Month: November 2023

107 Sandwiched

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On November 30, 2023

In Peace

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There are all kinds of sandwiches with various ingredients in the middle—from cheese to onions or even olives!  Oh, and don’t forget the child’s favorite, peanut butter and jelly!  What you taste when you bite into a sandwich depends on what’s inside.  Likewise, when life puts pressure on you, what comes out of your thoughts, words, and actions depends on what you put into your mind and heart.

“But the Holy Spirit produces
this kind of fruit in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23, NLT

The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives, but notice the order in which it grows:  love, then joy, then peace, and then patience and so much more.  When the Holy Spirit fills and inspire you, you will become more patient. Fruit doesn’t grow and mature overnight, and neither does the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  The part that struck me about this verse is that peace is sandwiched in between joy and patience.  Let’s think about this natural order of spiritual fruit as given in the above Scripture verses.

  • Love.  We love our family.
  • Joy.  Our family brings us joy when we love them.
  • Peace.  When we live in love and enjoyment of our family, we find peace.
  • Patience.  When we are at peace, we aren’t striving, and we are not hurried and frazzled, but exhibit patience.
  • Kindness.  When we are patient, kindness is a byproduct.
  • Goodness.  When we are kind, goodness shows in our character.
  • Faithfulness.  Goodness in our lives shows that we are faithful to God.
  • Gentleness.  God is a kind, gentle, loving Father, and we can’t help but show gentleness when we are faithful to Him.
  • Self-control.  Put all these fruits together, and self-control is the evident result.

Let me ask you a question:  What do you put into your favorite kind of sandwich?  Obviously it’s something good, something you want to taste and enjoy…maybe something that won’t give you bad breath. 😊  You wouldn’t want to put something in it that tasted horrible to you and especially not something harmful.  The same is true of our mind.  What do you put into your mind? 

Today take note of what is coming out of your mouth when you speak and your actions as you go through your day.  Is it all good, clean, pure, and positive? 

After a frustrating interaction at a store today that brought no resolve to a billing issue, I was ready to scream.  As I approached my car, I could feel the scream making its way towards my mouth, and was going to let loose when I got into the car.  But something happened as I opened the door to get in.  I realized where I was—in the middle of a busy parking lot where I would be heard.  Someone hearing me might think I was either in distress or losing it.  Was it a good example?  After all, Christ is inside of me and He is what needs to come out, not my own frustration.  So I just shook my head, took a deep breath, and drove home quietly.  When I got home, I was going to call support again but it looked like a hopeless situation.  So instead I decided to let it go for now and see how the Lord works things out. As a result, my afternoon has been peaceful whereas it could have been full of anger, frustration, and a bad attitude.  I’m not perfect and not all situations leave me in peace, but I’m still learning like the rest of us.

If we want the peace that is sandwiched in between the other fruits of the spirit, then we need to let all the fruit develop and grow in our hearts, making sure to not let it get choked out by weeds of discontent, bitterness, anger, etc.  Gardeners don’t always have just one type of plant in their garden.  It’s usually several ones that grow well together.  Over the years of trying to have a garden, I found that certain plants don’t grow well next to others, especially vegetable and fruit plants.  But when it comes to plants and animals, there are certain plants that attract and certain ones that repel animals.  Make sure that the things in the garden of your heart are ones that attract others to Jesus, not push them away.   The fruits of the spirit will not leave room for weeds to grow and will nourish good words and actions to burst forth.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 4:8, ESV

This Christmas season, let us remember the words of the last lines of the first verse of “Silent Night”, sleep in Heavenly peace!  Make that your aim today, that the thoughts and desires of your heart will play out in your words and actions, bringing peace as you go to sleep tonight.

106 SCENTED PINE CONES

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On November 29, 2023

In Christmas/Advent, Peace

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This is my second fun project to get ready for Christmas, though it can be a project for any time of year.

