Saint Patrick, humble Scotsman that took God to Ireland.

    Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s day. This holiday for many is a great excuse to pinch and kiss people, wear green and drink green beer, drink Guinness Stout, Jameson Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream, eat corned beef with cabbage and potatoes, soda bread, believe in leprechaun’s and pots of gold, act Irish for the day and party. Be that as it may, March 17 is all about a humble Scottish man that loved God. 

    In the village of Kilpatrick, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Saint Patrick was born British to affluent parents.  The precise year of his death is unknown but most of those knowledgable agree it was between 460 A.D. and 493 A.D. Some credible religious accounts written indicate he lived from roughly 340A.D. to 440 A.D. Oddly enough, we do know he died on March 17. At the age of 16 he was captured in Wales by Irish raiders, then taken to Ireland to be a slave in the capacity of a herdsman. It is reported Saint Patrick has a dream while in captivity giving him a clear vision of God’s call on his life to take God and His love to the Irish. Hum... why am I thinking of Joseph serving the Egyptians? He escaped Ireland and rejoined his family, entered the Roman Catholic church, and became an ordained bishop. Returning then to Ireland he became the first missionary to that country, the very country that kidnapped and enslaved him. There he preached the gospel of Jesus, baptized Kings and Chiefs of government~ and in fact brought entire clan’s to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The good work he did spread across Ireland. How do you spell revival? That so excites me. 

    There are legends about Saint Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes and using the Shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is scripture that tells us since every thing we lost in the Garden of Eden was bought back for us by Jesus, including dominion over the earth, ridding of snakes would have been a possibility. Jesus used vinedressers, farmers, sowing seeds into different types of ground, sheep, goats, weeds, fig trees, and pieces of nature the people could understand to illustrate godly principles. Therefore, I do not think using a Shamrock to illustrate our Triune God is a stretch. And, the Shamrock is now the official flower of Ireland. At any rate, I think it is most notable that Saint Patrick obeyed God and went back to Ireland to share the love of God with those that captured and imprisoned him for six years.

    For Catholics in Ireland this a Holy Day of Obligation where they will attend Mass. For some it is a celebration of their Irish heritage. Some just like it because the river gets turned green and so does the beer they will so happily enjoy. For me, it is remembering and celebrating one man’s love for God that moved him to a place of inspiring forgiveness, and the life he spent devoted to sharing God with the world. Okay, and corned beef, cabbage and potatoes are my little fodder contribution to the day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Shona Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

Guy Fawkes Night of Thanksgiving at The Chapel

   A dear friend of mine sent me this photo of Guy Fawkes night being celebrated in Reading, England at their Chapel.

   Guy Fawkes Day/Night commemorates the unsuccessful attempt by a group English Catholics to assassinate Protestant King James l of England. Though this attempted plan seemingly had the savvy to succeed, it failed. Guy Fawkes, a part of this plan and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was caught guarding the explosive matter positioned to kill the king on November 5, 1605. January of 1606 those involved and arrested were to be executed. Days before they were, a member of Parliament, Edward Montagu, proposed that there be a day set aside to give thanks for God’s intervention and deliverance from harm to King James l. This has been a celebration of England’s giving thanks ever since. The Church of England still uses the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. A form of service was written just for Guy Fawkes Day. The saving of the King was huge, and to this day they use that prayer service as Thanksgiving on November 5.

   We are headed for our Thanksgiving here in the USA. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, not because the food is so wonderful, but that is a day to thank God for all the blessing He gave us through His Son. All good things come from God. I think we should do Thanksgiving days throughout the year. I say Well done!, England for your diligence in thanking God for your King’s deliverance!

For any history buffs or any other Anglophile’s reading this, here is a link to that Book of Prayer’s Fifth Day of November Prayer.

   Here is a link to a blog I have enjoyed whose author is English and now lives in, and is a citizen of the USA. This link gives a wonderful account of Guy Fawkes Night from her perspective.

Saint Patrick, humble Scotsman that took God to Ireland.

    It is Saint Patrick’s day! This holiday for many is a great excuse to pinch and kiss people, wear green and drink green beer, drink Guinness Stout, Jameson Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream, eat corned beef with cabbage and potatoes, soda bread, believe in leprechaun’s and pots of gold, act Irish for the day and party. Be that as it may, March 17 is all about a humble Scottish man that loved God. 

    In the village of Kilpatrick, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Saint Patrick was born British to affluent parents.  The precise year of his death is unknown but most of those knowledgable agree it was between 460 A.D. and 493 A.D. Some credible religious accounts written indicate he lived from roughly 340A.D. to 440 A.D. Oddly enough, we do know he died on March 17. At the age of 16 he was captured in Wales by Irish raiders, then taken to Ireland to be a slave in the capacity of a herdsman. It is reported Saint Patrick has a dream while in captivity giving him a clear vision of God’s call on his life to take God and His love to the Irish. Hum... why am I thinking of Joseph serving the Egyptians? He escaped Ireland and rejoined his family, entered the Roman Catholic church, and became an ordained bishop. Returning then to Ireland he became the first missionary to that country, the very country that kidnapped and enslaved him. There he preached the gospel of Jesus, baptized Kings and Chiefs of government~ and in fact brought entire clan’s to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The good work he did spread across Ireland. How do you spell revival? That so excites me. 

    There are legends about Saint Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes and using the Shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is scripture that tells us since every thing we lost in the Garden of Eden was bought back for us by Jesus, including dominion over the earth, ridding of snakes would have been a possibility. Jesus used vinedressers, farmers, sowing seeds into different types of ground, sheep, goats, weeds, fig trees, and pieces of nature the people could understand to illustrate godly principles. Therefore, I do not think using a Shamrock to illustrate our Triune God is a stretch. And, the Shamrock is now the official flower of Ireland. At any rate, I think it is most notable that Saint Patrick obeyed God and went back to Ireland to share the love of God with those that captured and imprisoned him for six years.

