In the September of 1774, a young Alexander Hamilton rushed to where the two year old daughter of his friend and benefactor, Elias Boudinot, lay ill. Long sleepless nights of waiting and watching followed. After her death, a much affected Hamilton penned the following words.
For the sweet babe, my doting heart
Did all a mother's fondness feel;
Careful to act each tender part
And guard from every threatening ill.
But what alas! availed my care?
The unrelenting hand of death,
Regardless of a parent's prayer
Has stopped my lovely infant's breath.
Thou'st gone, forever gone-yet where,
Ah! pleasing thought, to endless bliss.
Then, why indulge the rising tear?
Canst thou, fond heart, lament for this?
Let reason silence nature's strife,
And weep Maria's fate no more;
She's safe from all the storms of life,
And wafted to a peaceful shore.
When I originally read this poem, I was very moved. Then I began to think of what little Anna Maria might have said in response to his grief. And so I wrote this poem, and entitled it 'Maria's Comfort'.
I look down from Heaven above,
And mourn the loss my parents bear;
For them I always greatly love,
And know this parting their hearts tears.
But with sweet love the Father's hand
Rescu'd me from all worldly cares;
And now with him I safely stand,
In Answer to my parent's prayrs.
I have gone from this earth, indeed.
Gone to heaven, to endless Bliss,
Safe in glory, with never need.
Canst thou, fond heart, lament for this?
Let reason silence nature's strife,
And weep my wondrous fate no more;
I'm safe from all the storms of life
And landed on a peacefull Shore.
(And yes, the apparent misspellings are on purpose; I was attempting to copy the style of the times. :) )
Blessings,
Rachel
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rachel. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Trust
Do you trust God?
Think on that for a moment.
Do you really trust God?
Or in the words of Del Tackett: "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?"
I've had ongoing health problems since I was 10. Sometimes things are worse. Sometimes they're better. Last week they were worse.
One evening, I went to my bedroom, sat on the floor in the dark, and just cried. I was so tired. Tired of feeling sick. Tired of pain. Tired of not being able to do the things I wanted, even normal everyday things. I cried for a long time. I also prayed.
During the height of my sobbing, I heard a voice. (To clarify: I did not hear an actual audible voice; it was more like a feeling in my mind.) "Do you trust me?"
That brought me up short. I thought for a minute.
"Do you trust me?"
And I realized that I didn't. I certainly would have said that I did. I thought that I was trusting God. And I realized that there was my problem in a nutshell. I didn't trust God.
Immediately I prayed. I confessed that I hadn't trusted him, and I realized that trust was a choice, not a feeling. I resolved to trust him in the future. At once I felt "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 3:7) And I knew that God would take care of me. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will heal me...but he will take care of me.
Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him"
So I ask again, Do you trust God?
Blessings,
Rachel
Think on that for a moment.
Do you really trust God?
Or in the words of Del Tackett: "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?"
I've had ongoing health problems since I was 10. Sometimes things are worse. Sometimes they're better. Last week they were worse.
One evening, I went to my bedroom, sat on the floor in the dark, and just cried. I was so tired. Tired of feeling sick. Tired of pain. Tired of not being able to do the things I wanted, even normal everyday things. I cried for a long time. I also prayed.
During the height of my sobbing, I heard a voice. (To clarify: I did not hear an actual audible voice; it was more like a feeling in my mind.) "Do you trust me?"
That brought me up short. I thought for a minute.
"Do you trust me?"
And I realized that I didn't. I certainly would have said that I did. I thought that I was trusting God. And I realized that there was my problem in a nutshell. I didn't trust God.
Immediately I prayed. I confessed that I hadn't trusted him, and I realized that trust was a choice, not a feeling. I resolved to trust him in the future. At once I felt "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 3:7) And I knew that God would take care of me. That doesn't necessarily mean that he will heal me...but he will take care of me.
Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him"
So I ask again, Do you trust God?
Blessings,
Rachel
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Waiting
I don't really know what to post this week. I am sick in body, and anguished in heart. I have no words of wisdom or insight. I'm not even sure I have any words.
I wish that I could pretend I had it all together, and that I was still rejoicing in the middle of everything. But I don't have it all together. I'm tired; I'm frustrated; I'm hurt.
