Quote of the Day

“Beware of letting your care degenerate into anxiety and unrest; tossed as you are amid the winds and waves of sundry troubles, keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, and say, ‘Oh, my God, I look to Thee alone; be Thou my guide, my pilot’; and then be comforted. When the shore is gained, who will heed the toil and the storm? And we shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God. If at times we are somewhat stunned by the tempest, never fear; let us take breath, and go on afresh. Do not be disconcerted by the fits of vexation and uneasiness which are sometimes produced by the multiplicity of your domestic worries. No indeed, dearest child, all these are but opportunities of strengthening yourself in the loving, forbearing graces which our dear Lord sets before us.”

(St. Francis De Sales, Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 175)

A Desert Place

Spiritual Lessons 

A Desert Place 

Open doors have thrilled my heart

Yet familiar are the closed ones

Lonely paths my chosen lot

With weary steps unwelcomed

And yet here in this desert place

Upheld by His scarred hands

I've learned some lessons dear to me

That came by trudging sand 

And in shadow, as in sunshine

He's been a friend to me

Somehow in my small weaknesses

I'm able to praise and sing

But only if I remember 

To stop my lips and heart

From speaking out and murmuring

The thoughts of grief that form

Is it unfair for our Potentate

to ask for hopes and dreams?

Or take from us our very life

the treasure we esteem?

He's asked of me some precious things

My health, my love, my hopes

Without a promised guarantee 

of restoration shown 

To be broken, sick and hurting

is something hard to bear

But to stand out ill and ugly

is a harder mark to wear

To love someone in silence

is grief unknown by some

and for someone not to love you back

is day without the sun

And yet these are the things He's asked

The doors He meant to close

Things He knew would draw me near 

A desert that He chose

And if my Savior asks of me

Know gladly I can give

For it prepares my timid heart

For Him through me to live

I must give it all to Jesus

My hurt, my tears, my shame

He's the only one to bear them

Lord, I'm waiting on Your name

TLH

Quote of the Day

“Can you find rest apart from Christ Jesus? Then be assured that your religion is vain. Are you satisfied with anything less than the knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then your faith is worthless. If you profess to be a Christian, yet find full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false. If your soul can feel comfortable in the chambers of sin, then you are a hypocrite. But if you feel that indulging in sin without punishment would be a severe punishment in itself; if you could have the whole world and abide here forever, yet you would be miserable without God for He is what your soul craves after; then be of good courage, for you are a child of God. Despite all of your sins and imperfections, be comforted in this: If your soul has no rest in sin, you are not as the sinner is! If you are still crying and craving after something better, Christ has not forgotten you, for you have not forgotten Him. The believer cannot live without his Lord. We cannot live on the sand of the wilderness; we want the manna which drops from on high. Our bottles of self-confidence cannot yield us a drop of moisture. We drink from the Rock which follows us, and that Rock is Christ. (see I Corinthians 10:4) When you feed on Him, your soul can sing, ‘He satisfied my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (See Psalms 103:5) But if you are not His own, your riches and success can give you no satisfaction. You will one day lament over them in the words of wisdom, ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’ (Ecclesiastes 1:2)”

Charles Spurgeon Evening by Evening p.179

How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea

Practical Homemaking/ Recipes

How to brew the perfect cup of tea

If you like tea, and especially loose leaf tea, I think you'll enjoy this. I just read this short article recently from Doctor Mercola's website:  www.mercola.com I found it interesting, and somewhat amusing, and so I thought I'd share it with our blog readers as well.

"There is an art to brewing tea using loose tea leaves, but once you find your 'sweet spot' you may never go back to bagged tea again. Here are a few simple guidelines for making the 'perfect' cup of tea:

1.    Bring water to a boil in a tea kettle

2.    Preheat your tea pot or cup to prevent the water from cooling too quickly when transferred. Simply add a small amount of boiling water to the pot or tea cup that you’re going to steep the tea in. Ceramic and porcelain retain heat well. Then cover the pot or cup with a lid. Add a tea cozy if you have one, or drape with a towel. Let stand until warm, then pour out the water.