    For Catholics in Ireland this a Holy Day of Obligation where they will attend Mass. For some it is a celebration of their Irish heritage. Some just like it because the river gets turned green and so does the beer they will so happily enjoy. For me, it is remembering and celebrating one man’s love for God that moved him to a place of inspiring forgiveness, and the life he spent devoted to sharing God with the world. Okay, and corned beef, cabbage and potatoes are my little fodder contribution to the day. Oh, except to say that THIS Saint Patricks Day, I am in Cork and Killarney, Ireland! I am at parades ministering to children. I have been here for a few days, and will be here in Ireland for another several days as a short~term missionary, sharing Jesus! Life is GOOD! God is GOOD.......

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Shona Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

Saint Patrick, humble Scotsman that took God to Ireland.

    Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s day. This holiday for many is a great excuse to pinch and kiss people, wear green and drink green beer, drink Guinness Stout, Jameson Whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream, eat corned beef with cabbage and potatoes, soda bread, believe in leprechaun’s and pots of gold, act Irish for the day and party. Be that as it may, March 17 is all about a humble Scottish man that loved God. 

    In the village of Kilpatrick, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Saint Patrick was born British to affluent parents.  The precise year of his death is unknown but most of those knowledgable agree it was between 460 A.D. and 493 A.D. Some credible religious accounts written indicate he lived from roughly 340A.D. to 440 A.D. Oddly enough, we do know he died on March 17. At the age of 16 he was captured in Wales by Irish raiders, then taken to Ireland to be a slave in the capacity of a herdsman. It is reported Saint Patrick has a dream while in captivity giving him a clear vision of God’s call on his life to take God and His love to the Irish. Hum... why am I thinking of Joseph serving the Egyptians? He escaped Ireland and rejoined his family, entered the Roman Catholic church, and became an ordained bishop. Returning then to Ireland he became the first missionary to that country, the very country that kidnapped and enslaved him. There he preached the gospel of Jesus, baptized Kings and Chiefs of government~ and in fact brought entire clan’s to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The good work he did spread across Ireland. How do you spell revival? That so excites me. 

    There are legends about Saint Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes and using the Shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is scripture that tells us since every thing we lost in the Garden of Eden was bought back for us by Jesus, including dominion over the earth, ridding of snakes would have been a possibility. Jesus used vinedressers, farmers, sowing seeds into different types of ground, sheep, goats, weeds, fig trees, and pieces of nature the people could understand to illustrate godly principles. Therefore, I do not think using a Shamrock to illustrate our Triune God is a stretch. And, the Shamrock is now the official flower of Ireland. At any rate, I think it is most notable that Saint Patrick obeyed God and went back to Ireland to share the love of God with those that captured and imprisoned him for six years.

    For Catholics in Ireland this a Holy Day of Obligation where they will attend Mass. For some it is a celebration of their Irish heritage. Some just like it because the river gets turned green and so does the beer they will so happily enjoy. For me, it is remembering and celebrating one man’s love for God that moved him to a place of inspiring forgiveness, and the life he spent devoted to sharing God with the world. Okay, and corned beef, cabbage and potatoes are my little fodder contribution to the day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Shona Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

My pieces of Gold this Saint Patrick's Day!

  Today is day of wearing green, parades, great Irish food, dancing, fun and often some Leprechaun mischief. This day however started out honoring a man that was a missionary to, and a bishop of, Ireland. He was canonized a saint and became the  primary patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.  This Scottish man’s love for God that was so deep he forgave the Irish Raiders that imprisoned Him, and then took Jesus to their country, Ireland. We do not know when he was born exactly, but it is well recorded that he died on March 17, 461 AD.

Pinterest treat I found, so cute.

   

   I had been on Pinterest and stumbled onto this cute little treat. I liked the idea and decided to make it for my grandchildren. I did not have the plastic pretzel sleeves and not a lot of time to go where they might have them, so to my grandchildren’s advantage I used treat bags. More sweet treats there! I had fun making these and thought I would share them. For the treats I made the gold is Rolo and milk chocolate Gold Coins, the clouds are miniature white marshmallows, and the rainbows are Fruit Slices.

You can always click a photo to enlarge it.

Gift tags! And a great excuse to get a little stamping in!

The stuff that brings the word Treats into these little gifts.

The Gold!

Depositing the Gold in the bags.

Punching out circles for a little platform between the gold and clouds.

Clouds in.

So far nibbling has not been a problem, but here come those fruit slices!!!

Rainbows in.

All tied up.

Labels attached with ribbon.

A little note from, Nana.

Off to Post!

   On the back of each label I wrote, “name”,  At the end of the rainbow, behind the clouds ~ you are a piece of my Pot of Gold! Nana.  I love putting things together like that for them! You can see the note I sent them by going here. I hope your Saint Patrick’s Day is going well and full of fun!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!

My Christmas Novel Pick This Year

   Although I have read fiction books written by male authors I tend to read primarily female authors. When I bought this year's fiction Christmas book I assumed the author was a woman. The author's name is T. Davis Bunn. That is how the name appears on the book jacket. T. Davis Bunn is a prolific male author. Who knew? Having written under the pen name Thomas Locke, I am guessing the T. may be for Thomas.... and not say... Tamara, Tracy, Tina or Teresa...... :-)  I believe he is now writing simply under, Davis Bunn. He has apparently written a number of historical fiction and legal thriller books. I am not so over the top for a "thriller" but I do enjoy legally plotted fiction and historical fiction. While this book takes place in current time, it revolves around the ending of World War II in, England. Those of you that know me know WWII from the British, particularly English, side is a topic of great interest to me.

