Strong Man

Recently, I read this verse:

~ "The people that know their God shall be strong." ~

(Daniel 11:32)

And then I thought:   

"So the more we know Him, the stronger we will be."

And then I thought:   

"Well, there is strength in Numbers.

... and in Deuteronomy...

.... and in Ephesians..."

... and...

"The Lord is my strength and song, 

and He has become my salvation"

(Exodus 15:2)

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid... 

for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  

He will not leave you nor forsake you." 

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, 

and made me bold with strength in my soul."

(Psalm 138:3)

"Beat your plowshares into swords, 

And your pruning hooks into spears; 

Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" 

(Joel 3:10)

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."

(1 Corinthians 16:13)

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord 

and in the power of His might."

(Ephesians 6:10)

Find your strength in Him.  

~

Eating and Reading

"Heap on the wood, Kindle the fire;

Cook the meat well, Mix in the spices"

Ezekiel 24:10

As Autumn wraps around me, and the holidays approach, one of places my mind starts going is, well, food. 

After all, it's a season of food.  Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner and Christmas baking are just the tip of the iceberg.  There's also wonderful, delicious, cold-weather dinners.  Soups and stews...  more baking than usual, like cornbread and biscuits... and plenty of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. 

The recipes come from two different places.  First, they come from my past.  Foods I've been cooking for years, or learned from my mother, or sampled at a friend's house.  You know ~ the old favorites. 

And then there are the new recipes.  These might come from magazine articles, or websites, or even off of TV.  But my favorite places to find new recipes are from the cookbooks on my very own bookshelves. 

I don't have a lot of cookbooks.  I think I like them so much that I could easily get out of hand in collecting them, so I don't.  Over the years, I have kept them only if they have proven their value, or have sentimental significance to me. 

So I take a few days, and sit down with my cookbooks and a mug of cider, tea, or hot chocolate, and I page through and muse.  Make a few notes, stick a few post-it notes in there, maybe get my daughter's opinion on some of the recipes.  It's a nice rainy afternoon activity. 

Except we hardly ever have rainy afternoons, so it generally happens on a sunny afternoon.

And one thing that intrigues me when I pull a cookbook down from the shelf, is where it falls open.  Because wherever it falls open, there's going to be a well-loved recipe there.  Maybe even a few spills or stains on the page.  In some cases, it's a recipe I don't even need anymore, because I've memorized it. 

It's fun at my mom's house, too.  In a couple of cases, if I go to look for a particular recipe, I know I only have to get the cookbook down, and relax my fingers a little.  The book will find the recipe for me. 

So.... a challenge:  If you just let your Bible fall open, what will it tell about you?  Will it fall open to a place where you've got a flattened flower, given to you by a loved one?  Or a drawing by your child, that's been nestled in there for ten years?

Cuz those are both possibilities of mine.  I've got stuff like that tucked in my Bible.  But I put those items in places that are special to me ~ on pages with verses that I love.

Or will your Bible fall open to a place that's been read and re-read?  Maybe a small tear in a page, or a corner that's gotten bent, or a smudge of dirt where your thumb rests?  I've got a few places like that in my Bible. 

Or maybe it's a page that's been heavily highlighted.  I use a colored pencil in mine, and it makes a bit of an impression on a page if I push a little too hard.  So there are places where the back of the page feels like Braille. 

A well-read Bible can have its own personality.  Yours as well as His.  Which is how it should be.  It should say something about you, even while it's telling you all about Him.  But mostly what it should say is that you read it.  Frequently.  It's like they say:  If your Bible is falling apart, then your life isn't.  So those tears, those smudges, those places where the book falls open because the spine is getting a little stressed... it's all good!

Read the Book, people!

~ "beginning at Moses and all the Prophets,

He expounded to them

in all the Scriptures 

the things concerning Himself" ~

Luke 24:27

~

Can you take as well as you give?

"the lame walking" 

Matthew 15:31

Would you believe I am mostly ~ but not quite completely ~ healed of my broken toe?  It's been over a month of hobbling, then limping, then "walking-normally-but-still-wearing-my-husband's-slippers". 

I was slow going up stairs, and moving furniture (which I need to do every week at Bible study).  I couldn't run (not that my daily life calls for a lot of that).  I had trouble sitting on the floor or squatting, because it caused me to bend my foot in a way that hurt.

I know, I know... it's just a toe... but I really slammed it hard!

It's certainly not the most incapacitated I've been in my life.  I've had broken legs (well, one leg, twice.  And probably just the ankle, now that I think about it.  But crutches nonetheless.)

And of course I was pregnant twice.  Which, by the end, has you grateful for people offering to do things for you. 

But it was a reminder to me that there are times when you have to let people help you.  Sometimes you need it, and you know you need it.  Other times you think you're fine, but someone else wants to do something for you.  Maybe they see a need.  Maybe they simply see an opportunity.