And I guess what it comes down to is this: "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life." ~Proverbs 13:12 My desire is the Lord's return. That will put an end to all problems. My poor health, my doubts, my fears, the divisions that I see among believers and which cause me such pain. Those will all disappear. How I long for that day!
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." ~1 Corinthians 15:52
"But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~1 Corinthians 15:57
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
May God bless you all this week.
Rachel
I wish that I could pretend I had it all together, and that I was still rejoicing in the middle of everything. But I don't have it all together. I'm tired; I'm frustrated; I'm hurt.
And I guess what it comes down to is this: "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life." ~Proverbs 13:12 My desire is the Lord's return. That will put an end to all problems. My poor health, my doubts, my fears, the divisions that I see among believers and which cause me such pain. Those will all disappear. How I long for that day!
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." ~1 Corinthians 15:52
"But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~1 Corinthians 15:57
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
May God bless you all this week.
Rachel
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tea and Scones
I love drinking tea. It not only tastes good, but it has so many health benefits. Black, white, and green teas all contain antioxidants, which are extremely important for protecting your body from cancer, among other benefits. They also contain some caffeine, which is a good booster in the late afternoon. :)
I love herbal teas too. I drink chamomile when I'm nervous, peppermint for pain or if I have an upset stomach, raspberry leaf for general health, ginger for dizziness...the list could go on and on.
And what goes better with a good black tea than scones? After trying many different recipes, and deciding what we liked best, my sister and I made this recipe. I won't make any claims that it's the best scone recipe in the world...but it is good. ;)
Note: this recipe was made for high altitude! You lowlanders, make changes accordingly.
I have not made this yet, so I don't know if it actually works, but here is a recipe for making clotted cream (since everyone seems to agree that you can't buy good clotted cream at the store).
"Don't start with milk or your yield will be too small. Start with cream. Raw, unpasteurised cream gives the best results. I can't give you a recommendation for raw cream in your area but in California Claravale's raw cream is the best contender for the job that I have found. Organic Pastures version works too. You can even make an ok version with pasteurised cream (I tried Straus Organic), but raw is definitely the best thing to use.
Set aside several hours, this is a long project. Pour a pint of cream into your largest, non reactive, clean frying-pan. I use a large All-Clad fry pan, you need the largest surface area you can get. Put over your lowest heat setting, I use 'warm' on my ancient electric stove. If you use gas, I am guessing you will need a diffuser. After about an hour, a crust will have formed on the surface. Scrape it off with a non-slotted spoon into a bowl, keeping the crust facing upwards. Repeat 3 or 4 times until most of the cream has thickened and been scraped into the bowl. Refrigerate over night. The next morning you should have a thick, gloopy, knobbly-surfaced cream which you can spread onto a freshly baked scone." Recipe from this blog The comments on the original post also give some good advice.
Enjoy! And let me know if you like the recipes. :)
May God bless you all richly this week,
Rachel
I love herbal teas too. I drink chamomile when I'm nervous, peppermint for pain or if I have an upset stomach, raspberry leaf for general health, ginger for dizziness...the list could go on and on.
And what goes better with a good black tea than scones? After trying many different recipes, and deciding what we liked best, my sister and I made this recipe. I won't make any claims that it's the best scone recipe in the world...but it is good. ;)
Note: this recipe was made for high altitude! You lowlanders, make changes accordingly.
Basic Scones รก la Barton
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
heaped 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cubed
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place a baking sheet in it. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spices, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Mix together milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Add to bowl and mix to form a soft dough. With floured hands, turn dough out onto floured work surface and use your hands to shape it into a thick 7-inch round. Cut the round into eight wedges. Using oven mitts, carefully take the heated baking sheet out of the oven. With a spatula, transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Bake in the upper part of the oven until browned and well-risen, 10-12 minutes. Cool the scones on a wire rack. Serve with butter, clotted cream, or strawberry jam.
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
heaped 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scant 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cubed
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place a baking sheet in it. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spices, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Mix together milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Add to bowl and mix to form a soft dough. With floured hands, turn dough out onto floured work surface and use your hands to shape it into a thick 7-inch round. Cut the round into eight wedges. Using oven mitts, carefully take the heated baking sheet out of the oven. With a spatula, transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Bake in the upper part of the oven until browned and well-risen, 10-12 minutes. Cool the scones on a wire rack. Serve with butter, clotted cream, or strawberry jam.
