Tags
It’s that time again…
01 Tuesday Dec 2009
Posted Ponderings
inTags
It’s that time again…
11 Thursday Dec 2008
Posted Ponderings
inOne of my favorite bloggers around is Our Friend Ben, and I don’t just say that because I know OFB comes around here sometimes. The reason I mention OFB here is because of the comment left on yesterday’s Advent post. OFB, I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted everyone to see these marvelous resources that you suggested.
The following excerpt is quoted in its entirety from OFB’s comment. Hope you all find some wonderful Advent reading. And, on the off-chance that you have never been there, check out Poor Richard’s Almanac, OFB’s home on the web!
There are many books that help you do just that, some Advent-themed, some more general. You should check some out and see what speaks to you. Some of my favorites are:
I find that beginning and ending each day with these simple reflections puts me in a more prayerful state all day. Needless to say, there are many other Advent devotionals to choose from! I’m also fortunate enough to own a copy of a booklet that was published back in 1955 by an intentional Christian lay community called Grailville in Loveland, Ohio. It’s caled The Twelve Days of Christmas, and contains all kinds of charming family-friendly Advent activities. Worth looking for!
10 Wednesday Dec 2008
Posted Ponderings
inI hope you all are doing well and enjoying this wondrous season of Advent–as we await the coming of our Saviour. I must admit that James and I have fallen by the wayside. How can that be? We seemingly live so simple yet we find it difficult to set aside this much needed time to reflect on what this season truly means.
For me, part of the reason is that I need help. I need some kind of guideline to really “help me think.” I am a true Advent newbie, as I have stated before, so I have no traditions on which to fall back. So, I went searching the web today and found some more ideas. The one I am going to cut and paste for us really stood out to me. I hope you enjoy it as well.
From Crosswalk.com
- Pray for attentiveness to what truly matters, without being distracted by trivial things.
- Pray for opportunities to learn something new regularly.
- Pray for discernment of how God would like you to set your priorities and the ability to focus on them consistently to fulfill His purposes in your life.
- Pray for the grace to be able to rest, become aware of God’s presence, and enjoy it.
- Pray for strong relationships with other people in the bond of loving community.
- Pray for peace in all situations, no matter what the circumstances.
- Pray for an enlivened imagination that helps you contribute to the world in creative ways.
- Pray for freedom from all that burdens you – past mistakes, fears, destructive habits, hurts other people have inflicted, and more.
- Pray for joy and a sense of humor.
- Pray for confidence in God’s love for you and trust in His power to work things out for the best in your life.
- Pray for a clear mind and the ability to clearly communicate what you value to others.
- Pray for purity so you can grow as a person and encounter God more fully.
- Pray for openness to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
- Pray for a genuine awareness of God’s grace in your life and the humility to extend grace to others.
- Pray for a passion to pursue justice.
Adapted from When True Simplicity is Gained: Finding Spiritual Clarity in a Complex World, copyright 1998 by Martin E. Marty. Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., http://www.eerdmans.com, 1-800-253-7521.
30 Sunday Nov 2008
Posted Ponderings
inTags
via Nicodemus, Part 1 :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
The wine was flowing freely at
The finest wedding banquet that
The folks had seen in Cana since
The only daughter of the prince
Of Galilee had woven what
The locals called “the perfect knot.”
This time the ranking Pharisee
Had spread a table that would be
More lavish than the finest feast
And wine that any prince or priest
Had ever spread in Galilee.
His youngest son today would be
The last to marry. Then the old
Man and his wife, they thought, could fold
Their wrinkled hands across their laps,
And spend their final days, perhaps,
Beside the sea of Galilee,
Surrounded by the treasures he
Had gathered over forty years
Of skill and work. No financiers
In all of Israel had been
As shrewd as he, nor labored in
The night, nor made a sweeter spice
From balsam wood, nor made a slice
Of cedar serve as perfume for
The queen, nor healed a fest’ring sore
With aloe plants, nor made such myrrh
And anise that the princes were
His patrons, and would come from far
Away—from lands where such things are
Not found—to buy the spices which
Had made old Nicodemus rich.
If someone said, “You make us pay
Too much for these,” He’d smile and say,
“If you can find a better spice
Than mine in all of Israel,
I’ll fill a bag at highest price
And waste it on a criminal.”
No one had ever met his boast.
And so he was, it seemed, the most
Successful businessman to take
His place among the court, and make
Himself a name, not only for
His spice and wealth, but even more
Because he could recite the law
Of Moses fully without flaw.
He was a Pharisee, and all
The details of this wedding, small
Or great, would be done right. When he
Was walking on the porch to see
The guests who could not fit inside
The house, he stopped abruptly, spied
The empty wall, and trembled. Jars!
