From these photos, can you guess where we went on a few day getaway with friends?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Don't forget to visit the Simple Woman's Daybook to read other entries or to write your own.For Today...
Outside my window...The sun is battling with a drizzle, and the breezes are blowing.
I am thinking... of what I need to do for the rest of the week.
I am thankful for... the resurrection of Christ.
From the kitchen...something simple, as we will be heading to a meeting.
I am reading... the book of John -- very slowly -- and a book about roses.
I am hoping... for my dearest husband and myself to have a nice vacation with our friends next week.
I am creating... a home and a crocheted dish strainer, also some pillowcases
I am praying... for the people in Murphreesboro, a town very close to our city. Our whole area was in a storm system on Friday, but this town was hit hardest by tornadoes. Our daughter and son-in-law and our son and our daughter in all lived there for a time, and we currently have many friends who live there. No one we know was hurt, and many from our church are helping with the clean-up. It was so heart wrenching to hear of a mother and 9-week old daughter killed, and the husband being found in a state of great injury, having been blown by the tornado some distance away. Forty-one other people were treated for injuries, and many lost their homes. Just over a week and a half ago, our city had ten tornadoes touch down, but they did not do much damage and I did not hear of injuries.
Also praying for father-in-law to recover from health problems.
Around the house... I will soon have the delight of caring for a friend's baby for an hour.
One of my favorite things... spring flowers!!!!
A few plans for the rest of the week...getting ready for our trip.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Here's a photo someone took of one of the tornadoes and sent to local newspaper.
Monday, April 06, 2009
French women do get fat (New research raises questions concerning one of my favorite books about eating: French Women Don't Get Fat. How much longer will French women be an example to us of healthy eating?)
When I was last in Paris, the book French Women Don't Get Fat was all the rage in the U.S. I actually brought it with me to read on the flight over and back. While in Paris, my beloved husband and I enjoyed some great French food and still lost a few pounds. I had spent a summer in Paris in my teens, and I was now trying to show my dear one as many of my favorite sites in just a few days. So, we walked and walked and walked - in metabolism-raising brisk spring air, moreover. We were not trying to diet, but the pounds slipped off, nonetheless.
I intended to continue eating in the traditional French style when we returned home and to continue walking a lot, too. Alas, those pounds we lost in France eventually found their way back across the Atlantic and back onto our American tummies. Sigh.
I was interested to note on our trip that most of the Parisians still seemed both slender and petite in frame, despite the plethora of Starbucks and McDonald's that now saturate the city. Many other ethnic groups who live in that cosmopolitan city also share the tendency toward slenderness. I did notice, however, some signs that made me wonder if the next generation of French will struggle with expanding girth just as so many Americans do.
Three decades earlier, when I spent that wonderful summer in Paris, I had been surprised by the fact that you could with near certainty pick out certain nationalities by appearance. For example, Scandinavians were generally the tallest in a group, and they invariably had slender frames. Americans were next in height, and, while they were generally fit, they were usually of a bigger build than the other ethnic groups around us. The French were petite in stature and slim, to boot.
At the time, there was a pronounced difference in the European and American cuts of clothing for men and for children. French men fit into shirts and pants that were cut close to the body, with lots of seaming and darts. Even very fit American men sometimes had a hard time squeezing into the European cut. Though the sizing systems differed, there was not as much variation in the cuts of French and American women's clothing. However, the problem that American men had with the European cut usually had more to do with having a larger bone structure than with excess weight.
Since my friends and I were in our late teens at the time, our youthful metabolisms handled a daily taste of wonderful French pastries without any of us gaining an ounce. (I don't think the French would have eaten these delights every day, as we did.) Of course, as soon as our classes were over each day, we headed out to enjoy the sights and the parks of Paris. We burned up a lot of calories sight-seeing and giggling and just being young.
At the time, the people of France still did their grocery shopping on a daily basis. They selected their foods from the offerings of many small markets. There was a market dedicated to each kind of food. There were a few large American style supermarkets -- or supermarchés as they are called in France. However, they were just coming in style there and had not replaced the French demand for daily fresh food supplied by local merchants. (The supermarchés still have not vanquished the small markets entirely. Many Parisians do still shop the small markets. They carry rolling carts with them to carry their food home, and they stop by markets on their way home in the evening.)
We were there a year before the first McDonald's opened in Paris. At the time, there was not a real hamburger to be found in the whole city. The closest the French had to a fast food burger chain was the British establishment, Wimpy's. Though we delighted in all of the wonderful French meals we were having -- many of which were prepared by Portuguese nuns in the dormitory where we stayed -- we decided to try Wimpy's one day in order to get a taste of home. We found that the Franglicized idea of a hamburger was a bit different than the American one. Perhaps, the French were happier for not yet having so many supermarches and fast food restaurants to choose from.
In the intervening three decades between my visit, many Americans - including myself -- have found themselves battling weight issues. While this was once a middle-aged phenomenon, I've noticed that even school children and young adults often carry more weight than our generation did when we were that age. And, though our mothers often complained of packing on a few matronly pounds, I believe that middle-aged Americans have an even greater struggle than middle-aged Americans of a few decades ago.
Of course, the issue for me is not really about appearance, but about health. I'm no fan of the runway waif look. Nor, do I subscribe to the idea that you have to be extremely thin to be healthy, happy, or attractive. Sometimes, French culture -- as well as American -- puts an unhealthy focus on being skinny versus looking and feeling your personal best.
The principles in the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" harken back to a time when the French ate fresh foods purchased daily in local markets and to a time when the French and many other Europeans ate most of their meals at a leisurely pace. Also, the French were extremely family centered and their custom was for an extended family to enjoy a wonderful dinner together on Sundays. Cooking and eating were seen as arts to be enjoyed.
I remember being fascinated when I was in a restaurant in Rome on my first trip to Europe. A woman had a whole peach for her dessert. She gracefully used a knife to cut it portion by portion. It took her so...o...o long to eat that one peach. I'm sure she left the restaurant feeling as satisfied as if she had had a calorie laden confection.
Now mind you, in the U.S. at that time, home cooking and eating breakfast and dinner together were also still common for American families. Americans were active outdoors. More children and teens, especially, spent a lot more time moving about in the fresh air. We had only rudimentary video games; few of us spent long hours in day care; and we probably watched fewer hours of TV than our counterparts of today. Yes, even then, Americans were racing down the trail to the modern lifestyle and excess poundage faster than Europeans were. However, our culture still shared some principles of healthful eating and healthful living that are put forth in FWDGF.
Somewhere along the way, we Americans started working out in gyms (nothing wrong with that) but stopped including healthful outdoor activity throughout our day. We began to gulp down our meals in a hurry to get somewhere else. The family seldom ate breakfast together anymore, and even family dinners were in peril. People started eating more pre-packaged foods and fast foods. And, we started packing on the pounds. This has been a mystery to some doctors, because, in a way, Americans are more health conscious than they used to be. Many cut fat from their diets and try all sorts of diet and exercise regimens. We have made strides in overcoming heart disease and other ailments. Still, we have been super-sizing our bodies for thirty years and are continuing to do so at an alarming rate.
Well, statistics say that as the French and other Europeans are becoming more and more Americanized, they are -- you guessed it -- picking up American -style pounds. Here's an excerpt from an article about that:
"The French are looking more like Americans because they are living more like Americans. Goodbye shopping at outdoor markets. Hello processed foods. Goodbye two-hour lunches. Hello cramming a sandwich in your face at your desk as you scroll through e-mail. Goodbye savoring. Hello snacking.
"Most shockingly, French women (and it is still mostly women) not only don't have time to cook anymore - they've forgotten how. At a recent Weight Watchers meeting, a bunch of ladies who battled an hour of grinding Paris traffic to make it there after work were unable to identify a measuring spoon."
