55 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 4-12-16”

  1. I have some of those flowers.
    I don’t see how anyone can object to LOTR for an early teen.
    I encouraged Chuck to read it. The Hobbit should be read first, though it isn’t the same quality as LOTR.

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  4. Morning all.
    I am feeling stress here and will put something on the prayer thread. But…
    I went out and took a walk and God sent a very encouraging couple my way who asked how it was going, so I could share the stress. As they walked away they said something about taking care of myself, and I replied, that is why I am walking.
    Had a nice time of fellowship and prayer tonight with my prayer group.

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  6. Good morning, wandering viewers. That was a lovely header to wander into this morning. I would enjoy a walk there. Poor Art, though, he is using that cane today and it was a struggle to get his shoe on. He probably needs it x-rayed, but I have not brought that up since he would not go anyway with it being so close to the tax deadline.

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  7. 3rd trip to oil patch for me today. I have been hauling mesquite for the wood cook stove we will put in our new house. I’ll get a pickup load of hay on the way home.

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  8. The weather is supposed to be bad here today and tomorrow so I won’t be shadowing the sales rep until Thursday. I was awake for hours last night/this morning stewing over it and praying. The text message this morning putting it off was a welcome reprieve. THAT should answer some of my questions but I want to keep an open mind and see what the job really entails and perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.
    In making a pro/con list about working with Guy… being able to work from home and have freedom is a very strong pro. There are a lot of cons to balance it out.

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  9. Rkessler, Neat! What kind of wood stove? Have you cooked on one before? I have looked at getting one for here but have not done it yet. Always interested in what folks are using. Our “cabin” in the mountains (many years ago,my dad had the opportunity to detach a room from a house, put it on the back of a truck, and drive it up to his property. It is one room about eight by twelve and sometimes has three walls, sometimes four, depending on my brother) has a wood stove and it is fun to use.

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  10. We read the Chronicles about every year (and every year I see more allusions to Christianity) and the Hobbit and LOTR as well. Fun reading. Reading books like that develops vocabulary and imagination. And we need imagination (it is a gift from God, after all) to help us see the Hope that is ahead. We have some descriptions of Heaven, but by filling it out with our imagination, it helps to get one even more excited about the reason for which we ought to live a Christ reflecting life here. As we used to say, Heaven is going to be a blast!

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  11. When I made the comment that no one should read only Christian books or listen to only Christian music, I was primarily thinking of young people. This is something I have heard from other believers over the years. Often, they were people who wanted others to know how holy they were. One informed me her daughter, who is a teacher, only used Christian music in the classroom. She taught in a public school, so I am not sure that was true anyway. I also do not know why you would reject many good songs/music, because it is not overtly Christian. I think the same is true for literature.

    Good literature, is good literature. Christian literature can be poor. I read books from people which whom I completely disagree. I sometimes need to know what they are saying to have an answer for others. Same with fiction.

    The older you get, the more precious you realize time is. You have already read and been exposed to many, many ideas. Young people are in a different stage of life. To say they should only read Christian books is detrimental, IMO.

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  14. When we started homeschooling, I was not impressed with “Christian books” for young folk. But I was a reader and some of my children already were as well. I decided reading was good, though some things are over the top and best ignored, we allowed a wide range. And guess what, when they grew up, each child either developed their relationship with Christ or didn’t. We do what we can to point them in the right direction, but it is still their choice. Which, of course, brings us to whether we have free choice or God calls or some where in between or a combination.

    Even as adults, we do need to “know the enemy” and be able to deal with people where they are. So reading secular stuff certainly has a place. Though my own leaning is that I enjoy reading about what God is doing in different people and different areas.

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  15. I’m grateful this morning for the many good devotionals that are available. They so often hit the mark for me.

    From “New Morning Mercies” (Tripp), April 12:

    “We forget who we are, and when we do, we begin to give way to doubt, fear and timidity. Identity amnesia makes you feel poor when in fact you are rich. It makes you feel foolish when in fact you are in a personal relationship with the One who is wisdom. It makes you feel unable when in fact you have been blessed with strength. It makes you feel alone when in fact, since the spirit lives inside of you, it is impossible for you to be alone. You feel unloved when in fact, as a child of the heavenly Father, you have been graced with eternal love. You feel like you don’t measure up when in fact the Savior measured up on your behalf. Identity amnesia sucks the life out of your Christianity in the right here, right now moment in which all of us live.