   My pick this year for favorite Christmas fiction story is not a novella but a full length novel. I highly recommend this treasure and waiting for Christmas to read it is not necessary. The story revolves around a current Christmas and a Christmas gone by decades ago while hope, joy, giving of ourselves to others and love are at the heart of this story. The true meaning of Christmas is portrayed in this well written story but it could be enjoyed anytime. My pick this year is Tidings of Comfort & Joy, by T. Davis Bunn.

   Charles Dickens once said, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." Giving gifts, appreciating and fellowshipping with and loving family and friends, looking back on good memories and blessings, having hope and great expectations for the future, singing songs of joy, even eating and enjoying the abundance we so easily take for granted are all a part of Christmas, and the Christmas season. While we may not experience those wonderful things in such a way throughout the year, we can experience the constant, unconditional and endless love of God and the Savior He sent that first “Christmas” morning. We can walk in the excitement, anticipation, hope, joy and love we celebrate at Christmas everyday of the year. That great, unmatchable Gift God gave us in His Son was intended to restore to mankind everything we lost in, Adam ~ once and for all that would receive His Gift. The promises and Covenant God gave man are shown at length throughout the Old Testament where the promises are made and the New Testament where they are established. If we choose to accept this gift from God we can enjoy forgiveness and right standing with God, eternal life with Him forever, and a life here on earth full of satisfaction, abundance of health, peace, protection, provision and prosperity in all areas of our life.  When the Christmas "season" comes we will truly have something to sing about, something to proclaim!

   If you have not accepted the gift of Jesus I would be happy to talk to you about it, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email through the "Drop me a line" gadget toward the top and on the right of this blog. Accepting this Gift of Jesus will give much more meaning to Christmas for you, and will give you the peace and purpose you long for.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

Keep Calm and Carry On

   

   George Alexander Louis, HRH Prince of Cambridge and his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are quite the big media item just now so I thought I would jump in and do something a little British.

   This bold colored poster with simple font was created and designed to boost morale of the British people in late 1939 after World War ll broke out. This typically British stiff upper lipped slogan was developed by civil servants, it was designed by the British Ministry of Information and produced by King George VI’s HMSO, His Majesty’s Stationery Office.  This was done to raise the morale and keep the British public positive and peacefully focused in the event of massive air attacks on Britain by Germany, which were expected at the outbreak of this war. Over 2.5 million posters were printed. Fortunately, since the war ended without such attacks few were distributed for the public to actually see. This was the third and last poster in a series of three. Most of the original Keep Calm and Carry On posters were destroyed. What precious few that were left, possibly only 15, began emerging around the turn of the 21st century, circa 2,000 A.D. The emergence of these rare posters has unveiled an interest in the message therein. Crown Copyright expires after fifty years on artistic workmanship making this piece now public domain and we are seeing the vast interest appeased with mugs, T~Shirts, mouse pads, books such as Keep Calm for Mums, Keep Calm for Chaps, Keep Calm and Cuddle Up, tote bags and biscuit tins just to name a few available for purchase.

   Public domain, what an interesting and legally binding, or freeing term. I love God’s Word! Public Domain has never been, nor will it ever be an issue for God’s Word. Can we use that verse? Is it plagiarism to use a certain version or translation? Thankfully, no. God’s Word is timeless, eternal, and freely (well except for that payment Jesus made that bankrupt Heaven to get it here for us) given to all men that will receive it. So, that brings me to something I was studying this week and thought that beautiful British poster was perfect for this post.

   In the gospels we see what Jesus came to do; in Acts we see what was to continue being done by the original disciples and is now to be carried out by us. The gospels give us the teaching of Jesus, in Acts we see how that teaching works through the apostles. Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving and that He would leave His peace and they were not to be afraid. Jesus spoke peace to a raging storm and all was calmed, including the fearful disciples.  In John 14:27 the word “leave” means “bequeath”.  Jesus was leaving and going to be in Heaven with our Father, and at His right hand. It is there that His enemies are being made His footstool. Jesus took back the devil’s authority over earth and gave it back to us. While here on earth it is the body of Christ that has been given that authority and the responsibility to be more than conqueror’s, making the enemies of Jesus His footstool.  What a person “bequeath’s” to another is something of value to them. Jesus bequeathed us His peace because He knew we were going to need it to be victorious.

   Paul demonstrates that beautifully and with victory.  Paul kept His peace by keeping his focus on, Jesus Christ. Take a look at the book of Philippians and see how many times Paul mentions Jesus Christ. Then take notice of how many times he mentions joy, or rejoicing, or thankfulness. This focus on Jesus in the midst of living through tribulation, persecution and horror we will most likely never  know, is Paul’s book on joy. Keeping his mind fixed on Jesus was how he stayed full of peace and joy. And Paul was very victorious in his walk with the Lord here on earth!

   Anyone that has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior has the peace of God in them. Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit and is given to the new believer when the Holy Spirit enters them. The same way we trusted Jesus for our salvation; we must trust and allow the Holy Spirit to work and flow in our lives. He is the one ministering to us and in believing God for that, and for peace through the power of the Holy Spirit we will have the victorious lives God intended for us. Also, as Romans 15:13 says, we will abound in hope which is a precursor to victory.

   I think King George VI was onto something, something quite powerful.

   Stop and think for a moment about a time that you stayed calm, held on to your peace, and then enjoyed a victory because of it. You can put that on your “Count Your Many Blessings” list and name it among all the others.  God is so good ~ all the time.

Okay, it's not the motivational King George VI red, but don't you agree the pretty pink just promotes peace?

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.  

Isaiah 26:3

It's a Prince!

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their first son the HRH Prince of Cambridge!

Update:  On Wednesday, 24 July the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced their son’s name and title. His given name is George Alexander Louis and he will be known as, His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

    

   Baroness Thatcher, more commonly know as “Iron Lady” due to her unrelenting and uncompromising manner of political leadership and administration died today. Margaret Thatcher served as a Member of Parliament for the Finchley constituency, the Secretary of State for Education and Science, was the first female leader of the Conservative party, and only female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to date, later to be titled "Baroness" by Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher did not always see eye to eye, but the Queen has commented on her today saying, "It was with great sadness that l learned of Lady Thatcher's death. We've lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton." So right. The world is a little quieter, less colorful and there is hole that will never be filled with this dynamic woman of passion and purpose gone.