I have not made this yet, so I don't know if it actually works, but here is a recipe for making clotted cream (since everyone seems to agree that you can't buy good clotted cream at the store).
"Don't start with milk or your yield will be too small. Start with cream. Raw, unpasteurised cream gives the best results. I can't give you a recommendation for raw cream in your area but in California Claravale's raw cream is the best contender for the job that I have found. Organic Pastures version works too. You can even make an ok version with pasteurised cream (I tried Straus Organic), but raw is definitely the best thing to use.
Set aside several hours, this is a long project. Pour a pint of cream into your largest, non reactive, clean frying-pan. I use a large All-Clad fry pan, you need the largest surface area you can get. Put over your lowest heat setting, I use 'warm' on my ancient electric stove. If you use gas, I am guessing you will need a diffuser. After about an hour, a crust will have formed on the surface. Scrape it off with a non-slotted spoon into a bowl, keeping the crust facing upwards. Repeat 3 or 4 times until most of the cream has thickened and been scraped into the bowl. Refrigerate over night. The next morning you should have a thick, gloopy, knobbly-surfaced cream which you can spread onto a freshly baked scone." Recipe from this blog The comments on the original post also give some good advice.
Enjoy! And let me know if you like the recipes. :)
May God bless you all richly this week,
Rachel
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Weariness
I think that I could copy Victoria's last post, word for word, and it would explain how I also feel this week. I'm sure that I probably do have many things to say, but I don't have the time or heart to put them into words right now. So in lieu of me rambling on and on, here is a Psalm I read this morning that I found encouraging.
May God bless you this week,
Rachel
Psalm 18
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,
I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; with the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
May God bless you this week,
Rachel
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
He's Alive!
I never fail to cry when I hear this song. Please take a few minutes to listen to it, and really think about the powerful lyrics.
He's Alive!
Blessings,
Rachel
He's Alive!
Blessings,
Rachel
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Love
Recently God has been reminding me of something. I've been praying quite a lot for peace and joy, things that I seem to have been lacking recently.
And God has brought to my attention that what I should be praying for is love.
I heard someone say once that the fruit of the Spirit are in order. Meaning that when you have love, then you will have joy. When you have joy, you'll have peace, etc. All the way down the list. And love is the first one listed.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
Some other verses to do with love:
"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity." 1 Corinthians 13
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18
I had a few more verses the other day, but I can't remember them now. :)
May you all have a good week, and may God bless you.
Love in Christ,
Rachel
And God has brought to my attention that what I should be praying for is love.
I heard someone say once that the fruit of the Spirit are in order. Meaning that when you have love, then you will have joy. When you have joy, you'll have peace, etc. All the way down the list. And love is the first one listed.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
Some other verses to do with love:
"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity." 1 Corinthians 13
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18
I had a few more verses the other day, but I can't remember them now. :)
May you all have a good week, and may God bless you.
Love in Christ,
Rachel
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Waitin' For My Dearie
This is a beautiful song, from the musical "Brigadoon". I couldn't find the original song anywhere online, so I'll have to be content with just posting the lyrics. :)
FIONA:
Many a lassie as ev'ryone knows'll
Try to be married before twenty-five.
So she'll agree to 'most any proposal.
All he mus' be is a man, an' alive.
I hold a dream an' there's no compromisin'
I know there's one certain laddie for me.
One day he'll come walkin' o'er the horizon:
But should he not, then an old maid I'll be.
Foolish, ye may say.
Foolish I will stay.
Waitin' for my dearie, an' happy am I
to hold my heart till he comes strollin' by.
When he comes, my dearie, one look an' I'll know
That he's the dearie I've been wantin' so.
Though I live forty lives till the day he arrives,
I'll not ever, ever grieve.
For my hopes will be high that he'll come strollin' by;
For ye see, I believe
That there's a laddie weary, and wanderin' free,
Who's waitin' for his dearie:
Me!
1ST GIRL:
What do ye do while ye're waitin' around
For your lad to come your way?
FIONA:
Well, when no one is lookin', ye kneel on the ground,
An' ye pray an' pray an' pray!
2ND GIRL:
But when lassies sit an' have no men,
Oh, how long becomes the night.
FIONA:
But I fear the night is longer when the lad's no' right.