    3. Put the tea into an infuser, strainer, or add loose into the tea pot. Steeping without an infuser or strainer will produce a more flavorful tea. Start with one heaped teaspoon per cup of tea, or follow the instructions on the tea package. The robustness of the flavor can be tweaked by using more or less tea.

    4. Add boiling water. Use the correct amount for the amount of tea you added (i.e. for four teaspoons of tea, add four cups of water). The ideal water temperature varies based on the type of tea being steeped:

a.    White or green teas (full leaf): Well below boiling (170-185 F or 76-85 C). Once the water has been brought to a boil, remove from heat and let the water cool for about 30 seconds for white tea and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the leaves

b.    Oolongs (full leaf): 185-210 F or 85-98 C

c.    Black teas (full leaf): Full rolling boil (212 F or 100 C)

5.    Cover the pot with a cozy and let steep. Follow steeping instructions on the package. If there are none, here are some general steeping guidelines. Taste frequently as you want it to be flavorful but not bitter:

a.    Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes

b.    Black teas: 3-5 minutes

c.    Green teas: 2-3 minutes

    6. Once desired flavor has been achieved you need to remove the strainer or infuser. If using loose leaves, pour the tea through a strainer into your cup and any leftover into another vessel (cover with a cozy to retain heat)."

Quote of the Day

 “We mustn’t be in a hurry to fix and choose our own lot; we must wait to be guided. We are led on, like the little children, by a way that we know not. It is a vain thought to flee from the work that God appoints us, for the sake of finding a greater blessing to our own souls; as if we could choose for ourselves where we shall find the fullness of the Divine Presence, instead of seeking it where alone it is to be found, in loving obedience.”

(George Eliot, Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 177)

Femininity

  Spiritual Lessons

Femininity 

She wasn't wearing any makeup, her hair was pulled in a wispy bun on top of her head, and there was nothing remarkable about her outfit.  But her eyes glowed, her speech was filled with conviction and her smile was contagious.  This is the description of a young woman I recently met.  My brother had met her the day before at a Christian meeting and encouraged me to get to know her.  "She's neat...you'll like her".  And I did!  A passionate Christian, a lovely personality, and a godly, modest young woman.  A perfect example of femininity.

I've talked to more than one young woman on the subject of femininity, and have been surprised at the disdain these ladies have held for the biblical trait.  Unfortunately, the world has labeled "femininity" to either be an archaic weak woman from the Victorian era, or a flirtatious stereotypical "pink and lace" kind of girl.

I wanted to encourage you by defying the world's definition and giving you a healthy biblical view on femininity.

Firstly, let's look at --

 False femininity

There's the slutty "Delilah" type, where women seduce men as prey and dress as objects instead of treasures.  They dress to reveal instead of cover.  They tear down instead of build up homes. This is the extreme.  You can see this spirit played out more subtly, with young Christian women, who are addicted to romance novels, who dress border-line, who flirt and flaunt, and dwell in their imaginations.

The other is the feminist mindset, where men and "maleness" are disdained and held in contempt.  The mentality that we are not only opposite, but superior, or at least "just as good" as men are.  They are ashamed of any feminine "weakness".  

True femininity 

There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in femininity.  Practically speaking, feminine simply means "that which pertains to females".  It can also mean soft, tender and delicate.  But with these womanly character traits come many other virtues

In the bible we see that true feminine women are:

 courageous (Jael)
 helpmeets (Eve)
 industrious (Provers 31 woman)
 intercessors (Abigail)
 strong (Ruth)
 brave (Rebecka)
dignified (Esther)


I have seen many young woman embrace tom boyish behavior because they are disgusted by "cutsie" silly girls.  I want to encourage you that we don't need to become un-balanced and boyish as possible to escape this false femininity.  In fact, we should be defying this ungodly notion and modeling true femininity to the world.  We can educate, encourage and inspire other young women and prove we can choose more than worldly "femininity".