First, save all your little candles and ends of candles that are too small to safely burn. It doesn’t matter what color or scent.  If you don’t have any saved, start saving them now for next year.  Use an old coffee tin (not plastic) to save your candle pieces in because you will need the tin when you’re ready to start the project.  I always keep a tin in my closet to deposit broken and ends of candles that couldn’t be burned any further.  If you use a tin, you can pour the hot wax into it when a candle burns down, and just keep adding to it.

Second, gather pine cones. The big ones work better, but you can also use some of the tiny Hemlock pine cones as well.  Take a bag or basket with you when you go on a walk so you’re ready when you find pine cones on the ground.  They might be sticky from the tree’s sap so you might want to wear disposable gloves for this task.

Place all your candle pieces in an old coffee tin (preferably one with a removable wrapper and one wide enough to dip pine cones in). Take a cooking pan larger than the can (such as a Dutch oven), fill half way with water and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, carefully lower the tin into the water, careful to not get any water inside the tin. Let the tin in the hot water on a hot burner, but turn the burner off. The candles will melt into wax. You can stir the candles/wax with a stick (like a paint stick) or an old spoon. Be careful you don’t burn your fingers on the hot wax!  It doesn’t matter if there is a metal piece or wick in the tin—it will either sink or float and you can extract it.

When the candles have all turned to liquid wax, carefully remove the tin from the water. If you have to, turn the burner back on to heat it up more so that the candles melt.  (Electric ranges hold the heat longer than gas, so if you’re using a gas range, you will most likely have to turn the burner on periodically throughout the project.

Take a pine cone and gently grip it with old tongues. Lower it into the wax for less than 5 seconds. Let the excess wax drip off. Then move pine cone to wax paper or newspaper. Let the pine cones dry for several hours, and when they feel dry enough on the top, turn them over gently.  You will need a place where the pine cones can dry without being moved.

When pine cones are completely dry to the touch, you can place them in bags or boxes to store, but it would be better to use them immediately. Put the pine cones in decorated or plain baskets. Wrap basket and all in colored plastic see-through wrap. Gather the ends to the top and wrap with decorative ribbon or yarn. Now you have an inexpensive gift to give to a teacher, co-worker, friend, or as a hostess gift.

The pine cones may be tossed one at a time into a fireplace periodically, but not all at once because the candle wax will coat the chimney. The fragrance will permeate your home while making these gifts and when the recipient opens them, sets them out, and/or tosses them into the fireplace.

ENJOY!

While your pine cones are drying,
here is a 2-minute video I found online
that is interesting and explains
the life cycle of pine cones.

105 Hidden Path

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On November 22, 2023

In Peace

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This scene brought back childhood memories of walking in a woods near my aunt’s house in the Fall as we gathered pine cones.  This path was a new one for me, though, as we walked into the cluster of pine trees.  The trees were trimmed back neatly to show where to enter from the open part of the path, and once inside, it was like a wonderland.  I loved to look up and see the tall trees standing so straight and elegant.  Pine needles covered the ground.  At one point, we had to stop and decide which way to go because the pine needles had completely obliterated the gravel path to the point that we couldn’t tell where the path was.  It was hidden.

Isn’t your life and mine like that at times?  We’re going along just fine and think we know where we are and which way to go next, and then all of a sudden the path seems to end.  The path is hidden or dead-ends.  It may not be with pine needles.  It may be a cloud of confusion hiding the path like fog on a misty morning, or the sun casting a glare on our path, making it difficult to see where we’re going.  It may even be people, things, or events blocking our path.

“What is hidden will be seen.
And what is out of sight will be
brought into the open and made known.”
Luke 8:17, NIRV

Do you ever wander around not sure which way to go?  It could be when you’re driving, walking, or just life in general.  The other day I was driving to a place I’d only been to one other time so I turned my GPS on.  I had a friend in the car and we were talking, so I’m not sure if I didn’t hear my turn announced but we drove in a complete circle and backtracked to the road I should have turned onto but had passed.  A big sign announcing my destination was at the end of the road as plain as day and had I been alone, I probably would have seen it and avoided the circle and backtracking.  It doesn’t take much to distract us from following the path to our destination, does it?! 