Waitin' for my dearie is sweeter to me
Than wooin' any laddie on the lea.
GIRLS:
Dreamin' of your dearie, an' idlin' the day
FIONA:
That's how I am an' how I'll ever stay.
Though I live forty lives till the day he arrives,
I'll not ever, ever grieve.
For my hopes will be high that he'll come strollin' by;
For ye see, I believe
FIONA AND GIRLS:
That there's a laddie weary, an' wanderin' free,
who's waitin' for his dearie:
FIONA:
Me!
FIONA:
Many a lassie as ev'ryone knows'll
Try to be married before twenty-five.
So she'll agree to 'most any proposal.
All he mus' be is a man, an' alive.
I hold a dream an' there's no compromisin'
I know there's one certain laddie for me.
One day he'll come walkin' o'er the horizon:
But should he not, then an old maid I'll be.
Foolish, ye may say.
Foolish I will stay.
Waitin' for my dearie, an' happy am I
to hold my heart till he comes strollin' by.
When he comes, my dearie, one look an' I'll know
That he's the dearie I've been wantin' so.
Though I live forty lives till the day he arrives,
I'll not ever, ever grieve.
For my hopes will be high that he'll come strollin' by;
For ye see, I believe
That there's a laddie weary, and wanderin' free,
Who's waitin' for his dearie:
Me!
1ST GIRL:
What do ye do while ye're waitin' around
For your lad to come your way?
FIONA:
Well, when no one is lookin', ye kneel on the ground,
An' ye pray an' pray an' pray!
2ND GIRL:
But when lassies sit an' have no men,
Oh, how long becomes the night.
FIONA:
But I fear the night is longer when the lad's no' right.
Waitin' for my dearie is sweeter to me
Than wooin' any laddie on the lea.
GIRLS:
Dreamin' of your dearie, an' idlin' the day
FIONA:
That's how I am an' how I'll ever stay.
Though I live forty lives till the day he arrives,
I'll not ever, ever grieve.
For my hopes will be high that he'll come strollin' by;
For ye see, I believe
FIONA AND GIRLS:
That there's a laddie weary, an' wanderin' free,
who's waitin' for his dearie:
FIONA:
Me!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Giving Thanks
I've been thinking about thankfulness a lot recently. It just seems to keep coming up. I've heard it from friends, I've read it in the Bible, and today when I saw Victoria's last post, it was hit home to me once again.
I need to be thankful. It's so easy for me to get caught up in the everyday business of life that I forget to live. I wake up feeling dizzy or sick, and I forget to be thankful that I am not in the hospital: that I still have health. I spend longer than I wanted cooking dinner, and forget to be thankful that I have so much food to prepare. I have to do various "school" related things, and forget to be thankful that I live in a country and time when I have access to so many resources for learning. I...you get the picture.
So, in short, I wanted to post some of the things for which I am most grateful today.
* My health. God is so good to me.
* My family. I love them dearly, and am always challenged by them to grow more in God.
* My friends. I have Godly friends, who also spur me on to greater faith in God.
* Sunlight. I was out on our front porch for quite a while this afternoon, just enjoying the warm (54 degree) weather. And the sunlight was beautiful.
* Colours. This sounds like a silly thing to be thankful for, especially when compared with the rest of my list. But I am so thankful for all the colours that God gave to us! Bright colours, muted colours, light colours, dark colours, reds, greens, blues, browns, whites, etc.
What are some of the things that you are most thankful for?
God bless you,
Rachel
I need to be thankful. It's so easy for me to get caught up in the everyday business of life that I forget to live. I wake up feeling dizzy or sick, and I forget to be thankful that I am not in the hospital: that I still have health. I spend longer than I wanted cooking dinner, and forget to be thankful that I have so much food to prepare. I have to do various "school" related things, and forget to be thankful that I live in a country and time when I have access to so many resources for learning. I...you get the picture.
So, in short, I wanted to post some of the things for which I am most grateful today.
* My health. God is so good to me.
* My family. I love them dearly, and am always challenged by them to grow more in God.
* My friends. I have Godly friends, who also spur me on to greater faith in God.
* Sunlight. I was out on our front porch for quite a while this afternoon, just enjoying the warm (54 degree) weather. And the sunlight was beautiful.
