Author: pamela

Whose Plans?

teacuppamela It’s sure a beautiful Springtime day here in the Snohomish Valley — it’s the kind of day that puts thoughts of rains and flooding to a very distant memory — though such a great possibility  only a few short months ago.  It’s funny how quickly a current reality can totally erase or totally eclipse another, isn’t it?

As I walked around outside for the first time in a week, I stopped at each of the different garden beds and then on out to the vegetable garden where my initial delight was slightly dimmed by the vision of all the weeds… all that needs to be done.  And you know what song came to mind?  The House at Pooh Corner song:  “… So help me if you can, I’ve got to get – Back to the house at Pooh Corner by one – You’d be surprised, there’s so much to be done – Count all the bees in the hive – Chase all the clouds from the sky – Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh…”

And then it stuck me that there’s nothing more to be done than what’s been needed in years past.  Same thing.  From the beginning, year after year, it’s the same thing: we pull the weeds, we till the ground, we plant the seeds and water them well.  Yet, each year I say the very same thing… sort of the inane, “you’d be surprised there’s so much to be done…” statement.  And then I smiled at the thought of counting all the bees in the hive.  But life’s like that — the surprising things that need to be done are generally more than we can do — like counting the bees in the hive.  And yet, has God truly given us more than we can do?  I think we’re the ones who lay on ourselves more than we can do and what God gives us to do is not more than we can do — because if we would remember: it is God that works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.  In that same passage, the following verses admonish us to:  “…do all things without murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” — Philippians 2.14-15

So what does the simple storybook song have to teach me in this?  The things I fret over getting done: I cannot possibly get done.  But what God gives me to do, I will seek to do without murmuring or complaining — for what He calls me to do: He will equip me to do.  Ergo, if He hasn’t called me to do it, He hasn’t expected me to do it and, at this moment, hasn’t equipped me to do it and those frets and expectations came not from Him but from somewhere else!  So then, I have to ask, if I’m fretting, murmuring or disputing over things I’m doing: am I doing what I’ supposed to be doing?  Or, perhaps, am I doing things out of selfishness? fear? pride? envy? guilt?  

Now, there are times when we do things or must do things that we feel we cannot possibly do but we know we’re to do them — I can think of many examples of this, and you probably can, too.  These are steps we take in faith — but inherent in this is the fact that we lean on the everlasting Arms and trust in Him for His provision.  These are the:  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” times.  You see? If we’re doing we’ve been called to do, even if we feel as though we cannot do them,  He’s already there, and by faith, we are IN Christ by the faith OF Christ and HE has said HE work in us to will and do to of His good pleasure.  That’s great and blessed assurance. 

So when I see all that needs to be done, when I think of the many other things that also need doing, I have a couple of options.  I can (and very easily so!) become overwhelmed at all there is to be done –OR– I can observe all these things, and acknowledge they are out there and evaluate them for what they are.  And then, the Lord being my helper (calling to mind again, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” –philippians 4.13), I will do that which He guides me to do and leave off doing those things which are motivated by those other sources that are not of Him.   This is hard sometimes because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is so weak.  We’re so often more controlled by what others think than what God thinks — but, truly, you and  I must consider our motivation when we list out all that we (think) we must do.

It’s been brought to mind so many times for me over the last week as I’ve not been well and have spent so much time in bed… all my fretting over what I shouldda, couldda, wouldda been doing had I not been laid low all these days… all my fretting didn’t get those things done and didn’t get me out of that bed any sooner.   I realized as I was reading in the Book of John several days ago that the Lord had something for me there (and for such a time as this)… something for me to let sink down in my ears, to really take in:  Jesus repeated, on many occasions, that He did only the will of the Father.  And so must I: for the express purpose of being Christlike: doing that which the Father directs–doing the will of God.   As I purpose to concentrate on health, I must also concentrate on motivations — the what and why of all my doings.  I hope you’ll be encouraged as I am for the will and work of the Lord in each of our lives… and that you’ll join me in waiting on His plan and purposes in His time.  So let your light shine…

Being conformed…

teacuppamela

Earlier today I was reflecting on some of the unlikely ways God conforms us to the image of His dear Son — and some of the unlikely tools He chooses to use to work that conformation in us (and maybe even through us from time to time).  I asked my dear mother in law if she’d send me the quotes she was sharing with me as we talked about God’s work in our lives — I’ll share them with you when she sends them.