Another article about the book FWDGF describes the role of French government in regulating things related to diet. The article points out that Americans have traditionally found this paternalistic style of government to be too intrusive into one's personal life.
I'm fascinated by the connection in both countries -- France and the U.S. -- between extra girth and the fact that women no longer have time to cook. Of course, France is the land of great male cooks. Yet, in the home, it is usually the woman who plans the menus, does the marketing, and cooks the daily meals. It is generally the women who see that the family eats dinner together and organizes meals for the extended family on Sundays. On both sides of the Atlantic, it seems that women are struggling to find time to exercise the domestic arts that make for healthful and happy home lives. Have we Americans done the world a favor by spreading the wonders of fast food, as well as the idea that women are no longer needed in the home sphere and should turn their talents elsewhere?
Since my blog tends to be about domestic things, it's obvious that I have an interest in home and family. I do believe it's important for a woman to see home keeping as a worthwhile and satisfying sphere of life -- perhaps even making family her main career. Let me be clear; I am not rigid in my views about the choices women make concerning family and work. I don't want to err on the side of trying to dictate to others what decisions they should make in this regard. Still, findings like this research about French and American culture do make me wonder...Hmm.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
When I was last in Paris, the book French Women Don't Get Fat was all the rage in the U.S. I actually brought it with me to read on the flight over and back. While in Paris, my beloved husband and I enjoyed some great French food and still lost a few pounds. I had spent a summer in Paris in my teens, and I was now trying to show my dear one as many of my favorite sites in just a few days. So, we walked and walked and walked - in metabolism-raising brisk spring air, moreover. We were not trying to diet, but the pounds slipped off, nonetheless.I intended to continue eating in the traditional French style when we returned home and to continue walking a lot, too. Alas, those pounds we lost in France eventually found their way back across the Atlantic and back onto our American tummies. Sigh.
I was interested to note on our trip that most of the Parisians still seemed both slender and petite in frame, despite the plethora of Starbucks and McDonald's that now saturate the city. Many other ethnic groups who live in that cosmopolitan city also share the tendency toward slenderness. I did notice, however, some signs that made me wonder if the next generation of French will struggle with expanding girth just as so many Americans do.
Three decades earlier, when I spent that wonderful summer in Paris, I had been surprised by the fact that you could with near certainty pick out certain nationalities by appearance. For example, Scandinavians were generally the tallest in a group, and they invariably had slender frames. Americans were next in height, and, while they were generally fit, they were usually of a bigger build than the other ethnic groups around us. The French were petite in stature and slim, to boot.
At the time, there was a pronounced difference in the European and American cuts of clothing for men and for children. French men fit into shirts and pants that were cut close to the body, with lots of seaming and darts. Even very fit American men sometimes had a hard time squeezing into the European cut. Though the sizing systems differed, there was not as much variation in the cuts of French and American women's clothing. However, the problem that American men had with the European cut usually had more to do with having a larger bone structure than with excess weight.
Since my friends and I were in our late teens at the time, our youthful metabolisms handled a daily taste of wonderful French pastries without any of us gaining an ounce. (I don't think the French would have eaten these delights every day, as we did.) Of course, as soon as our classes were over each day, we headed out to enjoy the sights and the parks of Paris. We burned up a lot of calories sight-seeing and giggling and just being young.
At the time, the people of France still did their grocery shopping on a daily basis. They selected their foods from the offerings of many small markets. There was a market dedicated to each kind of food. There were a few large American style supermarkets -- or supermarchés as they are called in France. However, they were just coming in style there and had not replaced the French demand for daily fresh food supplied by local merchants. (The supermarchés still have not vanquished the small markets entirely. Many Parisians do still shop the small markets. They carry rolling carts with them to carry their food home, and they stop by markets on their way home in the evening.)
We were there a year before the first McDonald's opened in Paris. At the time, there was not a real hamburger to be found in the whole city. The closest the French had to a fast food burger chain was the British establishment, Wimpy's. Though we delighted in all of the wonderful French meals we were having -- many of which were prepared by Portuguese nuns in the dormitory where we stayed -- we decided to try Wimpy's one day in order to get a taste of home. We found that the Franglicized idea of a hamburger was a bit different than the American one. Perhaps, the French were happier for not yet having so many supermarches and fast food restaurants to choose from.
In the intervening three decades between my visit, many Americans - including myself -- have found themselves battling weight issues. While this was once a middle-aged phenomenon, I've noticed that even school children and young adults often carry more weight than our generation did when we were that age. And, though our mothers often complained of packing on a few matronly pounds, I believe that middle-aged Americans have an even greater struggle than middle-aged Americans of a few decades ago.
Of course, the issue for me is not really about appearance, but about health. I'm no fan of the runway waif look. Nor, do I subscribe to the idea that you have to be extremely thin to be healthy, happy, or attractive. Sometimes, French culture -- as well as American -- puts an unhealthy focus on being skinny versus looking and feeling your personal best.
The principles in the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" harken back to a time when the French ate fresh foods purchased daily in local markets and to a time when the French and many other Europeans ate most of their meals at a leisurely pace. Also, the French were extremely family centered and their custom was for an extended family to enjoy a wonderful dinner together on Sundays. Cooking and eating were seen as arts to be enjoyed.
I remember being fascinated when I was in a restaurant in Rome on my first trip to Europe. A woman had a whole peach for her dessert. She gracefully used a knife to cut it portion by portion. It took her so...o...o long to eat that one peach. I'm sure she left the restaurant feeling as satisfied as if she had had a calorie laden confection.
Now mind you, in the U.S. at that time, home cooking and eating breakfast and dinner together were also still common for American families. Americans were active outdoors. More children and teens, especially, spent a lot more time moving about in the fresh air. We had only rudimentary video games; few of us spent long hours in day care; and we probably watched fewer hours of TV than our counterparts of today. Yes, even then, Americans were racing down the trail to the modern lifestyle and excess poundage faster than Europeans were. However, our culture still shared some principles of healthful eating and healthful living that are put forth in FWDGF.
Somewhere along the way, we Americans started working out in gyms (nothing wrong with that) but stopped including healthful outdoor activity throughout our day. We began to gulp down our meals in a hurry to get somewhere else. The family seldom ate breakfast together anymore, and even family dinners were in peril. People started eating more pre-packaged foods and fast foods. And, we started packing on the pounds. This has been a mystery to some doctors, because, in a way, Americans are more health conscious than they used to be. Many cut fat from their diets and try all sorts of diet and exercise regimens. We have made strides in overcoming heart disease and other ailments. Still, we have been super-sizing our bodies for thirty years and are continuing to do so at an alarming rate.
Well, statistics say that as the French and other Europeans are becoming more and more Americanized, they are -- you guessed it -- picking up American -style pounds. Here's an excerpt from an article about that:
"The French are looking more like Americans because they are living more like Americans. Goodbye shopping at outdoor markets. Hello processed foods. Goodbye two-hour lunches. Hello cramming a sandwich in your face at your desk as you scroll through e-mail. Goodbye savoring. Hello snacking.
"Most shockingly, French women (and it is still mostly women) not only don't have time to cook anymore - they've forgotten how. At a recent Weight Watchers meeting, a bunch of ladies who battled an hour of grinding Paris traffic to make it there after work were unable to identify a measuring spoon."
Another article about the book FWDGF describes the role of French government in regulating things related to diet. The article points out that Americans have traditionally found this paternalistic style of government to be too intrusive into one's personal life.
I'm fascinated by the connection in both countries -- France and the U.S. -- between extra girth and the fact that women no longer have time to cook. Of course, France is the land of great male cooks. Yet, in the home, it is usually the woman who plans the menus, does the marketing, and cooks the daily meals. It is generally the women who see that the family eats dinner together and organizes meals for the extended family on Sundays. On both sides of the Atlantic, it seems that women are struggling to find time to exercise the domestic arts that make for healthful and happy home lives. Have we Americans done the world a favor by spreading the wonders of fast food, as well as the idea that women are no longer needed in the home sphere and should turn their talents elsewhere?
