A Bunch of Flowers

"A bunch of flowers seems to bring me very near the hand that made them. They are the work of His fingers; and I cannot consider them without being joyfully assured of the glory and loveliness of their Creator. It is written as plainly to me in their delicate painting and sweet breath and curious structure, as in the very pages of the Bible; though no doubt without the Bible I could not read the flowers."

From The Wide, Wide World by Susan Warner

An Easy Yoke

Photo: Wikimedia Commons*

"My Yoke is Easy"

** The following quotations are from the devotional Quiet Moments on the Way Home

by H.E. Wisloff.

Take my yoke upon you (Matthew 11:29)

“The Christian's life is compared to a walk toward the goal.  But this walk is a walk under the yoke.

“Some see in this truth only darkness.  It reveals how heavy the Christian life must be, they say.  For the natural man, the yoke is truly a burden.”

Artwork: public domain

Have you viewed this yoke that Jesus offers as more of a burden than a relief? Despite His assurances in the surrounding verses, I long a sort of revulsion against the thought of being under a yoke. (There may have even been a vague picture in my mind of being locked in the pillory or stocks as a common criminal.)

In fact most examples of the word “yoke” in the Bible are negative. Out of about 60 uses of the Hebrew word “ol” in the English Standard Version (ESV) most are in the Old Testament, and those typically have connotations of restraint, subjection, slavery, and stooping under a heavy load. [Gen. 27:40, Lev. 26:13, 1Kings 12:4] Even oxen which had worked under a yoke could not qualify for sacrifices and religious purposes. [Num. 19:2, Deut. 21:3, 1 Sam. 6:7]

At times God uses circumstances as a yoke to discipline wayward people. [Isa. 47:6, Jer. 27-28, Hos. 10:10-11] Lamentations 3:27-28 goes so far as to say “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.” As encouraging as are the surrounding verses in Lamentations 3, this yoke can still sound rather oppressive to me.

In the New Testament we see the yokes of physical slavery/servanthood [1 Tim. 6:1] and the unbearable load of manmade rules and pharisaical laws [Acts 15:10 & Gal. 5:1].

And yet, shining through the gloom is this one recorded instance where Jesus turns standard associations on their head and tells us about His yoke:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

**“What is the yoke?

“It is that which unites.  The yoke makes me one with my yoke-mate.  To take up the yoke means to be in partnership with God.  His joys become my joys, His sorrows become mine, His tasks mine, and I am privileged to share His concern for souls.  

“Therefore yoke-bearing is to have part in the power of Christ, His peace and His joy.  No one can live more richly and blessedly.  The yoke is grace, because it gives rest.  "My yoke is easy," He whispers to the tired who accept the yoke along with Him.”

Obviously I should take Christ at His word and believe that His yoke would ease my burden and give me the rest I long for. But instead I too often resist His yoke, with the result that I am left helplessly trying to pull my own load.

In her delightful book, Farmer Boy, Laura Ingalls Wilder tells stories from her husband’s childhood in rural New York in the 1860s. Before he was allowed to own horses, Almanzo was given two young oxen and directed by his father how to train them. To do that, he had to custom-build a small, light yoke – meticulously shaping and smoothing the wood to perfectly fit his charges.

Think of that! If even faulty humans know how to make a yoke that will be perfectly suited to their dumb beasts, how much more does our loving God know how to craft our yokes to fit each of our lives?

When little Almanzo began driving his team, there were plenty of troubles. They wouldn’t work together! That resulted in some tangled messes in the ditch. The yoke would only work if the team faced the same direction and pulled together. As they listened and obeyed, they learned to turn in unison upon command. Then the work could go smoothly and pleasantly for boy and beasts.

This example and the devotional excerpts quoted above are completely changing the way I view Jesus’ yoke. When I keep this in mind, I can be at peace knowing that every circumstance He sends my way is perfectly shaped for me. But not if I try to meet them in my strength alone.

Not being a trained biblical scholar, I cannot say if this is a completely accurate interpretation… but I am greatly encouraged at picturing Jesus sharing His yoke with me by pulling together, side by side with me in the same yoke. No wonder every burden is lightened when I let Him share the weight! And when I am tempted to worry about the future, I can remember Who is beside me. He knows the way. I must just keep in step, follow when He turns, and wait patiently when He has me stop.

“And you will find rest for your souls.” 

* Photo: By Jvn1989 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48572653
** Quiet Moments on the Way Home, devotional for October 26 by H.E. Wisloff.

Perfect Rest

God's word and a furry friend were good company during a recent sleepless night.

