I Agree with Elizabeth

On Motherhood and Profanity

I completely agree!

I Shall Not Want

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Lately, my eyes have been completely on my circumstances.


Nothing has a finished, completed sense about it, leaving me with a gnawing, churning lack of peace.


And that, is sin...

Why is this sin?

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The other day, a friend of mine mentioned that she had never understood what the phrase, "I shall not want" meant. She had thought that she was perhaps in sin because there were things that she did want. She was glad to know the true meaning of the word want.

The funny thing was that I did understand that phrase, but I was not living like I understood it.

Want doesn't mean to simply desire something.

lack: to be without, have need of, be devoid of, be bereft of, be missing, deficiency, shortage, unavailability

It means that whatever my needs are, they will be met.

What do I need?

Perhaps, the better question is what do I not need.

I do not need to know the future. I do not need to "have it all together". I do not need to be everything to all people.


I do not need to be afraid.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Is there anything you want?

Starting Again

Well, no new pictures of the garden right now. It is playing out.

The squash is finished.

The cucumbers are finished.

The figs are finished.

The pears are finished.

BUT...

I'm not finished!

Here, in hot as blue blazes Texas, I get another growing season chance and I'm taking it!

Today I Choose Thankfulness

I'm thankful for....


a dear husband with unlimited patience who watches tenderly with bated breathe to see if I will embrace becoming conformed to His image.

loving friends who believe the best of me even when I simply don't deserve it.

sweet, sweet children who rush to serve our family especially when my husband and I are too tired to move.

a beautiful daughter-in-love who desires to be my friend.

a "bit of earth" on which to "dig and delve".

a Holy God and Savior who simply won't let me stay in my present sinful state, but loves me enough to move me from glory to glory.


Thank you everyone. You know who you are....

Garden Update #2

I know that I have not posted in quite a while, but truly, circumstances have prevented me!

My first born got married this past Saturday!!

I will post some pictures when I get them from the photographer. Needless to say, we are just thrilled with our new daughter-in-love. She is beautiful inside and out.

We have had some disappointments in the garden. First, a rabbit kept getting in at night and eating my yellow and zucchini squash! I used to love the Tale of Peter Rabbit. Now, though, I believe I identify with Farmer McGreggor more than Peter!



Recipe Tip: With the squash that we have gotten so far, I used a nifty little gadget called a Spiralizer to cut them in thin ringlets. (Actually, sweetie pie, Lydia, cut them and then proceeded to eat them! Yes, Miss Picky!) By marinading them in olive oil and soy sauce, they could be eaten raw, but tasted as though they had been sauteed. Mmmmmm!

The green beans have just about played out and I am going to replant them this weekend. I got about 12 pounds of beans from these plants. I don't know if that is remarkable or just average, but they were delicious. I don't know the price of organic fresh green beans, but the local grocery store had them priced at $2.99 yesterday so those yummy beans would have cost me around $35! We had some seed from last year, but my husband wanted to try a different variety this year so I did buy the seed, but that cost is minimal.



Recipe Tip: Take a jelly roll pan and brush it lightly with coconut oil. Spread out about a pound of green beans with ends snapped. Thinly slice an onion and top the beans. Add about 10 (yes, I said 10) cloves of garlic and place over the top. Once roasted the garlic will be deliciously mild. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 400 until beans are to your liking! I love them as they are, but my husband and sons like to sprinkle them with balsamic vinegar!

I have had about a dozen tomatoes to ripen so far, but about 75-80 have not ripened yet. I'm sure, with my luck, that they will all ripen on the same day! :)

Sun-dried tomatoes will definitely be on the menu.




Our fruit trees have totally shocked me! We just planted them along with our Spring garden and lo and behold, all the fig trees are bearing fruit along with several pears. I believe a delicious pear crisp is in order! I thought that you could not expect to have fruit for at least three years from when you planted.





Did you know that pears actually need to be picked before they are ripe? Bill was reading about them in one of our organic gardening books and that was the advice given.



I have already harvested and made pesto with my basil and am going to havest and make more today. Companion gardeners say to plant basil alongside tomatoes. I tried that this year and I seem to be having a "bumper" crop! I will also dry some of the basil for use this winter, but I really prefer it fresh.



My only regret so far with this years garden is that we did not plant even more!

Hmmmm...

I think I said the same thing last year!

Garden Update #1

Just wanted to update my garden news!

What is it about putting a seed or plant into the ground and watching it grow that is so exciting!

Especially when you begin to see it produce something.








Does the Lord feel that same excitement when we begin to sprout, to grow and then to produce fruit that glorifies Him?

My first pepper and tomato!
My squash is blossoming!




We put more mulch on the beds and more compost tea. The rain has been more than abundant and the humidity is fierce.