Six massive urns, pure shining stars,
Set in a constellation like
A sign: Touch not! For God will strike
The ones who take the vessels set
To purify our lives, and let
Them serve a common use. He took
A servant by the arm, “Here, look!
The holy urns! They’re gone! They’re gone!
Where are they?” He replied, “They’re on
The patio. They’re full of wine,
Sir. Very good wine, sir.” “The line
That separates the holy and
The common is not drawn in sand,
But etched in stone by God,” the tone
Of Nicodemus’ voice, like stone,
Was hard and cold. “Who dared to take
These sacred urns today and make
Them into common things?” “The man
There with his mother, Sir.” “And can
A guest of mine command that jars
For purity, like brilliant stars
That make the dark of sin shine bright
With holiness, should be so slight
That you, my servants, would obey,
And fill them with the bloody spray
Of grapes beneath the feet of who
Knows what Gentile to make this brew?”
“Sir, please. We did not fill the urns
With wine.” “They filled themselves? Truth burns
The shirt of him who holds it in.
Make haste. I smell the smoke of sin.”
“We filled the jars with water, sir.”
“So you are saying that I err
When I assume someone bought wine
And put it in the jars?” “No vine,
No grapes, no feet to press the blood
Of grapes, no desecrating mud
From off the street. We simply took
The water from the well, and look!
The guests all think you saved the best
For last. But sir, upon my breast
I put my hand and swear: He turned
The water into wine. I’ve earned
Your trust for many years, my lord.
One moment this was water poured
From your own well, and crystal clear,
Then it was wine. God has come near.”
“Do you know this man’s name?” “His name
Is Jesus, sir. He said he came
Because someone invited him.
Perhaps, before the day grows dim,
You’d want to talk to him. I told
Him who you were. He said, ‘The old
Man with phylacteries? I know
Him.’” “He said that he knows me? Though
I’ve never met the man?” “Yes, sir,
That’s what he said.” “Thank you, I’ll stir
That in among my thoughts and weigh
It with the rest. Strange wedding day.”
“Yes sir, strange wedding day indeed.”
But Nicodemus didn’t heed
The servant’s word that day, to speak
With Jesus face to face. A week
Or more went by, and this time in
Jerusalem he saw him spin
A whip from ragged ropes, drive out
The sellers from the court, and shout,
“My Father’s House is not a place
Of trade. And let there be no trace
Of bag, or oxen dung, or scale,
Nor even finest spice for sale.”
And at that very moment he
Looked up across the court to see
The eyes of Nicodemus set
Like stone. And when their faces met,
It was as though a meeting now
Was set that long ago somehow
Had been appointed with an aim
That Nicodemus could not name
Or even less escape. He turned
Away, and wondered why he burned
Inside not with the rage he knew
So well, but something far more true,
More real, than anything he’d known.
Tonight, he thought, he’ll be alone.
So Nicodemus in the dark
Of night, when none would see or mark
His coming, found the teacher who
Had made his water-well into
A winery, and made his spice
Bazaar look like a sordid vice,
All broken down and scattered on
The Temple floor. “Rabbi, upon
My word, I do affirm you are
A teacher come from God. And far
Be it from me to doubt that you
Could do these signs unless it’s true
That God is with you.” But before
The old man could go on with more,
The Lord said, “Truly, truly I
Now say to you, my friend, you pry
The meaning of my signs in vain,
Nor will you ever see or gain
The saving reign of God unless
You have been born again. Confess
Your need of this, great ruler of
The Jews.” The old man said, “A dove
Cannot crawl back into its egg;
Much less could I, a man, go beg
My mother that I enter now
Again into her womb somehow
And thus be born again.” “I tell
You, Nicodemus, you should dwell
More deeply on the fact that I
Used purifying jars—ask why!—
To fill with my own blood-red wine,
And mark the covenant design
Of union twixt a man and wife.
Have you no eyes, no heart, no life
To see that all of this was sign?
It did not have to do with wine.
And when I turned the tables in
The Temple upside down, the sin
Is only worse when you don’t see
It’s not about the sheep, but me.
O Nicodemus, until you
Are born again, and have a new
And Spirit-given life, you will
Be like the living dead, blind still.
Just like the foolish child who sees
His mother point toward mighty trees,
And will not look toward where they stand,
But only sees his mother’s hand.
Are you a sage with Israel’s keys,
And do not know these ABCs?”
Lord, let the flame of candle one
Point like a finger to the Son.
And let the eyes of ev’ry heart,
With sacred life that you impart,
Be opened, lest your heaven-land
We miss while gazing at the hand.