Since my blog tends to be about domestic things, it's obvious that I have an interest in home and family. I do believe it's important for a woman to see home keeping as a worthwhile and satisfying sphere of life -- perhaps even making family her main career. Let me be clear; I am not rigid in my views about the choices women make concerning family and work. I don't want to err on the side of trying to dictate to others what decisions they should make in this regard. Still, findings like this research about French and American culture do make me wonder...Hmm.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Overview of the Bible -- Part III
A view of the cross --
Romans 3:22-26, 5;6-8 The cross is a demonstration of God's justice in the face of sin. God would not be righteous if He simply looked the other way regarding sin and evil. At the same time, the cross is the greatest demonstration of God's love for us. God loved His enemy -- you and me! We don't like to think of ourselves as having been God's enemies, but all of us, at some time, have lived in opposition to God's will and wisdom. We have chosen our own way, rather than submission to His perfect will. Still, God loves us. Because God loves us, Jesus Christ died for our sins. See also I John 3;16, 4:10
Mark 10:42-25 Jesus understood God's plan for Him to give Himself as a ransom for us -- to die for our sins. He could do this only because of His sinless life and His own love for us.
Matthew 26:36-46 What choice did Jesus make for us in the garden that night? Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus knew this day would come.
Matthew 26:52-54 Jesus chose not to use the power at his disposal. He could have called twelve legions of angels to deliver Him from the situation. Yet, because of His love for us, He did not. John 12:27-28
Matthew 26:59-63, 27:11-14 False witnesses as well as false evidence were brought against Jesus. Yet, Jesus chose to remain silent and not to defend Himself. He did this out of regard for His Father and His love for us.
Matthew 27:27-29 Jesus as a king could have chosen a crown of glory, but instead He chose the crown of thorns. Jesus did this for you and for me.
Matthew 27:38-44 The robbers, the chief priests, the elders of the law and the teachers all mocked Jesus and said, Come down from the cross, if You are the Son of God. Think of the choice Jesus made for us by staying nailed to the cross instead of saving Himself at the time. Yet, Jesus had not come to save Himself; He had come to save us. What an example he set for us in how to love others!
Isaiah 53 Written about 700 years before Jesus, this chapter predicted what the Messiah would do at the cross and why. In Luke 22:37, Jesus quotes from Isaiah and says it was about Him.
Isaiah told us in 53:1-3 that the Messiah would be despised and rejected. In verses 4-6, it says the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions; in 7-9, the Messiah would be led like a lamb to the slaughter In verse 10-12, the Messiahs would be a guilt offering; but after His suffering, He would receive satisfaction in His resurrection.
Psalm 22 also foreshadowed Jesus' suffering on the cross.
Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-8; Luke 15:11-31 We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is obedient trust in God. James 2:14-1. We trust what God has done in Jesus as the ground of our salvation and we commit our lives fully to Him.
I Corinthians 1:18 You can only see the cross in one of two ways: For those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness. For those who are being saved, the message of the cross is the power of God.
I Peter 2:21-25 -- Why did Jesus die on the cross for us? So that we might die to sin and live for the new righteousness that the cross provides.
Acts Chapters One and Two: By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter explains the Messiah, the cross, and calls the people to a response. We are called to make the same response today. "for all whom the Lord will call".
Question we can all ask ourselves: What impact does the cross and God's grace have on my life?
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
A view of the cross --
Romans 3:22-26, 5;6-8 The cross is a demonstration of God's justice in the face of sin. God would not be righteous if He simply looked the other way regarding sin and evil. At the same time, the cross is the greatest demonstration of God's love for us. God loved His enemy -- you and me! We don't like to think of ourselves as having been God's enemies, but all of us, at some time, have lived in opposition to God's will and wisdom. We have chosen our own way, rather than submission to His perfect will. Still, God loves us. Because God loves us, Jesus Christ died for our sins. See also I John 3;16, 4:10
Mark 10:42-25 Jesus understood God's plan for Him to give Himself as a ransom for us -- to die for our sins. He could do this only because of His sinless life and His own love for us.
Matthew 26:36-46 What choice did Jesus make for us in the garden that night? Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus knew this day would come.
Matthew 26:52-54 Jesus chose not to use the power at his disposal. He could have called twelve legions of angels to deliver Him from the situation. Yet, because of His love for us, He did not. John 12:27-28
Matthew 26:59-63, 27:11-14 False witnesses as well as false evidence were brought against Jesus. Yet, Jesus chose to remain silent and not to defend Himself. He did this out of regard for His Father and His love for us.
Matthew 27:27-29 Jesus as a king could have chosen a crown of glory, but instead He chose the crown of thorns. Jesus did this for you and for me.
Matthew 27:38-44 The robbers, the chief priests, the elders of the law and the teachers all mocked Jesus and said, Come down from the cross, if You are the Son of God. Think of the choice Jesus made for us by staying nailed to the cross instead of saving Himself at the time. Yet, Jesus had not come to save Himself; He had come to save us. What an example he set for us in how to love others!
Isaiah 53 Written about 700 years before Jesus, this chapter predicted what the Messiah would do at the cross and why. In Luke 22:37, Jesus quotes from Isaiah and says it was about Him.
Isaiah told us in 53:1-3 that the Messiah would be despised and rejected. In verses 4-6, it says the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions; in 7-9, the Messiah would be led like a lamb to the slaughter In verse 10-12, the Messiahs would be a guilt offering; but after His suffering, He would receive satisfaction in His resurrection.
Psalm 22 also foreshadowed Jesus' suffering on the cross.
Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-8; Luke 15:11-31 We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is obedient trust in God. James 2:14-1. We trust what God has done in Jesus as the ground of our salvation and we commit our lives fully to Him.
I Corinthians 1:18 You can only see the cross in one of two ways: For those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness. For those who are being saved, the message of the cross is the power of God.
I Peter 2:21-25 -- Why did Jesus die on the cross for us? So that we might die to sin and live for the new righteousness that the cross provides.
Acts Chapters One and Two: By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter explains the Messiah, the cross, and calls the people to a response. We are called to make the same response today. "for all whom the Lord will call".
Question we can all ask ourselves: What impact does the cross and God's grace have on my life?
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Overview of Bible -- Part IISnapshots of Jesus:
Hebrews 1:1-3 -- Jesus is God's ultimate communication with mankind, with us. God, an all-powerful and all-loving Father sent Jesus, His Son, as the perfect representation of who He is.
Jesus is the unique Son of God -- fully God and fully man. God came to earth in the flesh so that we could come to know Him. see also John 1:1, 14
Colossians 2:9 All the fullness of God lives in Jesus Christ. This means, at least in part, that every aspect of God's character can be found in Jesus. Reading through any of the Gospels, the four books that describe Jesus' life and words, will give you insight into God's character and his will for your life.
Mark 1:14-20 Jesus preached the good news and called men to follow Him.
Mark 1:21-22. Jesus was an amazing teacher whose words were spoken with authority.
Mark 1:23-28 Jesus cast out demons, showing that the power of God was present in Him.
Mark 1:29-31 Jesus met people's needs and healed the sick.
Mark 1:32-34 Jesus focused his attention on others and selflessly gave of Himself.
Mark 1:35 Jesus was dependent upon God in prayer for His strength and direction. (See Luke 11:1-4) Jesus prayed and taught his disciples to pray. He showed us that the power of prayer is not in the repetition of words, but in the heartfelt talk with our Father in Heaven.
Mark 1:36-39: Jesus was consumed with His mission to preach the good news.
Mark 1:40-42 -- Jesus was filled with compassion for all people.