We have also reached 217 in our egg count.

Any customers?

Don't forget to check out From Seeds to Harvest to see what everyone else is doing in their gardens!

Don't Miss This Article

I'm telling you now, don't miss this article by Lygia Lovelace.

http://www.kenlovelaceministries.com/lovelace_menu.html

The Lovelace family is very special and dear to my heart. They have a heartfelt call to orphans and, in addition to their five biological children, have adopted five beautiful children from Thailand, Romania and Liberia. You can see some of their pictures here.

Lygia is a gifted writer and I never fail to be touched and convicted by her words. The Lord is using her in my life and I know that He will use her in yours.


I'm telling you now, don't miss these articles!!!

Thou Art My Hope in the Day of Evil

I'm letting Spurgeon do my speaking for me today.

I am beginning to get emails and phone calls from very hurting, frightened people.

Jobs are being terminated. Illness is haunting. The world at large is simply in a turmoil.

You've heard me say it in prior posts, but I'll say it again, and again, an once again....


BUT GOD

"Thou art my hope in the day of evil."
-- Jeremiah 17:17

The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has
his seasons of darkness and of storm.

True, it is written in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace;" and it is a great truth, that religion is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above; but experience tells us that if the course of the just be "As the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," yet sometimes that light is eclipsed.

At certain periods clouds cover the believer's sun, and he walks in
darkness and sees no light.

There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season; they have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian career; they have walked along the "green pastures" by the side of the "still waters," but suddenly they find the glorious sky is clouded; instead of the Land of Goshen they have to tread the sandy desert; in the place of sweet waters, they find troubled streams, bitter to their taste, and they say, "Surely, if I were a child of God, this would not happen." Oh! say not so, thou who art walking in darkness.

The best of God's saints must drink the wormwood; the dearest of his children must bear the cross.

No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no believer can always keep his harp from the willows.

Perhaps the Lord allotted you at first a smooth and
unclouded path, because you were weak and timid. He tempered the wind
to the shorn lamb, but now that you are stronger in the spiritual life,
you must enter upon the riper and rougher experience of God's
full-grown children.

We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith,
to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more
firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our
glorious hope.

God has not changed. He never will.

Blessings,
Robin

From Seeds to Harvest

I am taking part in a challenge! Those of you who know me very well will also know that I love trying something new! Experimenting!

My oldest son (whom I'm afraid takes after me, poor thing) would often get in trouble and say,

"I just wanted to see what would happen!"

My dear friends have often been seen cringing in fear when they hear these words come out of my mouth:

"You know what we could do?"

Well, our entire family has taken to gardening. Of course, it is now cool to garden because of our present economy, but I must say that this is not our first garden.

I must also confess, that I hope at the end of the season to be able to say that this was our first successful garden! :)

I have decided to take a challenge with a few other adventuresome folks to share what we are doing (successes and failures) in our garden this year. I will post about it from time to time.

I may even wax poetic occasionally. Isn't that supposed to happen to people who spend time with nature!

If you, too would like to 'take the challenge' just click on the images of Seeds to Harvest at the top of this post to find out how you can join with others on this season's GREAT ADVENTURE.

Here are some pictures of my humble beginnings. The garden has been trying to survive since March 20. Two weeks later we had a freeze :( and lost our first cucumbers. The other plants survived, but because of the continued cold began to turn a sickly shade of yellow. We continued to put worm castings on them in hopes that they would rally.



Note: Do not plant cucumbers until the ground has warmed to at least 65-70 degrees. They cannot bear the cold. (Of course, we did not know this until after the freeze and I then checked my gardening books. Hmmmm. Is there a lesson in this?)

We decided not to try cucumber plants, but started them the second time from seed. Aren't they the cutest things?


We have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, squash (crooked neck and zucchini), bell peppers, chili peppers, onion sets, beans, and several kinds of herbs.

Note: Here in Texas, we have been informed that our onion sets should have been out the first of January! I don't know how they will do. The farmers who let us know showed us their onions that are almost ready to harvest. Huge! Beautiful! I wish that we had known. sigh....


Pear, plum, and fig trees have also come to reside here at the farm. (I'll post pictures of these at another time.) We had a tiny black insect that tried to devour the plum trees, but I believe that we have overwhelmed him with organic pepper sprays. I know that I could not have lived through the onslaught of torture through which we put those bugs! :)

Compost tea is also another great way to feed your plants. Here is a link to making your own!

I Can't Believe It!

I can't believe it! We are actually getting eggs! We've had 30 total so far. Every hen has justified her existence!

These in the picture are our first two and yes, they were delicious!

Psalm 45:10

"Listen, O daughter,"

Am I listening?

When the still, small voice of my Lord is speaking, am I listening?