* Colours. This sounds like a silly thing to be thankful for, especially when compared with the rest of my list. But I am so thankful for all the colours that God gave to us! Bright colours, muted colours, light colours, dark colours, reds, greens, blues, browns, whites, etc.
What are some of the things that you are most thankful for?
God bless you,
Rachel
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Trust in God, for I shall yet praise Him
I am, once again, a day late (and probably a dollar short). I nearly just skipped posting again this week, but realized that was not a good precedent. :)
On the other hand, I was not sure that I had anything to post about. I haven't had any brilliantly worded ideas, or deep thoughts recently.
But I have had a hard couple of weeks. I spent New Year's Eve in the ER with a racing heart. All the tests came back fine. Just before midnight, they released me, and said to see my doctor soon. He scheduled an echo-cardiogram (basically an ultrasound of my heart). That happened just yesterday, and I'm still waiting for results.
And once again, I've realized that God uses the hard times in my life to remind me that He's there. It's so easy to just fall into a routine (lessons, housework, church, etc.), and let my mind kind of go blank. Don't get me wrong, I think routines are wonderful. But they can also be a deaden-er of the senses.
Once again, I was reminded that there is another whole world out there. An invisible world. A spiritual world. There are battles being fought, victories being won, defeats being suffered. And we can't afford to just smile and let the world pass us by.
God has reminded me these last few weeks that I need to stay close to Him. I need to be in prayer and in the Word everyday. I need to look for people that I can help, ways I can make a difference, even if it's just offering to pray for someone else.
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." ~Ephesians 5:15-16
Deus vos omnes benedicat,
Rachel
On the other hand, I was not sure that I had anything to post about. I haven't had any brilliantly worded ideas, or deep thoughts recently.
But I have had a hard couple of weeks. I spent New Year's Eve in the ER with a racing heart. All the tests came back fine. Just before midnight, they released me, and said to see my doctor soon. He scheduled an echo-cardiogram (basically an ultrasound of my heart). That happened just yesterday, and I'm still waiting for results.
And once again, I've realized that God uses the hard times in my life to remind me that He's there. It's so easy to just fall into a routine (lessons, housework, church, etc.), and let my mind kind of go blank. Don't get me wrong, I think routines are wonderful. But they can also be a deaden-er of the senses.
Once again, I was reminded that there is another whole world out there. An invisible world. A spiritual world. There are battles being fought, victories being won, defeats being suffered. And we can't afford to just smile and let the world pass us by.
God has reminded me these last few weeks that I need to stay close to Him. I need to be in prayer and in the Word everyday. I need to look for people that I can help, ways I can make a difference, even if it's just offering to pray for someone else.
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." ~Ephesians 5:15-16
Deus vos omnes benedicat,
Rachel
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Time and a Place
This is one of my favourite songs. Take time to listen to it, and really think about the lyrics.
There is a time and a place for everything;
this is the time; this is the place.
And we can sing songs and play guitar
and shoot the breeze. And we can
talk about the human race;
After all we are a part of it all.
Have you considered the sparrows up above?
They do not sow, they do not reap.
And yet your heavenly Father feeds them,
and his love for you is much more deep.
After all you are a part of it all.
Said the robin to the sparrow,
"I would really like to know
why these anxious human beings
rush about and worry so."
Said the sparrow to the robin,
"Friend, I think that it must be
that they have no Heavenly Father
such as cares for you and me."
Have you considered the sparrows up above?
They do not sow, they do not reap.
And yet your Heavenly Father feed them
and His love for you is much more deep.
After all you are a part of it all.
There is a time and place for everything.
This is the time; this is the place.
This is the time and the place for Jesus,
'cause Jesus is everything to me.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
"Finishing School"
Victoria asked me two weeks ago about the "finishing school" I mentioned, so I thought that I would make that the topic of this week's post.
What I attend weekly is not, sadly, an institution. In essence, three girls, including myself, have gotten together and decided to study things. Useful, fun things. Many things that we either were not taught in school, or did not study as in-depth as we would have liked. Currently, our schedule includes French, music (theory and practice together), writing, a bible study, cooking/baking, astronomy, and Ancient History. We also fit knitting and jewellery-making in, as time allows. Later in the year, we will be studying Consumer Math, gardening, herbs, nutrition, several other time periods in history, and various other things which I have forgotten. :)
Every Friday, we meet from eight to four. We have a fairly casual schedule; generally, we do certain subjects before lunch, and certain after, but the length of time and the order of study varies greatly from week to week. Some things we learn together and teach each other, like astronomy. Others, such as French, are taught by one person who is already quite knowledgeable in the subject. We considered rotating houses, but decided it would be best, for everyone, to just meet at my house each week.