I am done doing it "my way".

This is what greeted me this lovely Sunday morning when I opened my front door to walk, Baxter.

     Last August I spiraled down to the most frustrated I have ever been. You can get more about that here if you like. The frustration I battled was invading every area of my life. Once I came to grips with the reason behind the resistance to follow God, and decided to follow the leading He put in my heart, I had peace and felt for the first time in such a long time like life had come back to me. I had been familiar with Proverbs 13:12, well at least the first half of it. This pivotal point in my life brought the second half of this wonderful verse to life (no pun intended) to me.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.  Proverbs 13:12

A little side note here. I do want to stop for a brief moment and say I know some look at the word “desire” as our own personal aspirations and dreams. Most of us are familiar with Psalm 37:4;

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

Delight means to have a great degree of pleasure of enjoyment. It involves happiness, gladness, to relish something and contentment. We must be in that state in our relationship with the Lord for the desire of our heart to see fruition. Why? Because when we walk that close to the Lord, He puts His calling, His desire in us. 

...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power... Ephesians 1:17-19

And when we are that close to Him that we will obey, He makes that desire a reality.

That is one of those bless me verses we like to grab and hold onto. We love the part  where God will give us the desires of our heart. I spent many years in a singles group and along with the verse that says it is not good for man to live alone, 

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”  Genesis 2:18,

this one about getting your desires ranked number one.  I personally liked and still like the one that says:

...that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3b  

     I am rambling. My point here is that the first part of Psalm 37:4 is crucial to see the second part manifested. We must “Delight ourselves in the LORD, first. 

So, I began Bible college. I was at a place where stepping out in faith and obeying became the only desire of my heart. Peace and life were a result. Remember how the Jewish nation would be blessed and then would start trying to figure things out on their own?  Well, that day I stepped out truly was pivotal and I have not recessed back to that frustration but have moved forward. God began putting on my heart the next level of my pursuing His calling and so I started reasoning, researching and slightly recessing my way back to frustration. Last Thursday I put a principle of God's kingdom into my life.

   Prayer. I am not going to go into a lot of detail here but just let me say I have always been intrigued by the what Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18;

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I now have a better understanding on that verse. For some time I have understood we don't thank God for everything, we thank Him in everything. But after some amazing lectures this term, I have received a much clearer, well I have received revelation on what the "without ceasing" and "in everything give thanks" and "rejoice always" is about.  Praying is not about begging and pleading. It really is not even about the way I was "taught" to pray,  P.U.S. H  AND  A.C.T.S.

Pray Until Something Happens  and Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.  While there is a small and limited amount of actual scriptural truth in those acronyms, they basically promote a regimented and self based style of prayer, at best. Our prayer life should be no less than a "life of prayer". Therein lies the secret to praying without ceasing. If we drop the begging and pleading and telling God about everything that is wrong, everything that we need or want to see happe and that He needs to be attending to in the next increment of time before we "get before Him" again and give Him our list of supplications, only of course after a few minutes of a little praise, a quick "oh forgive me for the wretch I am" and then a little thank you for all you do and start just praising Him in all we do and all the time, we would have less needs, more clarity and less frustration. There is a time for asking, but that needs to be with thanksgiving.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  Philippians 4:6

That was quite the run~on sentence I know, but there it is.

     I will wrap this up by saying I finally decided to just put all of what I knew about prayer and my relationship with God into my life and I started with the decisions about the next step in front of me regarding school. And, I knew there would be a last year of school to consider at some point, but I laid it ALL down. I then proceeded to walk out and make a permanent part of my life the way I now knew to pray and just live. I then sent an email that I knew could yield an answer that would put a dream I have had in my heart since third grade to its final resting place. I knew the possibility of not seeing that dream come true in my life could quite possibly be in the response I would get. But, I was willing to accept that if it were not in God's desire for me.

     The answer came! Not only did the answer take the confusion and stress out of the next step, not only did the answer make clear what the next step was, the step after that, the final decision about school was offered in that response. I am going to see the desire, the desire God put in my heart come to life in my life. I won't go into detail here but these things that must happen for all of this to take place are HUGE, and in the natural without exaggeration, not possible. One answer, one email and God had it all sorted out and gave it to me. Pushing and pleading I am done with. I never did feel it was right. Thank you Father for loving me and showing me how to live to please YOU!

These beautiful flowers this morning made me think of how thankful I am and I just thought I would share this story with you.

     Just like any other government or kingdom, the Kingdom of God is established on principles.  Whether you believe in God and have accepted His Son as your Savior or not, the world is governed by the principles God established for this world. If you have made Jesus the Lord of you life and are going along with what your personal ideas are on things, functioning in the traditions of man that nullify the Word of God, or follow religious doctrine that is not scriptural; you can go along as long as you like frustrated and bewildered about why things are the way they are for you. The good news is, when you get your Bible out and see what it says, really says, and apply those principles to your life, really do it God’s way and not your own, He doesn’t hold back. His principles work, they work every time and they always are for your good. Thank you, Father for Your patience with me and for Your faithfulness!

Saint Patrick

In the village of Kilpatrick, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Saint Patrick was born British to affluent parents.  The precise year of his death is unknown but most of those knowledgable agree it was between 460 A.D. and 493 A.D. Some credible religious accounts written indicate he lived from roughly 340 A.D. to 440 A.D. Oddly enough we do know he died on March 17. At the age of 16 he was captured in Wales by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to be a slave in the capacity of a herdsman. It is reported Saint Patrick has a dream while in captivity giving him a clear vision of God’s call on his life to take God and His love to the Irish. Hum... why am I thinking of Joseph serving the Egyptians? He escaped Ireland and rejoined his family, entered the Roman Catholic church, and became an ordained bishop. Returning then to Ireland he became the first missionary to that country, the very country that kidnapped and enslaved him. There he preached the gospel of Jesus, baptized Kings and Chiefs of government and in fact brought entire clan’s to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  The good work he did spread across Ireland. How do you spell revival? That so excites me. 