    “If you’ve forgotten who you are in Christ, what are you left with? You’re left with Christless Christianity, which is little more than a system of theology and rules. …

    “So if you’re his child, ward off the fear that knocks on your door by remembering who God is and who you’ve become as his chosen child. And don’t just celebrate his grace; let it reshape the way you live today and the tomorrows that follow.” 1 John 3:1-10

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  16. Last week I told you about my friend B who lives in Pittsburgh and while I was in “luv” with him in 11th grade alas he didn’t return my feelings and as it turns out those of any other female. What makes him a worthy opponent in an argument is that while he is very liberal and a dyed in the wool Democrat; he spends as much time listening to conservative talk radio and reading conservative news as he does the more liberal news. While he and I do not always agree he is respectful of my beliefs and is open to hearing what I have to say.
    His attitude is that if we don’t know what the “other side” is saying how can we really form an opinion.
    I am not for reading “Mommy Porn” (that’s the term you were looking for yesterday Cheryl) although I have read some of it…I kept thinking somewhere there had to be a redeeming passage, but there wasn’t. I am not for reading Satanic Worship Rituals and I even gave up one of my favorite authors because she started leaning to the occult, but I am for having some knowledge of it. How can I form an opinion if I only know what “they” say?

    For the record, all the mothers at the ball park kept telling me I HAD to read 50 Shades of Grey. They loaned me their books. I read all three because I kept thinking there had to be redemption somewhere, that he fell in love and talked to a therapist, etc. There wasn’t. What it was, was bad porn tied together with even worse writing. I mean really? You are going to set your story in Seattle, WA and have everyone drink a pot o’ tea??????
    BUT because I read the books, every time I get stopped at a light and see a middle aged woman in an Audi A4, I laugh to myself and think….hmmmm I KNOW what YOU’VE been reading!!!! It is small and petty of me but I am easily entertained.

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  17. Spring flowers (and pretty weeds) sprouting up everywhere … Such a fresh and pretty time of year, even though I dread the heat of summer that follows. 😦

    Back to work for me today, will have to dig up some stories for the week. But it was such a nice, long break having a 4-day weekend.

    Annie is struggling on her diet, she can’t figure out why her food bowls aren’t filled to the brim anymore for her all-day grazing pleasure. 🙂 Poor kitty.

    Janice, I hope Art’s ankle improves, an X-ray probably wouldn’t hurt although it sounds like a bad sprain — heat or cold, I forget which they say to apply, maybe both, alternately ? Tax deadlines are approaching, but there’s extra time this year, right? A few days? Maybe that’s not a good thing. Best to just get it over with by now, I suppose!

    Praying, Jo.

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  18. 7:00 AM appt at the dentist…no cavities….yay….grocery shopping on the way home…filled up my car with gas (1.95 a gallon), now home to enjoy the afternoon with my doggies….it is a lovely spring day here….no pretty flowers like those on the header, but the pine smell in the forest is intoxicating!! 🙂
    I downloaded the Rose Garden Husband on my Kindle last night…thanks Kim for the heads up….started reading it at the dentist office, but didn’t get past the first page before they called me back!

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  19. I agree on reading “outside the faith” as it were. The problem is many adult novels have “verbal porn” which distracts from the story and puts bad thoughts in the mind. I read a novel based on four generations and it had two such passages. Other than that, it was a well told story. I even put that in my review (it was for Netgalley). Even John Grisham can get too graphic at times.

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  22. Mr P and I tried out the Country Queen Cafe. Despite being understaffed the food was delicious. I told the harried woman waiting tables (she is one of the owners) that it was the kind of food I would cook were I inclined to cook. She offered me a job. I told her don’t tempt me. 🙂

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  24. Well, with all this talk about good literature the last couple days, I think I will pick myself up a good fiction read soon. Maybe after I finish one of the five non-fiction books I currently have checked out of the library.

