Rejoice in Everything

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Philippians 4:4

There might be moments in your life when this seems impossible. Since God has put you through this trial, why then should you rejoice in the Lord? 

Life is a vaccumm, oh how hard it is to pull away from its grasp. This is when you need to praise the Lord the most! This is the moment when you can transcend to a life of sin and bitterness or stand up to the trial. You have a choice to make, descend into the easy path of darkness or walk up the steep hill to the light.  The second evil thoughts enter your mind is when you should shout out a song, cry out a verse. Let the World know that nothing can snuff out your candle! 

This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Hallelujah
This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Out in the dark
I'm going to let it shine
Oh, out in the dark
I'm going to let it shine
Hallelujah
Out in the dark
I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

The more you worship Him, the less you focus on your trials. The less attention we pay to our trial, the more tranquility and ease we find in our lives. Making every day easier and easier as the trial delves on.

So when it seems the hardest to press on, praise the Lord.

O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore, Though all things around us be trying, Though floods of affliction like sea billows roar, It’s better to sing than be sighing. Refrain Then rejoice evermore, rejoice evermore, It is better to sing than be sighing: It is better to live than be dying; So let us rejoice evermore. O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore, When the darts of the tempter are flying, For Satan still dreads, as he oft did of yore, Our singing much more than our sighing. Refrain O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore, When sickness upon us is stealing, No cordial like gladness our strength can restore, For joy is the fountain of healing. Refrain O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore, For His love is love everlasting. When we dwell with Him in the heavenly places, There will be no more sighing and sorrow. Refrain

http://www.smallchurchmusic3.com/Lyrics/D00/S00496.php 

Nancy Jane

Finding Strength

Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep...Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his son and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

1 Samuel 30:4,6

Do you find yourself in such pain or sadness that it appears as if there is no more hope?

Find strength in God.

Is life suffocating you, are you struggling to even live to the next moment?

Find strength in God.

Are health problems or money problems destroying your soul and being?

Find strength in God.

"But how?" You might ask. How do you find God when it feels as if He has abandoned you? Pray to find resilience in God. Ask and you will obtain it.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you , says the Lord...

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Earnestly seek the Lord. Though you feel deserted and lost, He has never abandoned you. The Lord has been waiting for you to discover Him. Keep knocking on the door, do not give up! He loves us and wants to bless us with His power.

Seek fortitude in the Lord, for He is always good to us. 

Nancy Jane

Easy, But Not So Quick, Dehydrated Apples

This household is overwhelmed with a bounty of apples. The season began last week for us with the sweet and juicy Pear Apple. We hate wasting fruit, though the rotted ones tend to go to the chickens. However, we really want to enjoy them ourselves, the chickens can't have all the good stuff!

To keep the season going all through winter, and to keep my fruit cravings in check, I have been dehydrating apples all week like a mad woman! 

Here are the easy steps to drying apples. You will need a dehydrator, knife, apple corer, citric acid, bowl of water, and apples! There are no specific amount of apples in these instructions. I have been drying the ones I knew we were not going to eat. You can easily purchase a bushel and dry them all before they go bad.

Citric Acid is important to this technique. It simply preserves the apple slices and prevents them from browning after they are exposed to the air. You can purchase this at a local grocery store in the canning section. 

First, take the skin off apples, then remove core with the apple corer. Just push it down the middle of apple and pull it out! Then thinly slice the apple. 

Place the apple slices in a bowl filled with water and citric acid. Measure as the container suggests.

After you complete slicing all the apples, place a towel down on counter. Put a dehydrator tray down on top of it and place slices on it. Be careful not to stack on top of each other, they can touch though.

Now you have the option to leave them plain, or add cinnamon and sugar on top! Important! Lightly add the cinnamon and sugar mix. I made the mistake of smuthering the apples in the mixture and it turned into a terrible sticky mess!  

Once the apples are loaded, turn on the dehydrator and let sit for 6-8 hours, or until apples are completely dry. You want to make sure they are finished or the apples will mold. 

If you are concerned about warming up the house, place the dehydrator outside until the 8 hours are complete.

Once finished, stick in a ziplock bag or mason jar and store for the winter!

They make delicious snacks, and you can use the cinnamon sugar apples for baking!

Nancy Jane

Keeping Up with the Chickens

Sorry we have been MIA in the blog world. We keep having internet or computer problems!

Do you have chickens? Do you ever stop to watch the silly little creatures argue over things such as food and which box they can lay their eggs in? It's funny to observe their selfish natures kick in, they want what the other chicken has.