Satan likes to get us distracted, going in circles, heading the wrong direction, but all the while telling us we’re doing OK.  Don’t believe it!  His voice is so deceiving.  Listen for God’s voice that will never mislead us.  There will be times when you can’t see the path more than a few feet in front of you or maybe not at all.  Just stop and pray and God will show you which way to go.  I like the Footprints poem that tells us that when we think we’re walking alone, it is really the time when Jesus is carrying us like a father would his tired child, thus only one set of footprints instead of two in the sand.  Click here to read the full poem. 

Another analogy would be when you’re lost in a snowstorm and can’t see the road (or the sidewalk).  If a vehicle had recently come that way, you’d be able to follow the tire tracks, or if a snow plow had been that way, you could at least trust that this is a road since you see banks of snow on either side.  But if it’s a blizzard and you’re the only one out, it’s hard to find where the road is.  We need others to walk alongside us in the Christian life.  Then when one gets lost or confused, another can help us get back on the true path.

Have you ever given thought to WHY the path in front of you may seem to be hidden, why it appears to have come to an end?  What do you do when the path seems to have ended?  You have a choice to make—keep going but it might not be the right direction OR stop and think.  You might need to inspect the surroundings for clues.  Prayer is definitely a good choice when you’re not sure which way you should go.  If the path had not ended, you would have kept on going, but perhaps that is not the path God intended for you to take.  So stopping, reevaluating, and praying is wise. 

The seemingly end to your path may be there for a reason.  Look around and up for the reason.  It will guide you to where you should be and away from the wrong path you might have taken if you hadn’t stopped.

If I’d been carrying a broom on our walk, I might have swept the pine needles away to see which way the path was going.  As we stood and looked around, trying to decide where the path was, I looked way ahead and saw clearly the gravel path in the distance, so it was just a matter of keeping our eyes on that distant path to get us through the unknown hidden part of the path.

Don’t let your path be hidden.  Keep your eyes on Jesus as you go through life.  Let Jesus light the way for you and for those behind you so that you can all make it safely to your destination—Heaven! 

104 CINNAMON CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

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On November 21, 2023

In Christmas/Advent, Peace

Post Views: 46

I thought I’d take a break from talking about peace and share a fun project that makes the home smell so good and helps to decorate for Christmas, too.  If your schedule gets full after Thanksgiving, you can make these now and store in an air-tight container in a dry place.  Be careful because they are fragile and break easily.  These ornaments will be completely edible so they will not harm children or pets, but they are not meant to be cookies and therefore would not palatable.  There are many variations of the recipe out there on the internet, but I don’t remember where I got this one years ago.

In a one-cup measuring cup place:

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Then fill up the rest of the measuring cup with ground cinnamon.

Dump into a medium-size bowl and stir together. Add 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp. applesauce and mix together to form a stiff dough.  Put in the freezer for 10 minutes before rolling out.

Do NOT use flour to coat your roller or cutters, or the ornaments will turn white instead of staying cinnamon-colored.

Roll dough to 1/4″ thickness. Cut with Christmas cookie cutters.

Let cookies lay on wax paper. Take a toothpick and make a hole at the top of the tree, star, or other shape. Take care to not make the hole too close to the top so that it doesn’t break the ornament. It has to be big enough to get yarn through. Let ornaments cool on rack to dry for 1-2 days or until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally.  I recommend NOT decorating them because it will affect the texture of the ornament and possibly the scent as well.

After they are dry, put yarn or other decorative thread through the hole for hanging. Ribbon or natural raffia can also be used, but you must make the hole bigger.  I used a needle with a BIG eye and a needle threader (see picture) to insert the yarn or ribbon into the cookie.  Be careful to not pull too hard when knotting the yarn or it will break out the hole.