There are legends about Saint Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes and using the Shamrock to illustrate the Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Well, there is scripture that could back up the ridding of snakes and Jesus used vinedressers, farmers, sowing seeds into different types of ground, sheep, goats weeds, and fig trees, all pieces of nature the people could understand to illustrate godly principles.  I do not think using a Shamrock to illustrate our Triune God is a stretch. And, the Shamrock is now the official flower of Ireland. At any rate, I think it is most notable that Saint Patrick obeyed God and went back to Ireland to share the love of God with those that captured and imprisoned him for six years.

For Catholics in Ireland this a Holy Day of Obligation where they will attend Mass. For some it is a celebration of their Irish heritage. Some just like it because the river gets turned green and so does the beer they will so happily enjoy. For me, it is remembering and celebrating one man’s love for God that moved him to a place of inspiring forgiveness, and the life he spent devoted to sharing God with the world. Okay, and corned beef, cabbage and potatoes are my little fodder contribution to the day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Praise God for our freedom!

Happy 4th of July!

Have a blessed Independence Day everyone! I do have several friends in England that I truly cherish. While this day marks the Independence we established from Britain, I honestly like to dwell more on the freedom we have in our dependence on God and completed work of His Son Jesus, at Calvary on the cross. So, in addition to our national freedom I would like to celebrate our freedom in Jesus today while I think of all of my friends and their precious walk with Him.

I could not close this without saying that my heart is also with all of our military men, women and families today. Thank you for all you do! Thank you Marty and Larry! Becky, my love and thoughts are with you today my friend.




Just a little post~script here. I will begin blogging Monday. I have been away and will fill you in then. I have kept up with all of your blogs and have enjoyed that. More Monday.

Across the Pond

This morning I made a great little discovery. Well, actually my husband made it sometime last night after I had gone to bed and emailed me the link. Nevertheless, it is a great find. :-) Thanks, Jon! I will say right up front, I typically scan through an entire blog before I set it as a link in my "Blogs I Read" sidebar. I did not do that with this one. I highly doubt there is anything questionable or objectionable, or particularly controversial on this blog. The reason I have set it in my side bar is the basic purpose and content the writer pens. Stephanie Fosnight, has "...left her job as a Pioneer Press reporter in September to spend a year volunteering in Nottingham, England." For those of you that know me, you know she is living a life I ponder often. So, I will be following her blog over these next months. You may visit or follow her journey at, Across the Pond.

Follow your dreams!

Flapjacks with a British flavour and twist.

   I always love to learn new things about, Britain. Anything about their culture, customs, country and even... well maybe especially, their cuisine. Yesterday, I learned something new and wanted to share it with you. And I am wondering, am I the only one that did not know this? It seems so basic and yet I completely missed it. If I had gone to England, and ordered a Flapjack, I would have been either surprised or certain the waitress did not hear or understand me - or both. I would have been expecting a somewhat thin pancake, larger than the average... maybe 8 - 12 inches in diameter, with a little crispness on the outsides, that was done on a griddle. The whole point of the word “flap” in Flapjack, is that it is flapped over. Well, in reading some of the recipes on Barbara’s blog, I was really surprised to find that in England, that is not what a Flapjack is. Her recipe resembled what I might have guessed to be a granola bar. This is a picture of her Flapjacks at tea time. After doing a little digging, I found that English Flapjacks are made from oats, butter, sugar and a form of syrup like sugar. I did find recipes that had nuts, other dried fruits (I made Barbara’s and there were dried apricots in that recipe), and even chocolate. They are not like a granola bar, even though the ingredients suggest that. They are somewhat chewy and very decadent. Addictive even.

   Before I go any further, I want to tell you that the golden syrup referred to in this, and other British recipes is referring to something different than is typically sold here in the States. I happen to have access to a grocer that has a small display of British foods, mostly condiments. That store has a golden syrup just like what is used in Flapjack recipes. It is called, Lyle's Golden Syrup. Oh, and there in nothing like that golden syrup..... yum!! We use it in tea, and on toast. It is that green and gold can on my counter in some of the photos of my baking. But, here in the states, if you have no access to a golden syrup, use corn syrup like, Karo. I imagine light or dark is personal preference. If you looked at Barbara's recipe, you saw "demerara or brown sugar" listed as ingredients. Demerara sugar's closest equivalent would be our light brown sugar. Brown sugar in a British recipe I believe is closer to our dark brown sugar.

   I just received a comment from Barbara. In the event you do not read her comment I wanted to add it here. I stand corrected on the Demerara sugar. What I thought I read on the websites I read about English cooking and their ingredients, I either misinterpreted, or just did not understand. She is English, and would know. I want you to get it straight from her, so here is a that portion of her comment to this post.

"For your information Demerara sugar is very different to light brown sugar in both texture and flavour. It is mainly used here in coffee as it sweetens the coffee without altering its flavour like a brown sugar would. We do also use it in cooking as we do light brown sugar, dark brown sugar and Mollasses sugar which is even darker. We would NEVER put any of this in tea."

I am going to repost the recipe with all U.S. conversions.

Sticky Apricot Flapjack

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease an 8" cake pan. I used butter flavored non-stick spray.

1 stick butter
5 tablespoons golden syrup
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I did use the dark)
2 cups oats
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.

Put butter and 4 tablespoons of the syrup into pan with sugar and heat gently until melted.
Stir in oats and apricots and mix well. Spoon into cake pan and smooth top.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden.