Our main focus is to have a time each week where we all feel that we can relax, and renew our energy, while enjoying each other, and learning things that we think will be interesting or useful in life.
Because we are picking our own courses of study, we can more easily avoid false or poor teaching, and concentrate on getting the most from our studies. The more structured atmosphere means that we have accountability, and usually actually do whatever homework is assigned for the week, whereas if we were studying on our own, all the studies would almost certainly end up being procrastinated over and over until they disappeared entirely.
When we were still in the planning stages, I called it our finishing school, just to have something to call it. The name sort of stuck. This is our time between high school and whatever comes next, whether that's marriage, college, etc. We want to be 'finished' young ladies, in preparation for the rest of life. And so we cook, and knit, and play various instruments, and yes, study astronomy. :)
It's been quite an adventure so far; I look forward to seeing what happens next!
Blessings,
Rachel
What I attend weekly is not, sadly, an institution. In essence, three girls, including myself, have gotten together and decided to study things. Useful, fun things. Many things that we either were not taught in school, or did not study as in-depth as we would have liked. Currently, our schedule includes French, music (theory and practice together), writing, a bible study, cooking/baking, astronomy, and Ancient History. We also fit knitting and jewellery-making in, as time allows. Later in the year, we will be studying Consumer Math, gardening, herbs, nutrition, several other time periods in history, and various other things which I have forgotten. :)
Every Friday, we meet from eight to four. We have a fairly casual schedule; generally, we do certain subjects before lunch, and certain after, but the length of time and the order of study varies greatly from week to week. Some things we learn together and teach each other, like astronomy. Others, such as French, are taught by one person who is already quite knowledgeable in the subject. We considered rotating houses, but decided it would be best, for everyone, to just meet at my house each week.
Our main focus is to have a time each week where we all feel that we can relax, and renew our energy, while enjoying each other, and learning things that we think will be interesting or useful in life.
Because we are picking our own courses of study, we can more easily avoid false or poor teaching, and concentrate on getting the most from our studies. The more structured atmosphere means that we have accountability, and usually actually do whatever homework is assigned for the week, whereas if we were studying on our own, all the studies would almost certainly end up being procrastinated over and over until they disappeared entirely.
When we were still in the planning stages, I called it our finishing school, just to have something to call it. The name sort of stuck. This is our time between high school and whatever comes next, whether that's marriage, college, etc. We want to be 'finished' young ladies, in preparation for the rest of life. And so we cook, and knit, and play various instruments, and yes, study astronomy. :)
It's been quite an adventure so far; I look forward to seeing what happens next!
Blessings,
Rachel
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Psalm 1
Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Today
I suppose this is when I should write a post about time management, something which I obviously don't do well. Yesterday was my day to post. :)
Yes, I have been busy, but not so busy that I shouldn't have time to fulfill a commitment. However, I discover that I am being eaten by the Imperative of the Now. I know that sounds overly dramatic. Bear with me.
Today, I have Latin lessons (which also means last minute studying!). My mother is determined to rearrange the whole living room, bedroom, and (unfinished) basement today, which requires my help. I have laundry and cleaning to do. Tomorrow, I attend "finishing school" from 8 to 4. I need to study French sometime before that. I need to look into, and possibly apply to, College Plus. I tutor some children from church once a week, which will soon be twice if I can remember to call their mother. And so the week goes. Free time? A thing of the past.
But that's my fault, and I know that. If I managed my time well, I probably would have time to sit down in the evening and read again, or take a walk in the afternoon. Instead, I find myself flitting confusedly from one task to another, and not accomplishing any of them. Eventually, I sit down, overwhelmed, and simply think about all the things that I have to do. I have so many things which must be done now. If I got up in the morning and studied Latin instead of reading Rocks and Minerals, I wouldn't be in this mess. If I did laundry or studied French instead of spending two hours playing piano in the afternoon, I wouldn't be in this mess. You get the idea. I'd be busy, but not being slowly swallowed by a grammatical monster. So, yes, I am busy, but I would probably be less busy if I actually did all the 'business', instead of thinking about how much I had to do, or doing things which are not 'now imperatives'. Piano and French both need to be done. However, Piano can wait. French can't.