This batch makes 12-15 ornaments. If more are desired, double the ingredients, but you must have enough rack space to dry them, so consider making a second batch another time if you need more.

(If the mixture doesn’t get thick enough, you can add a tablespoon of white Elmer’s glue, but then they are not edible if you are concerned about children or pets.)

Put each ornament in a Ziploc bag and include it in a Christmas card OR write a Christmas note to attach to the bag and give it in place of a card.  It’s a great way of saving money and making your Christmas greetings personal as well as fragrant.  Everyone I’ve given them to loved them.  They found their way to cubicles at work, in cars, on trees, hung by the fireplace mantel or near an air vent to circulate the scent. 

When Christmas is over or if you find yourself with some broken ornaments, place them in a small dish, add a tablespoon of water, and place them on a candle warmer.

“But let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.”
1 Peter 3:4, KJV

We usually think of ornaments as something to put on a tree or hang for decoration, but Peter mentions a meek and quiet spirit as being an ornament.  Quiet spirits definitely are a part of a peaceful heart and life!  May you experience a meek and quiet spirit as you work on this project and share the ornaments with others. 

I’ll have another scent-ful project for you next week but you’ll need nicely shaped pine cones, so if you’re out for a walk, take a bag or basket and keep your eye out for pine cones.

103 Yesterday Today Tomorrow

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On November 14, 2023

In Peace

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As a friend and I walked a trail, we came across this property that probably has quite a few stories to tell.  I have a quote in my phone but don’t remember where I read it or if I wrote it.  I searched the internet and couldn’t find it.  I like it because it’s a good perspective to have.

Leave yesterday alone – It’s gone.

Live today – Count your blessings.

Don’t worry about tomorrow – It may not come.

If this old house could talk, its walls would probably have heard a lot of conversations to share.  Maybe the children are grown and the original owners wanted to downsize.  Maybe the children grew up and had happy memories here and kept it in the family.  But their lives took a turn in different directions and it was time to move on.  Eventually someone found this property to be a treasure worth owning and living in. 

Yesterday.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve remembered an item I used to have—a book, a piece of furniture, a decoration—but thought I didn’t need or want any more and either gave it away, sold it, or threw it out, only to later wish I had kept it.  Yesterday is like that.  I often wish I had yesterday to “do over”.  I think there’s always something that comes to mind that could have been done, said, or thought differently.  But yesterday is gone, never to return, as much as we would like it to.  So leave yesterday alone.  Nothing can or will bring it back.  It’s gone FOREVER! 

Today.  We are here in the present, today.  We are alive and have much to be thankful for during this upcoming Thanksgiving season.  Would you rather recount all the bad things that have happened or all the good things? 

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the idiom “count your blessings” as to be grateful for the good things in your life, often to stop yourself from becoming too unhappy about the bad things.  That is a good definition and so true.  If we count our blessings, we won’t be recounting all the negative things in life.

Tomorrow.  How often do you and I say we will do something or go somewhere tomorrow?  But we are not promised tomorrow.  The Lord may come today and the rest of our tomorrows will be spent in eternity instead of here on earth.  We may get sick or be in an accident that ends our lives as we know them, and tomorrow will be a whole lot different than we had in mind.

A song by speaker and songwriter Don Wyrtzen has four verses that so well give depth to the thoughts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  The story behind this song can be found at:  https://thescottspot.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-written-in-1980/

Yesterday He died for me … This is history.
Today He lives for me … This is victory.
Tomorrow He comes for me …This is mystery.
O friend do you know Him? … Jesus Christ the Lord.

History can’t be changed.  Oh you can rewrite it like some try to do, but that doesn’t change what happened.  History is still the story of yesterday. Jesus died for us in the past so that we can have life in the here and now as well as for eternity.  What He has done for us is history and cannot be changed.