I’ve been sincerely amazed at the ways God works His will and His purposes in my life / in our lives.  It seems the most impossible, difficult and maybe even painful situations are the ones that bring the richest, choicest fruit in our lives.  But they are, indeed, the situations or incidents we’d most likely attempt to avoid (or choose differently) or reject.  But God doesn’t choose differently, when He works a work or plans to work a work, He has very precise purposes for the things He allows to happen in our lives — even, and not surprisingly, our most foolish or careless decisions can be used to bear rich fruit for our good and His glory. 

It’s a good thing we don’t choose the tools of our training or the methods of our sanctification — well, I’m thinking if we did/could/do attempt to choose them, our attempts would/do fail to accomplish His purposes.  First, we’d reject the tools and then we’d reject the method — thinking and reasoning that our method and our tools would be easier better wiser.  Our ways always seem at the time:  mo bettah.  A fool is wise in his own eyes…

Today I was thinking of the ways the Lord has taught me to love my children in the way He loves them.  For it was easy to love them in the way I could love them.  But along the way, He’s allowed situations to occur to teach me to love them in His way.  He’s allowed situations to occur or come to pass that would mold me or are molding me into the woman He’s created me to be.  The Lord has sought to use tools I wouldn’t have chosen — actually can’t choose to use.  And yet, in His mercy and in His kindness He is working that I might be conformed to His image. He’s also lavished grace on me (and them!) that I continually can be used in their lives, that I can continually grow and adapt as the mother they need me to be — doing what HE would have rather than what I might choose or neglect to choose to do.  And by His grace, He enables me to press on in faith that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it…

He seeks to conform us to love, to be forbearing, to be kind, to be patient, to be peaceful/peaceable, to be gentle, to be temperate and so on.   All of these qualities are the fruit of the Spirit – and we all desire to have these characterize our lives -but they’re not the fruit of self, they’re the fruit of the Spirit and they’re not planted, cultivated or increased by the flesh — again, they’re of and by the Spirit of God. 

So as I was seeking answers/fruit in some different areas, it seemed to hit me today like a ton of bricks… the answers I’m seeking — the fruit I’m desiring — is not [going to be] my doing!  It’s God’s doing! It’s God’s work: in His timing, by His will in His way.  And so as I was seeing the dawning of His work in some specific areas, I began to see this truth:  God chooses the fruit and He chooses the tools He uses to bring it about.  I want to be so yielded to Him that I will not resist the methods of His choosing and the tools He uses as He works His marvelous will in my life.

 

Seasons of Life

teacuppamela

Have you noticed that you tend to think of things or do things sort of by rote or without giving much thought to what you’re doing or thinking?  I’m doing this a lot lately… and I didn’t want to do this – be this – act this way.  I didn’t want to just make it through life – you know, bide my time and let the days pass by.   I always wanted my life to be something, mean something and not just be run of the mill or mediocre.  I remember as a little girl thinking that one day I’d be famous — that I’d do or make something great. 

But alas, that didn’t happen — the famous part, that is.  But you know, what did happen is that the Lord used me to be part of something great: He gave me the blessing of being called Sweetheart by one extraordinary man and Mama by eleven terrific children.  There are more blessings than I could ever count or recall and more incredible stories of God’s merciful kindness than I could ever relate.  But, I’d like to begin telling you about some of them in this, my autumn season of life.  As I share different things with you, I hope the Lord will use my stories as a sort of springboard for you to recall your own.  And, maybe in this way, you’ll see Him in ways you’ve not seen Him before or in ways you’ve forgotten.  The power of story is intense… I hope mine will be used to give Him glory and be of some encouragement to others.  That would be something greater than all the great things I used to think would be great things to be or do.
 

What’s Pulling On Your Apron Strings?

teacuppamelaWhat’s Pulling on Your Apron Strings?

That might sound like a strange title to the message I want to share with you today, but perhaps by the time you finish reading this letter, you’ll have an idea and perhaps realize some things you’ve been wanting to take care of for some time.