Mark 10: 32-24,45 Jesus came to serve and give His perfect life as a ransom for sinners. As predicted, He was rejected by His people and crucified -- but He rose from the dead three days later.
Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; Jesus came to seek and save us from our sins and bring us into a relationship with the Father.
Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 6:10; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 10:7; Luke 4:43; Luke 18:17; John 18:36; Acts 1:3 -- Jesus teachings were laced with his passion for the Kingdom of God; he continually preached the good news of the Kingdom. These are just a few verses that demonstrate that.
I John 2:3-6; Phil. 2:1-14; John 14:21; Ephesians 5:1-2 Knowing Jesus is not just an intellectual exercise. The goal of the Christian is to obey his commands and become more and more like Him: to think like Jesus, to act like Jesus, to live like Jesus. We want to imitate Jesus' heart in the way He loved God and people. We want to walk with Him and to really know Him, not just know facts about Him.
John 14:6 Jesus claimed to be the way, not a way. He claimed to be the truth, not one truth among many. He said he was the life, not just a better life. How important is it that we put our faith, our trust, our obedience in Jesus? Acts 4:12 -- No one will come to the Father unless they come to Him through Jesus.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Monday, March 30, 2009
What can we (and our teen-aged children) learn from an overview of the Bible?
Part One
Studying the Bible in great detail is great. However, there are times when it's good to step back up a bit and review the overall message of God's word. This following scriptures provide one way to do that.
Genesis 1:1. Of course, we've all read this verse many times. It's a logical place to begin our overview of God's message to us, though. Understanding that this world did not just happen, but that it was created for a purpose is foundational to our faith.
Genesis 1:26-27: After the creation of other life, God created man and woman in his own image. He created them with a spiritual nature. He made us to be like Him in special ways. From the beginning of time, He has desired that there be a relationship between Himself and man. Rather than creating man as a robot, however, he gave man the ability to respond to God or to disobey. He has communicated clearly with man to let him know how he can be in relationship with his creator. He clearly outlined consequences or results that come from the choice of choosing God's way or man's (our own) way.
Genesis 2:6-7; Genesis 2:15-17 -- Man's way or God's way. What were the results of man choosing his way? Genesis 3:16-19. What would have been the result of obeying the Lord?
But God had a plan to deal with man's sin and lost condition.
Genesis 22:17-19 -- Abraham
A. God chooses the man Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham.
B. God makes a promise to Abraham -- What was it?
C. Much of the Bible is the story of Abraham's descendants and how through them God has given the whole world the opportunity to know Him and be blessed.
D. It is often a messy story, because of how often men failed to love and obey God. It is a beautiful story, because it is the story of God's faithfulness to do what He had promised.
Genesis 25:22-26 Israel
A. Abraham had Isaac and Isaac had Jacob (Israel) and Jacob had 12 sons.
B. Their descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel
C. God used Joseph and a famine to bring the entire group to Egypt.
D. They eventually became slaves of the Egyptians, but this was in God's plan, as well.
Exodus 3:1-8 The Exodus
A. God calls Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.
B. The rest of Exodus is the story of how that happened.
C. The way God led his people out of the bondage of slavery and into a promised land becomes a picture of how He will lead all nations out of the bondage of sin and into a new relationship with Him.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
A. Throughout the OT this is what God wants Israel to learn.
B. He continually emphasizes how He wants to bless them. (7:12-13)
2 Chronicles 33:23, 2 Chronicles 34:27-28 -- Israel's unfaithfulness to God
A. 2 Chronicles is one of the books of history -- the first being Joshua -- that describes the history of Israel
B. God looking for humble faith from Israel.
C. God is faithful and continues to work with them. When they repent, he forgives.
The Prophets -- Calling the people of Israel back to faithfulness, looking forward to the Messiah
A. The books that we call the Prophets contain the writings of men God sent to remind poeple of His love for them and to call them back to Him.
B. These men also tell about the coming of the Messiah, a savior through the nation of Israel.
C. This will be the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham.
Read Hosea 11:1-4, 14:1-2
Isaiah 740-680 B.C. prophet of the coming Messiah
A. Some of the clearest prophecies are in Isaiah.
B. Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah looks forward and sees and amazing man; but He is more than a man
C. Isaiah 42:1-6 -- The servant God will send will be compassionate an bring a message for all the nations. He will be a light to the Gentiles and not just for the house of Israel alone.
D. Isaiah 29:5-6 -- For all people
E. Isaiah 53:1-6; 11-12 The servant God will send will lay down His life for other and through His suffering and death men will be healed.
400 years transpire between the writing of Malachi and the opening of the New Testament. During this time, the Hews kept looking for the Messiah. They began to think He would be a powerful military leader. They did not quite get the suffering servant passages in Isaiah 53
The Old Testament was all about God working through Israel to fulfill His promise to Abraham
The New Testament is about how that promise is fulfilled in Jesus.
Jesus -- the One
A. God in the flesh -- John 1:1-14
B. God's revelation to us -- Hebrews 1:1-2
C. God's desire to embrace us -- Luke 13:34
We have a decision to make just as those in the beginning did -- Will we follow Jesus (God's way) or follow our own way (man's way)?
More in Part II
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Helping our children (and ourselves) cope when mistreated, bullied, or teased:
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone always treated everyone else with kindness, fairness, and grace? That's how it will be in heaven -- in the fullness of the kingdom of God. That's how it should be in that part of God's kingdom on earth -- among those whose hearts are surrendered to the Lord's reign.
Sadly, that's not always how the kingdom of the world works. Each and every one of us can think of a time when we have been hurt by someone's favoritism, cliquishness, selfishness, insensitivity, harshness, thoughtless teasing, and cutting words. Each of us can also probably think of a time when we hurt someone else in the same manner. Perhaps, we didn't mean to; perhaps, we knew exactly what we were doing when we let some bitter words fly. Or, maybe, we inflicted harm on someone by lashing back at them when they hurt us. At any rate, learning to treat others in a more Christlike manner is an important issue in life.
As mothers, we can usually handle slights directed toward us more than we can bear the hurts our children may face. Nothing can arouse a mother's protective instincts faster than knowing another child is picking on her child. I can remember feeling that mother bear rise up within me when our children were once taunted by another child in our neighborhood.
Yet, it is so important that we respond to such situations in a Christlike manner. Our children take our cues from us. If we fall apart over these matters, our children will feel victimized and hopeless in the face of mistreatment from others. On the other hand, if we view these situations as an opportunities for training our children in godliness, they very well might develop stronger character and sweeter faith.
To refrain from overreacting may take great prayer on our part. We may need to strengthen our own faith that the best way to defeat evil is to overcome it with good (I Peter 3:8-9). We may also need to forgive hurts from our own childhood, if we have not already done so. Once we have dealt with our own hearts, we can teach our children to meet childhood slights with peaceful and forgiving hearts.
Fortunately, Jesus gives us and our children guidelines for dealing with people who do not have our best interests in mind:
"You have heard it said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, so with him two. Give to him who asks you, and turn from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy', but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? and if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not ever tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect, just your father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:39-48
In this passage, Jesus stands our worldly values on end. We may not put it as bluntly as 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', but, deep down inside, we think we are justified for taking action against someone who has hurt us. And, we may feel even more justified in teaching our children to strike back when hurt. We also tend to shrink back from those who are hard to love and to surround ourselves only with people who think the way we do and who treat us the way we want to be treated. We may isolate our hearts, and our children may do so, as well.
However, our goal for ourselves and our goal for our children is not to act according to the impulses of our sinful natures. Instead, our aim is to become like our Father in heaven -- to trade in our earthly values for his heavenly ones. The Father does have a day of reckoning in store for those who reject what Christ did for us on the cross; his holiness and his justice demand it even as his love offered chances for reconciliation through the cross. Until, then, however, he sends blessings upon everyone in the hope that people will repent and turn to Him. His love is perfect, complete, and impartial.