What does this look like practically?

Well, I want to assure you that there is nothing wrong with enjoying things like hiking, skiing, horse back riding, volley-ball, shooting and playing with your brothers.  In fact, I believe it's healthy and godly to be well balanced.  I do all these things! Girls were made to run and play just as boys were.

That being said, there is a beautiful role that young women are given.  We are made to be nurturers.  Keepers of our home.  Queens. Helpers of men.  God has equipped us -- our part is to practice using these tools.  Not only are we to strive after strength physically, but emotionally and spiritually we must be strong, for as a woman you most likely will one day be given the task to meet your husband's needs, your childrens, and possibly your community or church family's.  It requires godly strength to be selfless.

Our future is uncertain.  We live in uncertain, precarious times.  The world our men face is the same world we are placed in.  We don't need to be soft-minded and leave the battle field to the men only.  America was founded by godly strong men along with their godly strong wives beside them.  Modern day woman dims in comparison to these women who gave up comfort to help conquer and nurture a new nation.

We are not opposite of men, we are definitely different, but not opposite.  We are complimentary to men.  We were made for them, because it was not good that they be alone.  We are suited for man.  We are to fill the earth and subdue it with our men.  We aren't in a competition.  We are not dominating men.  We are not floozy.  We are not Delilahs.

I'll never forget when my family visited a Mennonite community for a few Sunday's in a row.  I was about 9 years old and made friends quickly with the other boys and girls.  It was during that time I was introduced to the mindset that male and female are at war.  We girls held the male species at arms length.  It was then I learned the saying "Girls are from mars, to get more candy bars.  Boys go to Jupiter, to get more stupider."  (Brilliant, I know).  We aren't from different worlds.  Our differences are on purpose.  What would the world be like if both men and woman shared the same strengths and weaknesses?

We are to be strong, polished beautiful cornerstones.  (Psalm 144).  Not just physically but in our heart as well.  We are not only beneficiary to our home, but necessary...an essential part.  We are to be actively engaged in our home.  Where are our energies centered?  Where are our strengths invested?  Are we corner stones?

The Proverbs 31 woman did not learn virtuous womanhood the night before marriage.  This was something she learned and practiced.  We must also.

We already know what worldly girls look like.  They are sassy.  Brash, loud, wild.  They are often immodest and either flirts or on the other extreme (haters of men).But Godly, feminine woman are sweet, yet strong.  Meek, but confident.  Modest, but adventurous. Christ in us will shine forth true femininity, and it will not diminish any adventure.  There is nothing more adventurous than being a godly young woman in the 21st century.  

We can either be selfish stereotypical modern day women, or we can be useful women equipped for the battle for His glory.  Are we ready?  Christ might ask us to go to a foreign country to serve Him.  Or to be a Governor's wife. A farmer's daughter.  Or scarier yet -- to radically serve Him in the "normal" home we are already in.  Can we render ourselves useful?  Can we learn, can we teach?  We are one day going to be training up the next generation.  Are we prepared?  Are we educated?  Can we formulate our own opinions?  Do we read good books?  Do we write good books?  Are we studying? Are we ingenious, creative, entrepreneurial, selfless?  Do we look for the needs of those around us?   A godly feminine woman would.

We hold our future dream of our man to such a high standard.  We want a godly masculine man.  What standard do we hold ourselves?  Are we a godly, feminine woman?  The men God will require for this wicked day and age will require amazing, virtuous, feminine, woman.  Are we willing?