Once baked, remove from oven and while still warm mark into square (be sure to make these marks down to the pan or getting them out might be difficult. Melt remaining syrup and add lemon juice (I did this in a small cup in the microwave). Pour over the flapjack and leave to cool.

   I was amazed at how delicious these were! I was a little skeptical of the lemon juice, and all of you know I love lemon. But oh!!! what a wonderful little note of flavor the lemon gives. They would not be as good without it.

Here the Flapjack is in the tin. (or cake pan)

   As long as this has to do with British fare, I thought I would share something else with you. Some time ago, I discovered a tea offered by Tetley, called, British Blend. The name got my attention, but looking at the box I noticed three other things I liked. First, it did say, "A rich, full bodied blend". I really do not like troubled water that is passed off as tea. I like "full bodied" flavor. Second, there are 2.5 grams of tea in each bag rather than the 2 grams in most brands. That would give the "full bodied" flavor a little more kick. And last, the bags are round, tagless and fit right in the bottom of a cup or mug, rather than having strings that can be messy. So I bought the tea. I really like it. It is full bodied, the flavor itself is very good-I actually like it as much as I do some loose leaf teas, and the round bag is quite nice. I am pleased to tell you, this tea is not bitter at all as some bagged tea can be. If you like full bodied tea, try this. I think you will like it. Oh, and it is great with the Flapjack above. :-)

   Please forgive the lack of a photo of the finished product. This is one post I can not seem to find the rest of the photos for after the loss of so many photos on my blog when Picassa deleted them when I deleted them out of my Google+ account, not knowing they would be permanently deleted from my blog. I was thankful to just find the photo above.

Enjoy!
Teresa

Good to be back!

Back to blogging....

I thought I might share with you the events of the last several months, but attempt after attempt has been foiled. So, in the interest in just getting back on here, I am going to post a few pictures and short vignettes, to give a condensed and limited overview of the last few months. At that point I can get back on here and do some blogging! I am excited about that. This blog is going to finally be used for what I had originally intended it to be for, to share those things that are going on in my life, that are on my heart, and important to me, with friends. Speaking of which, I have the privilege of starting this comeback entry with some really wonderful news. For those of you that followed my blog, you will remember my friend, Kim. For those of you that are new here, I am excited to introduce you to her.
This is, Kim. Earlier last year, Kim took a short sabbatical from blogging. But, she is back!! You can visit her anytime you like. Her blogging is rich in warmth, loaded with practical living advice and tips, and now she is on an exciting journey, a quest taking her to an exploration of her, Christian faith. So, as she would say, grab a muffin and a cup of coffee and spend some time with her. You will be glad you did, and I think you will visit regularly. Welcome back, Kim!!!


Some changes.

One thing I suppose I'd like to show you, is something that is just a little new for me. You may recognize this photo from an earlier "profile". I am posting it here to just say that my hair has looked this way for years.


Not too long after the football season started this year, my husband bought me this wonderful sweatshirt. So, this photo is a twofer. I get to show off my favorite NFL team, and of course the real purpose here is to show you a new hair style that I had cut at the onset of autumn. It was fun, and I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it so much that I did this.....

I am completely enjoying this new do, and don't plan to change much about it for quite some time!

I started this little section off mentioning the earlier "profile" photo. I guess I could give a little explanation about the current "profile" photo. When I started to put together a "comeback" blog entry, I got on my computer one Saturday, morning and as soon as the coffee was ready, I got right on it. My husband thought it might be cute to take a picture of me so that I could use a realistic "blogger" photo. I was yet in my nightgown, merely slipping on an old grey sweatshirt, and yes, I had done the ritualistic teeth brushing, face washing and barely skimming a brush through my hair, but that was it. That photo is as real as it gets, and I thought him nuts to suggest it be a "profile" photo. But, when I dropped the insecurity that vanity begets, I realized he was right. It is a perfect profile photo for a blogger. It is real, and so will this blog be. I hope you enjoy visiting here.

This blog will be so very real. Why? Well, why bother if it is not. Also, the new hairstyle is not the only change in my life. After quite a wait, I am back in school. This time I will be completing my course work and receive my degree. I am noticing that I am so consumed, happily and gratefully consumed, with my course work that my devotions and time with God, have been too brief. Occasionally, I skip a day entirely. Using this blog as a way to share those nuggets of life producing wonder that I find while spending time with God, will do two things. First, it will keep me on track to spend that time daily with the, Lord. Second, it will keep me blogging. Will I be exclusively posting my faith journey. No, of course not. But, in doing some of that I will stay on track. I love twofers!

Also, the style of my home is rather a cottage layout. I have begun to update it, room by room and transform it into a cottage home. I will be posting photos of my progress. Next to sharing ones heart and faith, it doesn't get much more real than being invited into someone's home. Consider yourself invited. I only wish we could visit, and have tea and biscuits together.

A little catch up on my daughters.

Last October, my oldest daughter Angela, was on the Today Show. If you are interested in a link to watch that interview, I will send it to you. I am sure you understand why I would not post that publically, and this is not a private blog. Zumba, is rapidly growing in popularity, and extremely effective in meeting it's goal of helping anyone who wants to achieve better health, do so. The philosophy behind Zumba, is that people don't like to exercise, but they love to have fun and dance. We enjoy a good party. The way the movements are designed, anyone at any level of health can join in and begin. The result of people enjoying what they are doing is that they will continue doing it. Having that activity be proven for results in health and appearance is, people keep doing it and become healthier. My daughter struggled with eating and hated exercise. Sound familiar? She attended one Zumba class. When she got there she was heavier than she had ever been, and had no energy. Six months later... well you will see the results below. She did not do anything in the way of dieting. Zumba, gave her such energy and a feeling of accomplishment within herself, that modifying her food intake came naturally. Zumba used my daughter as their poster child last year. The Today Show, did the segment on her journey with, Zumba. Oh, so you know, this daughter is an R.N., and has been for several years. She endorses Zumba to the degree that she is now a certified instructor. Personally, I think she is considering opening a Zumba, studio. Without further adieu:
Before.... and after.





