So, what’s pulling on your apron strings?  You know… the thing or things that nag at you or that seem to be pulling at you from one direction or many.  You may be attempting to work around your home and keep having interruptions or distractions that prevent you from accomplishing what’s really needful.  You may have plans or schedules, or wish you had plans or schedules, and yet every day something, or many things pull on your apron strings and prevent you from meaningful or notable accomplishment.

I know I have these same feelings or experiences from time to time –sort of as if nothing seems to go right or nothing measurable ever seems to get done. It’s as if at the end of each week I have relatively little to show for my efforts and certainly none for the fatigue I might be feeling.  Yet, my apron’s dirty and the strings are raveled at the end. 

Over the years I had great ambition for great things.  I wanted to spend time individually with each of the children each day; I wanted to spend time reading aloud, fixing their hair, assisting them with schoolwork, chores and prayers.  I had lofty aspirations that we would do projects, tell and record stories: that I would pass on valuable stories, life-lessons and a rich heritage…

But then, many days –most days– I would come to my bedside and realize that, once again, yet another day where I’d failed to reach my glorious ambitions.  Instead, we had just spent another day –another hum-drum day.  Together. 

Pulling at my apron strings were all the wouldda, shouldda, couldda’s and few of the atta-girl’s, way-to-go’s and wahoo’s of life.  At the point I realized that all those marvelous and coveted accolades were simply unrealistic, I also realized I truly was getting all those atta-girl’s, way-to-go’s and wahoo’s of life.  I truly had them… I just wasn’t seeing them, that’s all.  I wasn’t seeing the “atta-girl” in my son’s: “Mom, will you fix this for me? I can’t do it.” Or, in my daughter’s: “Mama, you’ve got to write down these recipes for me or I will not ever be able to cook like you!”  Or, “O, my mom will do it for you, she’s right here!”  Or,  probably the sweetest gift of all I just received and it was contained in a letter, reading: “Mama… You are the best friend I’ve ever had.”   

See, I missed the blessings by being concerned about the unimportant things or on my failings instead of what really was important for the day.

Often, pulling on my apron strings are all the things I’ve done wrong as a mother, wife or friend.  Pulling on my apron strings are the things I don’t do well or the things I don’t have (as compared with my friends) or all the ways in which my children don’t *seem* to measure up (again, compared to others’ or compared with a high ideal or whatever).   

Everyday, nagging thoughts creep in and occasionally pull me here and pull me there… and even get me all tied in knots sometimes over the silliest things – all tied up over things only the LORD can take care of or only the LORD knows about.  Sometimes all tied up over things I *imagine* to be so.  And then, I stop and think:  wait a minute… should these things be pulling at my apron strings, pulling me down in despair?  Should I be letting those thoughts come in and flood my mind, or should I take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

 I know this to be a truth: I have never given to the LORD –any thought, desire, motive, whatever that was then rejected by Him. 

 He has never yet, will never, can never: fail me.  So then, I consider at thought or a pulling on my apron strings and I ask: is this of You, LORD? Or I say, I know this is not of You, LORD, and I ask You to take this thought, desire, fear (or whatever), from me and I ask You to guide my thoughts, guard my heart and mind and help me to see only You.  Please hide me behind Your Cross, LORD.

O, sure, other women are going to have bigger, better, more than you or I; and sure, other families are going to have newer, brighter, more attractive homes, children, lives, accomplishments, etc., etc., than you or I.  But you know what?  They don’t get to be you—they don’t get to be me.  You’re uniquely you created by God, saved by Him unto faith and good works.  He loves you with an everlasting love and underneath you are His everlasting arms and in you is His eternal Spirit and surrounding you is His eternal joy of salvation in Christ Jesus.  Wow.  Now those are some pretty wonderful things.  Did you know you had all those treasures tucked in the pockets of your apron? 

 So, next time something starts pulling on your apron strings and you know it’s not simply one of the little blessings the LORD has given you, you just reach in your pocket and pull out one of the Truths of God’s Word and His love for you.

