Repentance

I spent the weekend in London, with family, and on Sunday morning went to church and heard a sermon on repentance.  The story of Jonah is a good example of how repentance can turn your life around, and here is the sweetest version of the Jonah story - or I should say history - told by the cutest little girl.  Enjoy!

My favourite book on repentance is: "Repentance, The Joy-Filled Life" by Sister Basilea Schlink.  She was living in a badly bombed Germany with few resources, during the war, but it was important for her to repent for Germany's cruel treatment of other nations during the war, especially the Jews. She felt the temptation to marry like other young women did. Instead she gave her mission the first priority, and so she became a Sister of Mary.  She gathered a group of women around her, many of which had lost fiance or husband.

She says:  "Should we not ask for this gift (of repentance) more than all others?  It brings divine life, true life.  Hearts that can cry and rejoioce are alive.  Only a dead person is incapable of giving any reaction.....He cannot express his joy, and he is unable to weep.  However, a person who lives in contrition and repentance has the characteristics of life.  He weeps over the one thing that is worth weeping over, since it spells death and terrible judgement for us.....Yes, he weeps over sin....whoever weeps in repentance...weeps aright. 

"Yes, those who repent are truly alive...they are grieved over their sins now, so that they can turn over a new leaf and begin to lead a new and a different life...To be spiritually alive is to live in repentance..."

I like the way that Basilea Schlink does not see repentance as a once and for all act, but as a daily action, enabling us to keep short accounts with God.  She says it is the foundation of our life, because it is the only proper attitude we can have before God.  Jesus called the seven churches in Revelation to repent, because it is the way to the new life, and with repentance the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and we can experience life in that Kingdom today.  What a great salvation we are blessed with!

Years ago, when I was at Bible College, George Verwer, the founder of Operation Mobilisation came to speak to us.  He quoted freely from Basilea Schlink, and urged us to get hold of and read as much of her writings as we could, so I have been collecting her books ever since.

We spent Saturday night in a hotel on the banks of the Thames, and went for a little walk before church yesterday.

We stayed here...

We ate lots of these between us all!

Krispy Kreme Donuts!  We even had a Krispy Kreme hat each to wear!  It was a lot of fun, and felt like a party!  It was a really lovely weekend, didn't want it to end!

Last week, DH and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, I received some beautiful flowers.....

And we had a lovely meal together...

We didn't go out, as we both had a very early start to work in the morning, but it was a lovely evening, and I lit some little red candles that I had bought for our anniversary last year, but hadn't lit them last year as we were staying in a hotel in Ross on Wye, and we didn't want to set off the smoke alarms and evacuate the hotel!

Do have a look at Jewel's blog Eyes of Wonder, as she has been posting this week, which is a cause for celebration, and her writing is always wonderful, warm, homely, inspirational and full of love.

Have a good week my friend.

Priorities



A  friend posted this on Facebook recently, and it made me smile, but it also made me question how much time I spend writing posts or generally hopping about on different blogs etc, without actually spending much time with Jesus? 

When I do spend time in God's presence, which is hopefully very often (!) I do find that my priorities take a seismic shift, and God very gently reminds me, as only He can, of what I really need to spend time on, and who I need to spend time with.  In fact, time spent with God is actually a timesaver, because He shows me anything I might be wasting time on, that could be better spent in another direction. 

How marvellous that He is interested in the big things in my life, as well as the minutiae of daily cares and thoughts. 

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear,

What a privilege to carry

EVERYTHING to God in prayer.

A Rest on Sunday

Yippeeee!!!! My wonderful, clever, techie DH has sorted out my upoading problems, so I'm back in business!

Yesterday I went yarn shopping in Solihull.  Between John Lewis and House of Fraser I managed to find just what I was looking for, some soft, washable cotton yarn in beautiful colours for some technicolour crochet.  Yes, no more black hats and gloves, but this is going to be one big, beautiful granny blanket.  Here's some gorgeous, woolly eye candy.....

I wish you could feel it and give it a good 'squidge' like I can!