When He speaks through my husband, my children, you, my dear friend, am I listening?

"Consider and incline your ear"

Am I leaning forward, eagerly hoping to hear something that will turn me away from my present path?

Am I thankful, grateful, happy to hear the words that sometimes grate, jar, sting?

It has always been the duty and privilege of the church to be listening and attentive to the Lord.

Eagerly leaning forward, as we do sometimes when we go to hear a famous speaker or when we attend a wonderful production and we don't want to miss a word.

Today I want to listen.


Are you listening, O daughter?

Thank You Friend

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort, of feeling safe with a person
—having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right
out, just as they are—chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take
and sift them, keep what is worth keeping and then with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away."

Isn't that just beautiful.

That is how I feel when I have been with my true friend.

Thank you, friend.

Change is Inevitable

Luke 21:33 (King James Version)

³³Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Has the truth of this verse ever touched your heart?

Sometimes, I pride myself on loving change. I do love change when it involves me or my family trying something new, different, strange or exciting.



But I have to admit....

when change involves letting my friends try something new, different, strange or exciting....

when it means I have to let them go....



I don't like change.



Nothing stays the same. Everything changes.



Only the Word of the Lord remains completely constant. Someone might say that the stars stay constant, but only as long as the Lord tarries. When he returns everything here will change.

...heaven and earth shall pass away...

It's so easy to move on myself. Why is it so hard to allow others to move on?


I'm sure that there are many people out there who grew up in one spot, always attending the same church in the same place with the same people and are raising their children the same way.

I envy you sometimes. That has not been our lot.

Sure, we could have made some choices that might have caused those circumstances to happen in our lives, but I think that if I am truly honest I have to say that when you really want to follow Jesus, He has to be able to decide what is best for you.



If His best is to be settled in one spot, then rejoice in that!

If His best is to be flexible, then rejoice in that!



Pray for me to rejoice in that. Pray for me to rejoice in what the Lord is doing in my sweet friends' lives.

Philippians 4:11-12 (New King James Version)

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Lord, help me to be content...

Home Sweet Home

Well, again, my apologies for not having posted sooner, but the Galvan family have been through many trials that I have not felt I could share on a public forum.

Carlos has come home (as of Wednesday) and physically is doing extremely well. For those of you would like to continue to pray for this beautiful and Godly household, there is a very specific prayer need that I would like to share.

Carlos has two forms of aphasia. To put it as simply as possible, this is a confusion of speech, spoken as well as in understanding. For example, he will speak a lengthy sentence in which he believes that he has communicated his need or want, but in reality, the sentence is completely garbled. This also happens when you speak to him. This causes much frustration an anxiety.

He will be covered for three weeks of intense speech therapy and then it will be their responsibility to seek private therapy.

The needs, of course, are obvious. Pray that the Lord will continue to do the mighty work that He has been doing, and pray for wisdom to discern the next step.

I will not post concerning these dear friends unless I have an update on Carlos' speech. There are many needs, but, as I said before, their privacy in family matters must be maintained. If you would like to send a message of hope to this family please leave your comments and I will forward them. If the Lord gives you the grace to continue to pray for them, it would be much appreciated by us all.

With much love and blessings,
Robin

Not Just Children's Games!

I am so sorry that I have not posted in a while.

I have not been able to.

I couldn't find the courage to write down the events that have been taking place with the Galvan family.

Suffice to say, Carlos has not been doing well. His progress has been often frightening to us all.

But God...

The Lord truly is gracious to save, to build our faith in ways that I cannot begin to understand.

When my family went down to the hospital on Wednesday evening to take communion with the Galvan family and to pray once again, Carlos really knew us. Spoke to us. Told us he was coming home tomorrow when Bill said that we were looking forward to his coming home.

Of course, he was not coming home the next day, but his cognition has been astonishing!

The therapist had him playing tic-tac-toe, he matched a series of numbers without crossing lines, he separated a deck of card by color and suit and put them in numerical order without being told.

We have a long journey, but there is so much more light now.

We are thrilled!

Thank you again, praying saints. The victory is always the Lord's, but you will have the privilege of sitting at the Victor's table with Him and sharing in this marvelous work that He has done!

Praise Our Mighty God!

Carlos had a rough weekend. I spent the night at the hospital on Sunday and my son, Adam, Abril and I check on him all through the night.

There was nothing wrong. Nothing had changed except his night nurse for the past two nights had given him extra morphine so that she could watch television.

We had to report it to the physician the following day because he didn't want to move Carlos to a room by himself because he seemed so lethargic after having been so alert and awake on Friday and Saturday.

This was so disappointing!

I am not at the hospital today, but I am hoping for a good report.