 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.  Jeremiah 31.3

 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”   2Corinthians 10.3-6

I pray the LORD will just bless you and bless you over and over and that you will be assured of His great love for you and that He will guide your steps and guard your thoughts.

 always in His hands,

from “Letters to my Sisters”

♥ Today’s Quick! and Tip Time!

teacuppamela I’ve been using a little ‘bloglet’ on FaceBook to give Quick! cleaning incentives, tips and encouragement to mothers at home each day.  I’m going to post them here first and they’ll show up there, too.  In this way, my Twitter friends can join in.

So, here you go:  ♥ Quick! ♥  100 things! ♥  As quick as you can, put away 100 things!  Then, clean one drawer or one shelf.  Ready, steady, Go! Quick!

See you tomorrow! 

pamela’s cinnamon rolls

teacuppamelaAfter I made a Cinnamon Roll Wedding Cake this past weekend, several people have asked me for the recipe.  And so I thought the best way to do it was to try and concisely write it out here so that you could have it, refer to it and so on. 

Here you go… it’s less complicated than I think I’ve made it seem here… and for that, I’m sorry — I just wanted to attempt to include the different steps you’ll take for the prepping of these rolls.  I’d suggest getting everything together first (including the pans) and I’d suggest allowing yourself plenty of time if you don’t regularly make bread and rolls and such.  Bread’s a marvelous thing!  But it mustn’t be hurried along!  Bread’s a patient thing… you tend to it, you leave it alone, you tend to it, you leave it alone and so on.  I hop you enjoy making and serving them!   Our family and friends love these… though,  seriously, I rarely make them any more… and very rarely make, as my friend Beth calls them, the “full fat version” of my cinnamon rolls.  You know, they’re to die for ;o)

[yumprint-recipe id=’2′]

Springtime is coming…

teacuppamelaI’ve been browsing the seed catalogs, the websites and books for “what to do this month” in (or about) the garden.  I must admit: I’m anxious.  Very anxious for Spring to come.  But then, you probably already knew that.   You know, though, I’m sure not as weary for Springtime as I have been in other years.  Maybe so much has been going on that I’ve not noticed that there has been enough rain to completely fill the swimming pool.  Or, maybe it’s been so busy around here that I haven’t stopped to notice (and lament) that there have only been a few — a very few — bright sunny days.  I guess I’ve noticed.

I came across a number of sites — yes, I got tripped up by the beautiful foodie sites — that are focusing on gardening.  Being in zone 8a, it might seem like there’s not much to do outside right now — O, but there is!!  It’s time to spray, it’s time to plant, it’s time to mulch, it’s time to prune!  And… it’s time to walk around and see the growth of all the lovely Spring bulbs!  If for nothing else (but there is soooo much more!!), planting Spring bulbs is a wonderful thing to do in mid Autumn.  The sweet surprise of crocuses coming up or in seeing the lovely hope of Spring in the crisp hyacinth or tulip leaves is truly a wonderful blessing!  You’ll miss it, though, if you don’t walk around the yard from time to time… or, worse, if you never plant Spring bulbs.

Another wonderful serendipity   this time of year is the brilliant beauty of primroses — they actually bloom a few times a year, but somehow the winter blooms are the prettiest and most needed!!  In the wintertime, the explosion of colour from a pink or red or yellow primrose is like a bold exclamation point on the canvas — whereas in the summertime, blooming primroses are like a comma or an ellipsis…

Aluminum sulfate… I’ve been asked if it’s true that one can alter the colour of hydrangeas or that the colour depends on the ph level of the soil and: how to make hydrangeas blue?   It’s a little more difficult than it might seem — but for blue-blue hydrangeas, you need Aluminum Sulfate (garden store or feed store) and you need to add it long before the blooms are set (so, early spring and in the late fall).  Some people put the powder around the base or drip line of the hydrangea plant — but that has a tendency to put too much concentration on specific areas of the plant and might be too shallow.  So, if you mix a couple of tablespoons in a gallon of water and pour it around (wet!) soil beneath the hydrangea plant, you should have good success with bluer blooms!  Don’t get the aluminum sulfate on the leaves and you can repeat this process every three weeks until you have blooms.   Note:  I’m finding that all the (used) coffee grounds I dump on some of the hydrangeas are tending to make them pink(!) instead of the Blue that many report achieving after regularly applying coffee grounds.  Maybe they’re using fresh grounds instead of used?  I sure wouldn’t want to waste the coffee that way!  O, and another  Note: white hydrangeas (Annabelle or Wedding-gown) will stay white — but I always wonder why anyone would want to change a white one to blue, anyway.