"O Lord my God, do Thou Thy holy will,

I will lie still,

I will not stir, lest I forsake Thine arm

And break the charm

That lulls me, clinging to my Father's breast

In perfect rest."

Quoted by a bed-ridden young woman in

The Daisy Chain, or Aspirations by Charlotte M. Yonge

Summertime Voting

In my country, the news is already buzzing with this fall's elections. Campaigns, predictions, endorsements, scare-tactics, self-promotion... I usually manage to avoid most of that "noise" and find people and resources I trust to help fill me in on the candidates who will be on my ballot.

Primary elections are in full swing across the country. Beginning in May and running through September we have the opportunity to help decide who will be on our November ballots. Have you voted? Will you vote?

Here is some recent encouragement from Dr. James Dobson:

 “More than half of Americans, including the majority of Christians, don’t even bother to vote. Shame on them all! Don’t they know that tyranny for us and our children is only one generation, or even one election, away? 

“We must vote, vote, vote to elect leaders who will defend what has been purchased with the blood of patriots who died to protect our liberty.”

Abigail Adams

As I listen to inside stories of Revolutionary War experiences from the pen of Abigail Adams, I realize more than ever how costly this liberty is. 

Let's do our part. Remember to vote.

Summertime Preserving

I have already shown Dad's method of preserving cucumbers as fermented dill pickles. Some time in the winter he will ferment jars full of our cabbage for year-round sauerkraut. Mom does some canning as well. But in the summer we mainly freeze our vegetables, such as this shredded zucchini.

On the first day home from the lake there was a large harvest. We took some of it outdoors to process.

Besides blanching and freezing diced summer-squash and zucchini, we learned from our neighbor how to make chips from them. Elsa thinly slices and salts them well before dehydrating.

Summertime Vacation

Our first lake-vacation of the year began with cosy rain. Perfect for grabbing one of Grandma's handmade quilts (which we all helped stitch around the frame in her basement) and curling up in the sun porch with tea and knitting or a book.

After the first night, the rain was past, but not the cool clouds. We just dressed for the weather and lived outdoors anyway.

M&J came to enjoy one evening with us. The rest of us stayed out three nights - a record for us for many years past!

The Weta sailboat was out every day despite some low winds.

We are still learning the quirks of this new boat, but it greatly endeared itself to us in three days. Dad took several runs to carry different passengers including my uncles and a cousin on her first-ever sail when the family gathered on Sunday afternoon.

Mom had her first ride, and agreed that it is much more comfortable than our old boats which "tipped" so easily. This boat primarily shoots ahead when a gust comes along. Fun!

I even had my first solo sail in this boat, a peaceful and exciting time by turns. The perfect time to sing The Doxology.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed fresh garden produce and a few of our flowers from home. The quaint cottage kitchen makes meal prep both fun and a little more challenging.

Summertime Harvest

For many weeks our meals centered around fresh salad greens. Next came the season of stir-fries with zucchini and yellow crock-neck summer squash.

One day when Elsa and I walked out to pick "just a couple cherry tomatoes" for my meal, we also came in with an overflowing apron of the last snap peas, a few cucumbers, a good picking of green beans, dill weed, and hands full of summer-squash and zucchini!

That dill weed always reminds us of delicious meals shared by our Russian friends. A favorite is tossing some dill with apple cider vinegar and olive oil on our chopped cucumbers.

At the peak of cucumber season, Dad set up his pickling factory. The recipe calls for dill weed, onion, grape leaves, mustard seed, garlic, salt-water brine, fermenting jars, and a dose of patience. 

The result some weeks down the road and as long as we can make them last all winter?

Delicious!

 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.

Acts 14:16-17

Almond Flour Cracker Recipe

Some of the new recipes mentioned in the previous post were for a savory treat... crackers! (see recipe below)

    

The almond-flour crackers have added a nice new flavor and texture to meals. I tried several variations on the theme. Fresh rosemary, dill, savory herb blend, and even jalepeno for my brother-in-law. (I probably didn't make them hot enough for him.) 

What amazing variety God put in His creation - and much of it right outside our door!

Almond Flour Crackers

(from elanaspantry.com: Rosemary Crackers)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine in medium-sized bowl:

1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

Seasonings (see options below)

Combine in small bowl:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large egg

Add wet ingredients to dry. 

Roll into ball, place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll or press to 1/8 inch thickness. 

Transfer to baking sheet. Remove top paper.

Cut into desired size for crackers.

Bake 15 minutes or until getting golden-browned and to preferred level of "crunch." Cool 30 minutes on baking sheet.

Seasoning Options:

• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 3/4 tsp dried dill weed plus dash cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 jalapeno pepper plus 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Your own ideas!