Update!!! I just got a call from Abril saying that the doctors have reported that the vasospasm danger had ended!!! Hooray!! Hopefully they will be moving Carlos to a regular room either tonight or tomorrow! PRAISE THE LORD! He is so mighty! So Good! So Faithful!

Please continue to pray for Carlos' speech to come forth.



On a totally different note, I wanted to post today about a wonderful family! The Lovelaces!

I am going to try to put a button on my site in order for you to find them with ease. And you will want to find them again and again!



The Lovelaces have ten (yes, I said ten!) children and they are all jewels. You can read more about their experiences with their children here.

Ken has been a missionary and a pastor for years. His devotionals can be found here.

Ken also has a handy man business that you might like to check out here.

This lovely family has been such a personal blessings to me and mine. They strive for Godliness in all that they do. The testimony to their neighbors has been a continual blessing to watch.

Ken has been without employment for over a year now. The LORD has been truly faithful to meet every need, but I would so appreciate your checking out their website and passing their site on to others who may have needs, both physical and spiritual.

Please take the time to visit. You will truly find a new friend, especially in time of need!

Check Out My Hubby's Blog Today On Contentment!

You or your husband won't want to miss my husband's blog today. He has posted some really timely words of great insight!

Least you think I brag too much, his entry is based on The Art of Divine Contentment!

Don't miss it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Spurgeon was absolutely wonderful today. It truly speaks to us all! I'm just going to post what he has to say today.

“And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.”

2 Kings 25:30

JEHOIACHIN was not sent away from the king’s palace with a store to last him for months, but his provision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he well pictures the happy position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do not need to-morrow’s supplies-- that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive we shall never know want. Sufficient for the day is all that we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink or wear more than the day’s supply of food and raiment; the surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of watching against a thief. One staff aids a traveller, but a bundle of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as good as a feast, but is all that the veriest glutton can truly enjoy. This is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with his daily allowance. Jehoiachim’s case is ours; we have a sure portion, a portion given us of the king, a gracious portion, and a perpetual portion. Here is surely ground for thankfulness.

Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength. Day by day must you seek help from above. It is a very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you. In the word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy.

For me to say anything more would be to detract from these wonderful insights.

I am praying for you all today!

Robin

We Needed Some Good News

I'm sorry that I have not posted in a couple of days. My husband has been ill.

The past two days have been very disappointing with Carlos. He had become very unresponsive. His eyes were not focusing on any of us. He has not been responding to any verbal commands. He has not tried to make a sound.

Abril was very low yesterday. It was a difficult day.

Last night, we decided to have prayer meeting at the hospital. Abril was clearly depressed, but determined not to give up the fight for Carlos. Her words were:

It hasn't been years. It hasn't even been months.

She was so right...

We began to pray in earnest not only for Carlos, but for the glory that the Lord is getting in this terrible situation. For the ministry that Abril is having with others there in the hospital. One woman asked her if she wondered, "Why me?". Her reply:

Why not me?

She was so right...

Why should we not share in Christ's sufferings? Why should we not grow in our total dependence on His mercy and grace?

We continued to prayer also for the children. That they would be able to stand up under this time of testing and that they would persevere in their faith.

The Lord was truly present among us and Abril was at peace when our prayer time ended.

Bill and I then went up with Abril to pray over Carlos again.

The LORD met us there before we could begin.

Carlos opened his eyes and clearly focused on us. He tried to speak for the first time. He clearly rocognized us and....

he smiled twice!

I have rarely been so overjoyed in my life!

We are not out of the woods; please do not give up praying for this beautiful family.

God is getting glory.

His ways are perfect!

Update on Carlos

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Your prayers are very effective. Yesterday morning when I arrived at the hospital we had some rather disconcerting news. One the "numbers" on Carlos was slowing climbing and the doctors had to make a decision as to whether or not they should take Carlos in for a procedure to administer a drug to prevent his left artery in the brain from having vasospasms. They felt that he was getting into a danger zone for possible stroke.

To say the least, this was discouraging for all of us.

We began to talk about the reality that faith is believing what we cannot see.

And suddenly, the situation was not so frightening.

Late that afternoon, the doctors did in fact take Carlos in for the procedure. They were in the operating room for a long time.

Almost 2 hours.

When they came out, they explained that they had taken so long because they could not see any sign of vasospasms and no sign that his artery was constricting.

Bibi immediately pointed to the fact that the Lord can do whatever He wills.

I agree.

Seeing is not believing. Believing is believing.

Today, we have had some wonderful news. For the first time, Carlos was able to squeeze the hand of the nurse and move the toes on both feet when the nurse commanded him to. That is a huge step.

Thank you again for your continued prayers. They have already been effectual. Please don't get weary!

Abril said to tell all of you how appreciative and touched that people who don't even know her would spend time in prayer and petition for her family! She sends her love and thanks!