As I sat and laughed at their silliness, it dawned on me that humans naturally partake in these actions. It's a keeping up with the Joneses mentality. Not only earthly objects, we also want that person's figure, their skills, or their spiritual gifts. The Bible warns against such sinful thoughts!

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife...nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Exodus 20:17

There is nothing wrong with making it a goal to have nice things, however, it should not be because we want to one up another. Live with what you have, and strive to better yourself. 

For this you know, that no fornicators, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Ephesians 5:5

Coveting another person's possessions, looks, or spiritual gifts distracts you from the true goal in life, pleasing our heavenly Father. If you spend your time on Earth keeping up with the Joneses, you lose the treasures of heaven. You begin to focus on that and forget to serve the Lord. Helping others falls to the wayside. Getting involved with the Church goes to the back of the mind. We only live to serve ourselves. 

Soon we become engulfed and drown in the selfish desires of the sinful heart. 

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of the mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:17-19

As Christians, we are not to live the way of the World. We are to separate ourselves from it and live the life of God. Keeping up with the Joneses only plants us into the Earth more. It only makes us just another poor soul living an aimless life instead of being the example of light and joy that we experience as Christians.

Once again, we can have goals and aspirations for earthly things. However, do not turn it into an idol, live a life knowing these are only earthly treasures. Seeking the Kingdom of God should be our main goal in life. 

Nancy Jane

Easy Garden Fresh Tomato Paste

Are you enjoying the difficulty of not knowing what to do with all the tomatoes that are being harvested from your garden? Try making this easy tomato paste. We use just the plain paste for our garden chili (recipe to come soon for that). However, you can add garlic or herbs to the paste for more flavors and pizzaz!

Recipe:

First, clean off 17-20 tomatoes. You can use any variety, I happened to use Health Kick Plum tomatoes.

Now to easily take the skin off the tomatoes you will need to bring a pot of water to a boil, drop tomatoes in there and let sit in the boiling water for a minute. Then place tomatoes in a bowl of ice water.

When cool enough to touch, cut the top of the tomato and take skin off. It should easily be taken off. If not, you can always slice it.

Squeeze out seeds into bowl and place skinless tomatoes in blender.

Blend until smooth. There should be no chunks.

I don't mind any remnant seeds in my paste, but you can run paste through a colander to catch last of the seeds and chunks. Pour paste in jar and save in refrigerator for your next recipe!

It makes about 14 ounces, but you may have more or less depending on size of tomatoes.

If you want to make the paste thicker, simply cook it in a pot until the paste reaches your desired thickness.

The first thing I noticed about the paste was the color. It wasn't that bright red you find at stores, rather a fresh, soft red. Makes you think about all the chemicals they add to sauces to create the color!

Hope you enjoy the simple recipe!

Nancy Jane

Raise Your Branches

Mornings are the best time to view the garden. The plants are lifting their delicate arms to the sky as if to thank God for another day. I wonder what hymns they sing and what their voices sound like as they praise our heavenly Savior. Would the trees sing bass and the roses soprano? Would their chants be slow, fast, or both? If only we could be a part of their glorious choir as they bask in the warmth of the sunlight. 

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing

O praise Him, Alleluia

 

Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

 

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along

O praise Him, Alleluia

 

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening find a voice

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

 

Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him, Alleluia

 

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in one

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

 

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in one

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

-Ralph Vaughan Williams 

 

 

 

Nancy Jane

Water to Our Souls

For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.

Isaiah 44:3

 

We all are aware what happens to a flower when it is not watered. The once beautiful plant withers away to a remnant of its former glory. Dry, brown, and crisp.

Just as a flower weakens without water, so does the heart without regular readings of the Bible.

I am so guilty of not consistently being in the Scripture. I attend Church and multiple Bible studies. Nonetheless, personal daily time in the Word is essential. 

The Bible is water for our souls.

Yes, we may hear passages read from our Pastors or other leaders, however we must study it ourselves. It helps our hearts to grow and thrive. We will become scholars of the Word, able to defend and understand it. Every time you examine the Scriptures you learn something new, or relearn a subject, or find blessings and encouragement. We become more in tuned with our Heavenly Savior.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 
John 4:14

Water to our souls, bread of our lives, the Scripture nurtures us.

Pray to the Lord for help becoming a disciplined reader of His Word. Pray for attentiveness, dedication, and understanding.

 

Reading the Bible—
I love the Word of God!
Reading the Bible—
I love the Word of God!

It’s my food, my drink, and my life supply;
I love to eat it every day and night.
I just turn and open up to Him,
And the rivers flow right in.

Reading the Bible
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/ns/213#ixzz36Bj8ZaIy

Nancy Jane