I look forward to Houston's early springtime wildflowers, he brings Indian paintbrushes for me each and every year... as these are the "first bloom" of the legendary Texas flowers, blending later with bluebonnets. And he always has a creative presentation.
This is bouquet #38... having received one each spring of the 38 years we have been married.
NOW... is that romantic, or WHAT???
"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land." ~ Song of Solomon 2:12
" I (Jesus Christ) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ~ John 10:10b
I have enjoyed this sweet little cactus, a gift from My Man, for many weeks. Seeming a little strange that the cactus was growing without the red flower changing...
My Man examined it carefully, only to discover that... he had been duped! The flower was made of straw... and was applied with a glob of glue. Naively, he trusted that his purchase was a genuine, flowering cactus.
So many things in life turn out being a fake. They look lovely... we are drawn toward them... only to be disappointed or disillusioned... afraid to trust again.
Sometimes we perceive God that way. He let us down... He cannot be trusted. Because of presuppositions concerning Him from our childhood years, and perceptions from negative things that happen in life... we may turn our hearts away from Him.
The reality is... when we do not trust God... we are the ones who have been duped... as we do not really know Him. We assume we do... but it is not the genuine God of Scripture... it has become a fake god of our own making.
The God of Scripture is the real thing. And when we know Him... we can trust Him! How do we accurately know Him? By consistently spending time reading and studying His Word... His entire Word... and then choosing to obediently breathe close to His heart.
That little cactus with the fake flower... reminding me of a real thing... a genuine God of love.
***** One of the best Bible Studies, taking you through Scripture, where you learn to know and trust the real God, is - Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God.
My little Valentine... with her kissie-face. L-O-V-E... so easy when you're a Grandma!
CHOCOLATE... strawberries dipped in a melted German chocolate bar... a Messick tradition.
& CHOCOLATE... yummy cupcakes from Crave Cupcakes of Houston. (Thanks for the tip, Taunya!)
Our "Baby Joy" Valentine's birthday girl... all grown up!
Creating special gifts to present to widows...
a project that makes a special Valentine's memory!
With the extremely-cold-for-Houston temperatures, and the anticipation of coming snow the next morning, there was a festive, holiday feel in the air last night. A log blazing away in the fireplace... steaming mugs of soup and hot tea prepared... we popped the beautiful animated movie, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole, into the DVD player, and settled in to a perfect evening.
Then... we awoke to disappointment. No lovely, soft snow... no icy branches to photograph... only dangerous, black ice on the freeways and bridges. All the pretty part of a winter storm had missed Houston.
After the media hype, the crowded grocery stores, schools being cancelled, etc., it was quite a let down. My friends' postings on Facebook attest to that!
Reflecting upon a recent blog article titled, How to Fall in Love Again in 4 Minutes a Day, I could not help but think of a comparison. So many marriages start with the anticipation of their marriage life ahead... only to be met with disappointment. Life did not turn out as pretty as they hoped... as they expected.
This article, though giving simple suggestions, gives significant ones. Extremely significant ones. Take the time to read the brief, beautifully written article... and ponder. Am I willing to spend 4 minutes {4 Fixations... 4 Embraces... 4 Affirmations} each day... to bring the prettiness of the snow back into my marriage?
Now... that is something to anticipate!
Searching for an illustration to catch the interest of our Sunday School students, we recalled an account from COULD IT BE THIS SIMPLE - A Biblical Model For HEALING THE MIND, about a Sergeant at the outset of Desert Storm in 1991. I so vividly recall the tension of this period, as it was predicted there might be as many as 80,000 U.S. casualties As a nation, we were crying out to God.
Sergeant Smith (not his actual name), well respected for his military skills and also known throughout his battalion as a man of God, commanded an M1A1 Abrams battle tank. While final preparations were underway for an assault of Iraqi forces in Kuwait, the Sergeant anointed his tank with oil... dedicating himself, his men, and his tank to God. Not only did he pray that God would protect him and his men in the approaching battle, but he appealed to God to use them in a special way.
Shortly afterwards, he discovered that (against all his requests to withdraw) his tank, which was now without radio communications and night vision equipment, must face the night attack... blind and deaf. Their purpose became to draw enemy fire... which they did... with a vengeance... taking fire from multiple sources.
Four years after this event, Sergeant Smith was in bad shape. Nightmares... anxiety attacks... flashbacks... depression... relationship problems... the list went on and on. He needed help.
His counselor, after several sessions, made this observation to him...
"You were a Christian. You made a public display of your Christianity. You put oil... all over your tank and dedicated your tank and your men to God. You went into battle blind and deaf. And when your company came under attack, several other units were hit, but not one bullet, shell, or piece of shrapnel damaged your tank."
After he had acknowledged each statement as true, this conclusion was offered him...
"Your Desert Storm experiences remind me of Daniel's experience in the lions' den."