I bought yarn from a variety of different brands in order to get exactly the colours I had in mind.  But it will all be fine, as they are all 100% machine washable pure cotton double-knit yarns.  That's one thing I like about crochet, you don't have to match yarns up exactly as you would if you were knitting up a garment.

I really want to get started on this new project, but I have some knitting projects on my needles that I should really finish first!

On Friday, I spent some time at home, so here are some pics from my day, I did some laundry and made some delicious rice pudding.  Here are some of my aprons, fluttering in the breeze...

My Rice Pudding recipe is an old American one.  It is cooked on the stove-top, rather than baked in the oven, and it contains eggs, so it tastes like rice pudding and egg custard mixed together, very nice.

This time I can give you imperial and metric quantities.

Rice Pudding.

1.5 litres / 2 1/2 pints semi-skimmed milk

185 g / 6 ozs pudding rice

125 g / 4 ozs sugar

pinch of salt

250 ml / 8 fl ozs semi-skimmed milk

3 eggs

5 ml / 1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Combine first four ingredients in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat.

2.  Let the mixture come to a slow boil (it may foam up, that's ok).  Continue the slow boil (too fast a boil will scorch the milk) for approximately 1 hour, or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.  The boiling will start making a 'pop' or 'slapping' sound.  When it does, the rice is finished. 

3.  Remove from heat and add the last three ingredients.  Combine well and let it stand for 20 minutes.  Serve warm or chilled.

By a warm fire, on a cold winter's evening, this is very homely and satisfying!  We've had some bacon and eggs for lunch, there is a casserole simmering in the slow cooker for later, and now it's time to put the kettle on, put our feet up, and have some hooky fun.

I do hope you are also able to have a relaxing day, life can often be tiring and stressful, and sometimes we really do need to switch off and remind ourselves that God is in control, not us, so we can safely let Him get on with what He does best, hand everything over to Him and simply enjoy the day He has given to us.

A sunny day

It's lovely and sunny here today, even if it is freezing cold!  I've got laundry blowing in the breeze, I wanted to show you a pic of my aprons on the washing line, but I'm having technical problems uploading pics!  Never mind.

I've done an online shop today, so no need to go out shopping, it will all come to me tomorrow morning.  Lovely thought.

Now that the chores are done, and I've eaten lunch, time for some knitting.

I really like the picture of the old fashioned wool shop on The Quiet Home today.  It reminded me of the wool shop that used to be just a few yards away from the house where I grew up.  There seemed to be one on every street corner in the sixties and seventies. How sad that many of them have disappeared.

It's been a busy old time at work this week, so I appreciate being able to pause today and take stock.

There have been certain things on my prayer list this week, especially a family member who was feeling a little under the weather, and I came across this phrase somewhere:  "God is magnetically drawn to my need".  How wonderful that He not only knows and cares about every little detail of my life, but that God actually has the power to change a situation when I bring it to Him in prayer. This thought has been such a consolation and a blessing to me.  He neither slumbers nor sleeps, and when He says "My peace I give to you", I fin that this is a real, solid peace that nothing and no-one can destroy.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE...etc.  He is altogether lovely.

Enjoy your day my friend.

A rest on Sunday

"What a splendid day!" said Anne, drawing a long breath.  "Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this?  I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it.  They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one!"

Anne of Green Gables,  Lucy Maud Montgomery.

I am really enjoying reading this book, and I am very happy that I am in contact with L M Montgomery's cousin, who still lives where this book was set.  Thank you Kathie for getting in touch with me. 

Today we have enjoyed a lovely lunch, that I popped into the slow cooker early this morning.  Onions, bacon and mushrooms browned, pork steaks grilled, carrots and parsnips chopped, then everything added to the crock-pot with 500ml of cider and a can of lovely, velvety mushroom soup for good measure. No recipe required, simple!

I also copied my daughter's idea and scrubbed and halved some new potatoes and put these at the bottom of the cooker, so no need to cook any potatoes seperately, very easy, just the way I like it!

