In the kitchen

by rosemary. February 15th, 2012. Posted in Homekeeping. 6 Comments.

One of my sons gave me a gift certificate from Williams-Sonoma for Christmas, so I’m having fun doing a little shopping.

This is one of the favorite things I ordered. It’s called a ‘pancake pen,’ which is a a very good description of how it works. I made the usual round pancakes, but I bet you could write out names or make simple designs with it. What child wouldn’t want to eat a pancake made in the shape of their name? Fun!

You might like to know that my Oatmeal-Buttermilk Pancakes recipe fits perfectly into the pancake pen.

Sunday Hymn: Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us

by rosemary. February 12th, 2012. Posted in Hymns. 2 Comments.

Lord, we know that Thou art near us,
Though Thou seem’st to hide Thy face;
And are sure that Thou dost hear us,
Though no answer we embrace.

Not one promise shall miscarry
Not one blessing come too late
Though the vision long may tarry
Give us patience, Lord to wait.

While withholding—Thou art giving
In Thine own appointed way
And while waiting we’re receiving
Blessings suited to our day.

O the wondrous loving-kindness
Planning, working out of sight,
Bearing with us in our blindness,
Out of darkness bringing light.

Weaving blessings out of trials,
Out of grief evolving bliss;
Answering prayer by wise denials
When Thy children ask amiss.

And when faith shall end in vision,
And when prayer is lost in praise,
Then shall love, in full fruition,
Justify Thy secret ways.

-Jane Crewdson

Sometimes

by rosemary. February 11th, 2012. Posted in Family, Quotes. 14 Comments.

Comfort your soul with three plain conclusions:

(1.) Every event is the product of God’s providence; not a sparrow, much less a saint falls to the ground by poverty, sickness, or persecution, but the hand of God is in it.

(2.) God has promised, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5).

(3.) God in wisdom conceals the comforts he intends to give you at the various stages of your life, so that he may encourage your heart to full dependence upon his faithful promises now. Thus, to try the metal of Abraham’s faith, he let him go on, until his hand was stretched forth to slay Isaac, and then he came to his rescue. Christ sent his disciples to sea, but he stayed behind himself, with the design to test their faith, and show his love. Comfort yourself with this: though you do not see God in the way, yet you will find him in the end.    – William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

These words are a great comfort and encouragement to me this morning. Sometimes, living with disability in the family feels like being dragged over gravel. Sometimes, looking at disability square in the face is like seeing it for the first time even though you’ve been seeing and loving that face for thirty seven years. Sometimes, you listen to his words and smile and bite your lip to keep from crying.

And then you turn and make his pancakes through your tears.

Thankful Thursday

by rosemary. February 9th, 2012. Posted in Giving Thanks. 4 Comments.

Thanking God…

for the sunshine coming in my windows.

for all the physical comforts He provides. This morning I awoke rested and thankful for our comfortable bed and so many other comforts that make life enjoyable. I remembered the days in Nepal when we slept on a thin horsehair mattress atop a wooden pallet. I washed our clothes by hand in a bucket and wished for the luxury of an old-fashioned washboard. Today I have a washer and dryer with all the latest technology. God’s provision is always perfectly suited for what He intends our life to be at any given moment. We’ve had little, and we’ve had plenty; I’m thankful for both.

for the joys and sanctifying benefits of the marriage relationship, ours in particular. I’m thankful that God enables us to do each other much good, and we glorify Him in the process. Amazing!

that He blends sorrow and joy, creating peace.

for His Word. Every day, I’m thankful for His Word and His enabling us to live by it.

Worth repeating.

by rosemary. February 8th, 2012. Posted in Quotes. 3 Comments.

If you are having trouble reading your Bible with deep and affecting meaning, imagine that you will die in about eight hours.  -John Piper

That ought to take care of ever reading the Scriptures with a ho-hum attitude.

Sunday Hymn: May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

by rosemary. February 5th, 2012. Posted in Hymns. 2 Comments.

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

-Kate B. Wilkinson

Worth repeating

by rosemary. February 4th, 2012. Posted in Quotes. 2 Comments.

The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.  -John Flavel

And it’s Friday.

by rosemary. February 3rd, 2012. Posted in Ordinary things. 7 Comments.

This blog has deteriorated into a Sunday Hymn and Thankful Thursday blog, but I even missed half of that yesterday. My computer was doing strange things and I was unable to use it to write or even comment on posts. (I did read your blogs on another computer, though.) Son Nate was out of town, and he’s my fix-it guy, so I had to wait until he came back and could do his magic. I’m thankful that he can do such things.

On another topic. I’ve had a rather long history of sleeping poorly, but I’ve seen some mighty good improvement lately. I’ve started taking 1000 mg of calcium and 500 mg of magnesium before I go to bed. Boy, has that ever helped! I sleep more deeply and if I wake up in the night, I’m able to get back to sleep right away instead of tossing for hours until daybreak. Such an easy and helpful fix.

We’ll be rooting for the Giants on Sunday. My husband grew up in New Jersey and has been a Giants fan since he was a boy. I think I’m gonna make some sliders and hot wings for our party.

The weather has been so mild our grass is turning green. I’m looking at raised bed directions for a garden this year. If they’re elevated, it will be so much easier for me to take care of, and I’m sure my husband could build them. I can’t wait. I’ll have to do something to protect them from wildlife, though. I’m not keen on gardening to feed birds, bunnies, deer and wild turkeys.

Are you planning to have a garden this summer? Can you tell I’m ready for winter to be over, already?

Sunday Hymn: Crown Him With Many Crowns

by rosemary. January 29th, 2012. Posted in Hymns. 2 Comments.

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heav’nly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king through all eternity.

Crown Him the virgin’s son, the God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won which now His brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic rose, as of that rose the stem;
The root whence mercy ever flows, the Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown Him the Son of God, before the worlds began,
And ye who tread where He hath trod, crown Him the Son of Man;
Who every grief hath known that wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own, that all in Him may rest.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of peace, whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease, and all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end, and round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of Heav’n, enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n the wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns, as thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns, for He is king of all.

Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,
Now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of years, the potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

-Matthew Bridges (vs. 1,5,6,9) Godfrey Thring (vs. 2,3,4)

Self-Acquaintance

by rosemary. January 25th, 2012. Posted in Poems. 4 Comments.

Dear Lord! accept a sinful heart,
Which of itself complains,
And mourns, with much and frequent smart,
The evil it contains.

There fiery seeds of anger lurk,
Which often hurt my frame;
And wait but for the tempter’s work,
To fan them to a flame.

Legality holds out a bribe
To purchase life from Thee;
And Discontent would fain prescribe
How Thou shalt deal with me.

While Unbelief withstands Thy grace,
And puts the mercy by,
Presumption, with a brow of brass,
Says, “Give me, or I die!”

How eager are my thoughts to roam,
In quest of what they love!
But ah! when duty calls them home,
How heavily they move!

Oh, cleanse me in a Saviour’s blood,
Transform me by Thy power,
And make me Thy beloved abode,
And let me roam no more.

—William Cowper