"Nevertheless, he did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:17
..."since He give to all life, breath, and all things, and He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:25-26
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His son, much more having been reconciled, we hall be saved by His life." Romans 5
In light of our Father's perfect love, how do we teach our children to respond to others in a godly way, even when hurt? Here are some thoughts from the instructions Jesus gave us:
1) Pray for those who spitefully use you: One thing we can always do for someone else is to pray for them. We can teach our children to do the same. Who knows? You and your child may be the only people in the world who care enough for a playground tyrant to pray for him or her. Your prayers could make a difference in that child's destiny for this life and for eternity. At the very least, it will keep your own hearts from being filled with bitterness and unforgiveness.
Jesus prayed even for those who were crucifying him in the moment: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." He is our example. Not only that, but He died for us when we were still his enemies, for whose sins He chose to die. In asking us to pray for and to love our enemies, He is not asking us to do anything He has not done for us.
2) Do good to those who hate you: I recently heard of a little girl whose lunch was stolen by another. She and her mother prepared two lunches the next day, one for her and one for the lunch thief with a note on it that said, "You must have needed a lunch. I want you to have this one." Teach your child to overcome his or her fears and hurts by actively and creatively doing good. Likely, your child's kindness will turn his or her foe into a friend, though, perhaps, it won't. No matter how the other child responds, your child will have the peace of knowing that he or she responded in a way that pleases the Lord.
3) Bless those who curse you: Spite breeds spite. We can think of so much misery in the world that is caused by people behaving in a tit for tat behavior: resentments in marriage, neighborhood feuds, dissensions in the workplace, family squabbles, gang wars, wars between nations, etc -- and, sad to say, sometimes even problems in churches. Yet, if we respond by being a blessing in the lives of others, we stop the chain of anger and violence. We may even transform that downward cycle into a chain of blessing. If we commit ourselves to blessing others, no matter how they act, we are refusing to let the behavior of others dominate and control us. Instead, we are surrendering to the control of the Lord, who works all things for good. Wouldn't you rather be an instrument through which God brings blessing to the world than someone who adds to the great pile of anger and hurt?
4) Trust the Lord, and teach your children to trust the Lord. I Peter 2 tells us that Jesus bore the injustice of the cross without retaliating, because he trusted the One who judges justly. It's a great comfort knowing that we can leave our defense in the Father's hands, without feeling the pressure to right the wrongs done to us, ourselves. Vengeance and judgment belong to the Lord; our part is to trust Him and to faithfully do his will. Children who learn this lesson early in life will grow up with peaceful spirits, rather than nursing bitterness and strife in their hearts. They know that life here on earth may not always be fair. However, they also know that they serve a fair and merciful Lord who will make all things right. They will remember how Jesus forgave them on the cross, and they will be able to extend that forgiveness to others.
5) As loving parents, we may prayerfully decide that we do need to take some steps to protect our child in a particular situation. We may need to put some limits on a friendship that our child has. We may need to talk to another parent about their child's behavior. We may need to alert a child's teacher about a classroom bully. We may even need to remove a child from harm's way, either for a short time or permanently. Even if we must take such protective steps, however, we can do so calmly and with an attitude of loving prayer for all parties involved. We can also teach our child to pray for all involved, as well.
Childhood hurts may sometimes seem trivial to us, but they can leave deep scars in a child's heart. If a child internalizes lots of taunts and slights, he or she may become fearful, insecure, and shy -- not to mention angry or bitter. It's up to us to show our children how to respond to hurts with love, forgiveness, and trust in the Lord. This frees their hearts to be secure and confident in God's love.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
When you think of Tombstone, Arizona, what comes to mind? Gunfighters? Silver mining? The most notoriously wicked nightspot in the west? The shootout at the OK corral? The town that is just "too tough to die"?
While I've never visited Tombstone or Arizona (though I'd like to), those are some of the images that pop into my mind. Tombstone definitely played a famous part in the history and legends of the American west.
Did you know, though, that Tombstone has a sweeter claim to fame? It is also the home of the world's largest rose! This rose, which is a Lady Bank's rose, was planted in 1885, and, in keeping with Tombstone's own reputation for survival, it is still alive today. It now covers 8,000 square feet, and has a trunk with a circumference of 12 feet. You can read about it and see more pictures of it here. and here. It was planted by the bride of a mining engineer, who was homesick for her native Scotland. Someone sent her a cutting, and she and a friend planted it. I wonder if they had any idea it would grow so large or live so long?
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Friday, March 13, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Last night, I read an article about a large family in which the parents gave some wise advice. It was similar to something I had learned from parenting classes at church and from wiser, older parents. In this article, the parents suggested that you praise 10 times as much as you offer instructive criticism. They also suggested praising for character more than for other things.
As they pointed out, it's fine to give a little praise for external qualities -- such as appearance or strength. In fact, I do believe that a daughter needs to hear from her father that she is cherished and beautiful to him and that a son also needs to hear from his parents about his manly qualities -- to a certain extent. Children need to know that they are cherished in these ways so that they will not look for affirmation from the wrong sources. However, if the main bulk of your encouragement to your children is about achievements or external appearance, they will focus on these things to an unhealthy extent. It is far better to praise children for character qualities they display.
Even when praising a child for receiving a reward or for achieving good grades, focus on the character behind it. "You got an A! Isn't it great to have studied well and to have done your best? Way to go."
The parents I read about are so committed to this line of positive praise that they have created a list of helpful character traits which they post in their home. This is as much for them as for the children, if I understand their thinking correctly. It helps them keep in mind the character traits they are trying to instill in their children. When someone displays a quality in line with the character trait, they praise the child by saying something like, "I am so happy for you. You showed thoroughness in how you completed that task." (Thoroughness is on their list.)
I remember learning when we still had children at home how powerful positive encouragement is in the formation of a child's character and in their sense of security. It is so important that the bulk of our teaching toward our children be positive, saving rebuke for necessary times. I think of that verse in Colossians that says our conversation should be full of grace and seasoned with salt. Grace is the main dish; salt is the seasoning. How much better all of our relationships would be if we put this into practice -- or, I should say, how much better all of my relationships would be if I keep that ratio in mind. Spouses, neighbors, friends at church will all respond to us better if we speak in this way.
I'm sure some parents have temperaments which lend themselves easily to noticing and commenting on the good. Others of us tend to spotlight most that which needs correcting. For some of us, developing a positive mindset takes a lot of prayer and self-training, so that we truly do seek out the best in others -- especially the good in our children. Times to monitor our own outlook are when a) family life is super busy and we are bothered by those things that interrupt the workings of our household b)we are alarmed because one of our children is struggling with some harmful attitudes and 3) we see a weakness in our child that reminds us of a weakness that we, ourselves, have struggled with. In these cases, we will have to work harder to notice and encourage the positive, even as we deal with that which is unlovely in our children. For me, fear for a child's future tended to bring out the temptation to nag and speak harshly, rather than to deal decisively but gently with a child's conduct.
Of course, we should never ignore discipline problems. There is most definitely a time for the salty rebuke. In fact, stern but loving words applied at just the right time can be lifesavers. We've all benefited from much needed correction. However, if a child is fed a steady diet of all the little things he's doing wrong, without positive direction to balance it, he will likely do the following: 1) tune it all out so that he does not hear correction when it is needed and 2) become so discouraged that he finds it easier to simply give into misbehavior.
Often times, when our children hit the rough patches involved in growing up, they lose faith for what the Lord is doing in their lives. It is then that they most need us to have faith for them. If we show by our conversation and our attitude that we believe the best for our children, they will be more secure. Even in their hardest times, our children display positive qualities. If we notice and recognize even the faintest steps toward righteous behavior, we can inspire our children to want to develop positive qualities. We can also say, even when strongly correcting an alarming attitude or behavior, that we believe our child will be able to overcome their present struggle.