Forbid that we would see the sign
And miss the thing that you design.
O that your beauty, sharp and clear,
Would penetrate our darkness here.
Make windows in the things of earth:
This is the joy of second birth.
30 Sunday Nov 2008
Posted Ponderings, recipes
inETA 9-04-2010: A dear friend just recently made this sweet bunny rabbit bird seed treat and shipped it to us! She used one of the recipes you’ll find below. I must tell you that the birds LOVE it!
While home in Louisiana, I perused several of the catalogs that come to my parents’ address. Some of the items were pretty, some useful, some amusing and some were downright TOO EXPENSIVE!! No questions asked, catalog pricing is insane.
One item that I found myself tempted about (especially since we are celebrating Advent this year) was the advertisement for the molded bird seed treats. They are adorable, make great Christmas decorations for outdoor Christmas trees and are useful all rolled into one. Unfortunately, the miniature molded bird seed treats came in at roughly six dollars each–before shipping. I’m not called the frugal one in my family for nothing. I came home and quickly exercised my Google talent. My search did not go unrewarded. Below, find several recipes for making your own bird seed treats–at a fraction of the price!
Birdseed and Fruit Mixture
Edible Glue: 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, 3 Tbsp. corn syrup (add package of plain Knox gelatin for extra holding power if necessary).
Add 4 cups birdseed and peanuts, fruits, berries, raisins, or anything else the birds enjoy.
Stars and Wreaths
Cover tray with waxed paper; roll out mixture 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use cookie cutters or shape mixture into stars and wreaths. Freeze if using the suet. For birdseed mixture, let dry 4-6 hours; remove cookie cutters; turn over and dry 4-6 hours more. Use raffia to hang from trees.
Birdseed Bells
Coat outside of 2-1/4″ diameter peat pots with the suet mixture or use a paintbrush to coat with the edible glue and then roll in birdseed and place on waxed paper to dry for 4-6 hours. Use needle and thread to string 4-5 cranberries for clappers; pass needle through top of bell and knot at top. Use paper-twists or raffia bows to decorate at top and double as hangers.
above recipes courtesy of bird hobbyist
1 1/2 pound lard or suet
1/3 cup chopped berries, raisins or currants
1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup crushed nuts
1/2 cup cracked hominy or cracked wheat
Melt the fat or suet on low heat in saucepan. Mix all ingredients into the suet. Spoon the mixture into shaped muffin tins or pre-shaped jello molds and cool in the refrigerator until solid.
Note: To create a hole for hanging the treat, insert a drinking straw into the warm mixture. Remove the straw once the mix is solid and cooled, thread with wire or thick yarn and hang.
When cookie molds are cooled, wrap each individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer until needed.
above recipe courtesy of snowflake recipes
"This recipe uses gelatin instead of fat to hold together seeds. These cakes work great in warm weather too because they do not melt or turn rancid. Combine one ounce of unflavored gelatin and cup of water in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Then add 1 cups of any combination of seeds the birds in your yard enjoy. Try half and half black oil sunflower and safflower seeds. Mix well, until all seeds are coated with gelatin. Pack the mixture firmly into a plastic container and chill until solid. Use molds in the shapes of stars, wreaths, trees, or other holiday shapes to make festive ornaments or tree toppers. Once the cake is removed from the mold, it's ready for the birds."
24 Monday Nov 2008
Posted Ponderings
inAs promised, I am researching ways to celebrate and participate in Advent. Each day, I will add new resources and then transfer them to the Advent Resources page. I hope you find something to encourage and inspire you in your anticipation.
Today’s resource comes from the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America) website.
How to order this resource
Copies of “Living Simply With God: 40-Day Hunger Calendar” are available at no charge – postage included – in packets of 25. Order by phone:
NOTE: This calendar (the actual resource) is not available for download. You must order a printed copy to use this resource.
Note: To read the entire commentary about this calendar, please follow this link.
Second note: For those of you who are in the area, I have ordered this resource and will be able to distribute them on the first night of Advent.
22 Saturday Nov 2008
This year, we are going to celebrate Advent for the first time in either of our lives. Those of you who come from a more liturgical background may find all this old hat, but James and I are filled with wonder by the ceremony. Isn’t it odd how that works?
If anyone would like to join with us, I will be adding resources for the celebration of Advent in your own home. The first of these resources you will find below, please click on the Advent link, which will download a PDF file onto your computer. It is especially designed with all size families in mind: singles, couples and families with children.
• November 30 – First Sunday of Advent
• December 7 – Second Sunday of Advent
• December 14 – Third Sunday of Advent
• December 21 – Fourth Sunday of Advent