I've been seeing the same hair stylist for about five years.  She's married now, with four boys.  But when I met her, she was a single mom.  And I used to pay her extra every time she cut my hair, because I had the wherewithal, and she had the need.

And then, gradually our roles sort of reversed.  I was never a single mom (praise God!) but she got married, and had two incomes at a time when the Apple of my Eye was out of work.  I never complained to her, but we did chat, so she knew what was going on in my life.  And in addition to that, she could tell that I went longer in between appointments, as getting a haircut wasn't a priority for our budget.

So one day, as she finished up with my hair, she told me that this haircut was a gift. It was something she wanted to do, and she could.  The perfect combination.

Some people just want to get.  Others do better at giving than getting.  Each should be a blessing; look for the opportunities for both.

~ "to him who knows to do good,

and does not do it,

to him it is sin" ~

James 4:17

~

Princess

"And Bethuel begot Rebekah"

Genesis 22:23

You know what's a weirdly placed bit of Scripture? 

Well, I mean, at first glance.... to human eyes.... 

it's perfectly logical to Him who wrote it, after all...

Genesis 22, verses 20-24.  

It's all genealogy.  Which is fine.  God likes genealogy, so He puts it here and there in His Word.  But this portion seems out of place, because it immediately follows the powerful account of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah.

But then I look backward, and then forward, and I realize the perfect placing.  

First of all, I look backward to the verses that came before ~ 1-19 of Genesis 1.  After the nearness of Abraham's losing Isaac, the son of the promise, we get a glimpse of what's to come.  Cuz all mixed up in those somewhat unpronounceable names, (at least to me) like Chesed, Jidlaph and Reuman, is the name Rebekah.  The woman who would one day be Isaac's wife.  So not only does Isaac not die that day on Moriah, he's got a future.

Next thing I do is look forward, to chapter 23, which is about Abraham's wife, and Isaac's mother, Sarah.  I mean, it's about her death, and burial, but it's still about her. 

And reading these verses, in this place, gives us a glimpse into the Lord’s love for Sarah.  Think about a wedding.  There are preparations and plans and decisions, but also a need for support, approval and guidance.  Sarah was not going to have any part of that in the marriage of her only son.

Now, I know things were done differently in those days, but still I think this might have been a disappointment for Sarah.  She was a hands-on woman; opinionated, and strong-willed, particularly when it came to her son.  And I love that God shows us that before she died, He had already taken care of Isaac’s marriage.  Verse 20 says “it came to pass after these things” meaning the testing of Abraham, that Abraham and Sarah were informed of Nahor’s offspring.  The wording is right before Sarah’s death, but the events are not.  This notification is as much as ten years before Sarah’s death.  

It is significant that in chapter 24, when we see Abraham choosing a wife for Isaac, he does not choose a Canaanite woman from the land in which they are living.  Abraham makes the decision that his daughter-in-law must come from within the family, and I think Sarah was a part of that decision.  And we will see, when Isaac and Rebekah are married, that his love for her is a comfort to him after the loss of his mother.  This woman that can fairly be viewed as controlling or domineering left a deep impression in Isaac’s life.  And is there a better legacy for a mother to leave, than in the heart of her child?  

A study on Sarah reveals several somewhat contrary qualities.  Submissive, but impulsive.  Courageous, but skeptical.   Barren, and then Mother.  A woman so beautiful that in her late 60’s and again in her late 80’s, kings  who could choose from any woman in the land, wanted her in their harem.  Jewish Rabbinic literature says of her, “She was so beautiful that all other persons seemed like apes in comparison.”

But when you think about her beauty, think also about what Peter said his epistle:  “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.  For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.  They were submissive to their own husbands; like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.  You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (1 Peter 3:3-6)

Sarah was far from perfect.  She went along with her husband’s lies about their marriage, but God used it to bless them, as He had promised to.  She irrationally demanding that Ishmael be cast out, but God used it to make sure there was no confusion about which child was the child of the promise.  She is survived by descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and the sand on the shore, and Peter tells me I am one of her daughters...  Throughout her life, God used Sarah's strengths and weakness for His plan.  I just love knowing He does the same with us. 

~ "Sarah shall have a son...

   Is anything too hard for the Lord?" ~

Genesis 18:14 

~

Faith: Life Sunny Side Up

"Come and eat breakfast."

John 21:12

The Apple of my Eye made me breakfast today.  He does that a lot on the weekends.  Even if I get up before he does, it takes me longer to wake up {I'm so not a morning person} than it does him.  So while I'm still sitting, blinking groggily, he'll offer to make me breakfast. 

Eggs and toast generally.  He makes great eggs.  Must be all that training he got at McDonalds thirty years ago...  He makes light and fluffy scrambled eggs, or perfectly done fried eggs.