Also, when training our children in life, we must not assume that they know what it means to be responsible or grateful or faithful. They need us to help define for them what those things mean. We can use examples from the scriptures and, to a lesser extent, from wholesome literature and entertainment to show them what these things mean. But, we also need to help them see in their own lives what is and what isn't on target. That is another place where positive reinforcement of character development is helpful to the child.
Before we rush in to correct disrespect, for example, we must make sure that they know what it means to be respectful and what it means to be disrespectful. We can say, "When you rolled your eyes, what thoughts were in your mind? Did you know that to me, that looked as if you were showing disrespect?" "When you obeyed so quickly and without complaining, I felt very respected by you." Once you have set a foundation with both positive direction that they are on target and some feedback where they are off target, you can be sure that your expectations of them will be in line with their reasonable understanding. Then, you can encourage and discipline with the confidence that you are not frustrating your child.
Finally, I believe that children need to hear they are loved simply because they are created by God. They need to know that we love them no matter what. They need to be able to talk to us about the real fears, hurts, anger, and struggles to be godly that they experience in life. Otherwise, they will learn to be fake, rather than to be authentically faithful.
Many adults struggle with insecurity, because somewhere in childhood they got the idea that they must earn love and acceptance totally on the basis of their personal achievements. They are never at ease within themselves, for they are locked in an impossible quest to live up to their own and everyone else's expectations. They feel they are only loved by God and others according to their latest success in life, and that feeling of success never lasts long enough to bring peace. So, as soon as they achieve one thing, they drive themselves toward a new goal. Their motivation is not a healthy desire to bring glory to God, but an attempt to fill up an empty heart.
Sometimes, parents inadvertently add to such insecurity by offering loving words and attention mostly when a child excels in some outstanding way. If a child internalizes the idea that he must win acceptance solely through self-effort, he may have a hard time understanding and accepting the grace of God. He may also have a hard time extending grace to others who do not measure up to his own personal standards.
Obviously, a child's conduct and his achievements do matter. These things affect his relationship with the Lord, his relationships with others, and his own satisfaction in life. Thus, as parents, we should motivate our children toward faithful obedience to the Lord and toward excellence in love, faith, and character. We need to be careful to do this in a way that is founded on a healthy love for and fear of the Lord, however.
Our children blossom so much when we raise them in a positive, love-saturated atmosphere. Then, when they do need discipline and correction, they are able to hear it and apply it. I think that the ratio suggested in the article I read is a great one -- ten times the amount of positive encouragement for every bit of correction. There is a time for everything...
Enjoy!
elizabeth
Creative Uses for shower hangers:
Since I put up a shower cleaning machine, I was not able to use an over the nozzle shower hanger. When flipping through a magazine of creative home ideas, the editors suggested using one of these shower hangers as a wrapping center. They had placed it on the wall and had used it for scissors, a couple of rolls of wrapping paper, tape, etc.
Well, that set me to thinking. I needed something to organize my ironing supplies. So, I turned this one into a carrier for my spray starches and for a pants leg ironer, a mouse for ironing sleeves and shoulders, and my iron's water dispenser.
I used another extra one for wrapping supplies as the article suggested. I put it inside the closet of my office/workroom.
Then, yesterday, I even bought a new one and hung it in my walk-in closet. On that one, I placed some lint-removing tools, as well as some shoe and purse cleaning supplies.
These aren't the loveliest organizers, I suppose. But, they are handy and can be tucked away on a closet wall to be out of site.
What about you? Do you have any creative uses for an old shower hanger? How about re-purposing some other organizational tool in a clever way? I'd love to hear and see photos of your ideas!
Monday, March 09, 2009
*~The Simple Woman~*: JOIN The Simple Woman's Daybook~: "Outside My Window...It's spring! The Bradford pears have burst into bloom, the daffodils are up everywhere, the tulips are emerging, and we're having temps in the 70's. Of course, we have some blackberry winters to go through, yet. But, my heart is singing with spring!
I am thinking...of the verse in Song of Songs: Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves
is heard in our land
I am thankful for...feeling better after a time of a virus and asthma!
From the learning rooms...We are continuing our study of the Sermon on the Mount at church. I am being challenged in heart, but it's an exciting journey.
From the kitchen...I made some Sally Lunn bread the other night. Instead of using my bread maker, I did it from scratch. I enjoy kneading dough and letting it rise. Most of the time, however, I do find it to be more convenient to use that trusty old bread maker. When it comes to homemade bread, my cherished husband's waistlines and mine are in peril, though.
I am wearing...black skirt, pink top, black short-sleeved sweater, bare legs
I am creating...all sorts of little things, hopefully peace from the chaos my house has developed during my illness.
I am reading...This is Not Your Mother's Menopause -- my review of it is here:
I am hoping...the rose bush I ordered will ship to me, to get a lot done this week; to add some feminine touches through sound, smell, sight, hearing, and touch; to make my cherished husband feel loved by the cleanliness and functionality of our home; to learn all I can about thrift and frugality
I am hearing...the hum of my fan
Around the house...lots of interesting and creative things to do!
One of my favorite things...my children and children-in-law -- Do I say that every week?
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Have company, do some much needed errands, plant spinach, which I had hoped would already be in the ground, plant a few gladiola bulbs.
I am thinking...of the verse in Song of Songs: Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves
is heard in our land
I am thankful for...feeling better after a time of a virus and asthma!
From the learning rooms...We are continuing our study of the Sermon on the Mount at church. I am being challenged in heart, but it's an exciting journey.
From the kitchen...I made some Sally Lunn bread the other night. Instead of using my bread maker, I did it from scratch. I enjoy kneading dough and letting it rise. Most of the time, however, I do find it to be more convenient to use that trusty old bread maker. When it comes to homemade bread, my cherished husband's waistlines and mine are in peril, though.
I am wearing...black skirt, pink top, black short-sleeved sweater, bare legs
I am creating...all sorts of little things, hopefully peace from the chaos my house has developed during my illness.
I am reading...This is Not Your Mother's Menopause -- my review of it is here:
I am hoping...the rose bush I ordered will ship to me, to get a lot done this week; to add some feminine touches through sound, smell, sight, hearing, and touch; to make my cherished husband feel loved by the cleanliness and functionality of our home; to learn all I can about thrift and frugality
I am hearing...the hum of my fan
Around the house...lots of interesting and creative things to do!
One of my favorite things...my children and children-in-law -- Do I say that every week?
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Have company, do some much needed errands, plant spinach, which I had hoped would already be in the ground, plant a few gladiola bulbs.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Name my hubby contest...
Of course, my husband, has a wonderful in real life name, which has been his for 53 years now. When I first started blogging, I simply referred to him as DH (Dear Hubby), which is a holdover from the shorthand used on message boards for a husband.
However, I've never been a huge fan of the shortened hubby for husband. And, DH seems a bit impersonal. So, I'm debating about coming up with a new blogging moniker for him.
The author of the lovely blog, very CALM, uses the word beloved for her dearest. I think that's a wonderful way to refer to her husband. However, that's hers, and I'm searching for something for my own DH. I want it to be something that honors our 28 years of marriage.
Here are some ideas I've had:
Cherished Professor
Cherished Engineer (He's been both a professor of engineering and a working engineer in his career)
My dearest
And, now I'm stuck. Nothing seems to express the fullness of who he is. So, if any of you creative bloggers have any ideas, please let me know.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Today, I'm a guest at Hadias' blog
Have you read Hadias' blog, "A Day in the Life of"? She writes about being a Proverbs 31 wife and offers so many very practical solutions for increasing the family income as a stay at home wife.
