But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.
God’s love cannot be doled out. It is freely given.
Dear God,
Help me to love in every situation, not just when it is convenient.
Amen
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.
God’s love cannot be doled out. It is freely given.
Dear God,
Help me to love in every situation, not just when it is convenient.
Amen
—but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.
Put all things in their rightful place.
Dear God,
The world often has such a different standard than You have. Help me to cling to Your standards.
Amen
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
Sometimes we change our lives. Sometimes our lives change us. Jennifer Dukes Lee
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Christ to live in me. My life is changed. I am changed.
Amen
All things have been created through Him and for Him
We may plant the seeds, but only God can make them grow.
Dear God,
I want to plant seeds of faith for You to make them grow.
Amen
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
God gives us each day. Enjoy every moment.
Dear God,
Thank you for each new day. I want to count each new day as a new joy.
Amen
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits.
I will wait for God to reveal answers to my prayers. Rebecca Hastings
Dear God,
I will wait for You to answer my prayers. Please give me patience as I wait.
Amen
In His great mercy, He has given us a new hope.
There are no funerals for broken dreams. Jennifer Dukes Lee
Dear God,
I give You my broken dreams. I trust You to give me new hope.
Amen
Accommodation
Welcome! Pull up a chair and let’s chat a while!
It seems like we spend a lot of life make accommodation. One of the earliest lessons we learn in life is that it’s not always going to be just as we would like it to be. For instance, we learn right away, that food will no longer be automatic, we have to put some effort into it. Our choice is whether we will embrace it or fight it. As I’ve gotten older, I have found that I spend a lot of time making accommodation because my strength and abilities have changed.
My choice has been the same as anyone else in my age group; I can whine and complain, or I can find new ways to do things. The most miserable people I know, are the ones who refuse to change how they do things. I’m slowly but surely learning to walk with a cane, with some degree of dignity. I can’t wear cutesy, strappy shoes anymore. I have a whole wardrobe of really cute, but really sturdy shoes. I also have a couple of really cute, colorful, sturdy shoes. My point of course, is that this is all part of getting older. Embrace it! Tell me your accommodation stories! Each one is a victory.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the holidays this year. I feel like I can move ahead. At this time last year, we started down this tough road. After the miserable holidays last year, this can’t be much worse. Or can it? We’ll see! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love the winter holidays. This year may be another exercise in accommodation, but we’ll get through it. Preparation has already begun.
I promised myself I would not buy wrapping materials this year. There are lots leftovers around here from years past. Things for sure will not be matchy, matchy. We are accommodating in many ways, to make sure we have a great Christmas. Miss Chris’s boyfriend has volunteered to take over cooking duties on Christmas Eve. He has Mr. M’s recipe in hand.
Speaking of recipes here’s one for our old standard Peanut Clusters that we love to make every year.
2 twelve-ounce bags of semisweet chocolate chips
1 twelve-ounce bag of butterscotch chips
1 can of cocktail peanuts.
Melt the chips over low heat or in the microwave. Stir to combine flavors. When the chips are melted, add the peanuts and mix together thoroughly. Let the mixture cool until it starts to thicken slightly, the drop by Spoonfuls on to wax paper and allow to set up for several hours, or overnight, until firm. This recipe makes about four dozen.
These make a great gift for neighbors and service people. I’ve tried giving them other things and they always ask where the peanut clusters are! We make our first batch the day after Thanksgiving.
Until next time,
Helen
It is God, who for God’s own loving purpose, puts both the will and the action into you.
Faith is meant to be participatory.
Dear God,
You promise me the will to do what is good. Help me to put that will into action.
Amen
You are God’s work of art.
We are both saints and sinners. They do not cancel each other out
Dear God,
Thank you that I am wonderfully made. Help me to see myself through Your eyes.
Amen