    We have Little Women here, which was a good one. I had also read Francine Rivers’ The Mark of the Lion trilogy many years ago — borrowed the books from a friend. I enjoyed that series.

    Or perhaps I’ll choose something I’ve never read. Any suggestions for me? You can assume I probably haven’t read it. 🙂

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  28. I am currently trying to read When the Past Is Present….It isn’t light reading. In a week I have finished 1 chapter and had to read and re-read to make sure I was understanding.

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  29. Another good mid-day devotional, “When I Feel Stuck,” from ligonier:

    (Or “Like a terrier with a toy” we cling to Him)

    http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/when-i-feel-stuck/
    ____________________________________________

    …. All prodigals, we walk home through a world blighted by Adam’s choice. Fallenness dampens every joy. Burdens heavy with guilt, shame, and regret bite into our shoulders. Fears within and troubles without loom black like thunder. We yearn to hear more of the running footsteps of a welcoming father, his strong arms wrapped around, his tears warm and salty on our cheeks. But disappointed longings follow us as constant companions. Our best moments are always interrupted, and like the weekend for the midweek schoolboy, heaven can feel far enough away to seem forever away.

    The worst of these times go unexplained. No particular sin, failure, or mistake stands out as the culprit. We feel “blah” and don’t know why (Ps. 42:5). In this far place, we fall easy prey to a dark theology built upon feelings. A depressing inevitability follows: We don’t feel God speaking, so we stop reading our Bibles. We don’t sense God listening, so we stop saying our prayers. Inertia dampens everything; we go nowhere. What to do?

    First, remember: you are not alone. All God’s children have trodden these paths before. How often the psalmists felt abandoned, yet they still reached for God in song. …

    Second, ask God to search for any “grievous” way blocking your communion with Him (Ps.139:24). …

    Beyond sin, we should also look for weeds in our hearts, toxic desires that choke life from the soul. Jesus identifies three in the parable of the sower: the busyness of life, the lies money tells, and the desire for other things (Mark 4:19). With weeds on the increase, we will never feel well. To kill them, the Spirit stands ready with the heavenly herbicide of richer thoughts of a better life (Rom. 8:5; Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:1–4). United to Christ, we walk in the newness of life (Rom. 6:1–14). ….

    Third, examine yourself: Are you at peace with providence? It is hard to draw near to a God with whom you are secretly angry. Unwanted burdens can be the friend of prayer, exciting our desire and drawing us close (Ps. 55:22) …

    What if the darkness does not lift? Often, the best path upward is simply to trust and obey….

    “He knows the way that I take, and when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Faith has a warrant for this journey that is truer than our worst fears, and so we keep clinging to Him, for He clings to us (vv. 11–12). Like a terrier with a toy, Job grips this truth for all it is worth. He can’t feel himself holding on to God, but faith sees a stronger hand holding on to him—a hand that will never let him go.

    In the end, the best question … is not “What do I feel?” but “What do I know?”
    ___________________________________________________

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  31. I occasionally re read Little Women. I have Gone With the Wind on my Kindle for when I feel like reading it again. I haven’t read it since I was 14. My grandfather was dying of cancer and I read it in the hospital.
    If you have never read GWTW it is good and will give you some insight to the South. Don’t take all of it as gospel but it is a good book. Don’t bother with reading the so called sequel Scarlett…it is an abomination. How it was ever authorized is beyond me and certainly don’t read The Wind Done Gone about Gerald O’Hara’s illegitimate child with Mammy.

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  32. I actually liked Scarlett. I thought it showed her maturing and starting to think of someone other than herself. It has been more than 20 years since I read it, so I might have a different opinion today.

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  33. Mumsee, I don’t recall the brand, but it is green. 🙂 We bought it before 2000 and it has been on the porch of the she’d ever since. I have cooked on wood stoves, but not a real cookstove like this one.

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  36. That is funny. Our little wood cook stove is also green. I know that one needs to get up several times in the night if one wants to keep it going all night to keep the place warm. But we have made meals in it and on it. Hot chocolate at times. It has a mica glass on the oven.