The Sergeant's jaw dropped open... eyes wide and ablaze... as that realization sank in. He had been concluding that God had let him down. Realizing the truth that God had miraculously answered prayer, changed his outlook... and resulted in his recovery.
Perhaps you think that is a bit too deep for kids. No... it is not. We had been studying the Command of Christ, "FEAR NOT." (Matthew 10:28) As part of that study, we learned about BOLDNESS. Look at this Character First definition...
BOLDNESS: Confidence that what I have to say or do is true, right, or just. {The first step to boldness is knowing what is true, right, just.} vs. Fearfulness { opinions, feelings, notions}
The Sergeant's fearfulness was replaced with boldness as he began "camping out" on truth.
We looked at David's boldness facing Goliath vs. his fearfulness and guilt while retreating from his son Absalom.
Learning the first mention of the name of God, LORD Sabaoth {LORD of Hosts, or LORD of battles}, we found out God is interested in our emotional battles as well, as Hannah traveled with her husband to sacrifice to LORD Sabaoth at Shiloh, and then cried out to Him for a child.(1 Samuel 1,2)
Singing A Might Fortress Is Our God each week, and carefully studying the words, reinforced what we were learning.
Wouldn't you love to know how our nature lesson, using the wolverine, fit into the picture?
Using stories... illustrations... makes teaching memorable. Hopefully, the tank story did just that.
Sometimes God knits hearts together quickly. So it was for my girlfriend, Jeanie, and me... with New-found Friend.
We loved and bonded with New-found Friend instantly, while visiting at her hospice bedside.
We talked together...
We touched...
We sang together... and sang and sang... songs like...
We prayed...
We laughed and teased...
I refer to her as New-found Friend because we met her such a short time ago. But in another sense, she was New-found Friend, as she had only recently become a friend to Grace, praying a sinner's prayer for God to save her soul.
New-found Friend met the Lover of her soul the very next morning after our last visit, unexpectedly for all but her Saviour. Her beloved children were by her side.
"'Til we meet again,"... New-found Friend...on Heaven's shores.
Newlyweds... David and Kelli. I love this couple!
David and our family have a lot of history from his growing up years. But when he became "twitterpated," we began to see less and less of him. And that is alright... how it should be.
Now, as a young married couple, David and Kelli are fun-loving, hard-working, dedicated to family and church, with a sincere love for the Lord. I couldn't be more proud of them.
Last night we were invited into their fetching apartment... to eat David's tantalizing, grilled beef kabobs and Kelli's heavenly, from-scratch apple pie. Also to enjoy the competitive... and sometimes hilarious...playing of Rook and The Settlers of Catan.
Like old times. Yet... now, David served as host... and delightedly... Kelli has been added to the mix.
Have you ever tried to untangle a handful of old jewelry that had been carelessly tossed aside in a drawer? That is the case here. The chains are knotted and kind of matted together... especially the tiny, fine chains. It takes a lot of patience... a lot of patience... to bit by bit, untangle and unknot the mess. And if you get careless, or hurried... you can pull the knots even tighter.
Crying out to God in the midst of one of life's tangled "messes," sometimes we may feel that He is not answering... not even hearing us. But, think about this...
Yes... God is answering... by slowly and carefully untangling and unknotting our "mess" with His skillful hands. He is there... lovingly, behind the scenes... working out the situation with great precision and care... all for our good. And He can be trusted.
When The Jetsons animated sitcom made its debut in 1962, I was a little girl, excitedly sitting with my family around our huge black, console "color" televison set... one with only three stations, and a huge knob that you had to actually walk up to the set to change.
Unlike her usual, "TURN THAT IDIOT BOX OFF!"... we actually heard our mom say... "Let's invite the Smiths across the street to come watch "The Jetsons" with us. I'll make a dessert!" (She was known far and wide for her tempting desserts.)
Not only because it was the first "in color" series shown of its kind... but mainly because of the charm and antics of this futuristic 2062 space family (doesn't seem so far away now!)... the Mowdy family was smitten. And add to that... all the technology possibilities which allured my Sci-Fi brothers.
I so vividly recall my wonderment at the thought of speaking to someone on a phone line, live, face-to-face, like the Jetsons did. That would never happen in my lifetime!
And yet, here I sit, with my new Android phone, a T-Mobile G2, on which I can video chat spontaneously... face-to-face! A while back, from India, I laughed while talking to my little dog over Skype, as she just couldn't figure out where I was.
Amazing... and in my lifetime! What a marvel.
You know... sometimes I wonder... about seeing Jesus face-to-face. In my younger days, it seemed like Heaven was so remote... so futuristic. Now, as I have so many friends and family awaiting me there, as well as the sands of time catching up to me, and with the truths of Scripture blazing in my heart... I realize it will not be so long.
As my mom expressed on her deathbed about seeing face-to-face "the One Who has loved me the most all these years," those of us who are walking by faith, will very soon have that faith become sight.
Now, that... seeing Jesus face-to-face... is a thought to keep me pressing on!
