Little Sips

The following are excerpts from a little book 

from Dohnavur Fellowship (that of Amy Carmichael).

His thoughts said...
His Father said...

27 WHEN THE DEW FELL IN THE NIGHT 

     The son said, Thinking of manna I feel reproached. So many hours are spent merely in sleep.
     His Father said, When the dew fell in the night, the manna fell upon it.  While thou sleepest I prepare heavenly food for thee.  But it is written, "The people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day;" [Exodus 16]... Thou hast thy part to do.  Go out, then, and gather thy portion for to-day.  Thou canst not live upon yesterday's portion.

 

28 HEM IT WITH QUIETNESS 

     His thoughts said, What if I have not much time to gather my portion?
     His Father said, Hast thou only one minute?  Hem it with quietness.  Do not spend it in thinking how little time thou hast.  I can give thee much in one minute...

29 LITTLE SIPS 

     The son wondered how it would be if because of press of business or illness he could not go out early in the morning to gather his portion.
     His Father understood, and he caused him to know that if the business concerned the Kingdom, or if illness or any such real hindrance interrupted, he should be at rest.  Only he was warned to be careful lest the interruption should slide into a custom.  He was not meant to be easy with himself.
     But he was reminded that the living water was never out of reach.  If he had not time to drink long in the morning, he could take little sips now and then through the day from the Brook that is always flowing in the way.

What comfort written by one who knew what it was to be chronically ill and bed-ridden. 

Maybe all you can take of Bible study some seasons is "little sips." Maybe a Psalm. Maybe a few verses from a gospel. Maybe listening to an audio Bible (such as can be found for free on www.Bible.is). 

Don't put yourself down at such times for being able only to absorb one phrase out of several chapters. God knows how He made you. (Psalm 103:13-14) He knows what you are facing right now - much or how little your brain and body can handle. And He knows what "manna" you need for today.

Take those sips -- and be at rest.

Birthday Baking

Elsa found a new cake recipe for us that I baked up a couple weeks in advance... carrot cake! We even have a couple tiny rounds to make into a layer cake while the cupcakes are for non-birthday desserts. And the darker muffins pictured are my molasses-carrot version with some egg. That is seeming to once again work for me occasionally. A blessing!

Meanwhile, the just-gluten-free chocolate layer cake for the rest of the family was made an hour away by Maren, who, along with Jason, will be joining us for today's celebrations.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Cosy Days

How fun to look down at my hands as I drive to town to teach this autumn and realize I knit both the mittens and sweater that are keeping me cosy!

This is one blessing and new skill that has come out of these years on the couch.

Travel Memories

A friend had the joy of traveling to the Maritime Provinces of Canada this year, and she shared the joy with us through daily photos and updates. That brought back so many memories of when we took that treck ourselves... 

As you can tell from this photo-of-a-photo, it was a while ago. :-)

Twenty years ago, to be exact!

Our good-old mini-van put on hundreds of thousands of miles in service to us - loaded to the max both inside and out. But this was the only trip where it got to sport a lobster-trap on top! A head-turning sight - increasingly so the further it traveled from its home on Prince Edward Island.

We loved P.E.I. with its red soil and cliffs, lighthouses and fishing boats, farms and shores... and of course, "Anne of Green Gables!" We even read aloud that favorite by Lucy Maud Montgomery on the road.

The Bay of Fundy was also amazing with its extreme ocean tides. I don't remember any impatience with the relaxing day we spent in one harbor watching the tide come up and taking pictures of the changes every hour or so. (Yep. We grew up with cameras hanging around our necks and Dad's extra lenses, filters, lens caps, reflectors, and tripod in our hands.)

The Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia was another favorite.

That is where we learned rug-hooking.

This turned into an "authors" trip as we dipped back into the northeastern States to explore the world of Louisa May Alcott and her contemporaries.

Couldn't ask for better traveling-buddies than parents and sisters!

Knitting by Candle Light

The power went out as a storm passed through in September, and as the sun was also setting, we lit the candles and had a cosy evening with our handwork.

It is amazing how peaceful the silence can be when the power is out and those constant background noises of appliances are gone. But we were also grateful to get the power back when it was time to put Dorothy to bed!

Six Months on the Deck

Yesterday's sunshine made the 50-60 degree temperatures simply balmy once again on the deck. We have been missing our times out there these cold, windy, grey weeks of autumn.

As I look back through the photos on my tablet, it's interesting how often the deck features over the past six months.

Enjoying the deck and its flower pots from indoors in May

Dorothy relaxing on the deck in June 

Sunset view from the deck in July 

Cosy deck full of plants in August 

Gully, the cat, trying out our bed on the deck 

Making use of October sunshine to move my office to the deck

I see the deck has made it into my "gratitude journal" several times this year too. One of those gifts used by my loving Heavenly Father to bless me again and again.

September Harvest IV

As usual, our Concord grape crop was abundant. Thankfully our neighbor had time to make use of some. The rest are being appreciated by the birds!

The sweeter table-grapes are best eaten outdoors - where they are richly flavored in the sunshine, and where you can spit out the seeds at will!

September Play

Our croquet set came out for the first time in years!

 

September Harvest III

Time to make Salsa:

Dad grew lovely onions again this year. The "little" one at the right of the photo would actually be a large onion from the store. But we grow giants! The one at the left was just over 2 pounds - peeled!

Hmm... these one and a half onions will count as the 6 large onions needed for a batch of salsa.

This monstrous pepper went a long way as well.

Pot after pot after bowl of salsa sweating out with salt.

September Harvest II

Sadly, most of our cucumber crop was lost to a new kind of beetle in our area. So... no pickles this year. But we enjoyed a few for eating fresh.

I finally got around to making some kale chips for the first time.

Toss with coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. 

Bake until crispy, but not burnt. 

Yum!

 Peppers produced well again this year.

We made up a big batch of filling and stuffed Bell peppers to freeze.

Other varieties of peppers are now in the freezer 

- some raw and some grilled first.

The Earth is Full of His Steadfast Love

Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!...

For the word of the LORD is upright,

and all his work is done in faithfulness...

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, 

and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;

he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing...

The counsel of the LORD stands forever...

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD...

Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and our shield.

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

from Psalm 33

Savoy

No, I don't have photos to post of travels to the Savoy region of southeastern France. In fact, I've never been in France - not even passing through an international airport.

But we have been enjoying the unique flavor, texture, and uses of savoy cabbage from our garden this year. Though it does not stir-fry well (it sizzles down to nearly "nothing" when enough water has finally steamed out of the wet lump in the kettle), it does make a good wrap.

One leaf wrapped around my apple-chicken-basil salad in place of a tortilla.

Steamed savoy leaves filled with seasoned ground-bison took the place of stuffed peppers for Elsa.

A Taste of August

August Stir-Fry includes:

Snap-peas and Snow-peas

Broccoli, Rutabaga, Summer-squash, Zucchini, and Onion

Plain-old chicken is more interesting stir-fried for once with a bit of turkey bacon and pineapple, plus green peppers and thyme from the garden.

Sides were all from the garden: cabbage salad spruced up with more fresh thyme, cucumbers, and (wait... we did not grow these this year) carrot sticks.

A meal of bison roast is made colorful with our own beets, tomatoes, and cucumbers.