Then I simply put some yorkshire puddings in the oven and boiled some broccoli.

Then lit some candles and made everything cosy and homely for a lovely, relaxing Sunday lunch.

Then eldest son very kindly agreed to model the beanie hat and gloves I have been knitting.

The patterns were given to me by my sister, who has won awards for her knitting. In fact, if knitting was a martial art, my sister would be a blackbelt!

There's not much colour here, because he wanted them in black, so I am looking forward to buying some yarn next weekend, and indulging in some technicolour crochet.  Watch this space! 

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens.  I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."  Jesus.  Matthew 11:28-30.

The caring lovingkindness of God towards me and towards others is a continual source of amazement to me.  That He, the Creator of all life and the Universe could be so personal, so tender, so thoughtful, so kind and so caring that my heart runs to Him for refuge, shelter, security, and He never fails me, because He is all Love, from first to last.  He knows how many hairs are on my head, and I find in Him a sweet haven of companionship, of understanding, of comfort and of rest.

Enjoy a restful Sunday my friend.

Time at home.

Yesterday, I didn't need to go into work until the afternoon, so I enjoyed a little pottering time, cleaning things and polishing, and rearranging, all very satisfying.

I started in the kitchen, wiping down to the strains of Classic FM.

Then I gave my latest purchase a quick rub to make it shine!

Do you like my Wedgewood bud vases?!  The one on the left was a Christmas present from a friend about 30 years ago.  The one on the right was recently bought from a charity shop for 99p.  I thought they would look good together, and the price was a bargain for Wedgewood.  If I pull out a little, you will spot yet another bookcase in my rather bookish home!

Then I plumped up my cushions.  I crocheted this cover just before Christmas, with some help from the Attic 24 blog.

This is the back of it.

The buttons are very old ones from my mother-in-law's button box that was passed on to me when she died.

I was also given all her knitting needles and crochet hooks, as well as a lovely knitting bag.  I use them all regularly and think of her when I do.  She would have liked to know they were being well used.

When I got to work, we had a meeting, which meant a rare opportunity to meet up with some of my colleagues, as we all work in different places.  It was lovely to catch up with everybody and have a chat/moan/laugh about work!

After a spot of shopping I came home to a lovely sunset.  This was the view from my attic.  A colourful end to a happy day.

 

Determination

If you are lacking in determination in any area of your life today, this video may give you the motivation to do something.  I have never really done much quilting before, but after watching this video I feel determined to have a go!

Isn't she amazing?!  Today I went out with one of my old students, who is also blind, who managed to follow up getting a good degree with holding down a good job.  She is an inspiration to me, not only because is she full of determination, but also because she also manages to be cheerful, and to have a sense of humour, whatever else is going on around her, and whatever challenges she faces.  It was really good to catch up with her.  I know she will follow her dreams.

I am currently reading Anne of Green Gables (as well as trekking through Middlemarch!) which is by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I read about her books at Lanier's Books.  This is a marvellous blog if you are at all interested in old books.  Lanier writes a good review of L M Mongomery here.  While researching Montgomery, I came across this lovely poem, ideal for a restful Sunday.

Come, Rest Awhile

Come, rest awhile, and let us idly stray,

In glimmering valleys, cool and far away.

Come from the greedy mart, the troubled street,

And listen to the music, faint and sweet.

That echoes ever to a listening ear,

Unheard by those who will not pause to hear

The wayward chimes of memory's pensive bells,

Wind blown o'er misty hills and curtained dells.

One step aside and dewy buds unclose

The sweetness of the violet and the rose;

Song and romance still linger in the green,

Enblossomed ways by you so seldom seen.

And near at hand, would you but see them, lie

All lovely things beloved in days gone by.

You have forgotten what it is to smile

In your too busy life, come, rest awhile.

Lucy Maud Montgomery.

May you have a restful day, whatever you do, wherever you go and whoever you are with, may you rest well, inside and out, on this peacefull January Sunday, my friend.