Quote of the Day

“He has an especial tenderness of love towards thee for that thou art in the dark and hast no light, and His heart is glad when thou dost arise and say, ‘I will go to my Father.’ For He sees thee through all the gloom through which thou canst not see Him. Say to Him, ‘My God, I am very dull and low and hard; but Thou art wise and high and tender, and Thou art my God. I am thy child. Forsake me not.’ Then fold the arms of thy faith, and wait in quietness until light goes up in the darkness. Fold the arms of thy faith, I say, but not of thy action: bethink thee of something that thou oughtest to do, and go and do it, if it be but the sweeping of a room, or the preparing of a meal, or a visit to a friend; heed not thy feelings: do thy work.”

(George Macdonald, Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 162)

A Toxic Cup of Tea

Health and Beauty

A Toxic Cup of Tea

To me, a cup of tea is like a cup of comfort. I love tea. Come rain or shine, I'm always up for a hot cup of tea. Tea has also been known to have several good health benefits as well. I recently read a very interesting article on the subject of tea, and more specifically, how deceitfully toxic your cup may be without your even knowing it.

For instance, look at that cup of tea. Inviting isn’t it? It just looks so delicious and perfectly harmless. But is it? Looks can be deceiving. Please read on and you’ll see what I mean. 

Plastic and Cancerous Compounds in Tea Bags—A Surprising Source of Potential Toxins (By Dr. Mercola)

“I’ve long advocated drinking tea in lieu of coffee, but the downside of modern food technology is again rearing its ugly head and causing brand new health concerns over this otherwise healthful brew.

A recent article in The Atlantic raises questions about the safety of plastic tea bags, some of which have fancy pyramid shapes, designed to allow the tea leaves to unfurl during infusion.

Chances are you’ve never even given the tea bag a second thought. But indeed, some of the newer tea bags are made with a variety of plastics; some are nylon, some are made of viscose rayon, and others are made of thermoplastic, PVC or polypropylene.

Anyone aware of the dangers of plastic chemicals leaching out of plastic containers and bottles is likely to be concerned about drinking tea steeped through heated plastic.

The other bad news is that paper tea bags may be just as bad, or worse, than the plastic ones because many of them are treated with epichlorohydrin, a compound mainly used in the production of epoxy resins.

Considered a potential carcinogen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), epichlorohydrin is also used as a pesticide. Besides making its way into tea bags, it can also be found in coffee filters, water filters, and sausage casings.

When epichlorohydrin comes in contact with water, it hydrolyzes to 3-MCPD, which has been shown to cause cancer in animals. It’s also been implicated in infertility (it has a spermatoxic effect in male rats) and suppressed immune function.

This chemical is already a well-known “process contaminant” associated with modern food production.

Do Plastic Tea Bags Pose a Health Concern?

As you probably know, chemicals in plastic containers and bottles have been found to leach into food and drink, thereby posing a number of health hazards.

According to the featured article:

“Could plastic tea bags also be bad for our health? They are most commonly made from food grade nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are two of the safest plastics on the scale of harmful leaching potential. Both have very high melting points, which offer some assurance to consumers, as one would think the melting point of plastic is the temperature at which one would need to worry about accidentally eating it. There is another temperature point for plastics, though, that we may need to worry about, called the 'glass transition' temperature (Tg). That is the temperature at which the molecule in certain materials such as polymers begin to break down. As a rule, the Tg of a material is always lower than the melting point.”

Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). In the case of PET the glass transition point (Tg) is about 169 degrees, and the breakdown point of nylon is even lower than PET.

“If the question is, 'As the polymer goes through that transition state, is it easier for something to leach out?' 'the answer is yes,' said Dr. Ray Fernando, professor and director of polymers and coatings at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,”  The Atlantic states.

So while these plastics are generally considered among the safest in terms of leaching potential, the molecules in these plastic tea bags may still in fact break down and leach out when steeped in boiling water—which is the recommended way to brew a good cup of tea.

Paper Tea Bags May Be Just as Bad, or Worse….

