In Pieces...

“Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing will cause them to be hurt in their spirit.” Psalm 119:165 NLV

Yesterday I wanted to make a special thank you card for a friend who recently gave us a wonderful gift. I decided on an idea that matched her personality and assembled my supplies.

As I started working on the card, I decided it needed more texture - a bit of embossing perhaps, for the background of my focal image. So I pulled out my die-cutting machine and a favorite embossing folder. But when I got ready to run the folder through the pressure rollers in the machine, the handle wouldn't turn at all. I'd been having some problems with the handle mechanism for a while, but now it was totally frozen.

Of course, my warranty had recently expired and I didn't have a clue what the problem was. All I could see were dollar signs to replace one of my favorite crafting tools. And I wasn't happy at all!
So I did the unthinkable - I began to take the machine apart to see how it worked. I wasn't sure what I'd find or even if I could fix it, but since I'd probably have to buy a new machine anyway... I decided to risk it to satisfy my curiosity.

Since you can find just about any kind of information on the Internet, I went to my favorite craft forum, Splitcoast Stampers, to see if anyone there had ever had trouble with their die-cutter. Lo and behold, I did find several crafters whose machines had developed problems similar to mine. Following their links, I arrived at one site where the photos showed a dismembered die-cutter as the crafter shared her problem and how her wonderful hubby fixed it.

Like my friend's machine, my problem was a little bearing inside the handle mechanism which rusted and broke, preventing the crankshaft from turning to move the pressure rollers. My hubby confirmed the diagnosis. But because I didn't realize it when the problem started, I had forced the handle, causing the crankshaft to twist as well, making it almost impossible for me to get it out.

To make a long story short, the owner of a local machine shop was able to get the twisted crankshaft out for me. I called the die-cutter manufacturer and was able to get inexpensive replacement parts - so in about a week, my machine will be as good as new!

Often, it's little things in life (like those tiny bearings) that build up to cause us big problems. We try to force our own solutions, without God's help, causing even more problems. But if we keep focused on God and our relationship to him, trusting in the advice from his divine "fix-it" manual, we will function smoothly, no matter how much pressure life puts on us.

Thank you Lord, for your Word that gives us peace and keeps us on track in the mists of life's pressure. Amen

Relish

“But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.” Psalm 42:8 NLT


Yesterday I finished a marathon 2-day canning project – homemade Relish!
My Mother-in-law taught me how to make her recipe many years ago and it is so much better than the commercially made product. It’s a combination of

• 20 pounds of cucumbers
• five pounds each of peppers (red and green), onions, cabbage and green tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. each of mustard and celery seeds
• 3-4 Tbsp of turmeric
• 1-2 cups of sugar (to taste) sugar
• 1 quart each of vinegar and water.

On day one, the veggies are ground up and salted, then left to stand overnight. The next day the excess water is squeezed off the veggies until they are almost dry before cooking them in the fresh water and vinegar-spice mixture.

I have changed things up over the years. For example, I don’t stand over a hot stove and cook the mixture for one and a half hours. After I burned a batch a few years ago, I decided to let my crock pots do the cooking! The crock pots keep the mixture moist and I only have to stir things up occassionally while they cook for 4-5 hours on high. Sure it takes a bit longer, but I’m free to do other chores while the pots do all the work. LOL!

This year’s batch was about 2/3 the size of the recipe, but I ended up with 14 pints. I thought it would be enough to last for 2 years for my husband and I, but when I told my daughter about the relish, she immediately said, “I gotta have me some of that!” Oh well… I guess I can always make more next year.

Relish is a condiment – not something people usually eat by itself, but something they use to help enhance the flavor of other foods. I love the thought that God can make me into a condiment for his use. He takes all the trials and hurts that I’ve gone through and adds lots of learning experiences, interactions with others and a little heat to make me into a person who will add just the right touch to help to bring out the best in others.

It may be a marathon process, but I suppose God loves the process just as much as he loves seeing the finished product all ready to enjoy – just like I enjoy making and seeing my relish all canned on the counter!

Thank you Lord, for my relish and for preparing me to spice up the lives of others. Amen!

It's a good day to pray

How often have you neglected to pray because you were having a good day?

Our good days are truly a blessing from God - but they are also an opportunity to pray for others who may not be having such good days. I belong to an online group of prayer warriors who are also writers. Each week there are prayer requests in our in-box as one or another of the group members goes through a difficulty.

But the neat thing is that not all of us have prayer requests at the same time. It kind of cycles around so that there are always a few of us who are feeling spiritually strong who can pray for those members who are having a rough time.

So next time you're having a good day - stop - and begin to pray for those around you who are going through trials.

After all, what comes around goes around. Wouldn't you like to know there are others praying for you when you need it?

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. Psalm 42:1 CEB

Deer have always fascinated me - probably because I don't remember seeing any where I grew up, except for in the zoo or local wildlife preserves where they fenced in areas for them.


So when I met my husband, it fascinated me to see the deer as we drove through his childhood haunts. He was able to spot them long before I would, because I wasn't used to looking for them. Since we now pastor here in central PA at the edge of our little town, there are an abundance of deer.