"And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story—saved by grace." ~Fanny J. Crosby
What do you think? Is this adorable rosette to wear in your hair... or on your jacket lapel? Well... you could... actually I have. But it was designed to grace the corner of my lovely fabric covered magnetic board... made for me with love by my daughter and son-in-law. Not having a tutorial to guide them, they created it all on their own.
My pictures just don't do it justice, as my lighting was not the best. My son-in-law made the 24" x 18" wooden frame and painted it the loveliest olive green color. With spray adhesive, he attached the fabric to a sheet of galvaized metal.
My daughter has a collection of vintage buttons, and she used some of them, affixing tiny ones atop larger ones, which she attached to magnets. Don't they look classy holding some of my precious grandma mementos?
The brown ribbon "clothesline" stretched between two more of her buttons, has little owl clothespins. Now... isn't that the cutest thing?
My son-in-law called the fabric covered magnetic board project a "labor of love." Yes... I feel the love... and I love the board!!!
When I ran across the recipe for Guacamole de Frutas in a New York Times reprint, I knew it was something my husband and I would love. Sure enough, it was a big hit in our house.
Since I am not sure of the copyright, you will need to check out the link for the recipe. It is basically standard guacamole... but with lots of fruit (apples, pears, cranberries)... and Thai basil instead of cilantro. (Thai basil is readily available at my HEB Supermarket.) It is that basil that gives it such an amazing, fresh taste!
AND... the topping of pomegranate seeds makes it SO special. We toss more on each serving, it is that good.
Each time I tackle separating pomegranate seeds, I think of my friend, Heather, affectionately dubbed the "Pomegranate Queen." So I'm dedicating this entry to her. ***grins*** She seems to never blog for many days without referring to pomegranates in some way or another.
You can be creative and customize the recipe to your liking, but... please give it a try. And tell me what you think, will you? Guacamole de Frutas... makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
As promised, I will reveal the PIRATES connection which darted into my thinking as I focused on my daughter's wedding, after researching my favorite Yo-Yo Ma music, created for the movie, The Mission. All the swashbuckling adventures and stories of repentance and redemption caused my mind to ponder a recent visit to the Museum of Natural Science, and the fascinating special exhibit, "Real Pirates!"
Real Pirates! is the world's first exhibition of pirate treasure, recovered nearly 300 years after the slave ship, (slavery being another link to The Mission story) which turned pirate ship, the Whydah, sunk off the coast of Cape Cod in 1715. From a huge treasury stash of gold and silver pieces of eight, to the ship's bell, the artifacts from the Whydah are amazing.
However, to me, the best part was the compelling stories of the people involved. A study into why a person would enter a pirate's life is much like a study into the street gangs today. A sense of "belonging" was a huge draw to men... and women... who were without purpose and meaningful relationships.
I LOVE TO LOOK FOR GOD'S HAND IN HISTORY. It is HIS-STORY, after all!
Only nine members of the Whydah's crew survived the storm and wrecking. Of those, seven were sentenced to be hanged in Boston. Before that took place, the pirates were visited by Christians, one of them the famous Puritan preacher, Cotton Mather. Concerned for their eternal souls, he prayed with the pirates and counseled them, calling them to repentance and trust in God's mercy, which would result in the ability to face God... and face death... without fear.
In Cotton Mather's own words, “these Poor Men…Dyed with such Expressions of Repentance, as were greatly to the Satisfaction of the Spectators.” (Williams, “Puritans,” 237)
And so, this little brain dance comes to a halt. It all started while listening to one beautiful piece of music... and concluded with pirates on death row.
You know what? There is another dance warming up within my gray cells. Do you know how difficult it is to fall asleep with a cha-cha-cha clicking around in your head?
While teaching, I'll often ask, "Kids, is your oatmeal cooking?"
In case you cannot figure that one out, I'm referring to using their brains! They will often quip back, "I think my oatmeal burned!" Or they will say, "the burner won't turn on!"
Well... yesterday my oatmeal was cooking, and as I promised, I'll let you in on my multi-level thinking, by connecting the second link, "Yo-yo to Wedding."
Cropping a section of my daughter's wedding program, I want you to see her music selections.
Music was always important to my kids (see The Music of My Walls post), and it played an integral part in my daughter's wedding ceremony, which by the way, took place five years ago this very week. (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Rebekah & Nick!!!) That beautiful piece I mentioned in my last post, Yo-Yo Ma playing, "Gabriel's Oboe," was featured as the men entered the sanctuary. (See yellow arrow.)
Now you have the second link. While listening to Yo-Yo Ma's exquisite music, my mind had to find out more behind how it was composed, which led me to the story of a Jesuit priest, and then reminded me of my daughter's wedding.
Now, you must be wondering, just how does all this remind me of PIRATES? Well, I'll reveal that... in my next post. And you can have a glimpse at how one woman's thought patterns dance around! (Hey... I like that thought... my brain dancing!)