Hadias has graciously let me write a little post about "Frugality without Fretting". If you'd like to take a peek, follow this link.
enjoy!
elizabeth
Hadias has graciously let me write a little post about "Frugality without Fretting". If you'd like to take a peek, follow this link.
enjoy!
elizabeth
Monday, March 02, 2009
Outside My Window...There's a lovely mixture of spring and winter. We had one inch of snow over Saturday night, which mostly melted before 10:00 Sunday morning. However, you can still see a few patches of white here and there. You can also see lovely daffodils, pansies, trees whose buds are beginning to flower, and other evidences of the new season.
I am thinking...How fun it was to do a post in Jane Austen's style as suggested by Barefoot Mama's blog.
I am thankful for...My fever breaking.
From the kitchen...Poor DH has had to man this due to my cold and asthma. I'm thankful he's stepped in, but am looking forward to being able to a) go grocery shopping and b) cook.
I am creating...I'm thinking of re-starting a crochet project for my companion blog, "Project Home Economics."
I am going...nowhere today. I hope to be out and about soon.
I am reading...I'm trying to slog through the Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens. Mind you, I really do enjoy Dickens. I even loved Bleak House, though I confess to really reading only one of the plots and skipping some sections. But, I'm just not getting into this one. I'm also reading a book about landscaping with roses. The photographs are beautiful. I'm also studying passages that foretell and describe Jesus from the Old Testament.
I am hoping...to feel better soon.
I am hearing...a quiet house, with even the cat settling down for a nap. Dear Hubby is downstairs, reading and praying in front of the fire.
Around the house...I'm behind due to being sick. DH has been a great help with cooking and keeping the kitchen clean, but there's a lot I want to get to. I think I can begin slowly to do some catching up today, for which I am grateful.
One of my favorite things...a photograph I saw in the book about roses which pictures roses and daisies paired together. Those are my two favorite flowers -- If I can pick two from among all of the flowers that I love.
Picture thought:
Poor comfy kitty! This is not the place for you to sleep.Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Friday, February 27, 2009
My dearest readers:
I have something of great interest to report. The lovely Barefoot Mama has invited all of us to chronicle our days a la mode de Jane Austen. Madam Mama is a blogger of the utmost respectability and delicacy, not to mention that she is the personification of creativity indeed.
I have it on good authority that Madam Mama is "at home" during the afternoon hours. I do encourage you to take a stroll over to her lovely home in the blog--o-sphere. I am afraid that I shall not be able to accompany you, as I am indisposed at the moment.
After this necessary preamble, I shall proceed to inform you all that I am happy to have my children suitably matched and married and settled in good positions. Now, it comes upon me to take up the task of praying for my dear friend, M___, to be wooed by a gentleman every bit as fine in character as my own honrable and beloved D____. Of course, the Lord may have other plans in mind for M____ , so I must keep that in mind. I do so have the itch to see everyone around me settled into that harmonious state of matrimony that befits men and women of gentlemanlike and ladylike character. They say that there is a lovely young woman named Emma Woodhouse who is of the same mind. I don't mind telling you that I hear that she has caused much mischief to her friends by her impetuosity in these matters. Perhaps, I should proceed with extreme caution, myself.
Last night, when I was awakened with a rhume de cervaux et de caisse, I heard the most frightening of noises. These creaks and rumbles did so remind one of creepy castles and abbeys, in which husbands attempt to poison their wives, as my friend Catherine assures me happens all of the time. I must remember to ask D______ to check our attic or our plumbing or some such thing. Perhaps, something is amiss with the house. How is it that noises which sound so cozy and friendly during the day seem so eerie when one is coughing in the wee hours?
As for our gardens, I am sure nothing is amiss, there. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new rose bush. I hope it will be an adornment to our humble cottage. Do roses appeal to my sense or my sensibility? Beloved D_______ thinks it's the latter, as I do have a romantic fondness for them, but have little notion how to care for them in practicality. Perhaps, I am too prideful, thinking that I can, with a little persuasion, coax my various rose bushes into blooming health. Then, again, maybe I am prejudiced toward roses as they are such noble blossoms. What can I say? Once one falls in love with a rose, there is not the least thought of going back.
This morning, as you can imagine, I am not receiving company due to la grippe. I must tell you that I am quite bored being shut off from the delights of society. We did, however, enjoy having our church small group over night before last. It was such an agreeable company of spiritually minded people. I must say that young C___, is such an agreeable baby with the handsomest of blue eyes. Dearest readers, do you think it is too early to start dreaming of his future? I have in mind a beautiful young lady of six months, who would suit him quite well, I think. After all, they are of an age together. Wouldn't our dear Emma approve of my thinking?
Perhaps, next summer, I shall re-read Mansfield Park, just to be sure that our dear Fanny and our dear Esmond are still happy together. People repeat all of the most horrid things about poor Fanny -- saying that she is insipid and can't speak a word for herself. I maintain, on the other hand, that her modest charm is why many of us love her so.
I remain, my Dearest Readers,
Most affectionately yours,
Elizabeth
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Here's a photo of a hybrid musk rose. I have a rose with a very similar bloom. I haven't quite identified the rose yet, so will keep looking.
For some reason, I'm on a flower and poem kick. We had a nice warm day here, but I was inside with a cold and actually fell asleep swaddled in blankets and in front of the fire. I prefer a real fireplace to our gas logs. However, at times like this, it surely is nice to be able to flip on a switch and have an instant flame.
Do you keep books of pretty poems and lovely quotes, as I do? If you do, I'd love for you to share with me some of your favorites.
Here's a little poem of musk roses and spring:
A Violet Bank
I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows;
Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine,
With sweet musk roses and eglantine.
William Shakespeare
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
- That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
- A host, of golden daffodils;
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
- And twinkle on the Milky Way,
- Along the margin of a bay:
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
- Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
- In such a jocund company:
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
- In vacant or in pensive mood,
- Which is the bliss of solitude;
And dances with the daffodils.
- By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).
Monday, February 16, 2009
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com
For Today...
Outside my window... The day is sunny and crisp. After a taste of spring last week, our high today is only in the mid-forties. Our daffodils are up and growing tall. I'm hoping they'll bloom soon. The neighbor's ornamental pear tree is still budding.
I am thinking... about the lovely Valentine's Day that my dearest hubby and I had.
I am thankful for...having the same wonderful Valentine for 29 years.
From the kitchen... white beans in the crockpot.
I am wearing... black skirt, black drapey top, black jacket and...curlers. I really hope no one comes to the door!
I am reading...time to take a bunch of library books back and get new ones!
I am hoping...for spring!!!
I am creating...finishing an apron.
I am hearing... the dryer going.
Around the house...much to do, as always.
One of my favorite things...phone calls to and from my children.
A few plans for the rest of the week...We are having company this weekend, so I'll be preparing the house.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Monday, February 09, 2009
Generic Brands....For twenty-eight years of housekeeping, I've always found it more economical to include certain certain generic brands in my shopping than to rely on brand names alone -- even with the help of coupons. Of course, everyone has their favorite brand names, and I buy those when it's important to either my dearest husband or myself. But, in general, I've always bought a lot of store brand items as well, and I have usually been pleased with the quality.
Lately, thought, I've noticed problems in two areas -- or maybe it's one area, depending on how you look at it. My favorite store brands of powdered dishwasher detergent and powdered laundry detergent no longer dissolve well in water. I've had trouble rinsing out powdery film on clothing and dishes. I have no problem with liquid laundry or dishwasher detergents, so obviously, the solution is simply to use the better-working products.
I'm wondering, however, if manufacturers are cutting quality due to the economy or if an effort to make products more eco-friendly has also made them harder to use. I did read recently that they are finding many of the newer eco-friendly products really don't clean as well as the old-fashioned basics. But, I'm not sure that would account for the problems with the store brands I've been buying.
Has anyone had similar experiences?