Last night at the end of the day, I took several photos of five deer who wandered out of the woods onto our softball field to nibble at the grass. One, a fawn, isn't visible because he ducked back into the woods as I approached.

I decided to try to get as close as I could for a photo and walked slowly toward the grazers. One of them watched me the entire time while the others grazed happily away, looking up at me occasionally. When I got too close for comfort, about 75 yards away in the open field, the one standing guard snorted loudly, flicked its tail and bounded into the woods, followed by the other three.

Heavenly Father, even as I crave your sweet presence today like those deer craved the sweet green grass, , help me to be alert to the things that so easily tempt me to forsake you. Help me to flee from those things and to warn others as well. Amen!

Staring at ceramic geese

My Danny Boy Dawg is a hunter at heart, but now that he's somewhere between 10 and 12 years old, with arthritis in his back and hind legs, he can't hunt like he used to. Ever since we got him from NBRAN (a Brittany rescue organization) 2 years ago, he spends his doggy days with his nose to the ground leisurely exploring his back yard or lying in a patch of warm sunlight on his soft blankets, chasing birds and other small, furry critters in his dreams.

Every once in a while, he shows his true hunting nature though. Several weeks ago when a baby bird fell from its nest during a bad storm, Danny had his nose to the front door all day long, wanting to go out and get the bird sitting on a fallen tree branch .

There's another nest of baby birds in a bush just off the front deck that he loves to watch as well - he could sit there for hours just staring at them, every muscle in his body tense and ready should they dare to leave the nest. And all the local chippies know they better hide when Danny's outside.

But my favorite Danny Dawg hunting incident happened last week when we were on vacation at our friend's cabin. We took Danny for a walk around the campground. Suddenly his body tensed and he inched as close as he could to two white ceramic geese, each about a foot tall, in a permanent camper's yard. For several minutes, he stood perfectly still, eyes focused on the pair, willing them to move so he could chase them.


Even though he's older now and apparently can't see very well, when he encounters a bird or small animal, his hunting training and instincts kick in. He focuses on that which he's been trained to do.

What a great reminder for us as Christians! "Teach me your way, Lord, so that I can walk in your truth. Make my heart focused only on honoring your name." Psalm 86:11 CEB

Amen!

The Shepherd's Rest...

“If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God.” Romans 14:8 CEB
There are times when all of us have to take a step back – when life becomes overwhelming and we need to take some time to regroup and recoup our spiritual resources. We need to sit back with the Lord and just let Him minister to us – to help us remember that we belong to him.

Last week, some dear friends offered us a “time out” by letting us stay in their cabin at a church campground in West Virginia. It seems like the Lord wanted us to rest as well because before we left for our trip, both my husband and I had to visit the chiropractor. We both were suffering from lower back pain which prevented us from doing a lot of hiking and other strenuous activities on our mini vacation. There was no Internet at the cabin so my time was spent relaxing, praying, reading and writing.

Retreating to a quiet place and spending time with the Lord helped to bring my life back into balance again, giving me the courage and motivation to go on. It helped me to refocus on the important things and to trust the Lord in the face of life’s changes and harder times looming on the horizon. I needed to be reminded that I belong to him and he cares for me.

Thank You Lord for that time spent with You and Your energizing, healing touch!

Wake-up call...

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

Dogs can truly be "man's best friends" - BUT one of the cons of dog ownership is that they sometimes have to get up early in the morning to go out - when I'm not fully awake yet. But being a good doggy mama, I drag myself out of bed and take them outside.

I'm not sure how it happened, but the back door was locked when I closed it behind me at 6 AM the other morning. There I was in my jammies, no cell phone and no keys, standing on our back-door deck with two wide-awake pooches. My husband snoozed away, unaware in the bedroom at the other end of the house so he couldn't hear my frantic knocking on the back door.


I sat on the deck chair and reviewed my options.
- I could sit out there until he got up in about 2 hours...at least it was warm since it was the middle of July. But that wouldn't work since both the bathroom and my morning coffee were inside the house.
- I could break the glass window pane to open the back door... - not a good plan at all!
- I could go around to his bedroom window and thrown some pebbles at it to try to get his attention... - no, with my luck that morning I'd end up breaking the window... again, not a good idea.

I finally decided to try knocking on the front door - after all it was closer to the bedroom and he might just hear it. On my way around the house, I realized the dining room window was open with a fan inserted in it. So I squeezed through the ornamental bushes to get right up to the window and yelled inside the house - much to the amusement of the customers at the gas station across the street.......

Thankfully the early AM show was short-lived for the gas patrons. My sleepy-eyed husband heard me and dragged himself out of bed to rescue me, I don't remember if I cooked him a good breakfast that morning, but I know he deserved one!

While this is a humorous illustration, the reality is that Jesus wants to be a part of our lives. We've locked him outside of our hearts and lives, content to live without his help. Yet he stands there patiently knocking until we let him in to share our everyday lives. He's powerful enough to break down the door of our will, but he won't. He patiently waits for us to "wake up" to our need for his love and let him in.

Father, thank you for coming in to my heart: for loving me unconditionally, for sharing my everyday experiences and for always being there for me. Amen.