The now defunct Dexter Corporation was the initial owner on the patent of a method for treating both tea bags and coffee filters with latex (plastic), to aid in preventing tears that allow the tea leaves/coffee grounds to leak. This invention “saturates and completely impregnates” the entire web material. Therein lies one of the problems with paper tea bags as they are frequently treated with epichlorohydrin, which hydrolyzes to the carcinogen 3-MCPD when contact with water occurs.

Dow Chemical Co is one of the largest producers of epichlorohydrin. According to safety literature from Dow, it's a very dangerous chemical that requires using extra precautions when handling. Granted, that doesn’t automatically render it dangerous in the final product, but it can still be a cause for concern, particularly as it can turn into a carcinogen when water is added. There are many unanswered questions with respect to the potential hazards of using this chemical in products specifically designed to be used with boiling water…

A good way to protect yourself and your family in this area is to purchase your tea from manufacturers who can certify that their tea bags do not contain this compound. In a 2009 article, Kristie Leong, MD also claims to have done her own inquiries and that Bigelow Tea Company does not use the chemical in their bags.

Your best option would be to opt for loose tea. This does take longer, but it can be well worth the wait.

Of Your Healthiest Beverage Choices

While some tea bags—whether plastic or paper processed with epichlorohydrin—may pose a potential hazard, please don’t let that deter you from drinking tea altogether. Although I still believe pure water should make up the majority of your daily fluid intake, high-quality tea has numerous health benefits to offer. Among them is growing evidence that the polyphenols in tea, which include EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and many others, can be protective against cancer. Beyond this, the beneficial properties in tea have been known to:

·        Neutralize the effects to your body of harmful fats and oils

·        Inhibit bacteria and viruses

·        Improve digestion

·        Protect against oxidation in your brain and liver

·        Help promote healthy gums

Drinking tea has also been linked to:

·        Improved mental alertness and slowing of brain-cell degeneration

·        Reduced blood pressure

·        Protection again type 2 diabetes

·        Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels

·        Lower risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate cancers

·        Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke

Of course, there are some general ground rules to follow when selecting tea of any kind, and those are that it should preferably be:

·        Organic (otherwise tea may be heavily sprayed with pesticides)

·        Grown in a pristine environment (tea is known to accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil and water, so a clean growing environment is essential to producing a pure, high-quality tea)"

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/24/tea-bags.aspx

The Education of Bereavement

Spiritual Lessons

The Education of Bereavement

“As an eagle stirreth up her nest …. So the LORD alone did lead him,” (Deuteronomy 32:11 and 12)

“What a startling thought- that the breaking up of the nest is an act of God’s benevolence! I always looked upon it as a calamity. We are all familiar with the experience of the breaking-up of home. We remember the glad circle round the old fire, and how it grew thinner and thinner. One went to the colonies; one went out to be a governess; one departed with a stranger to a house of her own; more than one passed into the silent land. I always thought it a subject for tears. But here is an old writer who makes it a subject for praise, blesses God for it, declares it to be the first step of my education! I can understand God’s love in many things. I can understand why I should praise Him for His gifts to body and soul. But I lose my breath in surprise when I am asked to make the first stanza of my hymn the adoration of His mercy in loosing the ties of home! Nay, my soul, it is to strengthen these ties that my Father breaks up the nest. It is not to get rid of home He would teach thee to fly. It is that thou mayst learn by travel that thy home is wider than thy nest. He would have thee learn that in they Father’s house are many mansions, of which thy nest is only one. He would tell thee of a brotherhood in Christ which includes, yet transcends, thy household fires. He would tell thee of a family altar which makes thee brother to the outcast, sister to the friendless, father to the homeless, mother to the sick, son to the feeble, daughter to the aged- in kinship to all. Dost thou remember how the child Jesus in the temple lost His parents for a time. It was to Him the first breaking of the nest; it made Him think in His solitude of the wider house of His Father. So is it with thy temple, O my soul. They parents, they brothers, thy sisters, leave thee behind; and in the vacant place there arises a new altar- humanity. Thy Father has given thee wings in the night, wings in the breaking of thy ties. Thou hast soared by they sorrow; thou hast loved by they loss; thou hast widened by thy weeping; thou hast grown by thy grief; thou hast broadened in being broken; thou hast enlarged thy sympathy by emptying out they treasures. The storm that shook thy nest taught thee to fly.”