Enjoy!
elizabeth
Sunday, February 08, 2009
For Today...I'm doing the Monday Daybook Entry on Sunday this week.
Outside my window... We've been in the 70's for the past couple of days. It was so delightful to air out my house yesterday. By now, we usually start seeing early flowers and buds on trees, but this has been an unusually cold winter and the bulbs aren't up yet. I can't wait to see how spring unfolds.
I am thinking... that I am a little betwixt and between, staying home today with some back issues. I ached late into the night, but as I'm up now and am icing my back, I'm feeling somewhat better. So, I feel too well to be in bed, but not well enough to be with my church family. Sigh.
From the learning rooms... I'm learning how much poverty of spirit I really have and how continually I need to cast myself upon the Lord's grace.
I am thankful for... Being able to take my father out yesterday for some fun errands; the warmer weather, a loving husband, getting my dining room curtains washed; getting to go out to dinner last night with friends;....so many, many things.
I am reading... I just finished the Five Senses of Romantic Love. I bought it some time ago and had read parts of it. But, since it's Valentine's month, I thought I'd finish it from front cover to back. It's short and easy reading. I came away with lots of thoughts about ways to give to my dear hubby.
I am hoping... to feel better!
I am creating... I am hoping to create a clean home through spring cleaning.
I am hearing... so many singing birds. I love bird songs. Plus, the songs remind me of this verse, "Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy."
Psalm 65:8.
I don't know if that's what this verse means, but I like to think that birds are part of the chorus that God calls forth to sing songs of joy. I'd also like to join in -- off key and all!
Around the house... much is staring at me and saying, "Please attend to me." I will have to choose wisely. It doesn't make sense to stay home with a sore back and do things that might make it worse.
One of my favorite things... fresh breeze blowing in through open windows!!
A few plans for the rest of the week...Many things, but here's a little one: I hope the weather will remain so that I can get out and turn some dirt in my little garden.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Friday, February 06, 2009
Did you know?I was looking for some ideas to help me tweak the way our front yard looks, and I came across this bit of interesting trivia from the University of Missouri extension service:
Foundation plantings started in the Victorian era as a way to hide the high foundations that were prevalent in the time. These foundations were considered to be unattractive. Who knew?
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Thursday, February 05, 2009
The Art of Asking Questions:Since it's the month of Valentine's Day, now is a good time to focus on making life special for our spouses. Children, parents, and dear friends could also use a little tender thoughtfulness to brighten their days.
Asking questions and listening well are two small ways that we can make this month extra special for our loved ones. If we make it a lifetime habit, we will be able to keep the spark of friendship alive in all of our relationships. It will also go a long way toward keeping the glow of romance in our marriages.
In the beginning of any relationship, particularly when we are drawn to that special someone we later marry, we make eager efforts to get to know a person. We ask thoughtful questions, and we listen raptly. Even if the other person has passions in life that we know little about, we want to hear more.
Such attention is endearing and draws two hearts closer together. Don't we all respond to someone who genuinely takes an interest in us? Sometimes, we will think that a person is charming or a fabulous conversationalist, when what they really are is simply someone who knows how to draw us our in conversation and how to listen. This ability is both an art and something that we can master if we put our minds to it.
In the dailiness of life, we sometimes take our parents, our children, and our spouses for granted. We chat about things; we show an interest in some current family event; but, we cease to put our heart into knowing our loved ones on a deeper level. We can become more interested in airing what's on our hearts and minds, rather than tuning in to the other person.
We also make the mistake of thinking that we can coast along on the knowledge we already have of someone. Yet, we are all moving forward in life, and our loved ones are maturing, going through new experiences, and changing. In order to keep that tender bond of the heart current, it's good to ask some insightful questions once in a while.
Now, we don't want to pepper our loved ones with questions so that they feel interrogated. We also need to watch for the right moment to bring up certain topic. Moreover, we need to be prepared to share from our heart, as well, so that the conversation does not become too one-sided.
There are exceptions to every rule, but, generally, women are more relationship oriented than men. Thus, women are often more talented in and more interested in conversation, as well. If an outgoing woman is married to a very quiet or private man, she may become frustrated because he does not talk to her. This may be something that he needs to work on in order to love his wife more fully. Often, however, the woman can draw a quiet man out of his shell with the art of asking and listening.
This is particularly true if the wife generally fills the conversational vacuum by doing all of the talking, herself. Some quiet men really do enjoy it when the wife is bright and chatty, and they love to hear their wives talk. Others, however, feel bowled over in conversation and withdraw even further. If you do talk a lot, you might experiment with sitting quietly by your husband, slowing down your own talk, and waiting patiently for him to express himself -- even if that results in some halting silences.
Whether your husband is quiet or not, here are some interesting questions to ask him. These questions may spur ideas of your own. A nice Valentine's exercise would be to pick one question a week to ask your husband and really listen to him, without rushing in to correct him or to state your opinion. Your goal is not only to help him express himself, but for you to grow in your intimate knowledge of him. You want to see him with fresh eyes. Again, unless your husband is comfortable talking deeply and you are in the habit of doing so, don't bombard him with deep questions. Just make a note to learn something new about him once a week or once a month.
1) What have you been learning about God lately? (From Focus on the Family)
2) How do you see God working in our lives as a couple? What do you see us doing in five years?
3) Is there anything you would like me to pray for you?
4) What was the happiest thing that happened to you today? What was the toughest thing that happened to you today? (This is also a good question to ask your children.)
5) What gives you joy in your life right now? (From the "Love Dare")
6) What is the toughest thing in your life right now? (From the "Love Dare")
7) What are three things you'd like to do before this year passes? (From the "Love Dare")
8) What are some of your favorite memories when you think about the intimate times we've had together? (You might save this one for the bedroom.)
9) What do you love most about God? Why are you following Jesus?
10) What was your childhood picture of God, or did you have one? How has that changed over the years?
11) What do you think about _____ ?(topic of current news or political interest).
12) What do you enjoy most about ______? (job, hobby, or sport.)
13) How is work going? If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be? How is that project that you've been telling me about coming along?
14) If we could take a vacation anywhere in the world -- with money being no object -- where would you like to go?
15) Is there someplace special you'd like to visit sometime in our lifetime? What will it take to get there?
You probably already know your husband's most cherished interests. Some of them may seem boring to you. However, you probably also like to talk about things that seem boring to him. Show an interest in his interests, and he'll likely show an interest in yours. Ask him questions about sports, for example, even if you don't care for watching sports yourself. Even if he doesn't return the favor by asking you about your love of antique lace, you can rejoice that you have been able to make him feel loved and respected by listening to him.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
If you've been reading my blog, you know that I've been looking for an old garden rose to add to my yard this year. I've decided on the one in the photo above. It's a Great Maiden's Blush, and it's an old Alba rose. I'll let y'all know how it does here in my Tennessee yard.
The author of the lovely blog, "very CALM" shared a link with me in the comments section of my earlier post about my search for the perfect rose. The link is a fun site called Love of Roses, and it has a special page about the meanings that have been attached to certain roses. With Valentine's Day coming up, now is a wonderful time to think about roses.
According to the site, my favorite color of rose -- pink -- signifies
- Elegance, style, and poetic romance.
- Sweet thoughts and thank yous.
- joy and grace
Re growing roses: My husband heard a new report that reiterates some old information. It seems that for the past couple of centuries, our climate has undergone alternating cycles of warming and cooling that last about thirty years each. We have just finished about a thirty year warming cycle, according to the researchers, and we are headed into a cooling cycle. This is influenced at least in part by currents in the Pacific, which affect the fronts that spread from the northwestern U.S. down to the southeastern U.S. I wonder if that could be true, since we are certainly having an unusually cold winter here in the States. If this is true, I wonder how that might affect garden plants, including roses. Has anyone else heard about this?
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
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