This is my daughter with the Zumba, owner, Beto.



The Dayton Daily News, featured her in their newspaper. Angela, is actually very quiet and has never liked the lime light. I'm not sure she has absolutely loved all of the spotlight that has been on her, but she knows Zumba, works, and she has a passion about feeling good and helping others to do the same. She feels great! She looks amazing~ and I am so happy for her. Oh yeah... I'm very proud of her.







Next:

Last summer, and since my last post, my daughter Melissa, and her two daughter's, drove out from Oklahoma, to visit. We had a really nice time. She always has so much she wants to go and do and see. And, I am pleased to say, she actually wants me to go with her. The next time she visits, I have my own little list of go and do and sees, to do with her. :-) Okay, maybe we will alternate, her thing... my thing, her thing... then my thing. Fair is fair, and she is the one that drives all that way, so her thing can be first. :-)

This is my daughter, with her two daughters.


When making and, or eating Strawberry Shortcake, some like Sponge Cake, some Angel Food cake, some Pound cake. BUT... it is called..... Strawberry Shortcake. And, this is one of the few times that I am a traditionalist. The traditional Strawberry Shortcake had strawberries, whipped cream and, Shortcake. Since it is early summer when this delicacy is best made, I do vary from the traditional whipped cream, and buy really good Breyer’s Natural Vanilla ice cream. I rarely, maybe twice a year, actually buy ice cream, but this is one of those times. But, did I mention the Shortcake is non-negotiable?

Sponge Cake - They are similar to angel cakes in that they use many eggs and no shortening or leavening. Sponge cakes use the whole eggs, while angel cakes use only the whites. THINK TWINKIE.

Angel Food Cake – Angel Food Cake is also known as foam-style cake. They are made with a large quantity of egg whites and no shortening or leavening. Angel Food or "angel cake" is thought to be a takeoff of the cornstarch cake and the sponge cake. I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of this cake. Truth be told, well............... yuk.

Pound Cake - This cake gets its name from the amounts of the ingredients used in the original recipe. One pound of each; butter, sugar, eggs and flour. Through the course of time, baking powder has been added to some recipes, as have flavorings such as lemon and almond,etc. This one is not a yuk, it is a huge.... YUM!!! Alas, it is not, Shortcake, and I don’t use it as if it were.

There is something called, Cottage Pudding. I have run across recipes for it in the last couple of years. It is suppose to be more of a cake than pudding, and is apparently used as the base cake for, Stawberry Shortcake dessert. I do plan to try one of these recipes, but......... you got it, I love my Shortcake with that strawberry flavor, texture and syrup... so.........

Shortcake - Short doughs bake up rich and crumbly. Think a sweet biscuit. Properly made, they are this way for three reasons. First, they have a high ratio of fat to flour. As always, I use only real butter, and for shortcakes I use unsalted. I also use whole milk. Second reason, they are made with low-protein flour that contains no, and produces little gluten. I only use cake flour. And third, Shortcake is to be tender and flaky much like pie crust, so handle it like pie crust... a little as possible. Bread gets its soft pillowy texture from kneading; That is not what you want here. Then, bake high and fast! 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes max.

Since they were here when strawberries were good, my daughter wanted homemade Strawberry Shortcake. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to teach her older daughter the ways of Shortcake. I talked to her about the different styles of cakes that you just read about as she made the the shortcakes. I had her use the Jiffy mix. It makes great shortcakes that are impossible to foil, and I knew the first time making them she would enjoy that. Besides, her mom keeps it on hand for pancakes. She could make these again for her daddy, when she got home.

Seven and one half years old, and putting the families dessert together. Strawberries are already sliced and in the refrigerator.




Proud of her tasty finished product. She really did it all by herself. I was busy telling her the Shortcake tales. Next summer we will pull out the cake flour, etc.

I forgot to mention that my daughter brought their Westie, Sassy. Baxter had his 2nd birthday while they were here, so he and Sassy got some really special birthday treats. Yep, we celebrate Baxter's birthday every year, this year was just extra special since his cousin was here. Actually, Westie's and Scotties really are Scottish cousins. :-)



Here are a few more photos of these two cousins. Silly? Maybe, but I love 'em and its my blog.






And now it's time to go home. I love this picture of Melissa, and, Baxter. They have been close since.... well do ya believe in love at first sight??


Aww...

Last, but certainly not least...

As you can imagine, I have an abundance of photos of my daughters, and their families. I limit posting them as this is a blog and not a photographic journal. Blog... a place to put my thoughts and what is important to me. I went to Texas to see my daughter Tara, in November. Once again, my son-in-law.... I really don't like that term. My son-by-love, Marty, has been deployed to, Iraq. He left early November and will be there, bar an R & R, for 15 months. The pictures I will post of this daughter are going to surround that. I see no reason to give explanations or comments. If ever the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words.", is true, it is here. I think these photos speak for themselves.

These are photos taken the day Marty's, unit was deploying.







I know children are to such an amazing degree resilient. I also know that Tara, is a wonderful mother, and these children are being handled, nurtured and reasurred, very well. I am sure however that you would understand why I am sobbing, and why my heart is so desparately broken. Marty is a good father and these children need him. They will survive this as well as any will because of how Marty, and Tara. have handled all of this. But, I just want that family in tact and back to normal Those children need him, so does, Tara.

I took the following photos while in Texas, in, November. Telephone calls are precious right now. I wanted to capture that, and was delighted that Tara, did not seem to mind.








This is one of the last pictures I took while visiting in, Texas. The night before, my grandson asked if we could have apples cut up for a snack, and have a little caramel and chocolate to dip them in. OH YEAH!!! No problem. The next day after school, that is exactly what they had. All three of these kids liked this after school snack.