Victory is what we can have when we choose to count our blessings instead of our failures and mistakes.  Victory can be recorded in history, but it happens in the here and now.  Jesus lives in your heart if you are His, and He gives us victory when we let Him have His way in our lives.

Mystery is all about what might happen in the tomorrows of the next day or the next month or the next year.  We don’t know what will happen tomorrow.  We have plans and hopes and dreams, but as I said above, we are not promised tomorrow.  Jesus is coming back for us some day.  It could be any time, especially in the light of all the aspects of prophetic happenings becoming reality right before our very eyes.  Are you ready should it be tomorrow? Or today even? Or in the next moments? 

Jesus is the answer to our past, present, and future.  He’s been waiting for us in our past yesterdays, gives us victory in our todays, and coming for us in the tomorrow of our future.  If you know Him, you can be assured of tomorrow—oh, not the tomorrow you may dream about, but a secure, pleasant, safe, and loving tomorrow in eternity with Him.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8, NLT

102 Nature’s Peace

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On November 6, 2023

In Peace

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Whether it’s a sunrise or sunset, clouds, a full moon or a quarter, single stars or galaxies forming a shape, or a stream, river, lake, or ocean, I feel God’s peace in them all. 

Any body of water is a moving piece of creation that has its own effect on the observer.  A stream might have a quiet trickle which I personally love to hear.  Its slow, gentle way of moving reminds me to slow down and listen to the water and other sounds of nature around me.  Rivers and lakes aren’t always as calm and peaceful, depending on other aspects of nature on any given day…they can slowly meander through their surroundings or they can be a bit more aggressive as weather-related happenings affect them.  To me, oceans are never peaceful…they are expansive, pushy (when their waves come barreling in to shore), abusive (when they are stirred up by storms and lash out with their fury), and destructive (when they unleash their strength and harm anything in their path).

Ah!  The sun.  The sun, too, can be abusive when you stay in it too long and get burnt, but the warmth of the sun on a cold day is peaceful and refreshing.  The beauty of the sun rising up in the morning reminds me that God has given me another day to use for His honor and glory.  I’d much rather see the sun when I get up than a dark sky which is the case now that we’ve changed our clocks again.  In the evening the sunsets where I live are pretty amazing most of the time.  I can’t help but smile and feel peace when I watch the setting sun.  It did its job giving us daylight and then it gets to rest along with us after making me smile.

It’s often said that clouds look like cotton balls when being described.  I think it’s because they are fluffy and white like cotton balls.  Even as you pull cotton balls apart, you can see the whisps of clouds strewn through the sky.  But I like to think of them as a big soft body pillow that I could climb in and get comfortable, wrapping my arms around, fluffing it up just right and laying my head in a soft spot to take a nap.  Clouds also look like different shapes at times.  I used to sit on my porch swing and watch the clouds go by, imagining what their shapes reminded me of.  When I was on Facebook, I would post a picture of a cloud and ask what others saw in the shape.  It was interesting because almost every time each person saw something different. 

Moonlight is interesting to see and it gives us some light at night, but not near as much as the sun.  But just seeing that big round object in the sky gives me a peaceful assurance that God is still there and He’s watching over me.

Stars are an interesting lot!  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Some stay in one place and move with the axis of the earth.  Others seem to float all over at will.  Then there’s the stars that twinkle, blink, or just stay solid.  And don’t forget the ones that work together to form a shape in the sky like the dippers and other shapes that astronomers have given names to.  If you just take a quick peak at the night sky, you will probably miss the shapes because you’re just seeing stars.  It’s like the old saying that you can’t see the forest for the trees. 

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12, ESV

This verse says you shall go OUT with JOY and be LED in PEACE.  When we are full of the joy of the Lord and allow ourselves to take time to enjoy His creation, we will be truly joyful which will lead to the peace we all desire.  Today go out with joy and allow His peace to permeate your entire being.  Meditate on the peace in nature as you take a walk to enjoy the fresh air, sun, and all the other creations God has given us.

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