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  37. loved my Vermont castings woodstove and it could be shut down to keep coals all night ready to begin again in the morning. I once kept the fire going for a month. Loved the drawer underneath to remove the ashes. And if the power went out, we didn’t have to worry. Except for water since we had a deep well and the pump wouldn’t work.

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  38. Our cast iron, Stove That Jack Built, held a fire all night. It was nice. But we got a soapstone that was federally approved due to the foster children, and the risk of a child getting burned on it. The soapstone is nice, very pretty and has a nice warm heat, but it is challenging to keep the fire over night.

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  39. I particularly liked the family saga series Francine Rivers did. It began with “My Mother’s Hope,” I believe.

    My sympathy, Janice. They certainly should have told you, if the wait would be that long. We have had this happen too often. It does not make me ever want to buy again from that dealer.

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  41. They gave me a rental car which meant being shuttled to the rental car place and then leaving there in rush hour traffic. I got a Kia with only 700 miles on it and they put the new tag on it while I waited. At least I got to smell new car fragrance for all my sitting in traffic time. I feel very exhausted considering I sat all day. Miss Bosley missed me.

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  42. Son says he is only getting ninety dollars back so it is not worth filing the 1040EZ…..what?????you are my son????? That is okay, in his math class he is filling out all sorts of tax forms and not getting any money for it.

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  46. Mumsee, the first time I could have filed taxes, I didn’t, since I’d only get about $14 back (four hours wages at the time) and I’d heard so many horror stories about taxes I didn’t want to do it if I didn’t have to, and I didn’t have to. The next year I had to file, and realized the 1040-EZ was all I had to do and it wasn’t the horror people spoke of, and of course I regretted that no one had pointed that out the year before . . .

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  48. Kevin- I think a certain lady around our age is showing some jealousy when we get the two numbers we share. Congrats on yesterday’s 75. It is rare to get it because the threads don’t get that high much any more. 50 is the new 100. And since Jo likes 49, she should get the post after this. However, she’s probably asleep at this hour.

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  49. We have an old Ashley wood stove that we heat with now. It keeps coals overnight. I agree with Jo that an ash pan is wonderful. Soapstone stoves are certainly pretty.

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  50. No, no, I was not asleep, I was at school working. It is only 4 in the afternoon here and you are probably all asleep.
    Store finally opened again after being closed for 8 days. Could you go 8 days without any shopping? Mostly I needed eggs.

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  51. Jo, when I was single I usually shopped every two weeks. My husband is more accustomed to shopping every day or two. If bananas are all he needs, he goes to the store and gets bananas. We’ve met somewhere in the middle, usually going a couple times a week.

    Though one day we went to the store and shopped, and I suggested getting bananas (trying to make sure we had everything we might need so we wouldn’t have to go back the next day). He said he didn’t think we needed them yet, so we went home without any and he saw we only had one left. So when we went later to see his parents, we had to go back to the store just to get bananas–two visits to the store in just one day. I prefer my every-two-weeks schedule, but it isn’t really possible when one has a family and other people are eating up the bread and all the other food, and when one’s husband has bananas as a “never-run-out” item. (One just can’t buy two weeks worth of bananas!)

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  52. Here the store is also a social occasion. It is the only place to go. There is nowhere else. So it is missed. I also see my students there and sometimes they run up and down the aisles, there are five, and giggle as they hide from me. or peek at me from different ends of the aisles. It is so funny, but you have to check out everything, not just get what you need You never know what rare item they might have gotten in. And if you see it, you buy it! They had tahini a couple of weeks ago. Something you never see in this country. We all bought it. Only hope to see it again will be in six months.
    They also have a kai bar where you can buy lunch and they have put in haus wins, or picnic tables with a roof overhead. Several different ones so you can eat with just your group. I have done that once.

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  55. Jo, 5:09 a.m., cute story about seeing the kids at the store.

    I recall one time, back when I was a school teacher, seeing one of my students at the grocery store. She was pretty young, probably kindergarten or first grade, no older than second grade. Anyway, when she saw me, her eyes got huge and an incredulous smile crossed her face, like she couldn’t believe she was seeing me there!

    The next time she came to my music classroom, she beamed at me and said, “I saw you!” 🙂

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