And I mean perfectly done. 

How do you like your eggs?  Over easy?  Over hard?  Sunny side up?  {Which, can I just say, is the most cheerful-sounding food ever, isn't it?}

I like mine with what my grandmother used to call "crocheted edges" ~ you know, all brown and crispy from an unhealthy amount of butter in the pan?  If I'm having toast with it, I like the yolk to be runny.  If there's no toast, I'd like the yolk cooked, so I don't lose any all over the plate.   It needs to be salted slightly, or even have lemon juice drizzled over it.  {Hey, don't knock it til you try it!}

And if I am having toast, I don't want it buttered, I want it with mayonnaise instead.  After all, a fried egg on toast is like an open-faced fried egg sandwich, right?  And you have mayo on your fried egg sandwich, don't you? 

Well then, you should.

My sweetie knows all this.  A long time ago, I got out of the habit of saying, "Did you remember to salt it?" when he served me my egg, because he always had the right answer.

The only thing that gives me pause is how he prepares my egg.  We are each very particular about the turner we use when we're making eggs.  I like the smaller, sharper-edged one.  I guess I like the way it fits in my hand better, and the way I can get it under the egg, or the pancake, or whatever.

He, on the other hand, likes the broader, more flexible one.  I don't get it.  I don't even know how he can use that thing...  But as I say, it's a very personal decision.  And of course, I only care which implement is used when I'm the one doing the cooking.  But if he's making me breakfast, I don't care what method he uses.  He's doing me a favor, after all.

I think sometimes that's how we are with God.  We not only want to tell Him what we want, we want to tell Him how to do it.  How much sense does that make, really?  Isn't He the better judge of what's best, whether it's what, how, or who?   God does things His way, and what do we care, when the result is going to bless us?

There's peace and trust in that handy phrase, "Let go and let God." 

~ "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts." ~

Isaiah 55:9

~

Let the sun shine in

"the people who walked in darkness 

Have seen a great light"

Isaiah 9:2

Did you hear the wonderful story of the town in Norway that now has sunlight?  It warmed my heart ~ so to speak. 

The town of Rjukan is located in a valley, between two mountains that are so high, that for seven months out of the year, the town gets no sunshine. 

photo credit: tnp.no

But things have changed.

Just two days ago, Rjukans (if that's what they are called) enjoyed the first ever wintertime sunshine in their town, after mirrors were installed on one of the mountaintops, to reflect the light into the town square.

photo credit: bbc.co.uk

Now, I live in sunny Southern California, and if there's one thing we're in danger of taking for granted, it's the sun.  Rain is an endangered thing around here.  As a matter of fact, on days that start out cloudy, the kids and I are often rooting against the sun, hoping for the clouds to stick around.  We like the change of pace.

But living under a sky full of clouds is different than looking up at blue sky, on a sunny day, yet being unable to get out of the shade you're in.

For seven months out of the year, they live in shadow.  Can you imagine?  Missing the light and the warmth and the growth that comes from the sun.

As long as I live in Southern California, I don't think I'll ever stop appreciating cloudy days, simply because they are the exception.  But it will be a long time before I go back to being ungrateful for the warmth and light of the sun.

~ "He brought them out of darkness

and the shadow of death,

    and broke their chains in pieces." ~

Psalm 107:14

~

Wants and Needs

"the things which are needed for the body"

James 2:16

My Amazing Boy had a baseball game on Sunday afternoon.  The weather was very pleasant and autumnal,  but by the time the game was over, the sun had gone down behind the hills, and it was quite chilly.  And I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, clothing-wise.

We already had plans to go to my folks' house for dinner, and when we got there, you know what was waiting for us?  Meatloaf and roasted potatoes with a side of Brussels sprouts.  Comfort food at its finest.  Don't you love when the things you enjoy are just the things you need?

I woke up this morning with a slight sore throat, and feeling a little low energy.  And you know what's perfect for a sore throat?  Hot tea with honey.  Ahhhhh......  Isn't it great when what you want is exactly what you need?

And because I was low on energy, I did a lot of things that require low energy.  You know, sitting-under-a-blanket things.  Which gave me some time to enjoy some sweet comforting background music.  Worship and hymns, mostly, with a touch of classical, and some of the pastoral stuff from The Hobbit soundtrack.  Music that is gentle and soothing, and makes me think of Jehovah and some of the beautiful things He has given us.  It was just what I needed.  Which is nice, because it was what I wanted, too.

I think the secret is not in needing those things you want, but in wanting what you need.  After all, if you train your body to be dependent on caffeine, or chocolate, or a cigarette, then when times get tough, that's what you're going to want.  But it's not going to be what you need. 

Want the things He wants you to want, and you'll have what you need.

~ "Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart" ~

Psalm 37:4

~