So if you’re looking for some more encouragement, ideas and suggestions for the garden each month, take a look at this site!  And, in the meantime, be sure to plan daily outings (even in the rain) to see what’s going on in the garden and to dream about what you’re going to do this year.  Have you considered planting a tree?  Now’s a great time to do it!  Have you thought about planting a garden?  Now’s the time to order seeds (ASAP!) and be sure to NOT order or purchase at your garden store GMO or Monsanto et al seeds.  Jenn has a long list of reputable seed companies (though, like many of us, she hasn’t updated her list in awhile).  It’s a great list here.

Also… when weather permits, do some tidying, weeding (what you do now will greatly help you reduce weeds later!!), and cleaning of tools, porch and walkways. 

May you always be blessed.

 

 

Desiring God 2.18.13 – reprint

The Day Luther Died

By Jonathan Parnell | Feb 18, 2013 12:00 am

OriginalIn Germany 467 years ago, in a small, backwater town called Eisleben, the shaking hand of a dying man scribbled this simple line: We are beggars. This is true.

Martin Luther died on February 18, 1546. These last words of weakness echoed the life-changing truth he’d unearthed in the Scriptures: we don’t bring anything to the table of our justification. Jesus truly died for the ungodly.

Luther came to understand that if we are to be accepted by God, we need a perfect righteousness we can’t produce — we need an alien righteousness given to us by Another.

But this discovery didn’t just happen. It came after hours of the painstaking study of Scripture. Luther gave himself to the Book, which he later explained as the primary actor in the Protestant Reformation. And a great movement of God in our day won’t happen apart from that same ingredient. Pastors and Christian leaders must be devoted to God’s word.

So we have much to learn from Luther, says John Piper.

Luther was the subject of Piper’s biographical message at the 1995 Conference for Pastors. We’ve since reformatted that message into a five-chapter ebook, which presents a sketch of Luther’s life and distills relevant lessons for not only pastors and leaders, but all Christians.

Get a free download of Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor (available in PDF, MOBI, or EPUB).

The Truth (About Abortion) Will Set You Free

By John Piper | Feb 17, 2013 12:00 am

Facts help us grasp abortion in our communities. With the internet no one is innocently ignorant. Here are some facts from the Twin Cities to San Antonio. There are no grizzly pictures here. But there are some miracles. I won’t show you what the babies look like after they are killed, but before.

Start with the on-the-ground facts. There are five places to get elective abortions in the Twin Cities, Planned Parenthood (671 Vandalia St.,
 St. Paul), Robbinsdale Clinic (3819 West Broadway, Minneapolis), Mildred Hanson (710 East 24th St., Minneapolis) and two locations of the Whole Woman’s Health (33 South 5th St, Minneapolis, and 825 S. 8th St. #1018 Minneapolis). I encourage you to visit them and pray, or perhaps see if any of the workers will talk with you.

All of them do abortions up to 13 weeks gestation. Here is what the baby looks like at 13 weeks.

Mildred Hanson advertises that she does abortions to twenty weeks. Two pictures show the babies she is willing to dismember.

Whole Woman’s Health advertises that they do abortions to 22 weeks. This little fellow, at 22 weeks, is ready to fight for his life.

In addition, Whole Woman’s Health advertises that their San Antonio facility will do surgical abortions through 24 weeks.

But at 24 weeks babies are being born and thriving. Here are a few examples. (If you want to see the 23 week babies when born and then years later go here.) If you want names and ages check out the L’il Aussie Prems Foundation.

These pictures are of babies born at the age when they are being legally killed. The irrationality of our legal system is that we are expected to believe that a seven inch movement down the birth canal transforms a child from one with no right to life into a person under law with full rights of protection. This is the kind of reasoning that creates Gulags and death camps. Whatever else may be said of these children, if they had been dismembered and evacuated one hour before they were born at 24 weeks, it would not have been tissue that was lost.

I encourage you to do your part by putting the facts before as many people as you can. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Related resources from John Piper:

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