So my question is this:
Yes, I have been busy, but not so busy that I shouldn't have time to fulfill a commitment. However, I discover that I am being eaten by the Imperative of the Now. I know that sounds overly dramatic. Bear with me.
Today, I have Latin lessons (which also means last minute studying!). My mother is determined to rearrange the whole living room, bedroom, and (unfinished) basement today, which requires my help. I have laundry and cleaning to do. Tomorrow, I attend "finishing school" from 8 to 4. I need to study French sometime before that. I need to look into, and possibly apply to, College Plus. I tutor some children from church once a week, which will soon be twice if I can remember to call their mother. And so the week goes. Free time? A thing of the past.
But that's my fault, and I know that. If I managed my time well, I probably would have time to sit down in the evening and read again, or take a walk in the afternoon. Instead, I find myself flitting confusedly from one task to another, and not accomplishing any of them. Eventually, I sit down, overwhelmed, and simply think about all the things that I have to do. I have so many things which must be done now. If I got up in the morning and studied Latin instead of reading Rocks and Minerals, I wouldn't be in this mess. If I did laundry or studied French instead of spending two hours playing piano in the afternoon, I wouldn't be in this mess. You get the idea. I'd be busy, but not being slowly swallowed by a grammatical monster. So, yes, I am busy, but I would probably be less busy if I actually did all the 'business', instead of thinking about how much I had to do, or doing things which are not 'now imperatives'. Piano and French both need to be done. However, Piano can wait. French can't.
So my question is this:
Are you using your time well?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Weight of Glory
Today I'm sharing a link to a sermon of C.S. Lewis'. I would love to hear feedback on whether you all agree, disagree, etc. :)
"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours."
www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf
God bless you,
Rachel
"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendours."
www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf
God bless you,
Rachel
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Psalm 20
[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up [our] banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Finally Back
Well, I'm finally posting again. :)
Something that I have been thinking about on and off for several weeks: Colours. Have you ever noticed how colours change depending on their surroundings? For instance, my eyes. Most people would probably call them brown. If you look closely they are actually mostly green. Yet in some lights, they look gold. Obviously, my eyes are not actually changing colour: they are simply changing surrounding.
Or paint swatches. There are hundreds of colours that are classified as white by the paint company. And on their own, they all do look white. But if you hold them together, one will look blue, another pink, another brown, and yet another green.
The spiritual significance behind this? Your surroundings will generally dictate how you appear to the world. If you spend all your time with non-believers, whether or not you act the same way they do, you will appear the same to the world. Now you may be thinking, "But they are my friends! And if I don't spend time with them, how will they ever come to know Christ?!"
This partly comes back to the fact that friendship has been devalued in our culture. You should not call someone your "friend" simply because you took a college class together, or see each other every Wednesday in a Bible study. Those are acquaintances. The denomination of "friend" should be reserved for those whom you trust and love. I heard a good sermon on this topic several weeks ago. It used the example of David and Jonathan to make a point.
1Sa 18:1 ¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that [was] upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
These items that Jonathan gave to David were not merely nice gifts; they were the symbols of Jonathan's status. He was saying to David, in effect, "You are the rightful heir to the throne.". Jonathan gave David his very identity. He was saying that whatever David said or did, he completely agreed with.
How many of your "friends" are you willing to say that about? If you knew that everything that person did or said was going to be ascribed to you, would you still call them your friend?
This does not mean that we must never speak to unbelievers or spend time witnessing to them. By all means, witness to people every chance you get. If someone is truly interested, spend time going through the Scriptures with them. But let them remain acquaintances, rather than friends. This is partly for your own protection (very few Christians are strong enough to spend all their time with unbelievers, and escape spiritual damage), and partly to keep your witness untarnished.
One last picture: a diamond is a beautiful thing, and no one can deny its worth. Whether it is set in a priceless diadem, or discarded in a trash heap, it is still valuable. But if it is left in that trash heap, over time, its brilliance will diminish and its glory will fade. Eventually it will be indistinguishable from the trash surrounding it. The diamond is still unchanged underneath. It is still worth just as much. But no one can tell that. It has lost its ability to beautify its surroundings.