Friday's in the park.

Summer time in this little town I live in is really wonderful. May, through October, we have an European Market, the dunes of Lake Michigan are closeby, and every Friday night there is a live concert and movie in the park. The concerts begin at 7 pm and each week they offer different performers with different styles of music. As dusk gives way to dark, the movie begins. They are children's movies. The last one I was aware of was, Curious George. I loved that monkey as a kid...... okay, still do. One evening the concert was given by,
Northwest Indiana Pipes and Drums . They are a very good group of bagpipers and drummers. They participate in competitions, and place well. I took pictures of them when they performed at our little park. One of the members that manages their web site spotted me. She asked if I would send her some of the photos. I did, and they actually used them on their web site. I was flattered. I had the pleasure of spending some time with the Pipe Major, Bill Smillie. He is the most delightful man. He comes to a nearby city and gives private bagpipes lessons. I was so taken in with his passion and Scottish accent, I considered taking lessons. Ridiculous... I know.




Oh yah, tis me lad Baxter, ye be seein' in the photo.


End of summer brings Melissa's birthday. In our family, golden birthdays are really special. Melissas', particularly so. For one thing, she is the biggest fan of nostalgia. For another, her golden birthday was especially unique. She was born at 8:29 pm, on 8/29. Every year I call her at 8:29 pm regardless of where she is. Due to a family situation, on year I missed that. She was adult about it, but it she did miss it. Like I said, the nostalgic one. Anyway, she wanted more made of this one than we usually make of the 3oth birthday. So Jon, Baxter and I went to celebrate with her.

Happy Golden Birthday, Sunshine!



After being there several days, we headed home. We stopped to see friends in Shawnee, Kansas. Mary has the best coffee. She buys it online, I think. I need to email her and get that information so I can order some of that coffee. Baxter, especially enjoyed that visit. Mary and her husband have two Scotties. The last time Baxter, saw them there were three. Their Duncan, passed away last year. That was gut wrenching. Angus, and Montgomery, are wonderful playmates though. Montgomery, is the wheaten colored Scottie.

Baxter, Montgomery and Angus.


Baxter, Montgomery and Angus.


Baxter, bringing up the rear.



Angus, Montgomery and Baxter.



Rosemary and Thyme

In the midst of all of the events since my last post, I have discovered... yes another British murder mystery series. This one is the cleanest as far as language and content goes that I have found thus far. Not that the others had anything lewd, graphic or particularly violent in them. I mean after all, Brits do polite and genteel murder... for the most part. They tend to focus on drama of plot and not on dread of horror. Of course one must overlook just a small handful such as, Jack the Ripper and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. :-/ Those of you that indulge as I do in British who dunit's, know what I mean. Those of you that don't might want to take a look into it. :-) And, here is a great place to begin, especially if you also enjoy gardening. I, with great enthusiasm present to you, Rosemary and Thyme. I really, really... really, enjoy this series. I have had to travel to a branch of our county library that is not as close to my home as some of the others, and is not in a direction I tend to travel in to see the entire series. It has been worth it! And, I would do it again but, since I now own the complete collection, I guess that will not be necessary. ;-)

Great finds.

While in an embroidery shop here in town this past summer, I found some wonderful patterns. All but one was at least 20 years old. The newest one was one I was actually considering buying, I just did not want to drop $11.95 for a Tote Bag, Backpack, Purse and Cosmetic Bag pattern, no matter how cute or functional they were. The good news is, they were all $1.00 each, including the new one. I have not done anything with this pattern other than buy some fabric for the coat view. Since I found it a little challenging to find anything with Scottish Terrier's on it, I just have to post the pictures of this pattern.



The next two patterns I did not take pictures of the pattern envelopes. Instead, I took pictures of the finish products. The sizes on these patterns was off, but altering was a snap. They were so much fun to make. Melissa, sent me pictures of the little Oklahoma, cowgirls wearing the costumes from the two patterns.



The costumes were such a hit at the older one's school Fall Fair, that she has asked that I make her costume next year. Oh the things a Nana gets to do! :-)




Finally...

And for now last (there is a small separate post below this one), and least, I will post just a few cards that I have done since my last post in, July. There is something I am going to say at the end of these photos about card making, and I guess I said it best to a dear friend of mine on her blog not too long ago.















The dear friend I mentioned earlier is an absolute artist when it comes to rubber stamping and card making. As far as I am concerned, artistically she is the best. However, she was struggling with a desire to lay it down, at least for the time being. She needed to give herself permission to do so, and I did not want to be a pressure point in her life. So, I put the following italicized portion below on her blog. I believe it expresses where I am at with card making as well. I do enjoy it, but for now, I have put it down and will not pick it back up until if and when it feels right. And, although purchasing ready made cards was a little difficult at first, I am so enjoying the freedom it offers me. I am a card sender. I have been since I was a girl. To make each and every one is just too much right now.

I really enjoy stamping and as you know, much of my inspiration came from you. Your cards are beautiful and I have enjoyed them. I've searched SCS for cards done by you, not because I thought you "should" be stamping, but to see how you were doing. I missed you. Your cards often, nearly always reflected where you were at whether it be your state of being, or state of doing. Over the last few months I have made cards that I enjoyed making, but they seemed to demand time I truly wanted to devote elsewhere. Will I stop making cards... not forever. Have I put my tools, ink and pencils away for a season? Yep! I realized that although the card making was good therapy for me, it had become a self indulgent activity that interfered with life. Truth be known, it was my way to ignore life. I want a full life and anything that threatens to deny me that... is history. So, I have for now put the card making down. I will do it as it seems and feels appropriate, no more... no less. If you feel like it is time to put it down, you Go Girl!

I want to thank those of you that have gently, and some that have a little more firmly asked me to get back to blogging. It is good to be back!

Be blessed!
Teresa