(George Matheson, Leaves for Quiet Hours p. 147-149)

This honestly has helped me. It encouraged me in my own time with ‘the education of bereavement’. Each of us has our own lessons to learn. Mine came in two seasons. My heart echoes the sorrow George Matheson must have felt at recalling old times. ‘We remember the glad circle round the old fire, and how it grew thinner and thinner.’  This was my nest once. And one by one- they left. I am the youngest of five children, and I’ve watched as three of my older siblings have gotten married or, at some point or another, moved away. It can be a hard lesson to learn when your family is especially close to one another. This was my first lesson in the education of bereavement. What once felt like a solid family unit, became scattered into isolated groups. It felt lonely at times. Like, you've been left behind in the shuffle and excitement that life brings, and then forgotten. But, as George Matheson has said, it can also teach you to fly. Oddly enough, I’ve never known something to strengthen the remaining few relationships at home, as when one member leaves. It is the sweet after tone of a bitter bite. I found that, it  also helped teach me to be confident in exactly who I was as a person. As an individual. You no longer hide behind the shadows of your brother or sisters- but step outside the comfortable conformity of many feathers in one small place. Maybe not everyone needs to learn this lesson, but when I was younger, I would often strive to be liked and accepted by other people; by my siblings, and especially by my peers, and even older sibling’s friends. I would sometimes emulate what they did in many small ways, because they were cool and interesting and a lot of fun. Not that I was ever not liked by others or somehow rejected, mind you, but it was my own personality tendency to “conform”. I still have to be careful of this even to this day. But though this education of bereavement, through this lesson, I learned to be who I was; who God had made me to be. And I learned to be confident in it. I was learning to fly.

The second lesson came much harder for me. It was when my family went through very trying times several years later. If I could ever say that my family was on the brink of completely falling apart, it was then. I dare not share the details of that time in our life. It isn’t necessary. But the verse in Psalms 27:10 became very real for me. “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.”  I never understood the meaning David must have had to this verse, until then. My nest was stirred. And more than once I felt as if I would be falling to my death. But through this, Jesus taught me how to fly. He picked me up and through the shifting of my nest, my home, taught me lessons that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Change can be a hard thing. And the stirring of the nest can be too. But God is faithful. And He uses what would feel like our most sorrowful bereavements to strengthen and to grow our faith. They became reasons for praise.

Later, in this same chapter, we see David giving praise. He says- “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalms 27:13 and 14)

David would have fainted, unless He had believed to see the goodness of the LORD. Sometimes you have to believe, before you will be able to see it. He believed in order to see. Sometimes the stirring of our nests feels anything but that of the “goodness of the LORD”. But this is where we hold fast to our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord and trust Him to work all things together for good. And He will. Just as He promised.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Quote of the Day

 “If we listen to our self-love, we shall estimate our lot less by what it is, than by what it is not; shall dwell on its hindrances, and be blind to its possibilities; and, comparing it only with imaginary lives, shall indulge in flattering dreams of what we should do, if we had but power; and give, if we had but wealth; and be, if we had no temptations. We shall be forever querulously pleading our difficulties and privations as excuses for our unloving temper and unfruitful life; and fancying ourselves injured beings, virtually frowning at the dear Providence that loves us, and chafing with a self-torture which invites no pity. If we yield ourselves unto God, and sincerely accept our lot as assigned by Him, we shall count up its contents, and disregard its omissions; and be it as feeble as a cripple’s, and as narrow as a child’s, shall find in it resources of good surpassing our best economy, and sacred claims that may keep awake our highest will.”

J. Martineau (Daily Strength for Daily Needs p. 176)