May God bless you all abundantly,
Rachel
Something that I have been thinking about on and off for several weeks: Colours. Have you ever noticed how colours change depending on their surroundings? For instance, my eyes. Most people would probably call them brown. If you look closely they are actually mostly green. Yet in some lights, they look gold. Obviously, my eyes are not actually changing colour: they are simply changing surrounding.
Or paint swatches. There are hundreds of colours that are classified as white by the paint company. And on their own, they all do look white. But if you hold them together, one will look blue, another pink, another brown, and yet another green.
The spiritual significance behind this? Your surroundings will generally dictate how you appear to the world. If you spend all your time with non-believers, whether or not you act the same way they do, you will appear the same to the world. Now you may be thinking, "But they are my friends! And if I don't spend time with them, how will they ever come to know Christ?!"
This partly comes back to the fact that friendship has been devalued in our culture. You should not call someone your "friend" simply because you took a college class together, or see each other every Wednesday in a Bible study. Those are acquaintances. The denomination of "friend" should be reserved for those whom you trust and love. I heard a good sermon on this topic several weeks ago. It used the example of David and Jonathan to make a point.
1Sa 18:1 ¶ And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1Sa 18:4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that [was] upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
These items that Jonathan gave to David were not merely nice gifts; they were the symbols of Jonathan's status. He was saying to David, in effect, "You are the rightful heir to the throne.". Jonathan gave David his very identity. He was saying that whatever David said or did, he completely agreed with.
How many of your "friends" are you willing to say that about? If you knew that everything that person did or said was going to be ascribed to you, would you still call them your friend?
This does not mean that we must never speak to unbelievers or spend time witnessing to them. By all means, witness to people every chance you get. If someone is truly interested, spend time going through the Scriptures with them. But let them remain acquaintances, rather than friends. This is partly for your own protection (very few Christians are strong enough to spend all their time with unbelievers, and escape spiritual damage), and partly to keep your witness untarnished.
One last picture: a diamond is a beautiful thing, and no one can deny its worth. Whether it is set in a priceless diadem, or discarded in a trash heap, it is still valuable. But if it is left in that trash heap, over time, its brilliance will diminish and its glory will fade. Eventually it will be indistinguishable from the trash surrounding it. The diamond is still unchanged underneath. It is still worth just as much. But no one can tell that. It has lost its ability to beautify its surroundings.
May God bless you all abundantly,
Rachel
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Reflections
I just remembered that today is my day to post, and since I didn't have anything written ahead of time, I decided to post a poem that I wrote some time ago.
May God bless you all! Good night.
Rachel
Reflections
The sun set o'er the gilded sea
As the moon began to rise,
And twilight loomed so gracefully
Across the blushing skies.
As the moon began to rise,
And twilight loomed so gracefully
Across the blushing skies.
The mingled lights played in the heav'ns
And a hush fell across the land.
The last ships sailed into their havens
And the waves curled softly on the sand.
And a hush fell across the land.
The last ships sailed into their havens
And the waves curled softly on the sand.
"A time for peace in heart and mind,
For watching the Designer's hand,
As He colours the fiery lights entwined:
From the beginning, this night He planned.
For watching the Designer's hand,
As He colours the fiery lights entwined:
From the beginning, this night He planned.
Our wonderful God, who all things made!
And watches over them with care.
O, that I would always what He bade,
And let Him all my griefs to bear.
And watches over them with care.
O, that I would always what He bade,
And let Him all my griefs to bear.
The wondrous beauty He spreads abroad,
Just for the ending of a day
Should draw our souls to Him applaud,
And remind of this: He'll love us alway.
Just for the ending of a day
Should draw our souls to Him applaud,
And remind of this: He'll love us alway.
For even the sparrow cannot fall,
Without He sees its swift demise;
How much more His love for us all!"
Thus spake the quiet man, aged and wise.
Without He sees its swift demise;
How much more His love for us all!"
Thus spake the quiet man, aged and wise.
May God bless you all! Good night.
Rachel
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A Promise
Psalm 128
[[A Song of degrees.]] Blessed [is] every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee. Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, [and] peace upon Israel.
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